Starlink being installed on QM2 TODAY!

[Mercruiser]

I'm 95% sure these are Starlink antennas being installed today on QM2. We are approaching midway in our eastbound TA.

 

I've been following Starlink installs on Azamara, and this is what the antennas look like.

 

[Host Hattie]

Interesting, thanks for posting. It looks like a beautiful day at sea.

[Mercruiser]

Yes, the weather has been blue skies all the way so far. The waves have been minimal, not even white caps most of the time.

 

I know this sounds strange, but I was kind of hoping for a storm so I could experience QM2's famed seakeeping abilities. 

[Mercruiser]

I forgot to explain in my original post, Starlink is a new satellite internet system that is typically 10X faster than the existing satellite systems.

 

My personal experience with Starlink is on Azamara Onward (former Pacific Princess) which pretty consistently provides 90+ Mbps. That's  than fast enough to stream 4k video. But more important, the Starlink satellites are only 500 km above earth, compared to 20,000 miles for the geosynchronous satellites used by legacy systems being used by QM2 up till now. The 40,000 mile round trip distance to the satellite causes a 1 second delay that makes it seem slower.

 

Starlink will be a significant improvement.

[Host Hattie]

33 minutes ago, Mercruiser said:

 

I know this sounds strange, but I was kind of hoping for a storm so I could experience QM2's famed seakeeping abilities. 

Sounds like you need to try a Winter crossing !

[ballroom-cruisers]

It should be way better for sure - though the performance any one passenger sees on their  phone or tablet will depend on how many other people are trying to use the internet at the same time - after all if 2000 people all want to get 90Mbps at the same time that would need a connection speed of 200Gbps which I am pretty sure is not available from Starlink!   So the real performance in speed will depend on only a small fraction of passengers trying to use the  internet at any one time. Dare I say it but this may be one reason that a fast internet service might cost more so not everyone will use it?

Edited May 29, 2023 by ballroom-cruisers

[Mercruiser]

 

ballroom-cruisers asked on another thread:

 

"Is that on QM2 and are they working on the installation during the voyage? I guess once the antennas are installed on the upper deck area, all the rest of the work is under cover within the ship once the cabling from the antennas is linked in to the central networking hardware in wherever the comms centre is on the ship. It is possible that the rest of the network cabling throughout the ship is being left as it is, with the only difference being the external router is feeding signal from Starlink rather than from the box that was connected to the original satellite antenna(s)? At some point improving the (many) wireless routers around the ship so that better wifi is fed to cabins and public areas may be on the cards, but unless a discussion is held with the engineers who are actually doing the install, or the managers who are directly involved with the decisions, then it will remain supposition and speculation!"

 

I'm going to answer here. Yes it is QM2 mid-voyage on a TA.

 

I expect that Starlink will significantly improve the internet speed and responsiveness. But it will do nothing to prove the wifi coverage on the ship. They need new/more wifi access points to solve that problem. Until then, go to a public area and look for an access point (I'll post a photo later) and seat yourself nearby to have a good wifi signal.

 

I tried talking to the installation guys on the top deck. Unfortunately, their English was no better than my Italian. 

[NE John]

That’s great, but there still is a side of me that likes being untethered from the world while on a TA…

But for those who need to work and share their Cunard experiences “live” via social media, etc. All good. 

[Mercruiser]

10 minutes ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

It should be way better for sure - though the performance any one passenger sees on their  phone or tablet will depend on how many other people are trying to use the internet at the same time - after all if 2000 people all want to get 90Mbps at the same time that would need a connection speed of 200Gbps which I am pretty sure is not available from Starlink!   So the real performance in speed will depend on only a small fraction of passengers trying to use the  internet at any one time. Dare I say it but this may be one reason that a fast internet service might cost more so not everyone will use it?

Princess appears to be handling that by limiting the bandwidth for any one user. Azamara only has 700 passengers max.

 

Starlink Maritime uses antennas in pairs. It appears that QM2 is getting 6 pairs or 6X the bandwidth of a single pair. That seems reasonable for a 3000 passenger ship.

[richstowe]

Any idea when Starlink will be installed on the QE ?

[ratflinger]

Good news, I have Star Link at home and it works well.  Now if they'll just make it make it free for Grills passengers ......

[steve4031]

Would Starlink make it possible to use Skype?

[Mercruiser]

21 minutes ago, steve4031 said:

Would Starlink make it possible to use Skype?

 

Unfortunately, yes. I say unfortunately because I'm listening to an excellent pianist in Carinthia lounge and a woman nearby  is attempting to answer a phone call. I am relieved to see that the call fails to connect even when she attempts to call back. I really dislike it when people force me to listen to their calls in restaurants, especially when they talk loudly, as many people do on phone calls. 

 

If Starlink were operational, I'm sure the call would have gone through. 

