According to a press release issued on August 10, all ships in the AIDA fleet will be equipped with SpaceX’s innovative Starlink broadband service by October of this year. This will enable AIDA Cruises to offer the best available Wi-Fi experience available at sea before the end of the year. By booking Internet packages, AIDA guests can save on expensive roaming charges at sea and can choose from four individual and affordable rates that allow them to surf the internet with an unlimited amount of data at a flat rate.
The four rates Onboard Chat, Social Media Flat, Internet Flat and Premium Internet Flat build on each other and cover the entire range of communication needs: Options range from onboard chat among fellow travelers to prioritized high-speed Internet connections via VPN. With all flat rates, uploading photos and videos is as easy as at home on a LTE-network thanks to the higher bandwidth.
Frank Bönsch, Vice President Guest Commerce, is pleased that his team will be able to “pull the lever” for the new offers in fall. “We want our guests, employees and staff to feel at home on board our AIDA ships. The collaboration with Starlink is another important step in the right direction. Whether chatting, posting or working – with the new, simple offers, people are guaranteed to find the right rate for them.”
By pre-booking on myAIDA guests currently receive a 20% discount on the selected rate for the entire voyage. The Internet Flat and Premium Internet Flat rates can also be booked on board on a daily basis. Social Media Flat and the Onboard Chat are valid for the duration of the voyage. Our crew also benefits from the best possible Wi-Fi experience at sea. For them, the social media services will continue to be free of charge, allowing them to stay in unlimited contact with their loved ones back home.
The Onboard Chat will be available in the AIDA app starting this fall. This lowest-priced option allows communication within a group or with individual fellow passengers. The new rates availability for booking started August 10, 2023, for all cruises starting in October.
Guests who like to combine travel and work will find the new offer particularly interesting. Those who need to work at sea during their vacation, or who want to move their workstation on board, can use the full bandwidth with the new Premium Internet Flat rate and set up their home office via a VPN connection.
There is also good news for guests on longer voyages of 41 days or more: attractive discounts are available when an Internet rate is booked for the entire voyage or the respective segments in advance.
Until the new Internet rates are introduced, guests traveling on ships already equipped with the new access band service will benefit from a Starlink special offer with increased data volumes in the Internet packages. AIDA guests will be notified of the current rates prior to each voyage.
