Using the Internet, Cheaply

[zorrosuncle]

Hi -

 

Lately, I have been composing all my messages off line on my tablet and then going out into the hall, standing under a router antenna, logging on to my account, and sending them all in a microburst. Probably only uses about a minute of internet time!

 

ZU

[JJPacer]

Great idea. Thanks for sharing.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When I used to do "Live" reports -- many years ago -- I would write up everything off line and then log in and post my review. Copy and paste in just a couple of minutes.

[KirkNC]

Hi -

 

Lately, I have been composing all my messages off line on my tablet and then going out into the hall, standing under a router antenna, logging on to my account, and sending them all in a microburst. Probably only uses about a minute of internet time!

 

ZU

 

We do the same. Any emails or posts are done offline than transmitted all at once.

[cruz chic]

I always do this. I can't imagine anyone going online to type everything up. I'm sure the cruiseline would love people that do that.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

How do you send multiple E Mails transmitted all at once???

[HamOp]

How do you send multiple E Mails transmitted all at once???

 

First of all' date=' turn off your Wifi and or Data Roaming. Compose your emails as you normally would. When you hit send, because your device can't find an internet connection, the email will be stored in your out-box awaiting a connection. When you once again enable the internet, all of the emails in the out-box will be purged and sent all at once.[/color']

[Hlitner]

When I saw the subject my first thought was we can use the internet very cheaply (for free) on most other cruise lines since most give some free internet to their frequent cruisers. On HAL, like just about everyone else, we must pay. We have really reduced our internet time (we only use it for e-mails on HAL cruises) since we got an iPad. For some reason it seems to work a lot faster then my laptops. I have the settings in a mode that does not delete the e-mails off of my ISPs server...since having them delete the e-mails (the normal setting for most e-mail programs) can take a lot of additional time. So when we get home we again get all of our e-mails downloaded on our main home computer.

 

Like others have suggested, we write all of our e-mails while we are off line and simply hit the send button. On iPads (and nearly all computers) it will store the e-mails in an "outbox" until the next time the computer is connected to the server. Then once a day we will log-on to our account and the iPad retrieves all of our new e-mails and forwards those in our outbox. Even when the connection is slow we seldom need more then 5 min of internet time per day (we average about 60 e-mails per day).

 

Hank

[ZSandy25]

HamOp, your little bug had me fooled for a second!

[sapper1]

HamOp, your little bug had me fooled for a second!

 

He has sort of become the HAL board mascot. :)

[HamOp]

HamOp, your little bug had me fooled for a second!

 

You're not the first one. Works even better in the spring time!:D

 

He has sort of become the HAL board mascot. :)

 

Thanks, Sapper1. You've made "The Bug" very happy. He's chanting "GO HAL" in his little bug voice.

[t60]

Sorry to sound dim, but how do you access your emails when you´re offline?

I´m new owner of an android tablet or is it an Ipad thing?

 

With my netbook, I compose a document offline then cut,paste into email then send when I have internet connection

 

Sandy in Spain

[mtwingcpa]

Sorry to sound dim, but how do you access your emails when you´re offline? I´m new owner of an android tablet or is it an Ipad thing?

 

On my Android tablet, using its built-in email interface, it automatically downloads and stores roughly the 25 most recent messages. You can access them by simply loading the email app, whether online or not. Naturally, your mileage may vary, but try turning off your WiFi interface and see if this works for you.

[Tampa Girl]

Is there a quick way to e-mail pictures from aboard ship or must you wait until you reach a land connection? Normally, it takes so long through the ships' connection. How do the bloggers do this?

[Typhoon1]

The other choice is to use an internet café in one of the ports.

[whogo]

In addition to what others have suggested, I limit the size of emails I will accept on a cruise.

[ellieanne]

The other choice is to use an internet café in one of the ports.

 

In some ports, depending on where you are on board, you can access the port's free wifi without ever leaving the ship. I hooked up to Quebec's wifi from my cabin. It's worth a try, and easier than trying to find free space to balance everything in the terminal.

[cruz chic]

In some ports, depending on where you are on board, you can access the port's free wifi without ever leaving the ship. I hooked up to Quebec's wifi from my cabin. It's worth a try, and easier than trying to find free space to balance everything in the terminal.

 

I would say that is pretty rare. I've been able to get it in Quebec and even one time in port Everglades. I also got it momentarily in San Diego. I try pretty much everywhere and it rarely works so I wouldn't count on that for sure.

