NCL first with onboard cell service

NCL Corporation will be the first cruise line to bring passengers on North American cruises the ability to use their cell phones even when communications towers are oceans away. The company is providing the innovative new offering through Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of AT&T Wireless and Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN).

NCL pioneered the industry’s first Internet access on the high seas with its Internet cafe in 1999. In 2002, NCL became the first cruise line to provide remote wireless Internet (also known as Wi-Fi) to its guests. Both services are now standard throughout NCL’s entire fleet.

The new technology is expected to be introduced on the Norwegian Sun next month and could be available fleet-wide within a year. The offering combines satellite and wireless services, enabling passengers to make and receive calls on their own cell phones with their own phone numbers while in international waters.