Laptop Computers

[sassyfrass]

Has anyone rented the internet equipment and/or brought along their own

laptops? What is the rental cost for the week? Do they really work well?

If we use the internet cafe on board is it still 50 cents/minute? We are

headed out on the Adventure in January.

:confused:

[madforcruising]

Has anyone rented the internet equipment and/or brought along their own

laptops? What is the rental cost for the week? Do they really work well?

If we use the internet cafe on board is it still 50 cents/minute? We are

headed out on the Adventure in January.

:confused:

 

I´ve never rented anything onboard, but from what I know you can´t rent a laptop computer, all they rent you is a wireless card fi you don´t have one. They are not expensive and it would be better to buy one at home before going instead of renting one.

 

Rental cost for the WiFi card is $10 a day or $50 for the Voyage.

 

Internet cost is 50 cents/minutes regardless if you use their computer or your own. You can buy packages for $25-60minutes, $35-90minutes, $50-150minutes.

[skybuffalo]

sassyfrass,

I bring my laptop with me because you can not attach zip drives to the ship systems. I teach online college classes from the ship and need the material stored on my zip/main drive. The cost of internet cafe and online were the same, if I remember correctly. Maybe someone has a more current view of the pricing.

 

Using the laptop has not been a problem but it can bog down on seadays (the computer cafes are full).

 

Hope that helps. Ron

[traveler/]

Has anyone rented the internet equipment and/or brought along their own

laptops? What is the rental cost for the week? Do they really work well?

If we use the internet cafe on board is it still 50 cents/minute? We are

headed out on the Adventure in January.

:confused:

I brought my laptop and was able to use the wireless access only at certain hot spots like the Schooner Bar, etc. Cheapest package 150 minutes for $50 = 33 cents p/m. No wireless access in cabins on Rhapsody. May be different on other ships.

The speed seemed a bit faster on my laptop than at their desktop center.

BTW, you can access the RCL site for free to check on sailings, prices, etc. at their desktops.

[maldemar]

sassyfrass,

I bring my laptop with me because you can not attach zip drives to the ship systems. I teach online college classes from the ship and need the material stored on my zip/main drive. The cost of internet cafe and online were the same, if I remember correctly. Maybe someone has a more current view of the pricing.

 

Using the laptop has not been a problem but it can bog down on seadays (the computer cafes are full).

 

Hope that helps. Ron

 

Even though the connection can bog down, is it still fast enough to stay functional with the classes? How much work do you do onboard? DW says she may turn down a condensed 6 week on-line class because of the schedule "interferes" with our cruise.

[skybuffalo]

maldemar,

I have taught classes on all of my cruises and did not have that many issues. The amount of time depends on the number of classes that I am doing at the time. With 2 business graduate courses I spend about 2 hours a day reading student's postings and responding. Taking a course would be different since you can do the post off line and copy/paste the response. There is a picture of me doing exactly that on my website. Use the link below and you can see me hard at work :)

 

I am a morning person so by the time the wife gets up the work is done and I can enjoy the day.

 

Take care, Ron

 

http://ronaldbeach.com/_wsn/page5.html

[tripsrme]

OK , let me see if I understand... I have a laptop which has wifi card as I am wireless at home. Do I pay a fee to get a password to access RC network?

 

I have traveled with it to Italy and in one hotel we paid a fee to get their access code to log on, at another B & B they just gave us the code.

 

I have used it in hotels in US w/o charge, in my room or in the lobby.

 

If I have a card can I access internet any place on ship that is HOT?

 

thanks, ML

[Mines]

OK , let me see if I understand... I have a laptop which has wifi card as I am wireless at home. Do I pay a fee to get a password to access RC network?

 

I have traveled with it to Italy and in one hotel we paid a fee to get their access code to log on, at another B & B they just gave us the code.

 

I have used it in hotels in US w/o charge, in my room or in the lobby.

 

If I have a card can I access internet any place on ship that is HOT?

 

thanks, ML

 

The answer is yes to all of your questions. The fee for the password is the same as for the internet cafe, based on minutes. This can be combined with "free" minutes offered on the Crown & anchor booklet.

[tngirl1979]

I have taken my laptop on two cruises one on RCCL and one on Carnival. The biggest problem I have found is finding an outlet if you need to plug in. I decided to always bring my charged laptop up to the HOT SPOTS but if you are running low or are working long periods it gets frusterating.

[madforcruising]

OK , let me see if I understand... I have a laptop which has wifi card as I am wireless at home. Do I pay a fee to get a password to access RC network?

 

I have traveled with it to Italy and in one hotel we paid a fee to get their access code to log on, at another B & B they just gave us the code.

 

I have used it in hotels in US w/o charge, in my room or in the lobby.

 

If I have a card can I access internet any place on ship that is HOT?

 

thanks, ML

 

Actually, you don´t pay to get the password, but you pay for every single minute you go online with this password;) .

 

If you can catch the WiFi signal, you can get online.

[critterchick]

Some ships do have the Cybercabin option (don't know if Adventure is one of them), where you rent the equipment for the week and have dialup access in your cabin. We've done it on the Radiance class, where all you need is a dial up modem in your laptop and the cable plus instructions supplied at Guest Relations. It's priced at about $10/day.

 

I think I've read that on the Voyager class ships you need special equipment that makes the whole process kind of a PITA. The access is a good deal slower than the Wifi, but even Wifi is pretty slow.

[skibum2314]

Does anyone know if Libery has wireless in the cabins?

 

Are there hardwired jacks in the cabins?

 

Sailing Saturday, can't wait...........can't sleep............

