Feature 1 | cruiseship technology
Feature 1
Constant cruise connectivity
Navitas Telecom is offering a service that enables those aboard cruise vessels to use
their mobile phones, whenever and wherever they are at sea, reports Clare Nicholls.
P
assengers and crew aboard cruiseships
can now take advantage of technology
which ensures they are never out
of touch with family, friends, or business
associates, with users utilising their own
mobile phones to make and receive calls and
text messages.
Navitas Telecom, part of Jersey Telecom,
completed the operational launch of its network
in 2007, with a number of cruiseships and SuperStar Virgo was the first Star Cruises vessel to have the Navitas network installed onboard.
ferries already implementing its installation.
Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Star Cruises
brand is one enterprise which has had the Tallink ferries, and the cruiseship Thomson means the system is much more scalable than
technology fitted on some of its vessels. Four of Celebration. some conventional technologies, and can be
its cruiseships have so far been equipped with Navitas’ mobile service allows subscribers specifically tailored for the type and size of a
the Navitas network, with a fifth planned for to roam at sea in the same way they vessel.
the first quarter 2008. roam internationally. Previously, the only Travellers and crew members can make
The first Star Cruises vessel fitted with the telecommunications available for passengers and receive calls and text messages either
system was the 76,800tonne SuperStar Virgo, were satellite telephones, which are said to be by using their own mobile SIM cards, or by
which carries 2500 passengers around the considerably less flexible and more expensive purchasing pre-paid and top-up SIM cards
straits of Malacca between Singapore and to use. onboard. Roaming with users’ own SIM cards
Phuket. The installation was completed in 2006 The Navitas system functions by creating enables each caller to be treated as a ‘guest’
over a period of just two days, and comprised a and interconnecting an onboard mobile on the onboard network, and calls made
network of 18 base-stations. network with traditional land-based networks onboard are treated exactly like calls made
The system can be retrofitted, as was the via a dedicated satellite connection which is while roaming abroad: callers retain their
case with SuperStar Virgo, using the existing provided by partner company SatPoint. own number, and roaming charges show up
network cabling onboard, which is reckoned The network is based on Internet Protocol on the caller’s mobile bill.
to reduce both time needed and cost of (IP) equipment provided by UK-based Pre-paid Navitas Freedom SIM cards are
deployment. Other contracts for Navitas Zynetix, and takes advantage of a vessel’s claimed to be more suitable for regular users
have included installations aboard three existing local area network. The IP-architecture onboard cruiseships, with subscribers able to
purchase cards that have an individual phone
number for use onboard. By signing up to
this service, users can check their credit at
any time and top up while at sea, rather than
having to wait until the vessel docks.
Callers gain access to a greatly reduced
cost structure without roaming charges,
with simple control of their expenditure.
Top-up cards are available in units of 500,
250, and 100. Call costs depend upon where
the phone is used, with charges of between
three and nine units per minute, and
permanent text message costs of one unit
per text message. NA
The central network controller, part of the IP
equipment provided by Zynetix to enable the
Navitas network to function at sea.
The Naval Architect February 2008 43
NA Feb 08 -
p43.indd 43 05/02/2008 09:38:23
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