Carried out in cooperation with long-time connectivity partner Speedcast, Hurtigruten Expeditions commenced testing and integration of Starlink terminals onboard its fleet of small-size expedition cruise ships in March this year, with installation expected to be completed by end of October, making Hurtigruten Expeditions the first cruise line to introduce the high-speed, low-latency connectivity across its entire fleet.Commenting on the announcement, Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen says, “As a world leader in exploration travel, it’s only fitting that we bring the world’s most innovative technologies onboard our ships to further enhance the experience and day-to-day lives of our guests, crew, partners and the communities we visit”.
She adds, “While we’ve seen major players announcing plans for implementation of Starlink connectivity, our partnership with Speedcast and fleetwide introduction of the new service not only puts us ahead of the rest of the cruise industry, but it also ahead of the technology. When Starlink introduces maritime coverage in Antarctica and the Arctic, we’ll be ready”.
Joe Spytek, Chief Executive Officer at Speedcast, is also pleased the project is nearing completion. “With vessels operating in some of the most remote and spectacular areas of the world, Hurtigruten Expeditions is an ideal partner for introducing ground-breaking technology in the cruise industry. Speedcast’s expertise lies in our ability to combine all available connectivity paths and manage a complete service that offers the highest levels of uptime, availability and performance”, he says.
Hurtigruten Expeditions is the world’s largest and leading expedition cruise line, with a growing fleet of smaller, more sustainable expedition cruise ships.
Enabling Science, Supporting Crews.
The ground-breaking broadband internet solution – utlising a network of low-orbit satellites – will not only enhance the guest experience; crews and scientists on all three Hurtigruten Expeditions ships sailing Antarctica in the coming 2022/2023 season will also be amongst the first to do so on ships offering significantly advanced connectivity through the faster broadband service, with Starlink slated to introduce Antarctic maritime coverage in Q4 2022.
Through its industry-leading network of science partnerships, Hurtigruten Expeditions hosts scientists on every sailing. All ships feature fully equipped Science Centres, with all guests afforded the opportunity to participate in citizen science programs, with faster and more reliable internet further enabling efficient dissemination of vital scientific data from some of the most unexplored regions on of the planet.
Hurtigruten Expeditions is also one of only a small number of cruise lines that will also offer free internet connectivity to all its crew members. Says Lassesen, ““Introduction of the new technology makes it easier for everyone on board to remain connected with friends, family and loved ones no matter where they are. We challenge all cruise lines that follows our example by installing Starlink to also follow our example to make internet free for all crew members”.
