Skype

[raudacruise]

Anyone have any experience with Skype? Seems like a possibly cheap way to do phone calls in port if you can find a free Wifi connection. Not so sure about on the ship since you need a wifi connection (that comes with a cost) - but better than ship-to-shore costs. But is the wifi connection on board fast enough? My experience has been that the connections are very slow.

 

This is on a TA so cell phones are not the answer given the exhorbitant roaming charges.

[Fam_Cruise]

Yes, I use Skype from everywhere. No worries about slow connection on the ship. Remember your old dial up connection going over voice lines. Voice takes very little bandwidth. Plus you can multi-task while you chat on the phone, download email at the same time, update you bank balance, trade stocks, download CC transactions, etc.

 

Last year on our Baltic cruise, I had friends video conference with their daughters on the ships WiFi connection. The key to using the ships WiFi is before 8 AM or after 10-11 PM. By 9 AM the WiFi speed came to a crawl. Depending on where in the world, make your calls accordingly.

[Loganeski]

We use Skype on our laptop and I phone friends allover the world with it. Cheap and good.

Never used it on a ship but as far as I know not all ships allow use of Skype. It seems to take up too much of the online capicity.

[Xcruiser]

Anyone have any experience with Skype? Seems like a possibly cheap way to do phone calls in port if you can find a free Wifi connection. Not so sure about on the ship since you need a wifi connection (that comes with a cost) - but better than ship-to-shore costs. But is the wifi connection on board fast enough? My experience has been that the connections are very slow.

 

This is on a TA so cell phones are not the answer given the exhorbitant roaming charges.

 

George,

 

Forget Skype aboard Century they had it blocked and had signs up stating that the last two times we sailed on her and it was blocked on Mille before that. They started blocked it when RCI took over the Internet services onboard =X= ships.

 

The bandwidth was not really good enough to allow much of a VoIP connection anyhow unless you used at off peak hours. Also you have a satellite delay which effects streaming type connections adversely.

 

I'm taking a Asus EEE Netbook along on our Century cruise and plan to make voice calls via Skype while in port - much cheaper than Cell Internationally.

 

Joel

[bobbyleduck]

George:

 

Are you planning to call me while you're on your cruise, just so you can rub it in my face? I'm just kidding. You are going to watch the Ducks this Thursday, against Boise State, aren't you?

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[Deep68]

I use skype on my iphone or laptop when abroad or when I want to call my family in the UK.

It costs cents a minute or is free to call another SKYPE user.

Just used it in Victoria, Canada to call home to check voice mail last week - they have free wifi downtown.

Most cost effective way is to find a free or cheap WIFI connection in port.

[curlimommy]

Can you skype from the ship's wifi? I'll be sailing on Solstice in the Carribean in January and I really would like to be able to call home to touch base with my parents who will be watching my little one. I've read that the ship blocks the skype ports while at sea?

[Fblack]

Forget Skype or similar Internet based services from lots of destinations. Last year while on a Med cruise (and previously on a Baltic cruise) the satellite Internet service was so bad you could hardly read an e-mail let alone use Skype.

[raudacruise]

I guess I got my answer. Skype NOT at least on board. I think we'll still setup Skype on MaryBeth's iPhone so we can use it in port if needed.

 

Bobby, I'll have my Oregon T-Shirt on Thursday. I'm sure you'll be rooting for the Bucks when they play USC in a couple of weeks (if not I'll come to Bend and kick your Duck Butt :D:D).

[Rysyonok]

I guess I got my answer. Skype NOT at least on board. I think we'll still setup Skype on MaryBeth's iPhone so we can use it in port if needed.

 

Be careful - check what are your per kilobyte charges. A few minutes on Skype using a cellphone can be one nightmare of a bill depending on your provider.

[DeltaOne]

Be careful - check what are your per kilobyte charges. A few minutes on Skype using a cellphone can be one nightmare of a bill depending on your provider.

 

On the iPhone it's easy to turn off the radios by turning on "airplane mode." Then turn WiFi back on and use Skype. It's free if you find an open WiFi hotspot, else you simply pay for the WiFi you use. No data charges.

[bplazo]

My daughter is an exchange student and is in Denmark and we are using the Skype to comunicate with her and it is just like having her in the room. It is cheap comunication.

[raudacruise]

On the iPhone it's easy to turn off the radios by turning on "airplane mode." Then turn WiFi back on and use Skype. It's free if you find an open WiFi hotspot, else you simply pay for the WiFi you use. No data charges.

 

Good point. We had already read about that little (or huge :eek:) feature. Smart phones depend on smart users.

[bobbyleduck]

I guess I got my answer. Skype NOT at least on board. I think we'll still setup Skype on MaryBeth's iPhone so we can use it in port if needed.

 

Bobby, I'll have my Oregon T-Shirt on Thursday. I'm sure you'll be rooting for the Bucks when they play USC in a couple of weeks (if not I'll come to Bend and kick your Duck Butt :D:D).

 

Dear George: I have my Buckeye T-Shirt waiting. Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my Dad passing, and just thinking about it gets me excited for Buckeye football. I so wish that Oregon and Ohio State could play for the national championship at the Rose Bowl. Not the Rose Bowl game, but the NCG a week later in Pasadena.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob