Following the example set by Royal Caribbean earlier this month, boutique cruise line SeaDream has installed the SpaceX high-speed Maritime internet connections onboard its two small cruise yachts.
SeaDream Yacht Club, which operates Seadream I and Seadream II, has recently made a 10 million USD investment to renovate its two vessels. The renovations include a complete refit of all the interior and exterior furnishings onboard, bringing the yachts back into the realm of luxury cruising.
SpaceX Provides High-Speed Internet To Seadream
Elon Musk has hit a home run by bringing his SpaceX Starlink internet connectivity to the high seas. After Royal Caribbean Group announced a few weeks ago that it would be bringing the technology to its ships, now boutique cruise line SeaDream Yacht Club has done the same.
The company, which operates two small luxury cruise yachts, Seadream I and Seadream II, will offer guests Starlink’s high-speed internet connectivity while onboard.
As the vessels are small and carry only 112 passengers and 95 crew members, guests can expect to experience Starlink’s complete package.
“I am proud to announce that SeaDream is at the forefront of technology, becoming the first boutique travel line to implement Starlink on board. This innovation optimizes our guests’ experience by putting high-speed Internet at their fingertips—so they can stream their favorite entertainment, work remotely, and connect with friends and family back home,” said Andreas Brynestad of SeaDream.
In fact, due to the small size of the vessels, Brynestad expects that the Seadream yachts will be able to offer guests the fastest internet available at sea, which has already been tested for two months onboard:
“The small size of our yachts provides a distinct advantage, in that we can deliver a larger amount of Internet per person on board—quite possibly making us the fastest Internet on the seas. In the two short months since introducing Starlink, we have received remarkable positive feedback from guests and crew alike.”
The choice of Starlink as an internet provider onboard cruise ships is not surprising. The older satellite systems have always been a technology that lacked many things, in particular speed. But, these systems have also been incredibly expensive. Per month, companies would expect to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly; for larger companies, even millions.
Starlink’s systems cost only 10,000 dollars as a one-time installation fee and around 5000 dollars monthly as a subscription fee. Even now, companies are increasing their WIFI access fees onboard cruise ships, so the move to Starlink is undoubtedly understandable.
Seadream Yacht Club Brings Back Luxury
Built in 1984 and 1985, Seadream I and Seadream II are not the youngest ships in the industry. The company announced in January of this year it would be investing 10 million dollars to bring the ships back to the standards they are known for. Besides the move to include Starlink as an internet provider, it included many more enhancements.
Since January, both vessels have undergone a complete renovation of all staterooms, starting from bare steel, with the installation of all-new hardware and soft furnishings and streamlined storage areas. All staterooms now have USB/USBC charging ports, Wi-Fi, and sensor lighting.
There are new 55-inch LED TVs with a wide selection of movies, TV channels, and an infotainment system. The outer decks have been fitted with new teakwood decks, and the vessel has new Balinese Dream Beds, sun loungers, and stargazers handcrafted from mahogany.
Seadream operates cruises in the Mediterranean in summer from major ports in the area, such as Civitavecchia and Piraeus. In winter, the company offers cruises in the Caribbean from Barbados and St. Thomas.
