Skype

[scandun]

I was reading some reviews about using cell phone on SS ships. I wonder if SKYPE can be used on board SS ships. Don't remember when, but once read SS blocks the use of SKYPE on laptop. Anyone has any experience ?

[unfathomable]

Even if you can get through on Skype, you may find the "lag" unacceptable - this is a satellite connection, of course.

[LOGHL]

At the prices that SS charges for the internet....using SKYPE is no bargain.

[scandun]

I think Skype could be an option if cell phone does not work at sea. At 250$ per 1000 min. it is 25 cents per min. and my cell phone call could cost over 3 $ per min. roaming charge.

[DebbieH103]

I checked yesterday while still on the Wind, and Skype was totally blocked.

 

Have you considered signing up for an internet plan or text message plan on your phone? I used my blackberry a lot to email, and you could instant message.

[scandun]

Thanks Debbie for your information. I wonder if MSN is blocked as well, or other internet phone service... I am not used to do text message, especially not for business things. In this case I can only use emails on laptop and only in case of urgent things use the cell phone. I don't think we have blackberry in China, the nearest service is from Hong Kong I guess, by vodafone. In another review I read about international sim card, do you know where this can be purchased ? I really hate to check all these things, as I want to enjoy a real holiday without any phone or emails chasing me.....

[DebbieH103]

I am in the US, and here we just say we want international service, and they turn it on. That can get expensive.

 

I bought the 1000 minutes and used them, along w/ my blackberry, which I had all of my email accounts come to. I would not buy all those minutes if not on Shadow or Wind where you can use a laptop in the cabin on wifi.

 

I don't think I got on my MSN account because I could not remember the password, but the site itself is not blocked.

[scandun]

Do you mean in the cabin on the Wind I can use laptop on WIFI ? Is this charged also like 250 $ for 1000 minutes ? ( does wifi mean wireless internet connection ? )

[DebbieH103]

Yes, right from the cabin right from the get go. My laptop has a built in wifi card. If yours doesn't, you can get either a pc card (pcmcia) one or get a little usb one (more up-to-date). The instructions were in the room. I followed the procedures and picked the 1000 minute option and charged the 250 to our account. This was on our bill at the end of the cruise. Never did I use the computers in the center. I always was laying on the couch looking at the ocean. After 500 min were used, it started telling how many were left at each login. Twice it didn't work, but once I accidentally had the wifi switch off on my laptop. The other time, it was in Barbados, and it showed up on the list but did not work. I think there was too much interference there. If you pay as you go, it is 75 cents a minute, and there are other packages posted earlier in this thread.

 

Yes, it means wireless internet. It just works everywhere. They don't allow at the pool deck, etc. but that is in the instruction sheet as to what they ask you not to do.

 

I was able to post live commentary and post my pics the whole trip.

 

I used all minutes, but if you don't they are not refundable

[scandun]

Thanks for the detailed information. At least I would not be worrying that they start to count the minute once the laptop is switched on. Yes my laptop has a built in wifi card, and it works pretty well. The last thing you mentioned, does it mean un-used minutes cannot be saved for another SS cruise, but just wasted ?

[DebbieH103]

As far as I know, they are just wasted.

[lord of the seas]

scandun,

If you are worried about a few unused minutes on the internet are you really sure that silversea is the line for you?

[Host Dan]

scandun,

If you are worried about a few unused minutes on the internet are you really sure that silversea is the line for you?

I didn't realize that Silversea passengers are wasteful. Too bad.. Waste here, waste there, and all of a sudden, theres nothing left! ;)

 

Host Dan

[scandun]

I chose Silversea because 1) I don't like a big crowd 2) this Wind itinarary fits my schedule 3) most of the ports of call I have not visited out of my 30 or so trips to Europe. 4) I read the food is okay on Silversea ships. I don't know if Silversea is the right line for me, if compared to other lines, as it would be my first cruise experience. Even if it is for another cruise line, I would ask the same question of how to save cost. But maybe you are right, Lord of the Seas, as a businessman, it is important to balance give and take. Perhaps I shouldn't really care about the last few unused minutes as they already give me a 50% discount of the fare. After all, everybody should earn money to survive.

[lord of the seas]

Scandun,

Yes we all need a little slice of the pie to survive. 50% is indeed a good discount.

[CanadianKate]

I don't waste either. I squeeze every bit of value of any currency I spend. That means staying at a Hilton (free internet and breakfast due to our membership level) but picking up supper from the grocery store and eating in our room. Or even better, finding an apartment company and renting a short-term apartment (in Copenhagen we pay less than $100 per night for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in the centre of the city.)

 

It means using Skype instead of hotel room phones, it means carrying our own bags instead of paying for a luggage cart in the airport and means taking local transportation to city centres and using their local transit for commuting to work if we aren't within walking distance. We seldom take taxis at all. Last week in Oslo we spent $40 on a weekly transit pass while others from the same conference spent $60 per day on taxis.

