Internet at sea

How does internet at sea work?

Internet at sea is provided by satellites, transmitted by signals to and from the ship’s antennae. This means that every time you use the internet, the data is sent to a satellite 22,000 miles away to then come back down to the ship, so it’s not as fast as being on land.

All areas we sail in have satellite coverage, however connection quality depends on the number of satellites in the area and the ship’s antennae having a clear path to transmit to them.

Where’s good connection?

Ships sailing in the Caribbean tend to have the fastest internet because that area of the world has the most satellite coverage. Certain parts of Europe, like the Mediterranean, similarly have a lot of satellite coverage too.

Where’s not so good?

Sometimes the pathway between the ship’s antenna and the satellite is blocked and this affects connectivity. This might be tall buildings in port or large land masses at sea, for example the mountains in the Norwegian fjords. Connection may also be temporarily lost if the ship has to change course quickly.