Starlink to be deployed on Silver Seas and Royal Caribbean

[Liz Masterson]

Good News!

 

https://www.satellitetoday.com/broadband/2022/08/30/royal-caribbean-signs-deal-to-deploy-spacex-starlink-internet-service/

[A Tucson Guy]

This is great news, especially for those of us that need to be connected to the real world while on a cruise. I hope it is on the Dawn in Nov. 2022!!

[rojaan19]

Hopefully it will be a great improvement - as the internet on board at present is woeful.  We just got off the Dawn in Venice.

[Observer]

Can someone with more technological chops than me explain how challenging this conversion will be? Are we talking about flipping a few switches on each ship?  Installing new satellite dishes on the ships?  Rewiring the interior?

 

More to the point: how long is the conversion process likely to be per ship? A few days of work per ship? A few weeks? A few months?

 

I would love to have access to this enhanced Internet for my next cruise beginning in a few months.

[david63]

I am by no means an expert on satellite internet but the conversion could work in one of two ways.

 

New satellite dishes, and associated equipment, could be installed side by side with the current dishes/equipment in which case it would probably just be a question of moving a few plugs from one bit of kit to another.

 

The other option would be that the dishes would need replacing so that would need to be co-ordinated with a day in port where they have the right lifting equipment. This would probably mean that the internet connection would be down for most of that day.

[les37b]

23 hours ago, david63 said:

I am by no means an expert on satellite internet but the conversion could work in one of two ways.

 

New satellite dishes, and associated equipment, could be installed side by side with the current dishes/equipment in which case it would probably just be a question of moving a few plugs from one bit of kit to another.

 

The other option would be that the dishes would need replacing so that would need to be co-ordinated with a day in port where they have the right lifting equipment. This would probably mean that the internet connection would be down for most of that day.

 

Sounds a reasonable assessment. I can't imagine it would be too taxing to do, though a search online revealed how to order, it didn't go into detail of the physical equipment needed to be installed on a ship. 

 

Internally on the ship, nothing would need to be altered beyond the initial starlink equipment. That's already taken care of, though could always be improved. My home network distributes ethernet or WiFi at close to gigabit speeds, but that's because it's what I need and my mesh in the house are strategically place to optimise. I "need" the speed to stream 4K etc. Silversea I suspect will be aiming to deliver fast web browsing etc, but stop short of Netflix without a charge. It's certainly possible though. I can remember one Caribbean cruise on the Wind, they were trialing a new system which was really good and I was able to stream IPTV to watch football. I was as happy as Larry, but alas, they chose a different system. I mention purely because streaming actually has been possible and Starlink is a step up.

 

I would expect though bandwidth is going to be rationed and sold as a premium service. Nonetheless, the basic and premium will be better than we currently get. I suspect nearer the time we will learn this info. I'm certainly hopeful it's in place by next March. I don't need connectivity for work, but it's always been nice to bring the internet with me.

 

The internet and satellite technology has always been of interest. My first personal "internet" was via prestel and a BBC Micro in 1986. Full www via a speedy 14.4k modem in 94 on a PC and one of the first ADSL installs in the UK. FTTH is just bliss at home now.

 

I hate to think how much I've spent on satellite since my first multi sat system in 85, when the array of "extra channels" wasnt really worth bothering with, but it was fun (and challenging) to install. Starlink doesnt carry such challenges as azimuth and elevation alignment on a polar axis like a motorized sat system does and I genuinely don't think the physical installation beyond location and integration will be hugely difficult. However the logistics for RCI with fleet location and people to install with enough time to complete whilst in port I'd suspect is more problematic along with configuring inside their PC systems.

 

There are lots of YT videos on the topic. Some are pointless, some too technical this one seems a worthy watch. I do wonder if they will be installing several Dishy McDishface per ship.  All a mystery! This video also talks about Gen2 starlink satellites and coverage now and future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Randyk47]

Helped a friend install Starlink at his lake cabin a couple of years ago.  Pretty straight forward and we were able to use all his installed wiring from his previous internet setup.  From that standpoint just a “plug and play”.   Thing that took the longest was aiming the little satellite dish to get the strongest signal.   I assume ships, since unlike a cabin they move, will have to have either a number of satellite dishes pointed in different directions or some sort of automatic self-aiming arrangement.   They have that for their other satellite connections so the technology exists and is used on a ship.   

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Randyk47 said:

I assume ships, since unlike a cabin they move, will have to have either a number of satellite dishes pointed in different directions or some sort of automatic self-aiming arrangement.

That is certainly what the picture in the press release showed; lots of the little receivers around the ship.

 

Aiming is no longer the major issue of two years ago as the number of satellites in orbit has increased exponentially.

[les37b]

Just now, Stumblefoot said:

That is certainly what the picture in the press release showed; lots of the little receivers around the ship.

 

Aiming is no longer the major issue of two years ago as the number of satellites in orbit has increased exponentially.

 

Agreed... And getting more and more.

 

The Gen 2 dishes are "mobile". I believe the original dishes are locked to the original install location. Not sure how true that is.... But gen 2 can be used anywhere. Inside the dish it actually contains over 1000 satellite antennas which are controlled by microchips and align. Mind blowing really.

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

19 minutes ago, les37b said:

The Gen 2 dishes are "mobile". Inside the dish it actually contains over 1000 satellite antennas which are controlled by microchips and align. Mind blowing really.

Yeah, we’ve seen them all over the western U.S. this summer on every kind of RV, travel trailer, and pop-up camper you can imagine. We even saw a person camping in a tent using one in Glacier Nat’l Park.  I imagine they’ll be ubiquitous everywhere at some point in the not so distant future.

[Dolcevita Diva]

On 8/31/2022 at 11:49 PM, Observer said:

 

I would love to have access to this enhanced Internet for my next cruise beginning in a few months.

Silversea’s announcement says that installation will be completed across all ships by the end of first quarter 2023.

 

https://www.silversea.com/about-silversea/press-releases/2022/august/royal-caribbean-group-to-use-spacex-high-speed-internet-onboard-full-cruise-fleet.html

Edited September 3, 2022 by Dolcevita Diva

[Pumblechook]

Wonder what the coverage will be like in Antarctic waters?  This (unofficial) site suggests it will be patchy, at the moment.

 

https://starlink.sx/