iPad in Penthouse Suites

[OrpingtonT]

but generally, the specter of hauling your own laptops and tablets abroad seems to counter the idea of being on a holiday.

 

my five cents.

 

I don't disagree. The thought though is whether and how to use the IPad which is supplied and in PH and above suites.

 

Having said that I recognise that some working folks need to keep in touch with their empires. For me, I retired a long time ago but like to keep in touch with family and friends (and Cruise Critic)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

When I was a computer geek working in front of a screen all day, I wanted to get away from the internet when I went on vacation. Now that I'm a retired geek, I find I want my toys around, and my access to the net. Last cruise it was my smartphone (android), next time it would probably be a tablet of some kind. Yes, I carried my phone around the ship and occasionally "tweeted" using it. I admit I'm a bit of an addict now, time for a 12-step maybe.

[Shipkicker]

aren't you on vacation? the ships have computers to keep in touch.

Speaking for myself, asking a computer nerd/geek (retired IT) to go almost anywhere without his computer is much like asking your wife to go on the cruise and not bring any makeup, hair products, jewelry, etc..:D

[newlondon]

EleanorWW, You don't understand a sports fanatic. I have no interest in doing business but our cruise will be during the NFL playoffs and being a NE fan I hope to keep track.:D

[cruiseej]

aren't you on vacation? the ships have computers to keep in touch. hotels generally have free use of computers and wifi. why haul your own stuff along?

 

Eleanor, the original poster was asking about whether he could use the free iPad included in his penthouse suite for the specific purpose of transferring photos to a flash memory drive. He was trying to see if he could avoid bringing his own stuff along. My responses dealt with the ability/limitations of using the iPad for that purpose.

 

if you're on a port-intensive cruise, does it make sense to bring hardware along when you'll likely be touring and exploring and making acquaintances and generally having masses of fun? you are planning to stay holed up in front of a screen?

 

Everyone is different. Some people may need to keep in touch with work while they're away, or they wouldn't be able to be away. If an hour on the computer in the early morning or late evening allows you to take a luxury cruise you wouldn't otherwise be able to get away from work for, then the computer is worth it.

 

That scenario doesn't describe me. But I'm into photography, and I lug a pretty large camera bag wherever we go because scenic photography is one of the joys of travel for me. And I bring my svelte little laptop along so I can transfer photos from the camera to a hard drive, and back them up, so I don't risk losing anything. For others, perhaps an extra memory card or two is all they need to a happy vacation. (By the way, my laptop, or an iPad if I switched to that, weigh far less and take up lots less space than my camera bag!)

 

-- Eric

[ChatKat in Ca.]

If you are used to a PC you will hate the ipad keyboard onboard; The internet wireless for the ipad keeps dropping the connection from our suite. I would not count on Regent's Ipad for much of anything.

 

My own laptop is not doing that. I did bring my own minibook and am sending the ipad back to the computer people on board. If you leave your computer at home the computers in the internet cafe onboard are wired and work well.

 

As for geeks on vacation, some of us stay in touch with friends and family via computer and you can still have fun on board with new friends and use a computer to stay in touch with home.

[TheSeaAroundUs]

Speaking for myself, asking a computer nerd/geek (retired IT) to go almost anywhere without his computer is much like asking your wife to go on the cruise and not bring any makeup, hair products, jewelry, etc..:D

I'm with you, Shipkicker. I never go anywhere at all without my professional-grade laptop. I feel completely naked without it if I have to leave it behind for a show or a restaurant. I am constantly working on my art, and I need a rather powerful computer for that. I could never imagine being restricted to an iPad....

[Linda_and_Bob]

I used to take a full-sized laptop, but now I like my little netbook PC. I need it for all kinds of things that enhance my vacation, not take me from it.

 

A couple of years ago, I skyped my grandsons to show them that I was standing in Thailand, and the scenery that they saw over my left shoulder was Laos and over my right shoulder was Myanmar.

We can call anywhere in the world for pennies with skype.

We can find restaurant reviews or directions wherever we are.

We're football fans and enjoy keeping up (although not being able to watch the NE games last week and this week might have been a favor...).

 

In addition, the people watching over our house while we're away are more comfortable knowing that they can contact us if there was problem, and we like keeping in touch with family when we're gone for a couple of months; we have elderly parents (and children who think we're elderly).

 

And, yes, we're both retired computer nerds...

[tripperva]

What are the chances the butler can assist with the iPad? They are mostly bright and young.

[OrpingtonT]

What are the chances the butler can assist with the iPad? They are mostly bright and young.

 

Good chances, I think. And it would be easy to take your IPad along to the computer room with it's resident expert.

[Gilly]

I assumed that one of the reasons why ipads were being introduced was to enable people to read newspapers online rather than have all that printing every day. The cost of all that paper and printing - in both financial and environmental terms - must be considerable?

Edited November 10, 2011 by Gilly
to correct typos!

