Contact information while Cruising.

[VIPcruzer]

Hi. I am taking my first cruise on the Gem leaving this Sunday. I know that our suite will have a phone but is that only for room-room communication?

Does the Gem have a phone number/front desk where calls from back home can be transferred to your room like in a land-based hotel? Or is the only way to communicate via email?

 

On our edocs I saw that we have a cruise email account. To receive emails sent to this account do we have to use a computer or will they print them off for us?

 

Thank you!

[VoyageVirgin]

We've always kept in touch with the computers (brought our own laptop) and email. We use our google account to access while travelling - just found it easier to upload etc.. There is a ship to shore phone line (very expensive $7-$8 a minute) for an emergency -note that anyone calling you will have to have a credit card handy for the operator - and make sure they know the ship and stateroom #.

Some cell phone carriers have access on the ship - most through land based towers. Depending on where you are cruising to - that may be an option. Quite frankly, I've never been able to access the "NCL provided email address" possibly we weren't doing it correctly - and then we usually have our own email that we leave with family and friends. Just tell them not to email all those jokes for the time you're gone - most ships internet services are very slow.

[Toyz711]

cell phones will work through the ship's cell tower, it will cost...but good for peace of mind. leave the phone off and just check it when you need to. they can leave messages that way.

email works, you would need to use the ship's internet service..even if you bring your own laptop. (on the ship) at port you might be able to find better/cheaper internet access. web-bases email accounts works just fine...hotmail, yahoo, gmail , ?....

the email to your persona ship account: i won't count on it if it's important. they check the account and deliver it your cabin..

same with the phone number, a message is left for you..then you have to play phone tag with the caller.

we just check the cell phone, especially when in port (get roaming service)

[buggins0402]

Kind of on topic. We had trouble accessing our e-mail on ship. I think it was because I have everything from the e-mail I was checking going to Outlook. Does anyone know if this was the case? This time I will give out our NCL e-mail or my Yahoo junk mail (that doesn't go to Outlook). Sorry if this is a stupid question but I'm a technology dummy.

[VIPcruzer]

Can we ask our bulter/consierge to check our ship email account for us?

I am concerned about how expensive the roaming charges will be. We are in Europe and Rogers (Canadian company) does not have an international package for vacationing and they told me depending on the country we are in at the time, charges could be upward of $8.00 per minute.

 

Are the line-ups long to use the onboard internet? I could bring a laptop, does the Garden Villa have internet access in it?

 

Also, are we able to receive a fax if we need to?

[VoyageVirgin]

Fax - UGHHHHH - The capability is there - depending on what you need to fax - cost is the same as ship to shore - from the Jade we had to fax an agreement to sale (house) 7 pages cost $54.00 - We went to an internet cafe in Ponta Delgada had the forms printed there - because of the format they were in they couldn't be printed on the ship unless we wanted it done on photopaper - which in turn wouldn't fit in the fax machine. After all that the buyer couldn't get his financing in order - so anyone want to buy a house? :D

[VIPcruzer]

Fax - UGHHHHH - The capability is there - depending on what you need to fax - cost is the same as ship to shore - from the Jade we had to fax an agreement to sale (house) 7 pages cost $54.00 - We went to an internet cafe in Ponta Delgada had the forms printed there - because of the format they were in they couldn't be printed on the ship unless we wanted it done on photopaper - which in turn wouldn't fit in the fax machine. After all that the buyer couldn't get his financing in order - so anyone want to buy a house? :D

 

This is the reason for my question lol....I am worried/hoping that we will get an offer on our house while away. I will definitely need to make use of a fax machine then.

[VoyageVirgin]

 

Are the line-ups long to use the onboard internet? I could bring a laptop, does the Garden Villa have internet access in it? Garden villa may actually have a computer for your use. The Deluxe Owner Suite (Jade) does - so check that with your Travel agent or NCL PCC - Denfinately has internet access - possibly even Wireless -

 

Also, are we able to receive a fax if we need to?