 

Steve4031, I'm sure you intend to make your Skype calls from the privacy of your cabin. 😁

Edited May 30, 2023 by Mercruiser

[steve4031]

Yes, I would not be making calls in a public area where music is playing.  I’m in cabin 6293.  Not sure how close that is to a router.  If I had to make a call from a public area I would try to pick a place where there were few people around. 

[D&N]

I think pictures of routers were mentioned earlier in the thread.

This was the one above the bandstand at the Pavilion Pool. They are fairly plentiful throughout the public rooms.

I only counted 2 in the corridor on deck 12 for 28 outside cabins. There were another 8 inside cabins that may have been trying to get a signal from one of those routers, but might also have picked up from the corridor behind them.

We sat fairly near to one of these on the ceiling if we wanted a decent connection.

 

[Mercruiser]

1 hour ago, steve4031 said:

Yes, I would not be making calls in a public area where music is playing.  I’m in cabin 6293.  Not sure how close that is to a router.  If I had to make a call from a public area I would try to pick a place where there were few people around. 

There is a wifi router in the hallway between cabins 6289 & 6291. Basically 1 door away. You should be okay.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Mercruiser

[steve4031]

Thank you for the replies.  I understand and appreciate that for most a 7-day crossing is the perfect escape from everyday hassles.  It will be the same for me too.  I plan on using Skype to call my 98-year-old father once or twice a day so that he has a sense of connection.  This can hopefully be done from the privacy of my cabin as mentioned up thread.  If I have to call from a public area. I would not do it when others are trying to enjoy an activity.  

[moses0]

Best place I found was past pursers desk turn right and find a desk and chair under a router-. I even streamed my football match. Very quiet. 

[Bell Boy]

I wouldn't  get too excited about this new Starlink  concept !  I experience it just having been installed  on a recent Silversea cruise some months ago. The Wifi connection was no more different from what I've experience in over 50+ cruises with Cunard/Seabourn .

 

Please let me know when you eventually come across a Cruise Line with exceptional wifI connection when at sea. 😉  

[Mercruiser]

1 hour ago, Bell Boy said:

I wouldn't  get too excited about this new Starlink  concept !  I experience it just having been installed  on a recent Silversea cruise some months ago. The Wifi connection was no more different from what I've experience in over 50+ cruises with Cunard/Seabourn .

 

Please let me know when you eventually come across a Cruise Line with exceptional wifI connection when at sea. 😉  

 

That's easy to answer: Azamara Onward. See my thread on the Azamara board. She is consistently getting 90+Mbps.

[Aquadesiac]

If this really is a Starlink installation, why isn't Cunard trumpeting it? The frustratingly sloth-like internet on our 21 day cruise on the QM2 in 2019 and the fact that we could NEVER connect to the internet while in our cabin (something we've never experienced on any other ship) was one of the few black marks on an otherwise stellar cruise. It would really improve our ability to stay in touch with family to be able to connect more easily. Truly hopeful this Starlink "sighting" is the real deal. 

 

Hattie, have you heard anything official about Starlink on the soon-to-be 4 Queens?

[Host Hattie]

3 minutes ago, Aquadesiac said:

 

Hattie, have you heard anything official about Starlink on the soon-to-be 4 Queens?

It was announced in January that Carnival would be installing Starlink on their ships, including Cunard.

 

[Mercruiser]

1 hour ago, Aquadesiac said:

The frustratingly sloth-like internet on our 21 day cruise on the QM2 in 2019 and the fact that we could NEVER connect to the internet while in our cabin  ..

 

Starlink will significantly help the sloth-like internet. I say that based on our personal experience with Starlink on Azamara Onward.  But unfortunately, it will do nothing to fix the lack of a wifi signal in many of the cabins. Those are two different technical issues requiring two different technical solutions. Hopefully Cunard will add additional wifi access points in the hallways to solve the cabin problem.

 

Here is an example from Onward. Notice "Starlink" in the lower left. And notice the small Ping times

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Mercruiser

[Aquadesiac]

Even being able to use the internet in public areas would be a huge improvement. It should be less of a frustration with Starlink. I remember sitting in the King's Court, watching my computer chase its tail while I tried to upload a photo to my cruise blog. Then, like as not, I'd be booted from the system before anything could be accomplished. 

 

I'm not the most tech-saavy person, so my patience with pixels is limited. My DH, on the other hand, retired from Google. It's so nice to have a techie around the house, but even he couldn't make the old Cunard Wifi hop-to.

 

I'm so hopeful Queen Anne will be fitted with enough routers to spread the signal to the staterooms!  

[Aquadesiac]

3 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

It was announced in January that Carnival would be installing Starlink on their ships, including Cunard.

 

Looks like I missed that memo. Wonderful news! Thanks, Hattie! We're booked on Queen Anne's Maiden World Cruise in 2025! Love to travel, but reliable wifi makes it possible for us to stay connected to our land life too.