starlink on the water
Musk is now cruising too

8/31/2022 9:51 am

The network on cruise ships is traditionally poor. This should change. With the help of Musk’s Starlink technology, cruise giant Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines soon wants to offer its passengers high-speed internet across the vastness of the ocean.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is now offering his Starlink satellite internet service on cruise ships. There is already a first major customer: Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. The world’s second largest cruise line, based in Monrovia, is planning to add internet service for ships to its fleet, according to a statement.

Musk wrote on Twitter that the ships would soon get a “kickass internet connection.” The system should be implemented on all ships in the first quarter of 2023. “This technology will provide Internet connectivity on our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew,” said Jason Liberty, President of Royal Caribbean Group.

A test mission on board Freedom of the Seas received an “extremely positive response,” according to the company. Freedom of the Seas is one of the largest passenger ships in the world and can accommodate over 4,300 passengers. The cruise company’s fleet includes a total of 64 ships, and ten more are on order.

Starlink, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX, operates more than 2,000 small satellites in low-Earth orbit. This comparatively short distance (about 550 km) enables a fast Internet signal almost anywhere in the world – especially in areas with limited connectivity.

According to the company, Starlink, which is related to the SpaceX company, now has more than 400,000 customers worldwide. After the Russian offensive began, Musk opened up the system across Ukraine.