taking laptop to get and receive home emails

[GAJE]

This will be the first time we are lugging along DH's laptop on our Hawaiian cruise NEXT WEEK! I am the computer neophyte, but even DH is wondering about the most efficient (time and cost wise) way to get and send emails while onboard. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Betty

[RevNeal]

On a trip and a cruise that long -- 15 day cruise plus any pre or post cruise days -- having a lap top for e-mail and photo storage/processing is a good idea. A VERY good idea, AND a money saver, but only if you follow certain guidelines.

 

 

1. Download ALL emails received on all accounts in one fast session. That should only take you a few minutes, at most, even with the sometimes fishy connections.
    
   
2. Do NOT read any emails online during the flash-session.
    
   
3. If you want to check any news outlets for information, that's fine ... but save the web pages the INSTANT they're finished loading, then read them off line.
    
   
4. Once you're read your email off-line and had time to think about them and draft your responses, get them all lined up and ready to send when you sign on.
    
   
5. Sign on to the ship's wireless network and send all drafted e-mails.
    
   
6. To be the MOST efficient with money, unless there are emails that simply MUST have an immediate responses, hold of sending your replies until the next day, then upload your answers and download the next batch of new emails.
    
   
7. If you are going to read Cruise Critics while on your cruise and post response or reports, but want to save money, adopt the same procedure as with the reading of news websites ... download the the cruise critics web pages and read them offline.
   

[propwash]

Here's the Web site that HAL uses for Internet service, it gives the pricing plans. Just remember that the service is about equal to a dial up service, so it will be slow.

Danny

 

http://www.mtnsat.com/digitalseas/hal.htm

[arzz]

I agree 100% with RevNeal -- I have travelled with my lap top and done as he has suggested and can usually get away with 5 min on-lilne time per day (or less) depending on the speed of connections. Some places connections are mercilessly slow -- it can also vary at different times of day (more people on line the slower it all seems to work) and what hot spot you are using -- I always seem to find that some of HAL's internet hot spots are, in truth, not so hot. I usually have great luck using the library or explorations cafe (at a desk facing a window and the ocean just to enhance the "at sea, on-line" experience) as these locations are right next to the internet cafe.

 

At times we have used many more minutes because we have needed the internet to resolve issues that arise during a cruise (like the closure of Port Everglades and the south Florida airports last October after Wilma blew through) -- having my own laptop gives me the flexibility to compose long and involved e-mail without paying for large amounts of internet time at usuary rates.

 

It can be a pain to travel with the lap top through airport security -- but I feel that having it with more than pays off in what it saves us on internet time and it usually precludes the necessity to make a phone call.

[GAJE]

Thanks to you all for your responses.

Rev Neal: Your answers were 'right on the money' as far as what my DH was wondering about. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This board is fantastic! We have learned so much from those of you who are willing to share your experiences. I also liked reading the second response from PROPWASH comparing the speed to a dial up connection - not that I LIKED that speed, but the comparison was good.

Betty

[MoneyGuy]

How does one go about downloading email messages? If I have 30 messages, for example, how do I go about downloading them to read off-line? I checked my task bar and can't find where to do this.

[GAJE]

Thanks, MoneyGuy! That was a question I had too. Let's hope the computer gurus are still out there!

Betty

[RevNeal]

How does one go about downloading email messages? If I have 30 messages, for example, how do I go about downloading them to read off-line? I checked my task bar and can't find where to do this.

 

Hmmm .... well ... that would depend upon what kind of computer you use and what kind of e-mail software you are using. I use a Macintosh and the OS X Mail software. With that, you just select a preference for "Reading mail off-line" and it will download the mail to your computer the instant connection is made. You'll have to check the mail software you use for how to set it for "reading mail off line." I'm sure there's a way to do this using Windows/XP computers, but I've not a clue.

 

Someone else?

[shorton]

Revneal, great suggestions on best use of Internet time. I have an ibook. Looking for the preference "reading mail off-line."

What pulldown menu would that be under? Thanks!

[K&RCurt]

Rev. Neal is spot on on this.

 

I have a laptop PC and use outlook & outlook express for email. Once you open the email while online it downloads the incomoming emails and sends any emails in the outbox. Once the task bar at the bottom of the outlook window says "mailbox updated" you can go off line and read and compose emails. The emails you "send" will reside in the outbox until you return on line and open the program.

 

Most times I used my laptop in the library with good speed and a quiet environment. I did luck out as I was able to get a good signal out on our veranda. We were on the Veranda deck on the Westerdam very close to mid-ships.

[RevNeal]

Revneal, great suggestions on best use of Internet time. I have an ibook. Looking for the preference "reading mail off-line."

What pulldown menu would that be under? Thanks!

 

Under the Mail program go to the "Mail" pull down window in the menu bar and select "Preferneces" it will open a window entitled "Accounts"

 

Click "advanced" and then make sure that under "keep copies of messages for offline viewing:" you have selected "All messages and their attachments." I think the default setting is "Only Messages I have read" so you'll want to change that to enable off-line viewing.

