Laptops on cruises

[Krazy Kruizers]

Do you take your laptop with you on a cruise?

How important is it for you to have your laptop on the cruise with you?

Is your laptop just one of those items that you can't leave home without?

[Spot]

I take along my laptop to download my photos/make adjustments as needed and keep my journal.:rolleyes:

[BCEagle78]

I did take my laptop during my last cruise (10 day Panama Canal - Rotterdam, Nov 2003).

 

I would have preferred to leave it at home but we were in the middle of salary planning and bonus distribution, both of which require my approval.

 

If I didn't have urgent business need, I would have left it home. It was one more bag to bring and once on the ship, I was always concerned about someone wanting to steal it. I ended up locking it in the night stand by the bed when I wasn't using it.

 

I did not use it for personal reasons and this November when I go again (Volendam Nov 26), I plan to leave it at home.

[thulewx]

I have a small Sony Vaio that I took on my recent trip on the Gauguin to Tahiti. I also use a sony camera and used the computer to download the tons of pix I took along the trip. On the last night I recorded several CD's of the pix to give to friends on the cruise - a big hit...

I also like to use it for my trip journal, and as a photo album of pix from home, since so many folks seem to be so curious about life near the North Pole. It's also great on long flights and long waits at airports - I have about 10 hours worth of batteries (1 4-hour & 1 6-hour) which is handy.

It's a Sony Vaio PCG-TR2AP with a 10" wide-screen with CD burner and DVD player, and it's small enough to fit in a pocket on my carry-on conveniently... :D

[RevNeal]

For any cruise longer than 7 days I take my Macintosh Powerbook with me. There are several reasons why I take it but, most importantly, I bring it in order to be able to download photos from my digital camera cards and save have several copies ... it helps to ensure the safety of my photos. I have had one or two digital camera cards (the older smartmedia ones) flip out on me and become unreadable, thus destroying the photos I had taken with those cards. If I can download the images that day I have a better feeling about having them safe. It's also easier to process the pictures during "down times" in transit (on planes and such) ... gives one something to do other than just reading. It's also nice to be able to download and view the pictures on the 15 inch laptop screen in order to see if I need to try any re-shoots of particular photos ... while useless relative to shore excursions, it's helpful if I'm trying to get a photo of something on someone on ship to be able to review the photo on a larger screen than the tiny little display built into my camera.

 

There are several other reasons for me to bring a laptop on a 7+ day cruise ... reasons not connected with photograph review and archiving. For example, with the new wireless internet options the ships provide it is easy to write one's emails, one's cruise reports, and process one's photos for upload to the internet ... all without having to pay through the nose for using the ship's terminals. THEN, when everything is ready, all one needs to do is sign onto the ship's network, access the internet, and run one's uploads. It can save a SIGNIFICANT amount of money.

 

Another good example for use of a laptop on a cruise is, if one is writing a cruise review, it's far easier to write it IN TRANSIT (during the cruise) than to wait and write it afterwards. While the thoughts are fresh, the events immediate, write up one's review. It's amazing the difference in setting will make to one's review.

 

Additionally, if one is like me one's laptop is NOT a "office machine" or a "piece of equipment;" it's almost an essential part of one's creativity. I write SO MUCH BETTER with a keyboard than i do with pin and ink. I'm a much faster typer than I am a scribe, hence my thoughts flow more readily and with greater clarity when I'm composing on the screen than if I use paper and pen. And, as a writer, it is essentially that I have the freedom and the opportunity to write on a regular basis ... it is an outlet that I need, even if no one ever sees what I write. I can go 3, 5, or 7 days without writing and be ok ... but push it to 10 days and I'm getting anxious to put curser to screen again. Hence, taking a laptop on a 10 or a 21 day cruise is a very good idea. Otherwise, I'll be using the ship's terminals just to access a word processor ... and PAYING THROUGH THE NOSE for it.

 

At any rate, those are my thoughts on this subject. I understand that many people view computers/laptops very differently than I do, and I don't blame them. My mother HATES computers ... she thinks they're laughing at her. :) That's ok ... I don't expect everyone else to agree with, or share, my point of view or experience of our electronic friends. :) I just pray everyone has a ball on their cruises. I know I do.

[bepsf]

I bring my laptop with me - and like Thule manage photos and burn CD's for folks as well as keep my travel journal.

 

I also have a cellular wireless card so as long as I have a cell signal, I have internet (which will be great when the ships add cellular coverage aboard - no more pricey internet charges from the ship!) so I can IM friends while I'm gone. Kinda frieks them out when I tell them that I'm in a car on the interstate (I only IM from the back seat...)

[lknick]

Always bring a lap top as I have some of my better business ideas on cruises and never can read my handwriting two days later.

[merryecho]

Laptops on cruises and whiskers on kittens....these are a few of my favorite things

[Lois R]

Well, I must be one of those Oddballs:eek: ...I don't own a laptap, my home computer is still on dial-up and I just got my first cell phone about 2 months ago.....so, no, a laptop is not important to me.

[ekerr19]

I don't take mine... it is a reminder of the thing I'm trying hardest to avoid - WORK. Plus, it is one less thing to lug with me. :)

 

I have extra camera batteries and several lage capacity memory cards for my camera - they suffice.

 

I use the internet center for email and surfing - we usually buy the largest block of time available - it works for our family.

