Onboard email address?

[LoveTheSkinsAndYankees]

I found some old threads about this (from as far back as 2004), so I'm reviving it in case the policy has changed... We're leaving on our first NCL cruise on Saturday (YAY!!!!). When I checked in online it gave me an on-board email address ending in EPIC.cruisemail.net. If I want to stay in touch with home do I have to use that address, or can I still access my normal gmail account if I buy the 100 minute plan for $55? :confused:

 

Please bear with me because I'm VERY non-technical... If it turns out that I CAN use gmail, would I be able to check messages in my cabin from my Kindle Fire and/or my iPhone, or would I have to go to the Internet cafe and use the on-board computers? I plan to have my phone on airplane mode while I'm on-board, so I'm not sure if that would prevent me from accessing my email app.

[dinoman]

You can always access your own email accounts on your laptop or using the PCs at the Internet Cafe as long as you subscribed a internet plan, not sure about the connections of Kindle Fire or iPhone though. I think wifi connections only available on certain hotspots on the ship, you have to use ethernet cable in your stateroom.

 

As I understood by switching the phone to airplane mode means cutting off all wireless connections, thus unable to make or receive any phone calls or go online. If you do wish to access the wifi using your iPhone you shouldn't switch the phone to airplane mode.

[gerryl12]

Do know though that the internet on cruise ships is satellite and is very slow. What takes seconds at home will take minutes on the ship. I usually plan on about fifteen minutes to check my e-mail and maybe write a quick reply, ( at home four minutes).

[Toyz711]

better to keep the phone off when on the ship. when in port, you may be able to find free wifi in areas. text messages are the cheapest, much cheaper then the regular phone charges.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Definitely turn your smart phone to airplane mode. Otherwise, it'll keep pinging and you'll have a ton of data charges on your next cell phone bill. Fortunately, Verizon sent me a text message telling me I was roaming and would be charged for any data use (even though I have a data plan).

[garycarla]

Definitely turn your smart phone to airplane mode. Otherwise, it'll keep pinging and you'll have a ton of data charges on your next cell phone bill. Fortunately, Verizon sent me a text message telling me I was roaming and would be charged for any data use (even though I have a data plan).

 

This may be bad advice.

 

Airplane mode turns off texting, phone and data services.

 

If you want to get texts, and phone calls, turn off data roaming. Go into SETTINGS on your phone to find this.

 

Phone calls are $2.50 a minute. Texts are cheap, but are not, repeat, NOT included in any flat rate plans.

 

Any device that needs to connect to the internet (different than data connect), can use the ships wifi and pay $.40 to $.75 per minute.

[funkycruiser]

Just got off the Dawn. If you do end up using the e-mail address that they have assigned you, they charge you $3.95 each time you send an e-mail from that address. Much wiser to get a plan and use your hotmail/g-mail, etc. (if you absolutely have to be connected to home)

[xenagurl]

I found some old threads about this (from as far back as 2004), so I'm reviving it in case the policy has changed... We're leaving on our first NCL cruise on Saturday (YAY!!!!). When I checked in online it gave me an on-board email address ending in EPIC.cruisemail.net. If I want to stay in touch with home do I have to use that address, or can I still access my normal gmail account if I buy the 100 minute plan for $55? :confused:

 

Please bear with me because I'm VERY non-technical... If it turns out that I CAN use gmail, would I be able to check messages in my cabin from my Kindle Fire and/or my iPhone, or would I have to go to the Internet cafe and use the on-board computers? I plan to have my phone on airplane mode while I'm on-board, so I'm not sure if that would prevent me from accessing my email app.

 

Yes you can use gmail. They always assign a ship email and I have to admit I've no clue why. I check my gmail, hotmail etc via the WiFi (wireless) internet connection in my stateroom that I get with the internet package that I buy on board. You shouldn't have a problem using your Kindle Fire (I usually connect via MacBook or Samsung Tablet) however I'm not sure about your iPhone, though I assume you could.

[tel2]

For anyone that uses Verizon as their carrier for their smartphone, Verizon has a deal with Norwegian for data (NOT voice) and Verizon will pro-rate a Norwegian wireless data connection for the week you are on the cruise. It is very inexepnsive, and far less expensive than using Norwegian internet service directly.

