PHOTO: Some Carnival ships will get the new fast Wi-Fi this winter in the Caribbean. Pictured is the Carnival Freedom in St. Thomas. (Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines)
Carnival Corp. has unveiled a new superfast wireless Internet network that is capable of connectivity speeds 10 times faster than those currently available on its cruise ships.
The new system will be rolled out on cruise ships this winter in the Caribbean, then to Alaska in summer 2015 and the Mediterranean, Baltic, Western European and Asian regions in 2015 and 2016. It eventually will be available on all 101 of its ships.
"This is a major technology breakthrough," said Ramon Millan, senior vice president and global chief information officer for Carnival Corp.
The new WiFi@Sea system will use strategically located land-based antennas installed along cruise routes, port connections and advanced satellites. The integrated network is designed to seamlessly switch its technology solutions to give the highest available bandwidth capacity and strength of signal.
This "smart hybrid" network is designed to provide faster and more stable Internet access, letting passengers easily stay connected. Carnival Corp. has been testing the technology for over a year. Pricing will vary by brand upon service roll-out.
While cruise ships have offered wireless Internet for years, it has often been annoyingly slow and intermittent. Today's travelers expect speedy Wi-Fi practically everywhere so they can post vacation photos and videos to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media. It's also seen as a key way to attract and keep the always-connected millennial generation.
Royal Caribbean International has installed what it describes as super-fast Wi-Fi on its spanking new Quantum of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas during its recent renovation. Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain has said the new system gives ships "more Internet bandwidth than every other cruise ship of every other cruise line in the world combined."
If these systems work as promised - and the cost isn't exorbitant - it could truly transform the cruise experience.
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