[ellieanne]

I would say that is pretty rare. I've been able to get it in Quebec and even one time in port Everglades. I also got it momentarily in San Diego. I try pretty much everywhere and it rarely works so I wouldn't count on that for sure.

 

I did say it was worth a try -- and I said in some ports. I didn't say it was a guaranteed way to get internet access.

[cruz chic]

Alrighty then:rolleyes:.

[HokiePoq]

When I saw the subject my first thought was we can use the internet very cheaply (for free) on most other cruise lines since most give some free internet to their frequent cruisers. On HAL, like just about everyone else, we must pay. We have really reduced our internet time (we only use it for e-mails on HAL cruises) since we got an iPad. For some reason it seems to work a lot faster then my laptops. I have the settings in a mode that does not delete the e-mails off of my ISPs server...since having them delete the e-mails (the normal setting for most e-mail programs) can take a lot of additional time. So when we get home we again get all of our e-mails downloaded on our main home computer.

 

Like others have suggested, we write all of our e-mails while we are off line and simply hit the send button. On iPads (and nearly all computers) it will store the e-mails in an "outbox" until the next time the computer is connected to the server. Then once a day we will log-on to our account and the iPad retrieves all of our new e-mails and forwards those in our outbox. Even when the connection is slow we seldom need more then 5 min of internet time per day (we average about 60 e-mails per day).

 

Hank

 

Who gives free internet and at what level? I know RCCL Diamond Club members get a big discount but am not aware of others.

Would appreciate the info.

We look for free wifi on shore...had good luck at Grand Turk on our recent cruise.

[cruz chic]

Who gives free internet and at what level? I know RCCL Diamond Club members get a big discount but am not aware of others.

Would appreciate the info.

We look for free wifi on shore...had good luck at Grand Turk on our recent cruise.

 

Princess gives some free internet. I believe it starts still the platinum level but I might be wrong.

[Hlitner]

Who gives free internet and at what level? I know RCCL Diamond Club members get a big discount but am not aware of others.

Would appreciate the info.

We look for free wifi on shore...had good luck at Grand Turk on our recent cruise.

 

I guess my answer would be that HAL is about the only cruise line we currently cruise (and we have been on 14 lines) that does not give us at least some free internet. Princess gives us hundreds of free minutes (we are Elite) and even gives free minutes to folks in lower levels of their cruise club. RCI and Celebrity both give us free minutes (we are Diamond on RCI and Elite Plus on Celebrity). A few other lines also give us some free minutes, but since we have not cruised with them in more then 2 years I cannot comment on the current policies. We are 4 Star on HAL and about the only thing they give us is a free tile (which we no longer accept).

 

Hank

[cruz chic]

I guess my answer would be that HAL is about the only cruise line we currently cruise (and we have been on 14 lines) that does not give us at least some free internet. Princess gives us hundreds of free minutes (we are Elite) and even gives free minutes to folks in lower levels of their cruise club. RCI and Celebrity both give us free minutes (we are Diamond on RCI and Elite Plus on Celebrity). A few other lines also give us some free minutes, but since we have not cruised with them in more then 2 years I cannot comment on the current policies. We are 4 Star on HAL and about the only thing they give us is a free tile (which we no longer accept).

 

Hank

 

On Princess the amount of free internet depends on the cruise length. On a seven day you would get 150 minutes so not really "hundreds" of minutes.

[Hlitner]

On Princess the amount of free internet depends on the cruise length. On a seven day you would get 150 minutes so not really "hundreds" of minutes.

 

We are Elite on Princess. So lets take your comment that we get 150 min on just a 7 day cruise (we tend to take much longer cruises) and both DW and I are Elite. That means we get 300 free minutes (5 hours for the mathematically challenged) which I believe is "hundreds" or minutes. When we do longer Princess cruises (most of our cruises on this line are over 14 days) they give us even "hundreds" of additional minutes :) We would not have to debate this terminology on HAL since Zero is Zero...and that is what HAL gives even their 4 Star Mariners.....

 

I should add (if anyone cares) that at one time Princess gave all their Platinum (about 5 + cruises) and above free unlimited internet. But this turned out to be a problem since some passengers (it seemed to be primarily older passengers) would just sit in the internet room (and this was before WiFi was popular) all day and browse the web. We talked to a couple of these folks (keep in mind this was about 10 years ago) who told us they did not have the internet at home and found it was fun. Princess quickly realized that "unlimited" was not a very good idea, so they scaled back to "hundreds" of minutes.

 

Hank

Edited December 29, 2013 by Hlitner