Starlink on the water: Musk now also does in cruises

The network on cruise ships is traditionally poor.

Starlink on the water: Musk now also does in cruises

The network on cruise ships is traditionally poor. That should change. With the help of Musk's Starlink technology, the cruise giant Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines soon wants to offer its passengers high-speed Internet in the vastness of the sea.

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, plans to add internet service to ships across its fleet, according to a statement.

Musk wrote on Twitter that the ships will soon receive a "kickass internet connection". The system should be implemented on all ships in the first quarter of 2023. "This technology will deliver breakthrough internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike," said Jason Liberty, President of Royal Caribbean Group.

According to the company, a test mission on board the Freedom of the Seas received "enormously positive feedback". The Freedom of the Seas is one of the world's largest passenger ships and can accommodate more than 4300 passengers. The cruise company's fleet comprises a total of 64 ships, and ten more are on order.

Starlink, the subsidiary of Elon Musk's space company SpaceX, operates more than 2,000 small satellites in low-Earth orbit. This comparatively short distance (of around 550 kilometers) enables a fast internet signal almost anywhere in the world - especially in regions with limited connectivity.

According to the company, Starlink, which belongs to the SpaceX company, now has more than 400,000 customers worldwide. Musk had also opened the system to all of Ukraine after the Russian invasion began.