Explora I (pictured), due to enter commercial service in May 2023 with 922 passengers and about 1,150 crew, will provide free high-speed wifi for those bored with looking out from their balcony or swimming in one of four pools.
Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys, part of Mediterranean Shipping Company, said: “Today’s guests simply expect seamless and uninterrupted connectivity comparable to on land as they want to share their experiences and stay online as much as possible. We are pleased to be able to offer this connectivity experience to our guests onboard Explora I thanks to SES’s services.”
Passengers will pay between US$4,500 and $9,500 per person for a week-long cruise.
Simon Maher, SES’s head of global sales for cruise maritime services, said: “It is incredibly exciting to be working with Explora Journeys, whose innovative approach is setting new standards in ultra-luxury curated travel experiences at sea. Connectivity is one of the most important enablers for such travel experiences from both a guest and crew point of view.”
That’s a message that has been picked up by rival company OneWeb, which has announced it is pitching for business with the oil and gas, merchant and leisure maritime industries, but has not so far announced any deals with cruise lines.
SES’s O3b mPower satellites, the first of which is due to be operating later in 2022, will orbit at 8,000km above the earth’s surface, working with the company’s geostationary satellites.