 

Verizon

Cruise Ship Rates

Voice Roaming Rate:

$2.49 per minute

 

Text Messaging Rates:

$0.50/address sent

$0.05/message received

 

Global Data

 

Monthly Access

 

$30 (50MB)

 

$75 (150MB)

 

$125 (300MB)

 

Rate after allowance

 

$0.005/KB ($5.12/MB)

 

Pay Per Use Rate: $0.02/KB ($20.48/MB)

[Ask4Jay]

I travel with an iPod touch and buy a package of about 90-100 mins for approximately $50 on NCL.

 

My package allows me to log on once a day, sometimes twice (on a 2-week trans-Atlantic), to exchange emails with friends and family. I do all my writing off-line, and when I log on, the email app will do its thing automatically: fetch and send. Each session takes between 4 and 6 minutes, no matter how much I send or receive. I found that the important thing is remembering how to log off - to stop the meter. And no Facebook or Twitter activity or surfing.

 

Availability within the ship varies. On the newer ones you can get Wi-Fi in your cabin, on some you may have to go topside. In any case, it's a heck of a lot better and easier than it was just a few short years ago.

 

In any case, forget about the NCL email address. That is so last century. :)

 

 

via iPod touch and Tapatalk.

[tjc78]

For anyone that uses Verizon as their carrier for their smartphone, Verizon has a deal with Norwegian for data (NOT voice) and Verizon will pro-rate a Norwegian wireless data connection for the week you are on the cruise. It is very inexepnsive, and far less expensive than using Norwegian internet service directly.

 

Verizon

Cruise Ship Rates

Voice Roaming Rate:

$2.49 per minute

 

Text Messaging Rates:

$0.50/address sent

$0.05/message received

 

Global Data

 

Monthly Access

 

$30 (50MB)

 

$75 (150MB)

 

$125 (300MB)

 

Rate after allowance

 

$0.005/KB ($5.12/MB)

 

Pay Per Use Rate: $0.02/KB ($20.48/MB)

 

Let me get this straight.... You call Verizon and sign up for the "Global Data Plan" for the one week you are on board? If so that would be dirt cheap. 150MB would be more than enough for a week of email (heck if you turn off auto-attachment downloading 50MB would be enough).

[bbritton81]

If I am not mistaken on the iPhone you can be in airplane mode and still use wifi. All airplane mode does is shut down the carriers network so you don't ping off of cellular towers.

[DeltaOne]

If I am not mistaken on the iPhone you can be in airplane mode and still use wifi. All airplane mode does is shut down the carriers network so you don't ping off of cellular towers.

 

Correct.

 

Airplane Mode turns off all the radios and prevents one from coming home to a large, unexpected bill. But you can put the iPhone in Airplane Mode and turn WiFi back on to take advantage of free or low-cost WiFi hotspots. And this is easy to test before one leaves home.

[bbritton81]

still though why one would want to access email/internet while on vacation is beyond me. I'll fully admit I am completely addicted to my iPhone and iPad but I have absolutely no intentions of purchasing an admittedly pricey internet plan from NCL no matter how addicted. My family can wait too unless it's an emergency!

[LoveTheSkinsAndYankees]

Wow, thanks everybody! Great answers.

 

Yes, in a "normal" situation I would LOVE to just unplug for the week and not have to check in with home, but my disabled mother lives with us and I have a health aide staying with her for the week, so I need to be in touch to make sure all's well, that the aide doesn't have any questions I hadn't thought of covering before we leave, etc. We took a cruise last year and it was the same situation, but on Carnival they had a way that I was able to stay in touch with home through their online forum site FOR FREE the entire week, which was awesome. I wish Norwegian had a similar system...

 

Oh, unfortunately we don't have Verizon, we have AT&T. Does anybody know if AT&T offers a plan like that, too?

[tel2]

Let me get this straight.... You call Verizon and sign up for the "Global Data Plan" for the one week you are on board? If so that would be dirt cheap. 150MB would be more than enough for a week of email (heck if you turn off auto-attachment downloading 50MB would be enough).

 

Yes, that is correct. I do it on every cruise for my blackberry, and get all my emails etc.

[tel2]

Follow-up - just want to make sure you realize that if the "monthly" plan if 50mb and you ask them to pro rate it for 7 days, the data allowance is also pro-rated. So, I usually either get the 30. plan and pay for the whole month so I get the full 50mb, or I get the 150 prorated for 7 days. But I just want to make sure I dont mislead people -- if you pro-rate the price, you also pro-rate the data allowance. In any event, if you are just using it for emails etc, i never even have gone over 10mb in a week (and of course, I dont send/receive photos, music, movies etc -- I just use it for work related email and family email, not for entertainment...).