By
Laura Hyde |
Virgin Voyages has become the first cruise operator to deploy the integrated SES Cruise mPowered + Starlink Pro connectivity offering across its fleet of ships.
The SES Cruise mPowered + Starlink Pro service combines medium Earth orbit and low Earth orbit satellite coverage to provide connectivity of up to 1.5 gigabits per second, per ship.
“For cruise operators, being able to constantly innovate and unlock new, superior guest experiences for passengers is essential to stay ahead of the curve,” said Simon Maher, senior vice president of SES Cruise. “State-of-the-art connectivity is at the heart of this. This is why we expanded our offering to create a fully integrated end-to-end service that uses multiple orbits to optimise bandwidth and meet the needs of both passengers and crew. We are proud to deliver this new level of enhanced operational efficiency coupled with the ultimate connectivity guest experience.”
Virgin Voyages hopes unlimited wi-fi access across multiple devices will enable passengers to share their cruise experiences live and in real time via social media and video calls. In addition, the upgraded service will improve connectivity for crew members across the fleet.
“We are excited to partner with SES to offer our guests and crew this [expanded] level of connectivity, which is unlike any other in the market,” said Steven Worling, senior director of infrastructure and security at Virgin Voyages.