“Maybe” you can cruise and catch a concert, too. That’s what happened on Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas during a 7-night roundtrip Western Mediterranean voyage from Civitavecchia (Rome) on August 31, 2024.
When the famously feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher of the critically acclaimed band Oasis surprised the world by announcing that they would be returning together for a tour in 2025, Royal Caribbean didn’t want passengers to miss their chance at securing tickets for the highly anticipated event.
After 15 years of not touring together, the “Oasis Live ‘25” tour, which will kick off on July 4, 2025, in Cardiff, Wales, released tickets on August 31. Royal Caribbean’s marketers had some promotional fun with its 225,282-gross-ton ship’s similar name, concocting a plan to ensure Oasis fans had a chance to buy tickets.
Carrying up to 5,606 passengers at double capacity, Oasis of the Seas was enjoying a day at sea the day tickets went on sale, so Royal Caribbean opened its WiFi services for free to all passengers.
By the time they arrived in Barcelona on September 1, guests knew if they were going to see the show and didn’t have to miss out due to being on a cruise.
“With Oasis tour dates set to light up Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin next summer, this unique opportunity means that Royal Caribbean International guests won’t miss out on the chance of securing tickets, despite being on holiday,” said Royal Caribbean International.
Although the cruise line cannot confirm if any passengers utilized the free internet to secure tickets, tickets for the 17-show tour across the U.K. and Ireland sold out in mere hours, with dynamic ticket pricing climbing more than £350 each.
Leveraging Starlink for At-Sea Connectivity
Royal Caribbean was one of the first adopters of SpaceX’s innovative and massively reliant Starlink satellite constellation, and provides its passengers with internet onboard its ships even in remote destinations.
Known as VOOM WiFi, the cruise line receives its internet signal directly from a satellite to its full fleet of 24 ships, including its new 248,663-gross-ton Icon of the Seas and 236,860-gross-ton Utopia of the Seas, which debuted in January and July 2024, respectively.
With VOOM Surf + Stream, guests can purchase a WiFi package capable of streaming videos and music, and engaging in high-quality video chats. However, the price of the service varies by ship and location, number of devices and days, and whether guests pre-purchase packages or wait to buy while on board the ship.
Passengers who book packages ahead of the cruise will find packages up to 20 percent off.
Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi – 5 Things to Know
Guests booked in Sky and Star suites receive complimentary WiFi, as do certain levels in the cruise line’s loyalty program, Crown & Anchor Society. Diamond level members receive one free day of service, while Pinnacle and Diamond Plus members receive two free days, with all members able to use points accrued to pay for WiFi.
The internet service is also good at Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas, and will eventually be included at its new destinations, Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, also in the Bahamas, and Royal Beach Club Cozumel in Mexico.
