MSC Cruises’ latest vessel set up with super-fast broadband from Marlink

Currently on its maiden voyage between Le Havre and Genoa, the vessel’s connectivity is provided on the Intelsat EpicNG High Throughput Satellite (HTS) network and iDirect 9350 modems on board.
The 171,598gt vessel is the largest cruise ship to be built by a European owner and Marlink claims that the “record breaking bandwidth will meet a predicted spike in demand … as guests on the most sophisticated ‘floating town’ share their first-hand experiences and memories on social media.”  
After its maiden voyage, the 5,714-passenger vessel will commence its summer schedule from Genoa. A second vessel in the same class will be commissioned in 2019 followed by two slightly longer ships in 2019 and 2020.
Marlink has provided Sealink VSAT services to MSC Cruises since 2004 and, in June 2016, improved connectivity across the cruise line’s fleet with the use of the Intelsat EpicNG satellites. This was a response to growing demand for access to social media and the internet, as well as operational connectivity.