Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced earlier it will quadruple the current bandwidth across its Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleets in the coming months to meet the rising internet expectations of cruise guests.

The quadrupling of bandwidth is part of a long term strategic agreement with EMC to significantly enhance the internet experience on-board all 23 ships in the fleet.

To support the new Wi-Fi network, multi-million dollar bandwidth and performance-boosting technology upgrades will be installed fleet-wide before the end of June, including new state of the art satellite dishes, and EMC’s patented SpeedNet program.

The SpeedNet program delivers popular websites at speeds that mimic high-speed fibre optic networks, similar to those available in homes and offices.

The Wi-Fi experience is further enhanced by the recent deployment of high speed shoreside connectivity in key ports of call.

“With the addition of new hardware, combined with the significant increase in satellite bandwidth, shoreside connectivity and EMC’s SpeedNet, we have moved beyond the decade old problem of slow data speeds from satellite to deliver a much more efficient and faster internet experience for our guests,” said Ross Henderson, vice president, on-board revenue, at Norwegian Cruise Line.

“Our guests can consume content, post to social media, and stay in touch with family and friends on the ships’ network just as they are used to on land,” Henderson continued.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings selected EMC based on its priority software, maritime experience, and unparalleled network coverage to provide the highest quality of experience and satisfaction to cruise guests.

“This is testament to our giant leaps forward in the cruise sector, thanks to our patented, purpose-built and differentiated products, and our unmatched worldwide support,” said Brent Horwitz, president of cruise and ferry services, EMC.

Guests on all Norwegian, Oceania and Regent ships can expect to experience the new, lightning-fast Wi-Fi powered by SpeedNet by July 2016.