Using Laptops on board ship...

[keevilp]

Over the past 5 years I have spent a small fortune using the Internet Cafes on board "Legend" and "Navigator".

 

I like to keep in touch with the office and I am also a Semi-Pro Photographer.

 

This year I am on "Independent" and am planning to take my laptop.

 

Is there any way (possibly using a 3G or Vodafone plugin) that I can save myself the onboard cost of internet use?

 

If so, will Vodafone/3G (or similar) have sufficient coverage across the Bay of Biscay and the Med?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Paul Keevil

[WineDarkSea]

I have used my aircard on ships before. It works perfectly fine in ports and when the ship is sailing parallel to a coastline or something. The problem with mine though, is that it is my Verizon card I use in the US. It will not work anywhere else in the world. That is to say, it worked in Mexico, but what I paid for roaming over there was probably getting close to what I would have paid in the internet cafe ;) The thing is absolutely useless as soon as I move away from North America.

 

You need to make sure that your aircard is compatible with the system used in the area you are traveling to. Then you still might have to pay high roaming charges, depending on where you pay your bill and where you are traveling.

[greatam]

Over the past 5 years I have spent a small fortune using the Internet Cafes on board "Legend" and "Navigator".

 

I like to keep in touch with the office and I am also a Semi-Pro Photographer.

 

This year I am on "Independent" and am planning to take my laptop.

 

Is there any way (possibly using a 3G or Vodafone plugin) that I can save myself the onboard cost of internet use?

 

If so, will Vodafone/3G (or similar) have sufficient coverage across the Bay of Biscay and the Med?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Paul Keevil

 

Air cards are essentially a dial up cell phone connection. And as such, they run through the ship cell towers. The cost can reach $6.00 per minute, depending on your provider. MOST are in the range of $2.95 per minute (Cellular at sea). Cheaper to buy a package of minutes for wi-fi or use the ship computers.

[greatam]

I have used my aircard on ships before. It works perfectly fine in ports and when the ship is sailing parallel to a coastline or something. The problem with mine though, is that it is my Verizon card I use in the US. It will not work anywhere else in the world. That is to say, it worked in Mexico, but what I paid for roaming over there was probably getting close to what I would have paid in the internet cafe ;) The thing is absolutely useless as soon as I move away from North America.

 

You need to make sure that your aircard is compatible with the system used in the area you are traveling to. Then you still might have to pay high roaming charges, depending on where you pay your bill and where you are traveling.

 

Verizon air cards work in SOME international locations (it works really well in Peru). And you must sign up for the flat fee international roaming or the charges are very high. Verizon runs on CDMA. Most of the world is on GSM standard.

[WineDarkSea]

Verizon air cards work in SOME international locations (it works really well in Peru). And you must sign up for the flat fee international roaming or the charges are very high. Verizon runs on CDMA. Most of the world is on GSM standard.

 

Ahh, here I thought only North America had CDMA. Good to know :)

Still, I have a quad band GSM I use when I travel because my Verizon phone obviously does not work in most places.

[WineDarkSea]

Air cards are essentially a dial up cell phone connection. And as such, they run through the ship cell towers. The cost can reach $6.00 per minute, depending on your provider. MOST are in the range of $2.95 per minute (Cellular at sea). Cheaper to buy a package of minutes for wi-fi or use the ship computers.

 

I forgot to mention this, but my air card never tried to connect to the ship's cell towers. It only connected when I was in port. Maybe I set it up that way and forgot or never changed an auto setting. It could also be that I was too far down in the ship to connect to the towers, I have no idea.