 

This week, I'm walking to WH Smith each day to pick up my free Paddington book using the coupon from the The Daily Telegraph (which comes free to my hotel room each day.) I will save the books as a gift for my future grandchild since I read Paddington to his/her mother when she was little.

 

All these tiny frugalities add up over the weeks/months/years/decades and mean we can afford our upcoming cruise.

 

Back to cell phones: We are frugal here too. Scandun asked about an international SIM chip. We've recently bought pay-as-you-go phones from T-Mobile US and then just buy a SIM chip and some time for each country we need phones in. So far, rates are cheap enough, even on roaming that we use our US phones in Canada as our regular cell phones (cell service in Canada is awfully expensive compared to the rest of the world). In England we bought SIM chips and used the phones on roaming in Norway. For the amount we use the phones (mainly texting each other so we know where to meet at the end of the day) this is very cost effective. For business calls, it is less so but since you should barely be using a phone on the cruise, it might work for you.

 

Just remember you need a GSM phone and that it must be 'unlocked' (some providers lock the phone so it will only work with their SIM chip but you can unlock that.)

 

Remember, as well, that most ports will have handy internet cafes (for sailors to keep in touch) so you could make your calls from there using skype when in port. Or stop into a hotel lobby and use their pay phone and an international long-distance plan.

[scandun]

I admire smart people who enjoy good life without paying more than they should. Kate maybe you can let me which apartment co. offers less than 100$ a night for stay in central Copenhagen, as I pay way too high. What I save for Copenhagen trips is that I normally call my B&O dealer and get a discount price for a B&O speaker or CD player. It is normally 30 - 40% cheaper than in my local store or in Hongkong. However I buy the B&O television in local store which is 30% cheaper than in Denmark.

Back to cell phone, I will check the local sim card. The problem I might have is our cruise starts in Barcelona. 8 or 9 years ago when I first visited that area, I could barely talk with the local people as only in the airport people speak English. It was difficult for me to use the telephone box on the street as there was no instruction in English how to use it. Hope this has improved now.

[scandun]

If your cell phone is blocked when trying to use another SIM card, you can just buy a cheap cheap cell phone in the local store. That's what my friend did when he visited me two weeks ago. But obviously he did not know that he can unblock it.

[CanadianKate]

Kate maybe you can let me which apartment co. offers less than 100$ a night for stay in central Copenhagen, as I pay way too high.

 

We use a company called Hay4You (http://www.hay4you.dk) . They offer rentals as short as one week. They are very small and very popular so dates can sometimes be a problem (there are times when we have not been able to extend our stay because the owners were returning home, or the place had been rented to someone else.) It is completely different than a hotel stay or even an extended stay apartment hotel like Residence Inn. It lets me be in a neighbourhood so I feel more connected to my destination than I do when in hotels.

 

I've learned that I need to have a connection to the area I'm in so am 'collecting' neighbourhoods in many cities (Murray Hill in New York, Ealing in London, Frederiksberg in Copenhagen). Knowing the neighbourhood, local bus routes, where to shop for food helps me feel more comfortable.

 

You can see I'm still having trouble adjusting to the gypsy life!

[DebbieH103]

Does anyone know the date that Whisper is supposed to have wifi in the cabins? I hope they get it by December 1. I really enjoyed that 2 hours a day before my husband woke up where I could sit on the couch and look out in my pjs but work on my pics and trip reports. I was not so excited on Whisper last year sitting in the library on those machines and had a hard time using a lot less minutes.

[martynk]

We've just got back for the Whisper. Apparently the in-suite WIFI will be installed in October.

 

Incidentally - wonderful cruise, service really excellent - Silversea back at the top of their game

[k1200lt]

Just a thought. I've had really good luck using "open" wi-fi when in port. It seems that there is almost always a public, unencripted access point. On our last cruise (Celebrity - So.America) I was able to logon everywhere but Panama City only because we dropped anchor way out in the harbor and tendered in. ;)

 

C&K Flanigan

Minnetonka MN

 

Silversea - Whisper, Voy. 4739, 11/9/07

(imaginary countdown thingie here)

[DebbieH103]

Both of these things are great to know. We are heading back to Whisper on 12/1. I really enjoyed the wifi in the cabin on Wind last month.

[CASHIPman]

I emailed Silversea and asked why Skype wasn't available. They responded with a word document on internet usage. Regarding Skype:

 

Q: Are any sites/programs blocked or filtered onboard?

A: Bandwidth-intensive applications may be prohibited onboard to protect the online experience of all users. Examples hereof include (but are not limited to): Peer-to-peer sites, Skype, Voip, Streaming Video and –Audio.

[scandun]

is skype also blocked on regent or SD or SB ?