[Travelcat2]

I assumed that one of the reasons why ipads were being introduced was to enable people to read newspapers online rather than have all that printing every day. The cost of all that paper and printing - in both financial and environmental terms - must be considerable?

 

That is a really good point! I'm looking forward to trying out The IPad on the Voyager two weeks from Saturday. Will be packing my netbook as well:)

[2old4this]

I used to take a full-sized laptop, but now I like my little netbook PC. I need it for all kinds of things that enhance my vacation, not take me from it.

 

A couple of years ago, I skyped my grandsons to show them that I was standing in Thailand, and the scenery that they saw over my left shoulder was Laos and over my right shoulder was Myanmar.

We can call anywhere in the world for pennies with skype.

We can find restaurant reviews or directions wherever we are.

We're football fans and enjoy keeping up (although not being able to watch the NE games last week and this week might have been a favor...).

 

In addition, the people watching over our house while we're away are more comfortable knowing that they can contact us if there was problem, and we like keeping in touch with family when we're gone for a couple of months; we have elderly parents (and children who think we're elderly).

 

And, yes, we're both retired computer nerds...

 

Linda and Bob - Since you are computer nerds, please explain how you use your Skype on board a Regent ship? Do you first buy time with the ship or do you Skype to Skype without having to link with Regent in anyway? I'm using Skype and I enjoy the low expenditure - unless Regent gets involved. Call me on Skype with jack.morris81. Jack Morris

[schub229]

You can get wonderful help in the computer labs in setting up the ipad. It would be nice if they had a mini-class on the ipads during the SA cruise. On our 6 week cruise last winter, I brought along my own ipad so I could download my photos each night, and then I could make notes as to what the photos were while my mind was fresh. I put the info in a notebook for labeling my photos on iphoto once I got home, but couldn't transfer from ipad to Mac-had to use the SD cards which I locked.

 

It was fun to look back over our day's excursions each night and to show our table mates at dinner what we'd done that day. :)

[cruiseej]

For those following this thread, I just want to make sure it's clear that the key distinction in usefulness of the iPad for photos on a Regent cruise is whether you're bringing your own or using the one Regent provides in Penthouse suites.

 

If you have your own iPad and bring it along, it can be great for downloading your photos as schub229 relates. At the end of the cruise, you go home with your iPad, and can then transfer the photos to your home computer or laptop, or Apple's new online storage medium, iCloud.

 

But if you're just using the Regent-provided iPad, it's not as useful for your photos, because although you can transfer your photos from your camera memory card to the iPad, there's no good way to transfer photos from the iPad to the outside world at the end of your cruise. You could use the iPad to simply view your photos during your cruise, but you'd need to keep the digital images on your camera memory cards to take home. Fortunately, since memory cards are inexpensive, having several to cover an entire trip's worth of photography is possible (depending on the length of your cruise and how many photos you tend to shoot). If you want to use the Regent iPad as a viewer during your cruise, you do need to make a small investment in advance to bring along a $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit.

 

-- Eric

[Keith1010]

For those following this thread, I just want to make sure it's clear that the key distinction in usefulness of the iPad for photos on a Regent cruise is whether you're bringing your own or using the one Regent provides in Penthouse suites.

 

If you have your own iPad and bring it along, it can be great for downloading your photos as schub229 relates. At the end of the cruise, you go home with your iPad, and can then transfer the photos to your home computer or laptop, or Apple's new online storage medium, iCloud.

 

But if you're just using the Regent-provided iPad, it's not as useful for your photos, because although you can transfer your photos from your camera memory card to the iPad, there's no good way to transfer photos from the iPad to the outside world at the end of your cruise. You could use the iPad to simply view your photos during your cruise, but you'd need to keep the digital images on your camera memory cards to take home. Fortunately, since memory cards are inexpensive, having several to cover an entire trip's worth of photography is possible (depending on the length of your cruise and how many photos you tend to shoot). If you want to use the Regent iPad as a viewer during your cruise, you do need to make a small investment in advance to bring along a $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit.

 

-- Eric

 

Eric excellent summary as well as excellent recommendations.

 

Keith

[Linda_and_Bob]

Linda and Bob - Since you are computer nerds, please explain how you use your Skype on board a Regent ship? Do you first buy time with the ship or do you Skype to Skype without having to link with Regent in anyway? I'm using Skype and I enjoy the low expenditure - unless Regent gets involved. Call me on Skype with jack.morris81. Jack Morris

Hi Jack,

 

I've tried to call you on Skype, but you have to accept me as a contact...

 

I've never used Skype on a Regent ship myself, but have used it in hotels and airports. Skype is an internet application, so anywhere you go you need an internet provider. Regent is, unfortunately, our internet provider on the ship so will cost whatever internet connections normally would, unless you have an arrangement with a cell phone provider that gets you to the internet through the cell phone network (that's pretty expensive).

Using Skype to Skype (computer to computer) is free (other than the internet connection cost), but the person you want to talk to would have to be logged on and paying attention to their computer when you called.

