Starlink internet service recently made a big splash, as nearly every cruise line has signed on to implement the new satellite connectivity product from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. And so far, the feedback from early adopters has been mostly positive with only some negatives, as expected from a fledgling tech solution.
Why Cruise Lines Are Using Starlink Now
The early consensus from cruise companies about Starlink’s service is that it has offered significant improvements. Holland America Line recently released news that the new low earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology — intended to open up greater bandwidth and speed up connections — has enhanced the setup onboard Koningsdam. Currently sailing in Alaska, the ship first implemented the system during an April dry-dock refurbishment, and it has been operating now for more than four weeks.
“For our guests and our team members, maintaining the connectivity they are accustomed to at home is an important part of the cruise experience,” said Gustavo Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “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.”
The reliability element of Starlink is particularly important to test in Alaska, where interference from weather, structures and mountains poses challenges for traditional tech solutions, according to the line. Besides Alaska itineraries, the ship has also sailed a roundtrip voyage from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Hawaii with the new Wi-Fi system in place.
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.
“While it’s early in our usage, the feedback from guests and team members has been very positive so far,” said Kathleen Erickson, vice president of technology for Holland America Line. “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.”
Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of commercial sales for Starlink, is equally pleased by the results, adding that high-speed, low-latency internet is critical to modern lifestyles.
“We’re excited that Holland America Line is seeing strong results in Alaska,” Hofeller said. “And we look forward to helping Holland America Line and other Carnival Corporation ships continue to bring the connectivity experience for their guests and crew into the modern age.”
Holland America plans to roll out Starlink to additional ships later this year; the ultimate objective is to make it available to the entire fleet.
So, How Did Starlink Work on Recent Cruises?
Danny Genung, owner of Harr Travel in Redlands, California, with whom we’ve previously checked in about Starlink technology, is also pleased.
Gone are the days of waiting 10 minutes to download an email. The days of streaming, video chatting and making VOIP calls are upon us.
He has been able to use Starlink’s product onboard several different cruise lines to great effect, and he finds that the experience is much improved over what he has experienced throughout the past 30 years of cruising.
"Gone are the days of waiting 10 minutes to download an email,” he said. "The days of streaming, video chatting and making VOIP calls are upon us. I think it is wonderful for the industry as, often, the easier you can connect, the more you can actually disconnect.”
In February, Genung was able to trial Starlink onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas. He found the Starlink connection to be a marked improvement over the ship’s previous Voom one.
“I was able to stream, play video games with my daughter, make VOIP calls and even run a Zoom meeting for our staff,” he said.
Genung’s one note about the product is that he thinks more usable bandwidth could be added, based on cruise lines’ cost analysis.
Russell Berrong, co-owner of Lesley Bettis Travel, a Cruise Planners franchise based in the Dallas Forth-Worth metro area, is similarly impressed. He most recently used Starlink onboard Azamara Onward in May during a Greek Isles sailing with Azamara Cruises.
“We were blown away by the internet speed and consistent service,” he said.
Running Speedtest by Ookla on his computer, he measured 93 megabits per second (mbps) download and 18 mbps upload speeds with a ping rate of 84 milliseconds from his stateroom and balcony — which he found mind-blowing for a cruise ship in the middle of the Aegean Sea.
"This is faster service than we receive at our home,” he said. “Wi-Fi calling was a breeze — never dropped a call.”
Also in May, Genung had another positive Starlink experience onboard Viking Polaris during a Great Lakes sailing with Viking Cruises. Given the onboard demographic, he believed few guests were uploading videos or files or otherwise streaming.
"The internet was perfect,” he said. “The speeds were blazing fast, and I was able to work as if I were at home.”
It is still a work in progress, but I am very excited that I can more confidently travel and still run my business.
However, during a three-week sailing in March onboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex, Genung’s Starlink experience was mixed. During the first week, he experienced the best internet connection he has ever had at sea — even though the ship was fully booked — with “blazing fast download and upload speeds where we were easily able to stream and run the business from the ship.” But the following two weeks were different; they were spring break departures with far more kids and teens onboard, increasing the overall capacity and changing the demographic.
"It was a struggle,” Genung said. “The download speeds were always pretty decent, but the upload speeds were almost nonexistent. I could see people on Zoom, but they couldn’t hear me. I couldn’t make clear calls on VOIP or WhatsApp, and trying to even upload files via email was tough.”
His takeaway? The degree to which Starlink will work onboard cruises just depends on many different factors. Overall, Genung loves that the industry has embraced this enhanced internet.
“It is still a work in progress, but I am very excited that I can more confidently travel and still run my business,” he said.