[dakrewser]

If I didn't take the laptop with me, I might not be able to cruise. As a free-lance writer, I can't afford to not be working as much as possible and with deadlines just about every week its much easier (these days) to work an hour or so a day while at sea rather than have to kill myself in the week or two before. Plus, no one else is going to gather and answer my email and I'd hate to miss a business opportunity.

 

Still, I can use cruise (and other vacation) experiences in my writing, which allows a bit of a write-off for taxes!

 

Plus, my wife uses the laptop to unload digital pictures, and we post some (unedited ones) on-line while we're still at sea.

 

All in all, it does pay to carry the laptop with us...

[fb0075]

I only take my laptop if their is in-room connection--the peace of mind of checking e-mails to make sure all is well plus if you need to make travel changes is INVALUABLE!!

I check in 3-4 times a day for 2minutes or so---at a nominal chg.

On the Westerdam last week--I was instant messaging with my son---

FRANK

[Krazy Kruizers]

DH is reading this.

I WANT A LAPTOP!

The majority rules!

[Randyk47]

I want to take one of our laptops with us but my DW would come home a widow if she found me with one. She's very, very much against it. I even tried explaining it would be just to transfer digital photos (she said she'd buy more memory) and to email friends/family (she said they can wait until we get home). :( Even though we're both managers/supervisors, we use our computers at work constantly (60-100 business emails a day is average). She doesn't even want to see a computer much less bring one on the cruise.

[Lovebirds]

I think I could get by without my laptop on the 3 day cruise, (I'll probably take it anyway) but no way could I leave it behind for 112 days. In fact, we will BOTH have our laptops with us on the World Cruise. (That's just to offset the poor souls that have to travel without any laptop.):rolleyes:

[Sailure]

I take my laptop with me on all my cruises and I take along my digital camera with 3- 1 gigabyte storage cards. I like to spend time in my cabin working with my photos and writing in my journals and articles.

[ekerr19]

I want to take one of our laptops with us but my DW would come home a widow if she found me with one. She's very, very much against it. I even tried explaining it would be just to transfer digital photos (she said she'd buy more memory) and to email friends/family (she said they can wait until we get home). :( Even though we're both managers/supervisors, we use our computers at work constantly (60-100 business emails a day is average). She doesn't even want to see a computer much less bring one on the cruise.

 

Randy-

 

I can relate with your DW... my DH is also against having the laptop, he doesn't even like me to check my e-mail, knowing that my boss won't hesitate to use my personal e-mail address, if he needs something badly enough.

 

Using the internet center, I check my e-mail while on the ship, but keep my replies short, if I reply at all. If DH is looking for me, he usually stops in the internet center first. :) I like to post to the Cruise Critic board while at sea.

[jazzsea]

I usually have to work when I travel and I need the laptop. I just can't sit with a pencil and pad of paper anymore.

 

Writing my travel newsletter is so much easier when sitting on the fantail of the ship watching the world go by. I also sign up for internet access in my cabin. I rarely use the internet cafe as many times people are so noisy that it is hard to concentrate.

 

I also am learning " Adobe Photoshop" and take lessons and play with the digital photos.

 

Last cruise, on Oceania Insignia, I watched a chick flick DVD that DH really didn't want to see. Isn't this technology great?

[Krazy Kruizers]

DH says - NO WAY!

We usually have one carry-on filled with digital camera equipmen and the other carry-on is filled with medications - we don' take big carry-ons like other people - so I guess I can't buy one and sneak it on the airplane.

[iluvcruzin]

Laptop equates to work in my book. As someone in the MIS profession it's something I've had to take on business trips and home from work often. If I really need a PC I'll use the ship ones for the internet. I have enough storage on the flashcards for the digital camera that I don't need to download the pictures and if they are lost - we always take a 35mm as a backup. I have enough stuff to lug a Laptop would be an un-necessary item for me.

[andydee]

Ours is staying put; on board downloads are not that exprnsive

[Slinkiecat]

I can do without on a quickie (less than a week) cruise, but no way on a longer one. Those days at sea are made for emailing family, checking on credit card accounts, and posting all the digital photos.

 

slinkie

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

I would not be without my Fuji S7000 digital camera and Dell Inspiron 5150 laptop. Combined with a Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A+G Notebook Adapter for WiFi internet connection I can upload and post trip photos to our web blog at least every other day during a 15-17 day cruise. Most email is unnecessary, but welcomed from family and friends while we are at sea.

 

I am used to having satellite uplink even while on the road in our camper with a MotoSat Datastrom two-way mobile .74 meter dish.

 

George

[jhannah]

No way! That's what I'm cruising to get away from! Besides, by the time my cruise is over, I don't have a lap left to put one on! ;)

[glrounds]

I'd be a lost puppy without my laptop (fish out of water, woman without her purse, etc.) :D

 

As others I can download the 100s of pics I take, mess with them, crop them, etc. and make sure to get "replacements" if I don't get that pic just the way I wanted.

 

I have duplicate information on my laptop for every cliente, every operation, and every take-off, proposal, and contract in effect. Although I cruise to get away from "the biz", am always just a few key strokes away from anyone in the event of an emergency on a jobsite or at home. (knocking on wood)

 

Actually, unlike many posters, I would be honored and flattered that a client would find my counsel so valuable as to "bother" me on a cruise by contacting me, either on my cell or online. This has only happened once, however.

 

While cruising on the ELATION several years ago, I just left the laptop on the desk. Once asked my steward, Elise, for more pillows in big letters on the screen of my laptop. When I returned I found 8 pillows on my bed with a funny face made out of towels and wash cloths. She was fantastic. :D