Lindblad’s National Geographic Orion ship. Photo: Lindblad

Speedcast has secured a multi-year contract extension with Lindblad Expeditions, and will add SpaceX’s Starlink service to the adventure cruise company’s connectivity options. 

Speedcast is installing two maritime, flat-panel, high-performance antennas on many of Lindblad’s ships, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Speedcast will integrate Starlink services into its Unified Global Platform (UGP). The upgrade includes Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Starlink Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services, as well as cellular near-shore wireless, L-band satellite and Speedcast’s upgraded SD-WAN and Sigma network management solutions. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Speedcast and Lindblad have an existing relationship, and last year Lindblad expanded its deal with the service provider for five additional ships.

“With the launch of Starlink, our guests, crew, and visiting scientists will be able to stay connected like never before while still immersing themselves in some of the world’s most remote, fascinating places,” said Arthur Theodorou, vice president of Information Technology at Lindblad Expeditions. “Enhancing onboard technologies with the introduction of Starlink LEO service has proven to be beneficial as part of a comprehensive solution from Speedcast.”

Starlink has landed a number of major cruise lines in the past few months including Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Corporation, and Royal Caribbean Group.