Tag Archives: connectivity

SES to Offer Global Connectivity Services Onboard the Explora I

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SES has partnered with Explora Journeys and will provide global connectivity services onboard the Explora I when it enters service in 2023, according to a press release.

SES’s mPOWERED connectivity service will offer low latency and the highest available throughput aboard, contributing to Explora’s vision of creating an “Ocean State of Mind”, according to SES.

Guests on the Explora I will have free, high-speed, and uninterrupted Wi-Fi access regardless of their location, and they will be able to stream their preferred content or share their cruise experience from any part of the ship.

Crew welfare and training, employee performance, motivation, and retention will all benefit from improved connectivity onboard through this partnership.

“Today’s guests simply expect seamless and uninterrupted connectivity comparable to on land as they want to share their experiences and stay online as much as possible. We are pleased to be able to offer this connectivity experience to our guests onboard Explora I thanks to SES’s services,” said Michael Ungerer, chief executive officer, Explora Journeys, MSC’s new luxury brand.

“Connectivity is one of the most important enablers for such travel experiences from both a guest and crew point of view. Our O3b mPOWER ultra-fast, low-latency connectivity is empowering a new experience that will revolutionise the ultra-luxury expedition maritime segment,” added Simon Maher, vice president of global sales and cruise maritime services, SES.

Speedcast Expands Deal with Royal Caribbean for More Bandwidth

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Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas.

Speedcast International announced it has extended its relationship Royal Caribbean Cruises to increase the bandwidth delivered to 37 ships.

“Speedcast has been an integral part of our long-standing efforts to implement the latest connectivity solutions that allow us to provide enhanced communications for everyone, from our guests onboard to our employees onshore,” said Guillermo Muniz, director, Network and Satellite Engineering, Royal Caribbean. “We are consistently raising the bar on ship innovation and increasing requirements, and Speedcast is right there with us, collaborating to make sure that we have the infrastructure and support to deliver the best experience.”

Speedcast’s experience with Royal Caribbean dates back to 2006 when the company installed Royal Caribbean’s first Ku-Band VSAT antenna onboard a vessel to satisfy peak seasonal communication demand in the Brazil region.

The Speedcast network now delivers fully managed communications solutions and value-added services to 37 ships for shipboard administration, and guest and crew usage.

Multiple antennas on each ship with seamless automatic fail-over between Ku-Band and C-Band ensures high availability and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Speedcast said.

“We have a true partnership approach to our relationship with Royal Caribbean,” said PJ Beylier, CEO, Speedcast. “As one of the largest cruise line brands in the world and one of our largest customers, we are proud that they continue to trust our expertise in designing and deploying reliable solutions that connect their ships to shore and provide a premier onboard guest experience. Over the past 11 years, we have seen tremendous growth in Royal Caribbean’s business, and we look forward to helping them continue to develop their brands as they introduce new ships and look for innovative ways to enhance guest and crew experiences.”

Carnival Corp to Rollout ‘Best’ WiFi with MedallionNet

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Carnival Corporation today announced MedallionNet, what the company is calling “a game-changing connectivity service enabled by SES Networks that will deliver the best WiFi experience in the cruise industry.”

SES Networks will leverage both geostationary earth orbit (GEO) and medium-earth orbit (MEO) constellations, managed services, antenna and shipboard technology to offer high-performance and reliable broadband connectivity at sea, according to a statement.

The unique GEO/MEO combination also includes O3b Networks’ low-latency satellites. The company has global coverage backed up by 65 satellites.

“Staying connected is inextricably linked to our daily life experiences and that now extends to the vacation experience, even when sailing in the middle of the sea,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. “MedallionNet will set the new standard for Wi-Fi service at sea and we look forward to rolling it out to our guests. Our top priority is doing everything we can to exceed guest expectations, and by listening closely to our guests, we know Wi-Fi connectivity is important to many of our guests. For guests who want to disconnect, they are free to do so. But for those who want to stay connected, MedallionNet will make it easy for them – and that includes being able to easily send photos, videos and messages letting everyone know they are having a fabulous vacation.”

“MedallionNet is another development that came out of Carnival Corporation’s Global Experience and Innovation Center located in Miami and is the first end-to-end Wi-Fi service development formulated with a focus on exceeding guest expectations through “GuestCentricity” – an initiative to enhance all aspects of the vacation experience by delivering guests what they want, when, where and how they want it,” Carnival said.

“SES Networks is privileged to be associated with Carnival Corporation’s Global Experience and Innovation team and to be powering MedallionNet,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES Networks. “We share Carnival Corporation’s passionate focus on connecting people, places and cultures around the world with amazing experiences. As the only company to offer a GEO and MEO constellation, unmatched in scale, performance and technological diversity, SES Networks is uniquely positioned to enable the highest performing Wi-Fi connectivity at sea as well as immersive media and gaming content.”

MedallionNet leverages multi-band antennas configured in a shipboard formation to minimize any potential impact to guest connectivity due to seasonal weather or ship positioning. By combining multiple sources of bandwidth to achieve the highest capacity shipboard network ever brought to a cruise ship with an unprecedented volume of shipboard access points, MedallionNet introduces a level of service reliability and signal pervasiveness not previously achieved on ships sailing at sea.

More specifics about MedallionNet and specific cruise brand implementation will be announced later this year, Carnival said.