In a press release issued today, Holland America Line announced that guests and crew have begun using next generation internet with the introduction of SpaceX’s Starlink on its Pinnacle Class ship Koningsdam, now sailing in Alaska. The technology was installed during an April drydock and has been operating for four weeks.
Starlink is the leader in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology aimed at providing faster and more reliable Wi-Fi on a global scale. This is particularly important for internet access on ships in Alaska where weather interference and blockage from structures and mountains can challenge traditional technology.
“For our guests and our team members, maintaining the connectivity they are accustomed to at home is an important part of the cruise experience,” said Gus Antorcha, president, Holland America Line. “Added bandwidth means our guests can share the joys of exploring Alaska in real time and our team can stay in touch with their loved ones back home.”
Since receiving the new technology, Koningsdam has sailed an 18-day cruise roundtrip from Vancouver to Hawaii and has begun sailing its 7-day Alaska Inside Passage voyages from Vancouver, including Glacier Bay, Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
“While it’s early in our usage, the feedback from guests and team members has been very positive so far,” said Kathleen Erickson, vice president of technology for Holland America Line. “We’re hearing from guests that emails and social media are performing well, and team members tell us that internet calls home to loved ones are much stronger. That’s a connection that means a lot.”
“High-speed, low-latency internet is critical to our modern lifestyle. We’re excited that Holland America Line is seeing strong results in Alaska,” said Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of commercial sales for Starlink. “And we look forward to helping Holland America Line and other Carnival Corporation ships continue to bring the connectivity experience for their guests and crew into the modern age.”
Koningsdam sails with the Starlink internet capability this summer on over 20 voyages from Vancouver to Alaska’s ports. Further ships will add the technology later this year with the goal of Starlink being available across the full Holland America Line fleet.
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