Marella Cruises has partnered with Speedcast to implement Eutelsat Group’s OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) technology across its fleet, according to a press release.

The new service, combined with Starlink, will improve onboard connectivity by providing faster, low-latency internet through a hybrid network, the company said.

The upgrade is designed to improve the digital experience for passengers and crew, providing better service levels and download speeds, while modernizing the ships’ internet capabilities.

Chris Hackney, managing director at Marella Cruises said: “This is another step forward in terms of innovation for Marella Cruises. With this new partnership with Speedcast, it will provide low latency internet across the fleet, not only enhancing the customer experience onboard but also improving the connectivity for crew onboard the ships as well.”

James Trevelyan, EVP of global sales at Speedcast said: “We have partnered with Marella Cruises for more than a decade, providing fully managed connectivity solutions supporting their fleet’s global voyages. Our depth of experience providing seamless communications services for cruise ships, combined with our market-leading position delivering LEO technologies, makes us a great fit to serve Marella in this deployment. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Marella and ensuring fully connected cruise operations for their crew and guests.”

Thierry Polycarpe, Eutelsat OneWeb’s vice president for global maritime added: “We are delighted to work with Speedcast to bring the benefits of our OneWeb constellation to Marella’s fleet. The latency and speed of our LEO services can transform the connectivity experience from stem to stern. We look forward to seeing the new benefits launched soon on Marella Cruises.”