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Royal Caribbean updates: Starlink on more ships, construction photos & more

In:
14 Oct 2022
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Ready to catch up on all of this week's Royal Caribbean news?

Between all the major headlines, Royal Caribbean is busy with a variety of changes and the goal of this website is to keep everyone up to date with what's happening in all aspects of the cruise line.

We combed the internet to share with you all the latest news from this week.

With a fleet of 26 ships, there are always going to be things happening and in an effort to keep everyone up to date, here's a quick run through of the latest news from this week.

Starlink added to two more ships

Starlink receiver

It looks like two more Royal Caribbean cruise ships have gotten their onboard wifi upgraded to Starlink.

Based on reader reports, Starlink appears to be working on Liberty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Steve Ritter shared photos of the Starlink receivers onboard, and verified that the ship is now offering the internet service as of a few days ago.

Starlink installed on Liberty of the Seas
Starlink receiver

Similarly, Jason Percival shared that Enchantment of the Seas now has Starlink active.

Starlink internet speed test

This means at least 4 ships now have Starlink active on them:

  • Freedom of the Seas
  • Independence of the Seas
  • Liberty of the Seas
  • Enchantment of the Seas

Royal Caribbean has not provided any timeline of when each ship will get it. They've only said the entire fleet will have it by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

For now, we're reliant on reader reports for confirmation of the switchover.

In case you're wondering, there has not been any update on if the cost of ship internet will change or not. For now, ships with Starlink are still offering the service at the same prices as the older technology.

Royal Caribbean wins Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award

Royal Caribbean won an award in the latest Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

In the "Mega Ships (more than 4,000 passengers)" category, Royal Caribbean edged out MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line for the top honor.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley shared the news on his Facebook page, "We are so proud to be recognized for the amazing vacations our ships deliver ― they are crafted with all of our guests in mind!"

Galveston construction photo update

Photo by Abe Hughes

Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal is just 26 days from opening, and we have an on-the-ground photo update to share.

Former Royal Caribbean Cruise Director (and now working in their sales department) Abe Hughes shared photos he took of the new terminal on a recent visit.

Photo by Abe Hughes

The $125 million terminal will be the world's first zero-energy cruise terminal.

Icon of the Seas construction photo

Icon of the Seas construction photo from October 2022

Speaking of construction updates, here's a close up photo from a new venue on the Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President of Entertainment, Nick Weir, tweeted a photo of the ship that shows the front of the ship, with some kind of a venue present.

Mr. Weir's photo seems to point to it being related to entertainment, since the head of the cruise line's entertainment division posted it with the word, "Hmmmm" in the tweet.

New Allure of the Seas walkthrough video tour

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Not necessarily news, but you might be interested to watch our new full walkthrough tour of Allure of the Seas.

Filmed last month, this video tour will show off the entire ship so you can be prepared for it when you board.  Or you can use it as an excuse for a virtual cruise escape!


Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis.  He has become one of the foremost expert on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Over the years, he has reached Pinnacle Club status with Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

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