O3b Networks has signed a historic, multi-year deal with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to provide high-speed satellite-delivered broadband service aboard one of the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ships, Allure of the Seas. More than 8,000 guests, staff and crew members traveling the Caribbean will connect at fiber-like speeds at sea.

Royal Caribbean was the first to enlist O3b’s new maritime offering O3bMaritime aboard, Allure of the Seas’ sister ship, Oasis of the Seas when they signed a contract last summer. Now guests and crew aboard Allure of the Seas will be able to enjoy lightning fast download speeds and performance that is anticipated to also be four times more responsive than existing and planned GEO satellite systems. O3bMaritime will be the only satellite system capable of enabling cruise line guests and crew broadband services on par with onshore telecommunication standards.

View a behind-the-scenes article on the O3b deal for Oasis here.

“Cruise ship guests expect the same quality voice and Internet services they experience on land. We are proud to be the first cruise line to offer guests and crew aboard our innovative Oasis class of ships connectivity services that are in a league of their own” said Bill Martin, Chief Information Officer for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. “This latest agreement underlines our confidence in O3b Networks and the game-changing level of connectivity it is set to provide aboard our ships.”

“Through these agreements, O3b Networks and Royal Caribbean will soon be delivering more bandwidth than is currently available on all cruise ships combined in the Caribbean, making O3b the outright market leader”, said Steve Collar, CEO, O3b Networks. “The partnership between O3b Networks and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. continues to expand, and the real winners are the guests and crew aboard the most innovative ships at sea. The alliance is based on a shared mission built on the belief that the Internet should always be within reach – on land and at sea.”