Is taking a laptop practical just to upload photos?

[Delta Dear]

We're going on a 7 day, 4 ports trip on the Legend in Feb. I will take mucho photos, I'm sure. I know that some people take their laptops in order to download their photos and more, perhaps. I will take extra memory cards and batteries, of course.

 

I have no intention of using the internet at their prices, so any use I will have will simply be for photos. I"m going with a group of scrapbook friends, so I could spend time making digital albums while onboard if I want to.

 

Is it practical or a nuisance to deal with a laptop on a cruise ? What do you do to secure it when it is not in use ?

 

Please share your thoughts and experiences that might help me decide. Right now I am torn. Thanks

[Curt Jerome Wild]

I take a laptop if I have to do some work on the cruise (it happens)...

 

If you are only taking it to upload pictures, then I don't think it's worth the trouble.

Just have enough Memory Cards for your camera (I take 2 or 3 for a 7 day trip).

 

Spend your time on the cruise experiencing it, and taking pictures.

Don't waste cruise time, uploading pics and making digital scrapbooks.

 

Save that for when you get home.

That way, you can relive and re-experience your cruise all over again as you go through the whole process of scrapbooking!:D

[weltek]

If your ONLY reason is to upload photos, I probably wouldn't take it. It does, however, give you some assurance if you lose a memory card, that you have the photos elsewhere.

 

If you really think you'd enjoy starting to make some scrapbook pages, I'd say it might be worth taking.

 

I leave my laptop in a drawer while out and about on ship and haven't had ANY trouble. My biggest issue is the pain of going through airport security with it. Just one more thing to juggle!

[Lovharvey]

I always take mine. I now have a netbook which is perfect for a cruise. I download my pictures that were taken that day at night before I go to bed. I know if there are ship pictures that I need to take again. I have an 8Gb memory card, so memory is not a problem and I take my battery charger for my camera battery, so I charge it at the end of the night and it is ready to go the next day. I make folders for each day and that is the way I upload them to Snapfish to be printed and when I pick them up, they are grouped together by the day and I don't have to sort through all of them to match up pictures with the day that they were taken, Walgreen's has already done it for me and makes it a lot easier to put in an album. My Netbook with bag is about the size of my purse, so it is really not any trouble to take. As far as what I do with it when we are not in our cabin, I just leave it on the dresser/desk and have never had a problem.

[cb at sea]

If you want to lock it up, put it in your suitcase, and lock that....frankly, your cabin attendant wouldn't have time to mess with your computer---they have waaaay too much to do!

[Livin4Real]

We take alot of pics and video while onboard and take along our laptop to upload everything to every night. i think we took almost 1400 pics last cruise along with alot of video. It's more economical for us to take the laptop than to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of memory cards. A class 6, 32gb SDHC card for our camcorder runs around $90, plus the cost of 3 or 4 16gb ones would be kinda crazy. It's nice being able to see the days pics in full screen too and we use the laptop to watch movies on the flights.

[Treven]

I ALWAYS take my laptop with me, specifically to download that day's pix. Then during the evening I'll begin doing some light photoshopping of the pix. If/when I come across something and I say to myself, "myself", just what in the hell was this a picture of? If it's something I just took a picture of that day, and already I can't tell what it is, in to the trash can it goes.

 

Plus it's convenient killing time on airplanes flying cross-country, playing games or watching a movie (I take about a dozen DVDs along with me)

[K&RCurt]

I bring my laptop whenever I travel, but I do need to ahve it with me in case of an "Emergency" where I work. There are some problem which, sadly, I am the only one with the knowledge to fix. That being said I have never HAD to VPN in from vacation, but I would be worried sick if I didn't have the option.

 

Now, while I have the laptop with me I do use it to save all the photos DW and I take each day. I get them off of the photo cards and onto the hard drive and a flash drive. Why? I have a story from some friends of ours. They went on a family trip to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest this summer. On the flight home they were passsing the camera around and looking at the 700+ photos they had taken. When the Husband got the camera he was looking through the photos and then he said "CRAP!" He hit the wrong button and deleted ALL 700+ photos. It's not THAT hard to do. If they had went to the "bother" of transfering them and making a copy they would still have the photos!

 

In addition to the photo saving etc., I use my laptop as a portable DVD player on the flights to/from the. I write up notes on each day's activities for a review for CC when I get home. Having the laptop also allows me to pre-compose emails off line to save internet time when I do go online to send out emails.

[chipmaster]

We're going on a 7 day, 4 ports trip on the Legend in Feb. I will take mucho photos, I'm sure. I know that some people take their laptops in order to download their photos and more, perhaps. I will take extra memory cards and batteries, of course.

 

I have no intention of using the internet at their prices, so any use I will have will simply be for photos. I"m going with a group of scrapbook friends, so I could spend time making digital albums while onboard if I want to.

