As the world embraces the digital age, Seabourn has seized the opportunity to enhance their guests’ experience by offering improved connectivity even in the most remote corners of the globe.
In an exciting development, Seabourn has announced the installation of SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi technology on its two purpose-built expedition ships, Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit.
This partnership marks a significant upgrade in the quality of internet service offered on the ultra-luxury expedition ships while they sail in regions such as Greenland, the Arctic, and Antarctica.
Seabourn and Starlink
Starting this week, guests onboard the Seabourn Cruise Line expedition ships Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit can enjoy fast internet while they explore our planet. The luxury cruise line, part of Carnival Corporation, will offer guests Starlink’s Wi-Fi technology.
Seabourn Venture, at 23,000 gross tons and a capacity to carry 264 guests, is the first ship in the Seabourn fleet to offer Starlink’s Wi-Fi technology, starting with the May 12, 2023 cruise earlier this week.
This initiative comes in time for the ship’s second Arctic season, ensuring guests can share their adventures in real-time with those back home. The line’s second expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit, which is set to launch in the summer of 2023, will also be equipped with enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity.
“We are committed to providing the best ultra-luxury expedition experiences at sea, and the Starlink partnership will offer a significantly enhanced connectivity experience during our expedition journeys,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn.
“From the polar regions to Australia and the South Pacific, our guests will experience a more reliable connection, allowing them to share those special moments and experiences with their loved ones as they sail on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit.”
Starlink & Expedition Ships
Starlink, renowned for its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology, offers internet capabilities and functionality to meet growing service demands globally. The service will be especially valuable in areas around the poles where internet connectivity has always been slow to sometimes non-existent due to the lack of satellites in those areas.
“Starlink offers Internet capabilities and functionality to meet growing service demands globally, and I am so pleased that guests and crew members on both of our expedition ships will benefit from this innovative technology,” added Kathleen Erickson, Seabourn’s vice president of technology.
Seabourn Venture’s guests will be the first to enjoy the enhanced internet speeds during voyages to the British Isles and Ireland, expeditions to Greenland and Iceland, a 23-day adventure through the Northwest Passage, and a journey down the West Coast of the Americas before reaching Antarctica in November.
Construction for Seabourn Pursuit began in the fall of 2020 during a ceremony in San Giorgio di Nogare, Italy. The ship is scheduled to set sail on August 12, 2023, with seven pre-inaugural sailings to the Mediterranean, Transatlantic, and Caribbean.
A Growing Trend Among Cruise Lines
Installing Starlink’s Wi-Fi technology on cruise ships is not unique to Seabourn. Several other cruise lines, including SeaDream Yacht Club, Hurtigruten, American Cruise Lines, and Windstar Cruises, are already utilizing or planning to install Starlink access.
Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean are in the process or have already implemented Starlink service across their fleets. Norwegian Cruise Line is testing Starlink onboard its ships.
Starlink Maritime is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation with a low Earth orbit. It utilizes lasers to allow communication to occur further away from ground-based stations. This makes it capable of offering the same or even higher speeds than what is achieved with regular Starlink internet service.
The groundbreaking technology ensures that guests onboard ships can stay connected, even in the world’s most far-flung corners.
