Harris CapRock Communications has signed a five-year contract with Carnival Corporation to provide communications services onboard more than 100 cruise ships in its 10 cruise line brands.

The dual-band satellite communications solution will enable the Carnival brands to reach dramatically improved bandwidth levels to meet the performance expectations of guests and crew onboard.

“At Carnival, our most important goal is to give our guests a great experience. For many of our guests, this means staying connected by phone and Internet, even when they’re on our ships in the middle of the sea,” said Richard Ames, senior vice president of business services, Carnival Corporation.

“Providing connectivity has been an important part of the Carnival experience, and with today’s agreement, we look forward to continuing to provide our guests with a high level of connectivity. We know our guests get excited about creating great memories on our cruises, and if they can’t wait to get home to share photos and stories, we’re happy to make it possible for them to call, text, email and tweet from the middle of the ocean.”

To meet Carnival’s needs, Harris will deploy a fully managed, end-to-end Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) solution utilizing the latest generation of iDirect technology, via a hybrid C- and Ku-band solution.

Carnival will receive equipment, installation, maintenance, service and 24/7 proactive monitoring and support from Harris’ Customer Support Centers. Transition and installation work will occur globally in various ports, spanning across the United States, Bahamas, Europe, South America, Australia and Singapore.

Each ship will be equipped with stabilized antenna systems to provide the optimal level of flexibility and availability.

Bandwidth levels will be higher than what was previously delivered to each fleet, which accommodates new service requirements set by Carnival for its guests and crew, as well as for new entertainment solutions across the 10 cruise line brands.

“This agreement solidifies Harris and Carnival’s long-lasting communications partnership and enables guests and crew onboard to connect with their friends, family and businesses – no matter where they are cruising around the world,” said Tom Eaton, president, Harris CapRock.

“By teaming with Harris as its communications partner, Carnival has the backing of an industry-leading business and global infrastructure that ensures we are here to meet their communication needs at all times, no matter where its ships are traveling.”

Carnival’s 10 cruise line brands include AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line.