 

Is it practical or a nuisance to deal with a laptop on a cruise ? What do you do to secure it when it is not in use ?

 

Please share your thoughts and experiences that might help me decide. Right now I am torn. Thanks

 

Everyone is different so your need versus nice is a very gray line.

 

I have always taken my laptop on almost all vacations. It has less to do with any single activitiy but multiple ones; picture editing/viewing, internet, movies, lots of other stuff on the computer. Sadly, I always need to reference work :mad:

 

Do you need one even if you take thousands of picture or hours of video, of course NOT. I don't know why another poster suggested without laptop one needs hundreds of dollars of memory cards. In todays enviroment memory is just soo cheap compared to a laptop.

 

If you aren't looking forward to lugging another piece of sensitivive electronics, charger, case etc. etc and dealing with taking it thru security, than spend a few dollars on a few extra cards and enjoy your firends time and forget the laptop :D

[paul929207]

I always take my laptop, but we have cruised enough with Princess to get free internet. So I use it to check email and the internet from my cabin as well as downloading pictures. I put my pics into PowerPoint and work on them on the ship.

 

As to hassle, the only hassle is if you are flying. Go thru security and luggging it all over is a bit of a pain.

[SheilaNC]

I'm another one who bought a netbook last year before a long trip and it was a great decision for me. I can edit the pictures (I use Picasa), organize them if I'm not happy with just the day by day organization, post them on the Web when I have Internet access (either on the ship or in port), etc. I also take a lot of cards with me since I like to keep the originals on cards. I watch for sales and rebates for the cards I prefer....have 3 new ones ready for our trip that leaves in a few weeks. Since different people like different things, it's a good idea to read a lot...you might want to visit the discussion area of the Photo Gallery to ask for expert opinions and other options. Then decide which scenario fits your style best. Enjoy!!

[wwinfl91]

I have taken a laptop on almost all our cruises since We got our 1st digital camera. I take way too many pictures but they are how I enjoy looking back at our cruises.

 

I have never had a problem with doing this although I don't leave the computer out on the desk when we aren't in the cabin. IMHO take your laptop and download them during sea days of your cruise.

 

have a great next cruise.

[jollycruise]

We take ours on our cruises. We usually go a couple days before our cruise and stay at least one day after our cruise so we use it for internet use on land. On the ship we do upload our photos every night to clear the memory cards. We have plenty of cards but it's nice to have them on the laptop in case we loose a camera. I would rather loose one day's worth of pictures rather than the entire vacation. In the cabin we just keep it in a drawer or the closet. :D

[BIG_Steve]

Is it practical or a nuisance to deal with a laptop on a cruise ? What do you do to secure it when it is not in use ?

 

I have to carry my stupid laptop though airport security regularly. No way in Heaven or Earth I would even consider taking it on a cruise. Too much hassle for me, then it would always be in the back of mind if it were being stolen while I was out. I would find it counter-productive to an enjoyable vacation.

 

YMMV

[B+S]

We're going on a 7 day, 4 ports trip on the Legend in Feb. I will take mucho photos, I'm sure. I know that some people take their laptops in order to download their photos and more, perhaps. I will take extra memory cards and batteries, of course.

 

I have no intention of using the internet at their prices, so any use I will have will simply be for photos. I"m going with a group of scrapbook friends, so I could spend time making digital albums while onboard if I want to.

 

Is it practical or a nuisance to deal with a laptop on a cruise ? What do you do to secure it when it is not in use ?

 

Please share your thoughts and experiences that might help me decide. Right now I am torn. Thanks

 

Well, it sort of depends... how many pictures is in a "Mucho"? I personally think it's totally not worth it. Depending on your photo resolution an 8GB card holds about 1,000 average sized .jpeg (the most common file format) photos. The cards (be they SD, compact flash, DX, etc) are small lightweight and easily tucked away somewhere safe. And they're inexpensive.

 

I try to unplug while cruising - there will be plenty of rainy days (where I live anyways) to spend working on and enjoying the pictures later on. Get out there and take them while you can! I would not care to spend my time on a cruise somewhere in deep shade working in front of my laptop. I worry about it being stolen, dropped, spilled on, or jarred. I worry, and I worry... and no one wants to worry on their cruise.

 

Go, take pictures, see all you can see, and download them to the laptop later. Carry two cards each with the total capacity you think you'll possibly need - that would be most pro's reccomendations.

[Livin4Real]

Everyone is different so your need versus nice is a very gray line.

 

 

Do you need one even if you take thousands of picture or hours of video, of course NOT. I don't know why another poster suggested without laptop one needs hundreds of dollars of memory cards. In todays enviroment memory is just soo cheap compared to a laptop.

