New agreement with satellite technology leader
Starlink set to transform guest and crew connectivity experience
with faster and greater capacity to ships, beginning with the
company's Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises brands
As part of its ongoing strategy, world's
largest cruise company has nearly tripled fleetwide bandwidth and
continues to enhance connectivity as part of its focus to provide
guests and crew across its world-class cruise brands with the best
available Wi-Fi experience at sea
MIAMI, Jan. 18,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company,
today announced an agreement for the next-generation of internet
connectivity across its global fleet, the latest in a series of
moves that have nearly tripled ship bandwidth since 2019. The
company has signed a new agreement with SpaceX's Starlink, the
leader in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology, to provide
faster service, greater capacity and more reliable Wi-Fi on a
global scale.
Fleet roll-out of Starlink began in December 2022 with Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA
Cruises ships, with plans to expand Starlink to several of the
company's other world-class cruise brands, which include Princess
Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises
(Australia), Costa Cruises,
P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.
Rivaling on-land connectivity experiences, Starlink greatly
advances Carnival Corporation's focus on providing the best
available Wi-Fi experience for its guests to stay connected while
on vacation, including sharing photos and videos, streaming movies
and live sporting events, and enjoying other content onboard with a
reliable connection at even faster speeds.
"For many of our guests, it has become more and more important
to maintain the type of connectivity at sea that they've become
accustomed to at home, and of course to share the unforgettable
experiences of their cruise with friends and family," said
Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival
Corporation. "We are in the business of delivering happiness, and
Starlink makes it as easy as possible for our guests to share all
their great moments and memories, giving them even more joy out of
their cruise vacation."
According to Weinstein, "The added bandwidth will give the
brands the capabilities and flexibility to introduce new guest
services and features, as well as help boost operational functions
like onboard equipment monitoring and real-time communications
between ship and shore teams. And importantly, adding Starlink's
innovative technology to the company's existing connectivity
platform will also help our amazing crew stay in touch with friends
and loved ones."
"High-speed, low-latency broadband internet is critical in our
modern age, and we're excited to provide Carnival Cruise Line and
AIDA's guests an internet experience that makes their travel even
more enjoyable," said Jonathan
Hofeller, vice president of Starlink sales for SpaceX. "In
even the most remote waters, guests onboard Carnival Corporation
ships will be able to share real-time updates with friends and
family."
Starlink agreement advances Carnival Corporation's
connectivity leadership strategy
Starlink joins a growing portfolio of world-class communications
service, satellite and other technology providers that make up
Carnival Corporation's industry-leading, fleetwide connectivity
ecosystem. As a global cruise company with nearly 100 ships
visiting over 700 ports worldwide, Carnival Corporation's
innovative, multi-provider connectivity framework is designed to
strategically route internet traffic to optimize network speeds
across its fleet anywhere in the world.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel
companies with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines. With
operations in North America,
Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise
Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O
Cruises (Australia), Costa
Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.
Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com,
www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au,
www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com and
www.cunard.com.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc