The ship can host more than 8,000 guests, staff and crewmembers traveling the Caribbean, whom will now be able to connect at fiber-like speeds at sea via the O3b constellation.

   “Cruise ship guests expect the same quality voice and Internet services they experience on land. We are proud to be the first cruise line to offer guests and crew aboard our innovative Oasis class of ships connectivity services that are in a league of their own,” Royal Caribbean Cruises CIO Bill Martin said in a statement. “This latest agreement underlines our confidence in O3b Networks and the game-changing level of connectivity it is set to provide aboard our ships.”

   Royal Caribbean was the first to enlist the O3b Maritime offering aboard Allure of the Seas’ sister ship, Oasis of the Seas, after the cruise operator signed a contract with O3b networks last summer. O3b said the service it will provide to guests and crew aboard Allure of the Seas is anticipated to be four times more responsive than existing and planned GEO satellite systems.  

   “Through these agreements, O3b Networks and Royal Caribbean will soon be delivering more bandwidth than is currently available on all cruise ships combined in the Caribbean, making O3b the outright market leader,” O3b CEO Steve Collar said in a statement. “The partnership between O3b Networks and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. continues to expand, and the real winners are the guests and crew aboard the most innovative ships at sea. The alliance is based on a shared mission built on the belief that the Internet should always be within reach – on land and at sea.”