Royal Caribbean Sites Security Concerns by Limiting Wireless Networking on the Explorer of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean Networking Department will be configuring its wireless network for the first MOUStech.NET cruises in Ocotber 2002. The MOUStech.NET WLAN project on Royal Caribbean ships has been progressing since September 2000, but in the post 9/11 world, security and passenger safety take priority over everyone's business plans.
Royal Caribbean informed Bernie Dunham that access to the ships local area network would not be permitted as originally planned. MOUStech.NET will not be able to hook up its Cisco Aironet 350 wireless access points directly to the CAT5 Ethernet ports that had been tested in February 2002 and July 2001. Royal Caribbean will only permit MOUSetch's access points to be used for classroom labs during the training seminars for GigaWave and Planet3 Wireless, and then only for creating and configuring a disconnected WLAN that does not touch the Explorer's network or Internet access.
Royal Caribbean has installed its own Cisco Aironet 340 wireless LAN, and wireless Internet access is being sold on the ship for the seven night cruise for $100. The Internet access kit must be purchased onboard directly from Royal Caribbean and includes: a cable for connecting to the modem analog line in your cabin, a PIN number for your Wi-Fi card that grants access in the Royal Promenade public area, as well as in the Business Conference Area. Wireless cards may also be rented.
MOUStech.NET had to remove all references to "unlimited wireless Internet access" in its marketing for the October Wi-FI 2002 cruises because Just Cruisin' Plus is unable to collect the Internet fee as part of the cruise seminar package. Yet, Royal Caribbean is charging MOUSetch.NET a significant fee for satellite access during the cruise, "for extra bandwidth."
MOUStech.NET originally was planning a one year commitment to Explorer of the Seas based upon the success of the Ocotber cruises. Since the policy changes with Royal Caribbean, MOUSetch and Just Cruisin' Plus have been discussing options with Norwegian Cruise Lines. Plans are underway for replacing the entire one year schedule that was going to be on the Explorer of the Seas with a variety of NCL cruises, such as Hawaii, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
In discussions with MTN, the satellite provider for both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines, and also for Holland America, where Bernie Dunham has been providing Geek Cruises wireless Internet services for almost a year, the security issues for Royal Caribbean are not the same on other cruise lines. MOUStech has permission to provide direct connections to the HAL and NCL networks, something now prohibited on the Explorer.
"The Royal Caribbean position changed everytime we had a conference call, said Bernie Dunham. "During one call we could provide access in the Royal Promenade, then we could not. Then during another call we could provide Internet access in the Conference Center, then we could not. I do not have these problems of credibility with HAL or NCL. It is difficult to promise a system configuration to a training partner, and then come back and tell them that it has changed a second or third time."
When Royal Caribbean decided to constantly change the conditions for the Wi-Fi project, it placed MOUStech.NET in the position of rethinking its business plan for wireless training aboard cruise ships. "The site survey lab is critical for these classes. The reason MOUStech selected the largest cruise ships in the world is because it gave the site survey a unique environment for the lab work. By removing that unique quality from the formula, the reason for selecting the Explorer of the Seas, or Royal Caribbean period, is significantly diminished," Dunham explained.
Royal Caribbean will not own the largest cruise ships in the world once the Cunard Queen Mary 2 is launched in 2004. The QM2 will not only be larger, it will be in a class by itself. Whereas the Royal Caribbean market in a 4 Star product, the Cunard QM2 will be at the very high end of the 5 Star market. The Queen Mary 2 will redefine luxury cruising for the megaships.
"The Voyager Class ships have four very nice conference rooms, plus a nice Board Room, the Queen Mary will have seven classrooms that can be subdivided into even smaller rooms for large conferences," noted Dunham. "MOUStech.NET thought Royal Caribbean was partnering with us from the very beginning. SInce mid-2000 I have had meetings with District Sales Managers, conducted WLAN site surveys, and even had dinner with a Captain on formal night, at all times discussing this project and getting approval. However, when the Networking Department became involved at the final leg of the wireless Internet access tests, that is when the entire project began to fall apart."
MOUStech.NET fully appreciates the Royal Caribbean security concerns and has offered to arrange wireless certification classes, including the security courses, provided by both GigaWave and Planet3 Wireless, for Royal Caribbean staff.
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