Internet onboard Laptop vs Internet Cafe

[zrmmiller]

My husband is taking online classes and will need to load a couple of word documents onto his school site. The class starts while we are onboard and the school will not give him access to the class prior. His instructor isn't helpful as she says just to go to a library while we are gone to get internet access. He also may need to respond to discussion posts online. It is what it is and we are going to have to suck it up and pay for him to log in online.

 

I know the internet onboard is SUPER slow. So buying a package may be our best bet. I was thinking the 45 min package for $29. In order to get the best speed possible would it be better for him to go to the internet cafe or use our laptop wirelessly. If he goes to the internet cafe would he be able to load a word document from a zip drive or something like it?

 

Ugh I hate that he has to take this class now but it isn't offered again until next summer.

 

Thanks

[shof515]

its easier to take your laptop or something like it. The computers is in the internet cafe is locked down where it can be hard to plug in a usb flash drive and they may not have the microsoft office suite programs

[Monalis]

If he has any flexibility on when he can upload the documents or respond to the discussions, you may want to wait till you are in port. There are alot of "free" w/ purchase WiFi hotspots and even internet cafes in many of the ports. The internet is much faster and a whole lot cheaper.

[glrounds]

If he has any flexibility on when he can upload the documents or respond to the discussions, you may want to wait till you are in port. There are alot of "free" w/ purchase WiFi hotspots and even internet cafes in many of the ports. The internet is much faster and a whole lot cheaper.

 

Excellent advice. I discovered once while anchored in Los Cabos and the ship was pointing the right direction that I got on someone's land network FREE and downloaded all my e-mails and sent a bunch all while sitting on deck 3 just outside the atrium. One of the finest hours in the entire cruise. :D

 

[rnvattes]

My husband is taking online classes and will need to load a couple of word documents onto his school site. The class starts while we are onboard and the school will not give him access to the class prior. His instructor isn't helpful as she says just to go to a library while we are gone to get internet access. He also may need to respond to discussion posts online. It is what it is and we are going to have to suck it up and pay for him to log in online.

 

I know the internet onboard is SUPER slow. So buying a package may be our best bet. I was thinking the 45 min package for $29. In order to get the best speed possible would it be better for him to go to the internet cafe or use our laptop wirelessly. If he goes to the internet cafe would he be able to load a word document from a zip drive or something like it?

 

Ugh I hate that he has to take this class now but it isn't offered again until next summer.

 

Thanks

 

I found our iPad (wireless) to be a bazillion times faster than the ship's computers. Not sure if that was related to time of day (super early morning --- probably not a lot of use at that time) or just sheer coincidence. But I would probably use our own next time rather than trying to use the ship's.

 

How about using a computer while in-port??

[golfadj]

You cannot use the ships computer for anything other than reading and sending email.

 

If possible use an internet cafe in port with your laptop.

[wdazew]

I have to always take my laptop due to work requirements. THe time of day is KEY. Try during the dinner hours, early in the morning, or while in port and everyone is off the ship. Do try port free wi fi. Be sure that he has everything ready to go then log on so you are only paying for the actual time. Get a package if he has to respond to discussion threads get the 100 minute package - you will get a reminder when you are close to using time so you can purchase another package or go to a minute by minute use. Trying to remember if you buy the first day while in port you might get 10 or 15 minutes extra "free"

[zqvol]

My husband is taking online classes and will need to load a couple of word documents onto his school site. The class starts while we are onboard and the school will not give him access to the class prior. His instructor isn't helpful as she says just to go to a library while we are gone to get internet access. He also may need to respond to discussion posts online. It is what it is and we are going to have to suck it up and pay for him to log in online.

 

I know the internet onboard is SUPER slow. So buying a package may be our best bet. I was thinking the 45 min package for $29. In order to get the best speed possible would it be better for him to go to the internet cafe or use our laptop wirelessly. If he goes to the internet cafe would he be able to load a word document from a zip drive or something like it?

 

Ugh I hate that he has to take this class now but it isn't offered again until next summer.

 

Thanks

 

I teach online classes and do it from the ships all the time. Bring the laptop. He will not be able to upload anything from the Internet cafe. the Internet is slow, BUT if he uses it early in the morning or late at night the speed is acceptable.

 

I suspect that a 45 minute package is not enough, but it might be.

 

As far as giving him access ahead of time, it is probably not the teacher that cares but there are school and or state rules that prohibit it, because the course hasn't started.

 

has he asked the teacher if he can get the assignment ahead of time so that he can work on it and then upload the project after the class starts? Most teachers are happy to accommodate if they can.

[novinha]

You cannot use the ships computer for anything other than reading and sending email.

 

If possible use an internet cafe in port with your laptop.

I'm pretty sure I was able to surf a bit on my last cruise. We needed an answer to a question and had to search a bit. Even got into my library's database.