Thread: Royal Caribbean To Offer Broadband Internet on Oasis by Summer 2013

Royal Caribbean International signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar agreement with O3b Networks to provide high-speed broadband Internet service aboard Oasis of the Seas by summer 2013!

From the O3b PR:

O3b Networks to provide Ultra-Fast Internet Communications to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. aboard the World’s largest and most innovative Cruise Ship.

St. John, Jersey, Channel Islands/Miami, Florida – 23rd June 2012 –

O3b Networks today announced a milestone multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to provide high-speed satellite-delivered broadband service aboard the world’s largest cruise ship. By summer 2013, more than 8,000 guests, staff and crew members aboard the cruise industry leader’s flagship Oasis of the Seas – under the Royal Caribbean International brand – will be the first to enjoy O3b’s enhanced connectivity at sea as if connected to fiber at home or in the office.



A true technology innovator, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the first to utilize O3b’s new maritime offering O3b Maritime, which delivers the reach of satellite and the speed and latency of fiber at a fraction of the cost of conventional providers. O3b is enabling maritime service providers to offer affordable fiber-like capacity across the Caribbean and ocean regions around the world. Providing unparalleled bandwidth, O3b’s steerable satellite beams will provide cruise industry passengers ultra-fast Internet communications throughout their voyage.



“Royal Caribbean is committed to delivering the most contemporary vacation to our guests, and that includes pushing ahead for onboard technological advances that offer the modern conveniences that guests enjoy on land,” said Adam M. Goldstein, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “This milestone agreement with O3b Networks enables us to provide our guests with unprecedented Internet service at sea aboard Oasis of the Seas and potentially in the future aboard other ships in our fleet.



“From the moment we met the Royal Caribbean team we were struck by an intense customer focus and a determination to provide an unrivalled cruise experience to their guests on board” said Steve Collar, Chief Executive Officer, O3b Networks. “With O3b Maritime, Oasis of the Seas will experience connection speeds that are an order of magnitude higher and latency that is four times lower than offered in the market today. At O3b, we believe that affordable, high speed broadband should always be within reach – wherever you are in the world, on land and at sea - and we are delighted to showcase the unrivalled performance of O3b Maritime together with Royal Caribbean.”
Oasis of the Seas shares the title of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship with sister-ship Allure of the Seas.

With a cache of distinct onboard activities and amenities, Oasis of the Seas offers one-of-a-kind entertainment performances, culinary concepts, retail venues and technology innovations. An architectural marvel at sea, Oasis of the Seas is divided into seven distinct themed neighborhoods, which include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.

The ship spans 16 decks, encompasses 225,282 gross registered tons, carries 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and features 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas alternates a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The questions are "how much will they charge for this?" and will they pass on their reduced costs to the customer.

Originally Posted by nealberk

The questions are "how much will they charge for this?" and will they pass on their reduced costs to the customer.

I was thinking the same thing. Using talkatone and google voice I can make calls via wifi on my iPhone (same would work on iPad or iPod Touch). Wonder if it would be cheaper than international charges? Also a confusing part is google voice does not work international without a fee - but how would it know since it is completely voip.

We do not make calls on cruises, phone off and in safe. However a 5 minute hello call might be nice to make from time to time. The last call home hears from us is - we boarded, headed to Windjammer, Bye.

I expect that their rates will probably be the same as they are now but with high speed that would essentially make it much cheaper. I was on a cruise where I had 20 minutes of free internet. I tried to use it to check in for my return flight and print boarding passes. The connection was so slow that 20 minutes was not enough time to check in.

Never used the internet while on-board but 20 minutes to do something that takes 5 minutes is crazy.

More often than not onboard internet can make dial up look more like DSL comapred to the connection speed on the ship.

That is why I do everything in burst mode. I have all my activity lined up in scripts, set up multiple windows and try to do everything at once.