If someone is going to fax to you - make sure they have the right number for the ship - I think it actually goes to Miami offices and is forwarded there. So be sure they have your ship name, cabin number etc.. or it may get misplaced.

[VoyageVirgin]

This is the reason for my question lol....I am worried/hoping that we will get an offer on our house while away. I will definitely need to make use of a fax machine then.

 

Our agent emailed the offer of purchase to us - unfortunately, the format and size of the file was not within the "internet parameters" file was too large - the concierge even tried by having us email it to her - and she couldn't print it either. Somehow, there was a file size limitation. We tried taking a jump drive (memory stick) to the internet cafe to have it printed and they had no computer that would accept the jump drive - go figure. Anyway, they did try their best - but a land based internet cafe is your best bet. Or leave a power of attorney with someone you trust. Much less frustrating. We did fax the offer back - I'm not sure what it would take to get it faxed to the ship - as we really didn't use that option - my only concern with that would be how to actually ensure it gets to the ship. If you're doing ship to shore calls (phone) you have to have a credit card for the switching operator - not sure a fax machine could do that. ?? I'd call NCL and ask them and hope the right person gives you the right answer.

[VoyageVirgin]

Kind of on topic. We had trouble accessing our e-mail on ship. I think it was because I have everything from the e-mail I was checking going to Outlook. Does anyone know if this was the case? This time I will give out our NCL e-mail or my Yahoo junk mail (that doesn't go to Outlook). Sorry if this is a stupid question but I'm a technology dummy.

 

We had trouble accessing Outlook as well - but others were having trouble with yahoo and hotmail too so I think it may have been the ships limitations - or perhaps it was timing out before we could get anything out of it. DH is the tekkie - I just listen and sometimes learn. We had no problems accessing google at all so that's why I recommended it. The servers on the ship seem slow - but then we're spoiled by the land based high speed. :D Found it easier during the off hours - like 5:00 am - Still is the least expensive way to stay in contact. IMO

[garycarla]

Outlook resides on YOUR computer. Sometimes in a corporate world, the Outlook program is on your computer, but your email files sit on the corporate site/computer.

 

So, if you are using another computer like on the ship, it of course does not have your outlook file. Depending on who handles your email, sometimes they also have a web based interface so you can log on and check your mail, outside of Outlook.

 

As to faxing a purchase order. If you have your own computer, they can fax it to you using a service like efax. goto efax.com to check it out.

 

If they fax or email a scanned image, they might want to break it into multiple files. Depending on how it is scanned, each page can be very large and you would exceed limits quickly.

 

Another option is to sign a power of attorney to someone to sign any purchase order. That person then could verbally get with you via the phone. Cell phone is $2.50 a minute on the ship.

 

Email access is $.40 to $.75 per minute. Somebody could email the particulars without all the fine print.

 

By the way, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail all work onboard. But, if you have a meg large file, you will have trouble with any of them.

Whew.

[buggins0402]

By the way, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail all work onboard. But, if you have a meg large file, you will have trouble with any of them.

Whew.

 

 

Thanks!!! You confirmed what I guessed about Outlook. Last cruise I burned many minutes trying to access my regular e-mail (trying to remember password because everything came through Outlook -knew that password - but when I finally remembered my regular e-mail account's password there were no messages - and there's always something). Can you explain the large meg file comment? Recently cleaned out all the junk in my Yahoo address and can do so again before the cruise this Sunday - I should be ok?

[garycarla]

Large file?

 

Hard to say what is large anymore. Not long ago, anything over 1 meg was a bear. These days a meg or two is not too bad. But, when you are on the ship, the speed is so slow, they hurt. Maybe 4-5 meg is too big to handle?

 

Just a heads up. No hard and fast rule.

[VoyageVirgin]

Thanks for that tip garycarla - I'll keep a note of it for DH to check out. Probably still have a problem with the size of files - but will certainly check it out. Thanks again