As part of this year’s #SeafarersDeliveringChristmas campaign, Inmarsat is offering free extra time for seafarers to catch up with their loved ones from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day.
The promotion gives them an additional 33% talk time on FleetBroadband and Fleet Xpress ChatCards, and a discount on all 1GB and 5-hour allowance purchased from the onboard Fleet Hotspot Portal, which will be available for US$10 instead of the usual US$15. Those interested should use the ChatCard Online Portal or email their order before 18:00 UTC on 24 December.
Limited internet connection on ships remains generally a key area of concern for seafarers onboard, at a time when seafarers’ satisfaction seemed to increase in the pre-COVID period in several sections of everyday life onboard.
Even before the global lockdown, the SAFETY4SEA Crew Wellness Survey unveiled connectivity as the most prevalent demand across a total of 9,768 seafarers globally.
A 2018 study by Inmarsat, Sailors’ Society and University of London showed that even limited access to Wi-Fi onboard ships helped reduce some of the emotional stresses that come with separation from families.