 

Skype will also provide service to call land lines and cell phones for a very small cost payable as you go or by the month. The cost depends on where you're calling; I paid, I think, $3.95/month for unlimited phone calls from Thailand and $.023 per minute for calls from Ecuador (plus the internet cost). When calling phones using skype you, of course, don't see them on your screen but you do speak to them and hear them through your computer's microphone and speakers. Since the microphone and speakers on my netbook are hardly adequate, I've bought a headset (like you always see in the pictures of the helpful operators who are waiting for your calls) which works like a charm - the connections are really quite clear with the proper equipment.

 

Have you had problems with Skype on the ship because the connection was too slow for you or just too expensive? The voice-only connections require less bandwidth and maybe more successful than the webcam connections.

 

Linda

[newlondon]

That is a really good point! I'm looking forward to trying out The IPad on the Voyager two weeks from Saturday. Will be packing my netbook as well:)

Travelcat2, Please let us know how the newspapers work.

[Travelcat2]

Travelcat2, Please let us know how the newspapers work.

 

Will do!

[AWED23]

Eric excellent summary as well as excellent recommendations.

 

Keith

...And just what does your beloved Crystal provide?....Not even interactive TVs.....

[2old4this]

Hi Jack,

 

I've tried to call you on Skype, but you have to accept me as a contact...

 

Linda_and_Bob - Sorry I missed you. I have been away from the work station a lot lately and only rarely use my Skype setup.

 

I've never used Skype on a Regent ship myself, but have used it in hotels and airports. Skype is an internet application, so anywhere you go you need an internet provider. Regent is, unfortunately, our internet provider on the ship so will cost whatever internet connections normally would, unless you have an arrangement with a cell phone provider that gets you to the internet through the cell phone network (that's pretty expensive).

 

Linda_and_Bob - I have not tried it on any cruise ship. I was hoping you would have and would be the bearer of good news.

 

Using Skype to Skype (computer to computer) is free (other than the internet connection cost), but the person you want to talk to would have to be logged on and paying attention to their computer when you called.

 

Linda_and_Bob - The timing of calls between Skypers is everything. Otherwise, the calls are cheap by any standard.

 

Skype will also provide service to call land lines and cell phones for a very small cost payable as you go or by the month. The cost depends on where you're calling; I paid, I think, $3.95/month for unlimited phone calls from Thailand and $.023 per minute for calls from Ecuador (plus the internet cost). When calling phones using skype you, of course, don't see them on your screen but you do speak to them and hear them through your computer's microphone and speakers. Since the microphone and speakers on my netbook are hardly adequate, I've bought a headset (like you always see in the pictures of the helpful operators who are waiting for your calls) which works like a charm - the connections are really quite clear with the proper equipment.

 

Linda_and_Bob - I have the earphone/microphone arrangement, too, and they work great.

 

Have you had problems with Skype on the ship because the connection was too slow for you or just too expensive? The voice-only connections require less bandwidth and maybe more successful than the webcam connections.

 

Linda_and_Bob - Actually, both slow and expensive. Takes way too many minutes just to get operational and the expense adds up quickly. My calls are nearly always personal thus not dire that I reach anyone.

 

Linda

 

Thanks for the deep reply. Jack Morris

[jhp]

Maybe things have changed, but not long ago, I know that Skype was not available on Regent ships. Maybe someone can chime in here with an update on whether things have changed.

 

.

Edited November 13, 2011 by jhp

[TheSeaAroundUs]

Maybe things have changed, but not long ago, I know that Skype was not available on Regent ships. Maybe someone can chime in here with an update on whether things have changed.

jhp, that was my thought but, not knowing for certain, I didn't speak up. I think it's disallowed for bandwidth reasons. There's just one satellite link that's shared among the whole ship and I think just a few people skyping would be too much for it to handle. Also, if you did get a connection I think it would be a very frustrating one.

Somebody try it and let us know!

[Keith1010]

...And just what does your beloved Crystal provide?....Not even interactive TVs.....

 

Discussion and the comments I have provided are not about Crystal but about the iPad. I never mentioned another cruise line and it is certainly not relevant to this discussion.

 

On a related note, I sail on many lines. I happen to enjoy several of them and find that diversity in what they offer and not offer is good.

 

Let's keep the thread focused on the subject. It's been a good thread with lots of constructive information being shared. Let's keep it that way.

[Linda_and_Bob]

jhp, that was my thought but, not knowing for certain, I didn't speak up. I think it's disallowed for bandwidth reasons. There's just one satellite link that's shared among the whole ship and I think just a few people skyping would be too much for it to handle. Also, if you did get a connection I think it would be a very frustrating one.

Somebody try it and let us know!

Disallowed meaning not installed on the Regent computers or disallowed meaning blocking use of Skype by our own computers?

 

In previous travels, I've had some but not many problems with skype-to-phone calls on slower connections; the lack of video lowers the bandwith usage by a lot. It can sound like cell-to-cell sometimes, sort of crackley...

(Of course, there's slow and slooooow and maybe I've just not experienced how bad the regent connections really are.)