Carnival Cruises Launches High-Speed WiFi@Sea Network

There are plenty of service providers that offer high-speed internet up in the air, but what if you require fast internet when you’re relaxing on a cruise in the middle of the ocean? Carnival Cruises says that it has you covered. The cruise operator today announced the launch of its WiFi@Sea network which it claims is the “industry’s first hybrid wireless network at sea.”

Despite making the announcement Carnival has left out some of the crucial details. It doesn’t say how much speed will be offered by this network and how much will it cost. Carnival has only said that the service will provide speeds “roughly ten times faster” than what was previously offered, that’s about as vague as it can get.

The hybrid method uses a variety of ways to provide high-speed internet on cruise ships. When the ship is docked it will be connected to a Wi-Fi network that’s based on land. When its out up to 40 miles from port connectivity will be provided by long-range Wi-Fi. Out in the middle of the ocean satellites will power the network.

Carnival says the network will switch between these methods as and when required, and that passengers will be notified when these changes happen if they’re connected.

With WiFi@Sea the cruise operator hopes to pull in the so called “millennials” who probably equate fast internet with food and water. WiFi@Sea will be available on Carnival Cruises ships that depart from the Caribbean for the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2014. Gradually it will be expanded to ships operating in other regions such as Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean, in 2015 and 2016.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Transportation
Tags: internet