Has anyone taken their Kindle on a cruise?

[CruiseMark]

I see Amazon just lowered the price of their Kindle book reader to $299. And with their $10 book downloads, that looks very tempting as a lightweight, thin option for the cruise.

 

Has anyone used one? What did you think? How was the readability of the screen when in sunlight (like when you're in your deck chair)

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

I see Amazon just lowered the price of their Kindle book reader to $299. And with their $10 book downloads, that looks very tempting as a lightweight, thin option for the cruise.

 

Has anyone used one? What did you think? How was the readability of the screen when in sunlight (like when you're in your deck chair)

 

Hi Mark,

 

I was wondering what everyone was talking about regarding Kindles. Now I know. I wish I could have one but they are not for sale outside the USA as yet. Typical. I hope they don't take too long to come downunder. I would buy one in the blink of an eye.

[ColoRockiesFan]

I bought my Kindle 2 in March and took it with me on a cruise in June. It was wonderful not to have to lug books around. :D Readability was very good under all conditions. I can easily read a book a day and now I never have to worry about too much weight in my check through!

[ColoRockiesFan]

Here's another good thread on the Kindle at sea:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1004501&highlight=kindle

[BigGuy25]

My DW absolutely LOVES her Kindle 2. I now don't have to lug an entire suitcase of books with us (just kidding ... but it seems like it). As said earlier, it works in all light conditions and handles bright sunlight with no problem. She's busy right now loading books for our Mediterranean cruise which begins next Wednesday. I know people enjoy having an actual book in their hands. But, I don't know of anyone who has ever been sorry switching to the Kindle. You gut just as absorbed into it as you do with any physical book.

[mk0520]

I have the original Kindle and love it. I don't know about Kindle 2 but I had trouble while in Mexico. I couldn't download. Just make sure you download all the books that you want to read before your trip. It's great not to have to worry about the weight of the books that I bring on vacation.

[pablo222]

My DW absolutely LOVES her Kindle 2. I now don't have to lug an entire suitcase of books with us

 

If only there were something like this for shoes...

[Rockymountainsparky]

My DW bought me a Kindle 2 recently, and I love it. I can't wait to take it on the Crown this Nov.

[kendon]

I suppose the only place you can purchase it is on Amazon...I'd like to give it a trial run before I spring for it.

[caa]

I took mine on our 2-week cruisetour to Alaska last month. For reading material, it worked great as always. I can read anywhere except in the dark. :)

 

I tried the "whispernet" (which is really the Sprint phone network) in various places and never could get it to work. We had AT&T cell phone service in Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Deadhorse, all the cruise ports, and even sometimes at sea in the inside passage; but I never was able to get online from the Kindle's browser. I had downloaded more than enough reading material before leaving home, so I didn't really need network access; I was mainly just curious about whether it would work.

[cruiserdru]

caa,

 

Thanks for the info on downloading in the Alaska area. The map on Amazon does show limited access in Alaska, mostly available in Anchorage. I am taking my Kindle DX with me for our 2 Alaska cruises. I have downloaded 9 books already but I think I will add some more before we leave home. I am so excited about this new toy and the ability to take so many books on my cruises. I used to leave other things home so I would have room (and pounds) available to support my reading addiction.

 

Dru

[donna5]

Out of curiosity, why would you have to download books during the cruise? How many books can you read on a cruise?:confused:

[caa]

caa,

 

Thanks for the info on downloading in the Alaska area. The map on Amazon does show limited access in Alaska, mostly available in Anchorage. I am taking my Kindle DX with me for our 2 Alaska cruises. I have downloaded 9 books already but I think I will add some more before we leave home. I am so excited about this new toy and the ability to take so many books on my cruises. I used to leave other things home so I would have room (and pounds) available to support my reading addiction.

 

Dru

 

LOL, I know exactly what you mean about addiction. It's an incredible luxury to actually be able to carry enough books that you can choose what you want to read next. I bought my Kindle 1 from a Craigs List seller just after the Kindle 2 was announced, and I've been very happy with it.

 

We were in the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage for a night at the beginning of our tour and again the night before we got on the ship. I can tell you that whispernet did not work on the 16th or 17th floors there. It might have worked if I'd carried the Kindle around while we were out walking and eating and such, but as I said I was just curious, and that would have been too much effort. My husband has a Google android phone and my daughter has an iPod touch, and both of them had no trouble getting free wi-fi pretty much everywhere except when we were north of Fairbanks, so I would just ask them what the weather was going to be in our next location.