[skibum2314]

What free minutes are offered in the C & A booklet? I just called and asked about the booklet you get when you board and they said there was nothing for free minutes. I am sailing Saturday and have no time if it comes in the mail. How many minutes do you get? Is it based on cruise credits? Thanks..........

[frito58]

Some ships do have the Cybercabin option (don't know if Adventure is one of them), where you rent the equipment for the week and have dialup access in your cabin. We've done it on the Radiance class, where all you need is a dial up modem in your laptop and the cable plus instructions supplied at Guest Relations. It's priced at about $10/day.

 

I think I've read that on the Voyager class ships you need special equipment that makes the whole process kind of a PITA. The access is a good deal slower than the Wifi, but even Wifi is pretty slow.

 

The AOS does not have cyber cabin yet. We just got off the ship. It was slow but my wife went to the hot spots ,one is the promenade and was able to get done what she needed to do. We bought the 150 minutes for $50 and she still had several minutes left.

[maldemar]

maldemar,

I have taught classes on all of my cruises and did not have that many issues. The amount of time depends on the number of classes that I am doing at the time. With 2 business graduate courses I spend about 2 hours a day reading student's postings and responding. Taking a course would be different since you can do the post off line and copy/paste the response. There is a picture of me doing exactly that on my website. Use the link below and you can see me hard at work :)

 

I am a morning person so by the time the wife gets up the work is done and I can enjoy the day.

 

Take care, Ron

 

http://ronaldbeach.com/_wsn/page5.html

 

Ron,

 

Thanks for the information. By looking at your bio, you are way too busy, a high power corporate gig and two adjunct positions! Being able to combine teaching and cruising...Isn't distance learning a wonderful thing?

 

DW teaches at two schools as well, a university and a community college. Her chairs are friends and they argue who gets her on what days. I'm the lucky one, I teach business classes for a non-profit so I get to set the schedule. Magically, my classes always end the week before the cruise.

 

Like you, DW and I both went back to school late in life. She should have her PhD in a year or so and I should have my MBA by that time. Our retirement goal is teaching distance learning classes while sitting on a beach or deck. And like you we are scuba divers that changed to cruising. Here I thought we were being original. We want to be you!

[skybuffalo]

Maldemar,

Everything has been so great that it is almost embarrassing (but we will try to work it). It is fun to see others going down the same path.

 

The advances in technology is making so many new things possible and challenging, to say the least.

 

Keep hanging in there. It is our turn to have some fun in life :)

 

 

Ron

[skisteamboat]

What free minutes are offered in the C & A booklet? I just called and asked about the booklet you get when you board and they said there was nothing for free minutes. I am sailing Saturday and have no time if it comes in the mail. How many minutes do you get? Is it based on cruise credits? Thanks..........

 

Last trip to Alaska in June, our C&A Booklets in the Cabin gave either 5 or 10 free minutes. With the on board internet speed, it was just enough to check email and send a couple of replies. After that, I used the Internet cafe's in port which charged around $5 or less per hour. We were Gold Status and I think Platinum doubles the minutes.

 

Never take my laptop as it is one more thing to lug/loose but I have never had a good reason to take it like teaching/taking a class.

 

Cheers

[traveler/]

What free minutes are offered in the C & A booklet? I just called and asked about the booklet you get when you board and they said there was nothing for free minutes. I am sailing Saturday and have no time if it comes in the mail. How many minutes do you get? Is it based on cruise credits? Thanks..........

C & A coupon book is delivered in cabin to members of course.

Contains free $ credits for minutes depending on your level (not sure about gold). We are diamond, got $10 credit in each book. Credit is used up at 50 cents per minute= 20 minutes.

[lephysteria]

Does anyone know if Libery has wireless in the cabins?

 

Are there hardwired jacks in the cabins?

 

Sailing Saturday, can't wait...........can't sleep............

 

 

They do have wireless in the cabins.

I was on my balcony and sitting at the desk in the cabin and my connection was great. I think the speed has a little something to do with the speed of your computer processor as well.

 

The jacks aren't hardwired (the RJ45 drops aren't activated, if that's what you're referring to). I put my PCMCIA wireless card into my laptop and it found the signal. Then I went to the RCI Internet cafe, clicked on WIFI, created a username and password, then went back to my cabin (literally 2 minutes later) and was able to login using that username and password.

 

I did buy a wireless minute package. It was reliable, not as fast as DSL or a T1 connection, but it was plenty fast to check email and stocks. I would not recommend uploading to flickr, webshots, or photobucket while onboard. That'd be wayyyyyyy too slow! :)

[rbell]

i have 2 gold bookets with only a few coupons missing from them if anyone wants them?the internet coupons are in them.

 

email me at thecardbob@aol.com

 

first to email me gets them.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Just off the Radiance. I brought my laptop, gave them a deposit to use a cable to plug into internet in our cabin, paid $150 for 14 days unlimited use, and received the deposit back at the end. It was dial up. It was slow, but I've had worse.

[sassyfrass]

Thanks to all for the wealth of info on laptops. I will pass it on to my group going out on the Adventure in January.

[alexkrn46]

sassyfrass,

I bring my laptop with me because you can not attach zip drives to the ship systems. I teach online college classes from the ship and need the material stored on my zip/main drive. The cost of internet cafe and online were the same, if I remember correctly. Maybe someone has a more current view of the pricing.

 

Using the laptop has not been a problem but it can bog down on seadays (the computer cafes are full).

 

Hope that helps. Ron

\

 

I took cruises while completing my degree, I found downloading papers frustrating, it was easier going to an internet cafe and completing the tasks in a few minutes.

Alex