SES broadband for Dream Cruises
May 16, 2019
By Chris Forrester
Asian cruise line Dream Cruises has signed with SES for its O3b-based broadband service for its passengers and crew.
The numbers are impressive, and the recently-launched Explorer Dream will service 2000 passengers with SES Networks connectivity. The SES Networks solution will also be introduced onboard Genting Dream in September this year, completing the fleet-wide implementation that follows the successful launch of SES Networks’ managed service onboard World Dream, Dream Cruises’ second cruise ship, which debuted in 2017.
SES says the new Explorer Dream vessel will have homeports in Shanghai and Tianjin, as well as Sydney and Auckland later in the year. Its significantly enhanced connectivity will enable guests to chat with friends on WeChat, pick up a bargain on Taobao, or stream high-resolution video on YouKu without interruption or lag. It will also mean that guests can share photos and videos from their trip in real-time across social media, or battle with their friends in League of Legends as easily as they can on land.
SES Networks’ Signature Cruise Solution combines the low latency of its O3b medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation with a fully managed end-to-end service, backed up by its highly reliable geostationary (GEO) fleet to ensure network resilience. The result is a seamless, high-performance broadband service delivered to everyone onboard the Dream Cruises fleet.
“Today’s cruise passengers demand excellent connectivity even when they are travelling on the high seas. As part of our efforts to provide our guests with the best possible services and amenities on board our ships, we partnered with SES Networks because of their high-speed capability to deliver a terrestrial broadband-like internet experience in some of the most challenging of conditions,” said Thatcher Brown, President at Dream Cruises.
“A Dream Cruise has the ability to deliver inspirational voyages at sea that create memories to last a lifetime. A key part of that adventure nowadays is the digital experience. Our Signature Cruise Solution ensures that passengers onboard Explorer Dream – along with World Dream and Genting Dream – will experience the new standard of enhanced guest connectivity,” said Simon Maher, VP/Global Sales, Cruise Maritime Services/SES Networks. “Because SES Networks and Dream Cruises have shared values around delivering transformational and inspirational experiences at sea, we are incredibly proud to partner with them to enable this level of service.”