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

I took mine on our 2-week cruisetour to Alaska last month. For reading material, it worked great as always. I can read anywhere except in the dark. :)

 

 

I don't have a Kindle, but have a Sony E-Reader which I believe is very similar - can store up to 160 books. I find it is easy to read in all lighting conditions - including the dark! I have an extra screen thingy (not sure what the technical term is :eek:) operated by a battery which you can switch on when its dark and it lights up the screen. This is great as my DH often likes to go to sleep earlier than me, so I can carry on reading without having the bedside light on and disturbing him :)

[Treven]

I have the Sony 700 digital reader with an 8 gig memory chip. I can read books with this with no difficulty. I've taken my previous version the 505 with me on a couple different cruises and now this one. I've not been able to download books while on a cruise, but as I already have a little over 100 books on the memory chip, I doubt if I'll get bored while on a cruise.

[Manny's mom]

I LOVE my kindle!!! It is the best if you love to read, I can make the font big enough that I don't need my glasses. It is wonderful not to have to carry any books, and ordering from Amazon takes seconds.

[cruiserdru]

I will be gone from home for 22 days and spend 12 hours on planes and have at least 4 hours of layover time. We will also spend time on buses and trains during our tour between cruises. On our first cruise we have no excursions planned and will just walk around the ports on our own.

 

I would feel best if I had one book for every day I am gone but can normally get by on 1 for every 2 days, especially if there are enough opportunities for photography.

 

Having a Kindle now leaves me room/pounds for extra lenses for my camera. :D

[WeBeGone]

You all do know there's a library on every ship?? :p

[bjbear]

I absolutely love my Kindle for travel too!:D I recently took it on an Alaskan cruise and it was great not to have to lug books. I know there's a library on all ships but I also read at the airport, on the plane, etc. Don't want to start a book on the ship and not finish it!:eek: I haven't tried to download from the cruise either, just load up before I leave to travel. You can purchase a little clip-on Kindle light to read in the dark or on a night flight.

 

Sue

[bplazo]

My husband has the sony and I just love it. I take it to the gym and read it while on the treadmill. I plan on buying me the kindle and heard that they lowered the price today because of competion. I may just wait awhile longer and see what else comes out.

 

I heard that apple might be coming out with one and combining it with other gadgets.

[skellis]

I have had the e-book, kindle 1 and now kindle DX and the DX is my favorite. The e-book is much harder to download, and the kindle 1 doesn't take pdf files. (I also found the ebook to be more difficult to read in sunlight) My DX takes pdf files and I print my travel confirmations to it so I have them with me, along with metro diagrams, and other travel information. The kindle 2 and the DX also have text to speech and while it is robotic, it's great for when you are doing dishes, fixing your hair, or doing anything with both hands. I download information and books from both Amazon and free content websites (Baen for science fiction) including the bible and classic novels (which you can search by word). I prefer kindle to regular books, blogs and emagazines.

[nurse@sea]

just loaded my kindle up with books for my cruise next week. last year i brought nine hard covered books for a 10 day cruise. my dh almost got a hernia picking up my suitcase. no problem this year!! I love my kindle!!! I never have to worry about being without something to read.

[txsaxplayer]

I see Amazon just lowered the price of their Kindle book reader to $299. And with their $10 book downloads, that looks very tempting as a lightweight, thin option for the cruise.

 

Has anyone used one? What did you think? How was the readability of the screen when in sunlight (like when you're in your deck chair)

 

I brought a Kindle 1 out on the last World Cruise of QE2, on a trip to Hawaii on the Golden in January 09, and a B-2-B Alaska on the Sapphire in May 09.

 

When I brought it on the QE2, it was a bit of an oddity, but on the Princess ships mine was by NO means the only Kindle in the public areas. The advantage of carrying 40+ books in such a small package really can't be beat. Plus you can buy stuff from Amazon when you're in a USA port.

 

When my Kindle 1 developed a black splotch about an inch and a half square about 11 months into owning it, Amazon OVERNIGHTED me a replacement with no questions asked.

 

--Richard

[Quilter n Cruiser]

I too love my Kindle 2 and got it specifically wih cruising and other travel in mind. It will go on our cruise in October and so will DH and his Kindle. I love the ability to change the size of the print as eyes get tired or light not so great. I tried it today while doing the treadmill and walked an extra 1/3 mile before I knew it. So it is great for that as well and better than a paperback on the treadmill.

[AAAAmerican]

What a nice Kindle Christmas it will be...

 

As there Lowering the Retail Pricing is I hope a boost to there sales and revenues.

 

The more expensive one, so far, they have not reduced.

 

Is it going to be $99.99 by Christmas 2009 A.D too now coming?

 

The more expensive one $199.99 too?

 

:cool: