Inaugural Cruise Ship VSAT System Applauded

MTN Satellite Communications & Wireless Maritime Services (WMS) outfits 'Carnival Breeze' with integrated voice & data communications.

Services provided enable users to access information from any mobile device from anywhere on the ship while at sea.

During her first month in service Carnival Breeze leveraged the telecommunications expertise of MTN and WMS to deliver a "shore-side" experience to more than 4,000 passengers and nearly 1,800 crew members on each sailing.

MTN say that their VSAT services exceeded the connectivity demands of the crew, passengers and corporate communications requirements during its inaugural month.

Carnival Breeze also leveraged MTN's Internet Café solution delivering access to passengers and crew on mobile devices such as tablets, smart phones and laptops as well as fixed PCs to stay connected while at sea. 

Additionally, MTN integrated this seamless connection with Carnival's FunHub portal to provide passengers with immediate digital access to all of the Breeze's ship services, facilities, daily activities and social media.

"New services introduced to the Carnival Breeze created unique challenges to provide ship-wide coverage for telecommunication services, and we knew there would be a heavy demand for onboard cellular and Internet, especially in our inaugural month," said Eric Merz, Carnival's Director of Guest Technology. 

"During all phases, from the yard, to testing, to having onboard support, both MTN and WMS have proven to be critical partners. The integration of our FunHub to the Internet, the call management and calling solutions has truly brought a full telecommunications solution to Carnival, our guests and crew."