Laptop or No?

[jmcgraw1409]

Is it a good idea to bring my laptop or not? Will I even be able to use it?

[fishywood]

If you plan on purchasing a block of internet minutes on the ship, bring it. You will lose a lot of time and money using the terminals in the ship's internet centre waiting to log on the sites you regularly visit without the cookies and passwords saved on your own device.

 

But if you will only use whichever networks you can catch onto for free when onshore or in the terminal you should stick to something smaller (phone, tablet, et al)

[Flatbush Flyer]

Is it a good idea to bring my laptop or not? Will I even be able to use it?

 

Why bother? Ship wifi is slow and expensive. For tour maps/guides, you can get offline apps for iPad or iPhone. Even then, I'd think twice about a pad.perhaps this is a good time to reintroduce yourself to real books (your ship should have a library).

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[denmarks]

I never bring a laptop but if you send a lot of email you may save time. With your own computer you can compose email offline and then only sign in when sending. You can also use your email program.

 

With the ship computers you must sign in to compose a message and you are charged for all that time. You will also have to use the web interface for any email services you use to see your received mail.

 

You probably will not be able to use the ship printer with your laptop so printing airline boarding passes can be a problem.

 

Also you must be sure to sign out. It may not be obvious on a laptop and just closing the lid will not do it.

[calliopecruiser]

Is it a good idea to bring my laptop or not? Will I even be able to use it?

 

I definitely used mine -- first of all, in the airport and on the plane traveling to and from the ports. Then, on the ship, I used it to download and edit my digital photos, and to pre-write my emails home......I would write them on my laptop in comfort (often sitting on deck) off line, then save it to a flash drive and upload it on the ship's computer later when I was on line. Definitely saved wifi time and cost.

[fishywood]

[T]o pre-write my emails home......I would write them on my laptop in comfort (often sitting on deck) off line, then save it to a flash drive and upload it on the ship's computer later when I was on line. Definitely saved wifi time and cost.

 

Most ships do not allow you to plug a flash drive (or anything else) into their internet centre terminals; the CPU is in a locked cabinet under the desk so you cannot access the USB ports. And I will reiterate that my experience has always been faster log-on to my e-mail accounts from my own device than the ship's, even when using the unsecure wi-fi network signal. It is the satellite capacity that makes internet slower on a ship; the quality of their internal wi-fi network is no different than, say, a hotel on land.

Edited May 20, 2014 by fishywood

[feathersandnananose]

We always take the laptop just so I can keep my records - downloading photos, identifying them (daily before I forget), and doing my daily log. If I don't do it every day, it doesn't get done and the days all get mushed together in my head....

 

Yes, we own smaller devices - tablets - but I really HATE trying to type on those tiny pseudo keyboards. I need a real keyboard.

 

However, for e-mailing in ports (not on the ship), the tablet or an I-phone work well.

[Laurie S.]

I always take my laptop and my iPad. I need to download my underwater photos into my laptop, and if necessary for my business, write reports or proposals. But, most of my interwork can be done with my iPad. I didn't even use my laptop once on my last seven-day cruise.

[nolatravelgirl]

Is it a good idea to bring my laptop or not? Will I even be able to use it?

It all depends on whether you feel you can live without it. I personally need mine for work purposes. I TRY not to work on vacation, but I have way too many people on my team and if a problem arises and I need to handle it, I need to have my computer.

 

Will you need your laptop to download photos each night? Will you have kids who will collapse if they can't watch Barney on continuous loop? Will you have other forms of entertainment for the plane/car? Are you willing to pay for internet while onboard or are you willing to use valuable port time tracking down internet cafes or public wifi spots to get online?

[Captain Canuck]

I never use the ships wifi. been in the computer lounge too many times with folks coming in having shut their laptop off in the room but the link and the charges keep running. ships do not even have it set to auto log you off if you do not touch a key for hours.

 

so I use ships computer for email on the ship. bring your laptop to use ashore and/or backup your pictures etc.

[Treven]

I always take my laptop and iPad on cruises. In the evening I download that days photos from my camera onto my laptop and then do some preliminary Photoshopping. I bring along my iPad for reading and listening to my toons.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Treven

[calliopecruiser]

Most ships do not allow you to plug a flash drive (or anything else) into their internet centre terminals; the CPU is in a locked cabinet under the desk so you cannot access the USB ports. And I will reiterate that my experience has always been faster log-on to my e-mail accounts from my own device than the ship's, even when using the unsecure wi-fi network signal. It is the satellite capacity that makes internet slower on a ship; the quality of their internal wi-fi network is no different than, say, a hotel on land.

 

Ah, well, my experience was that I could. Nevertheless, I would still take my laptop for use in transit (airports/planes) and for working with my digital pictures. And the idea of writing emails off-line and then posting them online still applies as a time saver.

[jmcgraw1409]

Thanks so much for all the great replies!!!

 

I really just want my lap top to be able to reply to any urgent work emails and to be able to mess with pictures I'm taking on the cruise. I have plenty of books that I prefer to read on actual paper. I didn't know the ships had internet cafes or that you had to buy internet minutes.....good to know :-)

 

So now a couple more questions that have come to mind after reading your replies!! By the way I don't have an iPhone. I have a Samsung Galaxy 3/Android phone :-)

 

1. How much does it generally cost for internet? Just looking for ball park figure...I'm guessing each cruiseline is slightly different. Bonus points if someone can tell where I can find that info for Royal Caribbean!

 

2. If I just want to use my phone for email etc. How does that work? I think I read somewhere that you turn your phone to airplane mode while on the ship so that you're not using internet but can still use phone for other things. But then how can use apps that everyone keeps mentioning (here and on other threads)??

