Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship is to be the first in the fleet to offer 5G mobile connectivity.
The line claims that Carnival Jubilee will also be the first cruise ship in North America to provide passengers with access to 5G mobile phone service through a partnership with cellular provider Wireless Maritime Service (WMS).
Carnival Jubilee completed sea trails this week and will launch next month as 5G-enabled with the service to be available early in 2024.
The company plans to enable other ships across its fleet with 5G capabilities after the initial introduction on Carnival Jubilee.
The US line’s third ship to be powered by a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is due to be handed over by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg on December 4 before entering service on December 23 from Galveston in Texas to the Caribbean.
Carnival has also introduced enhancements to its wi-fi offering across all 25 ships in the fleet by installing infrastructure for the use of SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite service.
Partnerships with other internet vendors are in place to equip ships with multi-provider functionality.
Onboard guest commerce vice president Luis Terife said: “Carnival Jubilee will be the fleet’s most-connected ship – literally raising the connectivity bar for our guests and serving as another big step in a period of vigorous advancement of our onboard connectivity.
“The ongoing enhancements we’re rolling out on all of our ships, such as SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, make it significantly easier for guests to share the memorable experiences of their cruise with friends and family.”
Global infrastructure vice president John Harshaw added: “We’ve received very positive feedback from our guests who are enjoying the more reliable wi-fi across the fleet as we continue to increase our capacity through Starlink and other service providers.
“Our multi-provider, multi-orbit strategy minimises single-provider supply chain constraints and improves overall connectivity in support of our operations and the enhanced experience for our guests and team members.”