Holland America Line’s Pinnacle Class ship Koningsdam was fitted with SpaceX’s Starlink technology in April and is getting rave reviews.
Gus Antorcha, Holland America Line president, said, “For our guests and our team members, maintaining the connectivity they are accustomed to at home is an important part of the cruise experience. Added bandwidth means our guests can share the joys of exploring Alaska in real time and our team can stay in touch with their loved ones back home.”
Starlink, a new satellite internet constellation, was designed by Elon Musk’s aerospace manufacturer and transportation firm, SpaceX, in 2002. It supplies broadband coverage by using thousands of small, low Earth orbit satellites thereby allowing internet access to those who previously were unable to have little or no access. Due to its proximity to the planet, it also allows for faster internet speeds along with better performance. All of these things combined make it an ideal option for the cruise industry.
Guests and crew aboard Koningsdam’s 18-day voyage from Vancouver to Hawaii were the first to benefit from the newly installed technology and have provided very positive feedback.
Kathleen Erickson, vice president of technology for Holland America Line, stated, “While it’s early in our usage, the feedback from guests and team members has been very positive so far. We’re hearing from guests that emails and social media are performing well, and team members tell us that internet calls home to loved ones are much stronger. That’s a connection that means a lot.”
Start looking for SpaceX’s Starlink aboard other Holland America ships as well as her sister cruise line’s ships, Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit. With all the positive feedback, we are sure to see more and more cruise ships outfitted with Starlink technology.