 

 

It wasn't a suggestion, in MY case, it was a fact. The laptop I already own, the extra cards I don't. As I said, look up the price of a quality class 6 32gb SDHC card. When your taking 12mb pics and HD video, memory disappears fast. And I said "it is more economical FOR US to take the laptop" not necessarily the OP. Please take time to actually read the post you refer to :rolleyes:

[B+S]

It wasn't a suggestion, in MY case, it was a fact. The laptop I already own, the extra cards I don't. As I said, look up the price of a quality class 6 32gb SDHC card. When your taking 12mb pics and HD video, memory disappears fast. And I said "it is more economical FOR US to take the laptop" not necessarily the OP. Please take time to actually read the post you refer to :rolleyes:

 

Brian,

 

I am pretty sure many folks here in this general forum won't understand our specialized needs for ultra big ultra fast cards (expensive) when capturing HD Video. Not defending anyone... just saying they may well have completely read your post and simply not understood the HD Vid reference. It would be nice to see the beautiful images you must capture with such equipment.

 

All the best to you. ;)

[cruiserbryce]

my wife scraps and we take a ton of pics. We already own the laptop and dont want to spend the extra $ for memory cards so we take it. Nice to have the computer pre and post cruise while traveling as well

[Livin4Real]

Brian,

 

I am pretty sure many folks here in this general forum won't understand our specialized needs for ultra big ultra fast cards (expensive) when capturing HD Video. Not defending anyone... just saying they may well have completely read your post and simply not understood the HD Vid reference. It would be nice to see the beautiful images you must capture with such equipment.

 

All the best to you. ;)

 

Good to see another AV fan on here and yes, quality costs :)

[RetireeWannabee]

would not be worth the trouble for me.

[chipmaster]

It wasn't a suggestion, in MY case, it was a fact. The laptop I already own, the extra cards I don't. As I said, look up the price of a quality class 6 32gb SDHC card. When your taking 12mb pics and HD video, memory disappears fast. And I said "it is more economical FOR US to take the laptop" not necessarily the OP. Please take time to actually read the post you refer to :rolleyes:

 

 

You think a person who edits a few pictures and wonders about laptops needs to hear about recommendations for people who shot HD and need super fast flash to store 10 and maybe hundreds of gigabytes as a reference to to take another thing on trip?

 

I try instead to make a recommendation for the person asking. To many fold their own case onto a discussion and can confuse people to what they really need. No different than the bestbuy salesman upselling you for a bigger faster computer, HDD, card, camera for that matter.

 

I can tell you about all my high end this and that for me, but than whats the point in telling this to the poor person asking for some thoughts for themselves...? :confused:

[DanJ]

I took my laptop on this last cruise (my first cruise as a laptop owner and thought it would be a good thing to take). I used it during our 2 night pre-cruise stay in Baltimore. Then on the 2nd day of the cruise, I found a nice comfy chair by a window and downloaded the pics off my camera and organized some into various folders for uploading to facebook, photobucket, etc. I started writing my cruise critic review. My battery started running down, so I went back and plugged it in. The next time I touched the thing was when I grabbed it for debarkation.

[flamomo]

A great chioce for me was the netbook I purchased in time for my cruise 2 weeks ago. My daughter had also gotten one and took hers too.

She downloaded her pics every day. SHe took well in excess of 1000 pics, and there was plenty of memory for that. I used 2 different cameras, and left mine on the SD cards in the cameras.

We both used ours to check and send emails to family every day from the comfort of our cabin or balcony.

I copied a couple of hours of my favorite music to a jump drive, so we could have music of our choosing in the cabin. The speakers in the netbook are better than the ones in my laptop.

When out of the cabin, both netbooks and thier power cords fit easily in a drawer in the desk/dresser. Out of sight, but easily accessed.

And with netbooks, if they are transported in a sleeve in a totebag, with the cord and mouse packed separately in our carry-ons meant we didn't have to remove them from the sleeve for the TSA screening in the airport.

I've traveled with my full size laptop, and it's a pain. The laptop is heavy to tote around through the airport, and has to be removed from the bag for screening.

That's why I am so pleased with my little lightweight netbook.

[bluegirlum]

My bf and I both took our laptops on our last cruise, and we definitely could have just used one. We take a lot of pictures--not close to 1000 though!--and it was nice to download them. We decided not to go on an excursion in St. Martin because we were seasick, and we found a great little place on the boardwalk with free wi fi and we checked e-mail while enjoying a beautiful day and cheap drinks. In the future we will bring just one laptop. BF needs to check in with work, and I can load my pictures to his computer. I think if you like to have your pictures organized as you go along, and have room to carry it, then why not? We never worried about the safety of it in our cabin. I just got annoyed with it going through security in the airport.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Before departing on trips, I make folders for pictures labeled by day. I also make a folder for each day for DW's journal. Having the pictures downloaded for each day makes it good for DW to review the day's pictures to enhance her writing.

 

Now I'm looking for the smallest & lightest laptop so we can take one on our planned bike ride from Land's End to John O' Groats.