Any news on the Starlink rollout on Cunard

[Joe33472]

Did a quick search and noticed that Carnival is the latest cruise operator to sign with Starlink for a fleet-wide deployment of Starlink's satellite internet service and just wondering if anyone heard plans when this might reach Cunard.   Also wondering if ships have to dry dock for the equipment to be installed or the hardware can be installed in port.   I'm thinking the former, but maybe it's not a big deal. 

[Bell Boy]

I wouldn't get too excited about it , I recently sailed on Silversea who are now promoting this. 

The connection to decent wifi was no different to what I've experienced on over 55+ cruises ( Cunard or Seabourn) 

 

It doesn't matter what hardware they would have us believe they are promoting , wifi connection will always be temperamental especially mid Atlantic, the Fjords or any area out at sea . 😉

 

[Mercruiser]

My Starlink experience on Azamara Onward, last month, was really impressive. This was on a Lima Peru to Miami cruise. The speeds were great everywhere along the route. But, we were always close to land. I don't think Starlink will work well in the middle of the ocean (I could explain why, but it gets into technical details about ground station uplinks.)

 

Here is a thread about the Starlink speeds. See the last post. 

I was getting similar speeds on my cruise. 

 

The Starlink equipment install does not need a drydock. It's actually very compact - especially compared to the legacy satellite dishes on most ships. Google "Starlink Maritime" if you want to know more. 

 

 

[Joe33472]

1 hour ago, Mercruiser said:

My Starlink experience on Azamara Onward, last month, was really impressive. This was on a Lima Peru to Miami cruise. The speeds were great everywhere along the route. But, we were always close to land. I don't think Starlink will work well in the middle of the ocean (I could explain why, but it gets into technical details about ground station uplinks.)

 

 

I was wondering about this too.  Even with Starlink, it sounds like I will have to have realistic expectations on our TA crossing.   The fact that you had really good coverage on your trip is promising for cruises close to land.  

 

I was really hoping to keep in touch with friends and family via FaceTime audio and/or WhatsApp.   I’ll just have to let everyone know that I might not be reachable.   It will be nice to have a break….

Edited March 15, 2023 by Joe33472

[steve4031]

Based on what I am reading, it's best to assume that texts on iPhone (no pictures or extras) would not work on a transatlantic cruise.  Am I correct in this assumption? 

[Mercruiser]

13 hours ago, Joe33472 said:

 

I was wondering about this too.  Even with Starlink, it sounds like I will have to have realistic expectations on our TA crossing.   The fact that you had really good coverage on your trip is promising for cruises close to land.  

 

I was really hoping to keep in touch with friends and family via FaceTime audio and/or WhatsApp.   I’ll just have to let everyone know that I might not be reachable.   It will be nice to have a break….

I am hoping we start hearing some reports on how Starlink does on a TA. Azamara Onward recently completed a Miami to Tenerife Spain TA crossing. Here is the one report I can find on CC for Onward:
"Internet on trans-Atlantic Onward has been great for us. Not perfect, but WAY better than the internet on Nov. trans-Atlantic!"

Source: 

 

 

[Mercruiser]

Here is a report from an Azamara Onward TA that might be of interest:

 

Note that Azamara Onward normally has 600 passengers max. A Cunard ship will be sharing the internet speed with way more passengers.

[Mercruiser]

On 3/14/2023 at 11:56 AM, Bell Boy said:

I wouldn't get too excited about it , I recently sailed on Silversea who are now promoting this. 

The connection to decent wifi was no different to what I've experienced on over 55+ cruises ( Cunard or Seabourn) 

 

It doesn't matter what hardware they would have us believe they are promoting , wifi connection will always be temperamental especially mid Atlantic, the Fjords or any area out at sea . 😉

 

I am wondering why Silversea's internet speed was so disappointing. Azamara Onward is having very good results with Starlink. See:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2923906-azamara-internet-wi-fi-with-starlink-how-well-does-it-work/#comment-65011230