 

3. I have my phone set up so that when I take pictures on my phone (better than my actual camera) it goes immediately to Dropbox on my computer. So I wonder if I will need internet to access the pictures on my laptop? I'm guessing no. I guess I can try it out here at home.

 

Thanks again everyone.....I've learned a lot on this site!

[John Bull]

I don't know whether laptops are smaller these days, but they generally don't fit in your cabin safe and they're a pain to take ashore - where you can usually find cafes & bars & such with free wifi.

An I-Pad or similar tablet would be much more convenient, more convenient than ship's computers (yes, they do seem quicker too) & ashore more convenient than a hulking great lap-top.

 

If you buy airtime from the ship, even for your own device, do be sure to log-out each time or the money-clock will keep running

 

JB :)

Edited May 20, 2014 by John Bull

[Donder1]

I never use my laptop, but I always bring and use my Ipad Air as we get free minutes for our Platinum status on Princess. I also bring my back lit Simple Touch Nook for reading (be sure to download books ahead of time), a small knitting project (socks) and needlepoint. That keeps me busy and, in reality, the weight of all of those items together is far less than my MacBook Pro. I can also put my Ipad Air and I phone in the cabin safe for added protection.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I stopped taking my laptop on cruises.

Just one less thing to worry about going through airport security.

Plus I gave up doing "Live" reports -- took up too much time writing up everything and then posting it.

[Captain Canuck]

you can buy packages that drop the price a bit. if I remember right it was about 75 cents a minute on our last cruise for buy as you go.

 

one other tip...have heard of people on the ship in port using their devices thinking they were on their regular plan..only bouncing of the ship tower and getting charged.

 

being Canadian I get hosed so badly for US use that I not only go airplane mode I normally take my battery out. had a phone package for the us for my wifes iphone (no internet included). got a bill for $75 for first day in US before she turned internet off. no use just attempts to connect.

[uncleg]

I'm a computer tech, I say no just for the joy of being disconnected.

[leaveitallbehind]

Add me to what apparently is a small list of those who never take a laptop with them on a cruise. The removal from all of that for the time at sea is one of the reasons I like to cruise.

[slidergirl]

you can buy packages that drop the price a bit. if I remember right it was about 75 cents a minute on our last cruise for buy as you go.

 

one other tip...have heard of people on the ship in port using their devices thinking they were on their regular plan..only bouncing of the ship tower and getting charged.

 

being Canadian I get hosed so badly for US use that I not only go airplane mode I normally take my battery out. had a phone package for the us for my wifes iphone (no internet included). got a bill for $75 for first day in US before she turned internet off. no use just attempts to connect.

 

sounds like some people who didn't look to see which network they connected to and just started typing…. Most devices will try to attach to a "known" network first, so if you used your tablet/phone/laptop on the ship's network, if you are within range, it will most likely show up as the first choice…

 

I used to travel with my laptops, mostly because I was required to keep in touch with work, even on vacations :( I've since left that job :D and now only travel with my iPad Mini. I don't connect on the ship - too many opportunities to do so on shore and I don't have anything so emergent that I have to be instantly online to respond. Depending on where I'm going, I may buy a SIM card and plug it in to get access wherever/whenever on land. Buying that SIM is sometimes cheaper than buying a drink every time I want to use a shop's free wifi - I never just "poach" the 'net, just like I never use a restaurant's washroom without buying something.

[Captain Canuck]

wifi cafes everywhere...if actual cafes do not have wifi you can use for the price of a coffee there are sometimes actual wifi stores although these are more common in places where personal computers are rarer than at home..my favourite was in Turkey where the computers all had a turkish keyboard..kind of like english one but some weird changes..finding the "@ was real fun

 

and it was expensive ..3,000,000 lira for an hour...that was pre conversion so was less than $3

 

we tried finding an internet cafe in Cyprus...asked at an iphone store...guy took us to a cafe without wifi but let us use his signon while we had a soda. gave him 5 euros which he seemed really happy with

[calliopecruiser]

being Canadian I get hosed so badly for US use that I not only go airplane mode I normally take my battery out. had a phone package for the us for my wifes iphone (no internet included). got a bill for $75 for first day in US before she turned internet off. no use just attempts to connect.

 

If you have an unlocked phone (or can get yours unlocked) check out Roam Mobility, out of Vancouver http://www.roammobility.com/ for SIM cards with great rates in the US. I think it's $4 per day for unlimited talk and text and generous data....including calls back to Canada. I've used them for the last couple of years and saved several hundred over what my regular carrier would have charged me. And, no, I don't work for the company. They may also sell cheap disposable phones too, but I don't know much about that.

[Zach1213]

you can buy packages that drop the price a bit. if I remember right it was about 75 cents a minute on our last cruise for buy as you go.

 

 

 

one other tip...have heard of people on the ship in port using their devices thinking they were on their regular plan..only bouncing of the ship tower and getting charged.

 

 

 

being Canadian I get hosed so badly for US use that I not only go airplane mode I normally take my battery out. had a phone package for the us for my wifes iphone (no internet included). got a bill for $75 for first day in US before she turned internet off. no use just attempts to connect.

 

 

Take your battery out? You could just turn it off if you're so worried...then you don't have to carry a phone AND a battery.

[peety3]

I bring my laptop for one reason and one reason alone: we shoot such a volume of pictures (in RAW format, so 25MB per image) that it's fiscally infeasible to buy enough memory cards to be sure we have enough for our whole cruise. I transfer my cards to the laptop nightly, make a backup copy onto a second drive, and then reuse the cards the next day.

 

When I pack the laptop for the cruise, I turn off WiFi, and leave it off until I'm back home again.

[Captain Canuck]

thanks for the info Zach...$35 to unlock my iphone so that is worth it

 

I take the battery out and store the phone in my backpack for the trip. available for emergency use but do not use it at all normally..use ipad for most stuff