Internet Package On Noordam - Help !

[Terrence Richards]

I have a friend sailing on the Noordam on the present cruise from NYC (Feb. 17 - 28) to the Caribbean.

 

My friend has purchased the Internet Package. If someone has done this, can you tell me please if there is a charge for receiving E-mail on board. Does E-mail coming in count towards the Internet Package time limits.

 

I want to send some E-mails, but I do not want to make it costly for my friend and use up the time purchased for the Internet Package.

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

Terrence

[ekerr19]

Terrance -

 

Your friend is only charged for the minutes they spend connected to the internet.

 

Usually, we buy a block of time and the minutes are deducted from the block each time we use the internet.

[tomc]

Does E-mail coming in count towards the Internet Package time limits.

Yes; so don't send little "Hi, hope you're having a nice day" notes. Make it worth the money. From the moment your friend clicks on the "log on" button, until they hit the "log off" button (I forget the exact terms), the meter is running. I tell people to write up their notes in advance, log on, type fast and log off.

[jtl513]

If someone has done this, can you tell me please if there is a charge for receiving E-mail on board. Does E-mail coming in count towards the Internet Package time limits.

Yes, receiving email takes time and therefore costs money ... but usually receiving is relatively quick as long as people don't send large attachments such as high resolution photos. The shorter and sweeter your messages the better for her! (And don't ask for anything long/large to be sent back either.)

[Jade13]

They need an e-mail address. I would recommend a yahoo type account which is easy to log into. So, they are only charged for the minutes to log on and off. They need to be completely signed off for the minutes to stop counting.

[Terrence Richards]

Thanks everyone for the response.

 

The reason I asked is because I have used the in cabin interactive tv on the Queen Mary 2. On my last three previous cruises on the QM2, I have used the interactive system to send E-mails. You can send the same message to four persons at one time for $1.50. There is no being on line charge, because you are not on line in your cabin, just using the E-mail service.

 

When you log back on to check E-mail messages sent to you, there is no charge.

 

The in cabin interactive tv system is very nice. There is a wireless keyboard available to place on your lap or desk top to use.

 

There are several computer rooms also available for internet usage as well as classes in "Connextions".

 

Thanks again, Terrence

[jtl513]

... on the QM2, I have used the interactive system to send E-mails. You can send the same message to four persons at one time for $1.50. There is no being on line charge, because you are not on line in your cabin, just using the E-mail service.

There's no "per message" charge on HAL's system unless you don't/can't use your normal email and opt to use the "Cruise Email" address that the docs describe. Then the charge is steep:

*CruisE-mail™ - Our unique e-mail service set up as a convenience for those passengers who either do not have their own email or are unable to access their own service provider. There is an additional charge of $3.95 for each outgoing (sent) message. No additional charge applies for received (incoming) messages. Time charges still apply.

[tomc]

You can send the same message to four persons at one time for $1.50.

What I do, which is too late for your friend, is to make up group lists in advance on my Hotmail account:

 

1) Family members

2) Daily friends

3) Twice per cruise

4) Once per cruise

 

So when I want to send messages to my "Family" list, I just put the group name ("Family," oddly enough) on the "TO" line and the bunch of them get it. For the people I'd write to daily, "Daily" is the list name. "Twice" and "Once" are the other group names.

 

You may want to write only to family and once to others, or however you want to set it up. I prefer e-mail to postcards.

[innlady1]

What I do, which is too late for your friend, is to make up group lists in advance on my Hotmail account:

 

1) Family members

2) Daily friends

3) Twice per cruise

4) Once per cruise

 

So when I want to send messages to my "Family" list, I just put the group name ("Family," oddly enough) on the "TO" line and the bunch of them get it. For the people I'd write to daily, "Daily" is the list name. "Twice" and "Once" are the other group names.

 

You may want to write only to family and once to others, or however you want to set it up. I prefer e-mail to postcards.

 

My recent experience with email was not great. I use Eudora at home for email, through our local ISP. When we're away, I log in through www.mail2web.com. I learned, while on the Noordam last week, that mail2web is very very slow. It ate up valuable minutes in no time at all. I do have a yahoo email address (innlady1@yahoo.com) but don't use it often.

 

Henceforth, I will give that email address to everyone I correspond with....not my own "personal" email addy!

[Navy_Chief]

Use a Yahoo e-mail address; you can chech mail in POP accounts from your ISP with it, I do this as common practice. It will save $$. Don't hand out that HAL Shipboard e-mail addy to friends, just let them use the normal address they always use and check it through Yahoo.