Carnival Corp Unveils High Speed WiFi

Tired of paying for super slow WiFi connections while at sea? Ever heard other passengers using the terms “waste of money” or “worthless” when trying to connect at sea? Times are changing as Carnival Corp. is rolling out an industry first hybrid network that promises to increase Internet speeds by 10x.

Soon you will be able to say goodbye to the AOL dialup type speeds on the 101 cruise ships that sail under the nine Carnival Corp’s brands.  This new WiFi@Sea will help both passengers and crew members stay connected and to help them share their cruise experience on social media.

The first cruise ships to receive the WiFi@Sea will be North American cruise ships sailing to the Caribbean in the 4th quarter of 2014.  The expansion will continue with Alaska being added in the summer of 2015 and will be worldwide by the end of 2016.

All nine Carnival brands – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises UK, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Seabourn will connect to this new network that uses port WiFi, long range WiFi, and a host of satellite systems operated under multiple frequency bands.

The senior vice president and global chief information officer for Carnival Corporation gave the following statement:

This is a major technology breakthrough designed to enhance the cruise experience for our passengers. Our guests are looking for different experiences when they cruise – some are interested in disconnecting and others are interested in staying in touch with their world back home. For those who want to stay connected while on vacation, our new network will help them do so, whether that means checking email or posting pictures to their social media sites.

Our smart hybrid network will not only enhance our guests’ onboard experience and help our crew members keep in touch with their friends and family at home, but we believe it will also help us attract new cruisers, especially millennials who have made connectivity and social media an everyday part of their lives. Our goal is to give our passengers the best possible connection to the Internet whether they are in port, cruising near a coastal area or sailing in the middle of the ocean. In terms of the technology, the smart hybrid network represents an innovative solution designed for the unique circumstances of providing wireless Internet access on our cruise ships sailing around the world.”