 

Then, when you sign on line to get email go to "Mailbox" in the menu bar and pull down to "Get All New Email." Once you see the download finish (you'll hear a "ding" when it's done) you can then sign off from the ship's network and you should be able to read all emails that do not depend upon online "remote images in HTML messages." You'll be able to read all text in such messages, but not the pictures. Any attachments will have been downloaded so long as you've properly fixed the setting as I indicated above.

[CPeters40]

On a trip and a cruise that long -- 15 day cruise plus any pre or post cruise days -- having a lap top for e-mail and photo storage/processing is a good idea. A VERY good idea, AND a money saver, but only if you follow certain guidelines.

 

1. Download ALL emails received on all accounts in one fast session. That should only take you a few minutes, at most, even with the sometimes fishy connections.
   
2. Do NOT read any emails online during the flash-session.
   
3. If you want to check any news outlets for information, that's fine ... but save the web pages the INSTANT they're finished loading, then read them off line.
   
4. Once you're read your email off-line and had time to think about them and draft your responses, get them all lined up and ready to send when you sign on.
   
5. Sign on to the ship's wireless network and send all drafted e-mails.
   
6. To be the MOST efficient with money, unless there are emails that simply MUST have an immediate responses, hold of sending your replies until the next day, then upload your answers and download the next batch of new emails.
   
7. If you are going to read Cruise Critics while on your cruise and post response or reports, but want to save money, adopt the same procedure as with the reading of news websites ... download the the cruise critics web pages and read them offline.

 

I did everything you just mentioned--reading all emails and websites offline, using AOL and I was able to do this in under 2 minutes each day. The $1.50 a day (75 cents a minute) was well worth bringing my laptop.

The connections seemed really fast on the Volendam, using the Library, Lido, or Atrium area. We didn't have access in our room. It was so great not to come back to all those emails when we got home. Also downloaded all my digital pictures to the laptop. Really glad I brought it!

Chris

Jan 2-12 Volendam Southern Caribbean

[shorton]

Thanks so much, Greg. I can't wait to try it on the Veendam!

[Grumpy1]

one more suggestion... if you plan to view any CC threads onboard. Before you leave home, go to user CP, edit options, and turn OFF signatures, avatars and images. It will save a great amount of time loading the pages.

[trubey]

Question: Is it just the internet time that costs, or is it the use of the computer?

 

If I tried to download my mail from the ship, it would be just my luck to have my long-lost buddy in Paducah send me 3 meg of pictures of his cocker spaniel . . . .

 

Lane

[3Boogity]

The only benefit of using your own laptop is you are able to send attachments.....(pictures of your trip)......you are only able to text message using their computers......

buying a package lets you use your laptop or their computers...not both!

[Grumpy1]

The only benefit of using your own laptop is you are able to send attachments.....(pictures of your trip)......you are only able to text message using their computers......

buying a package lets you use your laptop or their computers...not both!

If you use the ship's computers, your minutes start as soon as you log onto a computer, even if you are not yet connecting to the internet. And you can send pictures, there are readers for most of the common camera cards. The Prinsendam would not allow a direct USB connection to the camera, but would allow the cards to be read in their reader.

With your own laptop, as described erlier, Email can be uploaded and downloaded in batches, greatly reducing the amount of time connected to the internet.

[RevNeal]

The only benefit of using your own laptop is you are able to send attachments.....(pictures of your trip)......you are only able to text message using their computers......

buying a package lets you use your laptop or their computers...not both!

 

Buying a minute-package is the best way to go. Even 250 minutes will go quickly unless one takes care as outlined above. It is true that wireless laptop time packages cannot be used on the ship's terminals ... but, honestly, WHY would one want to use the ship's computers if one has their own laptop??? If one has brought their own laptop, the advantages of using it -- in terms of time, cost, convenience, etc -- far outweigh any reason why one might want to use a strange computer.

 

As for text-messaging ... when using my Powerbook aboard ship I have never had trouble signing into the AIM network using Apple's iChat and/or my AOL account, just like normal. I've chatted via AIM with many people while at sea. No problems.

 

Oh, and in response to a question asked by someone else: if one uses the ship's computers, one pays for ALL computer time ... not just the time spent on the internet. Hence, drafting off line with one's laptop is how one saves money.

[Grumpy1]

As for text-messaging ... when using my Powerbook aboard ship I have never had trouble signing into the AIM network using Apple's iChat and/or my AOL account, just like normal. I've chatted via AIM with many people while at sea. No problems.

 

Oh, and in response to a question asked by someone else: if one uses the ship's computers, one pays for ALL computer time ... not just the time spent on the internet. Hence, drafting off line with one's laptop is how one saves money.

 

You are, of course, right about text messaging, RevNeal, but I took the original reference to mean that only plain text could be sent through the ship's computers vs the ability to include pictures if using your own computer. I pointed out that it is possible to send pictures with the ship's computers, but many people never figure out how to do that.