How to email home??

[Sun City Allan & Sharo]

We're very internet-ignorant here, so please indulge an older couple!! Will I have to open a Yahoo account to be able to email home? Or is there some kind of email program on Princess' computers that I can easily use? All I have at home for email is the account I got from cox.net when we signed up. We can never seem to get logged onto it from our kids' houses when we visit them out of state, and it gets frustrating, so don't bother suggesting that. :confused: (It always denies our password, so we change it, and it doesn't work again, then we get locked out. Grrrr.) Just to be clear, we don't want to CHECK our email, we just want to SEND emails out during our cruise. Any help/thoughts/suggestions/instructions/sympathy would be greatly appreciated. :)

[RickEk]

We're very internet-ignorant here, so please indulge an older couple!! Will I have to open a Yahoo account to be able to email home? Or is there some kind of email program on Princess' computers that I can easily use? All I have at home for email is the account I got from cox.net when we signed up. We can never seem to get logged onto it from our kids' houses when we visit them out of state, and it gets frustrating, so don't bother suggesting that. :confused: (It always denies our password, so we change it, and it doesn't work again, then we get locked out. Grrrr.) Just to be clear, we don't want to CHECK our email, we just want to SEND emails out during our cruise. Any help/thoughts/suggestions/instructions/sympathy would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

Sure... setup a free Yahoo (or Hotmail or Gmail) account before you sail and you'll be able to easily send email at the Internet Cafe onboard.

[caribill]

We're very internet-ignorant here, so please indulge an older couple!! Will I have to open a Yahoo account to be able to email home? Or is there some kind of email program on Princess' computers that I can easily use? All I have at home for email is the account I got from cox.net when we signed up. We can never seem to get logged onto it from our kids' houses when we visit them out of state, and it gets frustrating, so don't bother suggesting that. :confused: (It always denies our password, so we change it, and it doesn't work again, then we get locked out. Grrrr.) Just to be clear, we don't want to CHECK our email, we just want to SEND emails out during our cruise. Any help/thoughts/suggestions/instructions/sympathy would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

Try mail2web.com

 

You enter your cox.net address and password and it should be able to retrieve your mail (if you want) and allow you to send mail as if you were at home.

 

(Of course you will need to have the e-mail addresses of the people you want to write to.)

 

Try it at a library or friend's house to make sure it works and become familiar with it's use. If it does notwork for you, then a yahoo or gmail account should do the job.

 

You do not want to use Princess version of e-mail as it has a ridiculous cost to it.

[Sun City Allan & Sharo]

caribill.... what do you mean "princess' version of email"??? What is that? How does it work? What is the cost involved? We have free internet as elite passengers if that matters here. Thanks for your help to both of you who have replied.

[captainron]

I believe he was baing facetious. It;s just that internet in the ship is so damn sloooooooooowwwwwwwww :eek:

 

Ciao for now!!!

[TwinCruiserMom]

Most definitely set up a yahoo account for yourself. I have one yahoo account I use only for travel so I am not tempted to waste my internet minutes looking at all the stuff I receive in my regular yahoo account ;)

 

It is very simple to set up a yahoo account and you will be able to sign in to it from any computer either on ship or from your kid's house.

 

Yahoo is a very easy email to use and set up the way you want. You can play around with it at home before you cruise and then you will be comfortable with sending and receiving email while on your vacation. It is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends while cruising :)

 

Don't feel embarrassed about your lack of computer knowledge. We all had to start somewhere :)

[EatonDoolittle]

I agree with the Yahoo account suggestion. I have people communicate with me when I am sailing on my Yahoo account, rather than my "real" email (like your cox net). You can leave the address with your family just in case they want to send you news while you are gone.

 

Just let me add a reminder..all ports have an internet cafe at or very near the port. They are incredible cheap..Aruba in the big mall - $3.00 for a half hour, Costa Rica (across the street from the flea market) - $2.00.

 

You get the picture, no need to pay ship prices for spotty service. Open Yahoo, log into "mail" and you are all set.

[insag]

caribill.... what do you mean "princess' version of email"??? What is that? How does it work? What is the cost involved? We have free internet as elite passengers if that matters here. Thanks for your help to both of you who have replied.

Good Morning Allan and Sharon,,off the subject which Sun City do you live at..

As for the email just open a Yahoo account it is the easiest to deal with and it does not matter ever you are at or what computer you are on to open up..

Hope you have a great trip..and by the way it is not a stupid question at any age..

[hubofhockey]

I have used Yahoo e-mail for years and now have Verizon Yahoo e-mail which is even better. In any case, you may want to type up your e-mails on a word or similar program if it's available and then cut and paste into yahoo e-mail to save computer time. It's not cheap.

[terrierjohn]

Allan & Sharron,

I agree with other posters that setting up a Yahoo or Google free e-mail account is best for you if your own account is difficult to access away from home.

BUT do ensure that you either download all the e-mail addresses you will want to use into this account, or make a list to take with you.

I speak from experience when our first foray into using e-mails from holiday ended in disaster when I could not access my home account and could not remember any e-mail addresses.

Although we do use e-mail when on holiday we more regularly send text messages from our mobile, and most cruise ships now have satellite phone connection when at sea. Cost for texts sent at sea is generally the same as land based ones, so no additional worries there.

[flamomo]

My email is through Hotmail via my MSN account. I have no trouble accessing my email from the ships.

The internet cafes on the ships have an employee there who can help you getting signed on their computers. All you need to do is tell him/her that you are not very computer savvy, and they are only too glad to help you. In the daily ship's "newspaper", the Princess Patter, there is a listing of times that there is someone available to assist you.

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

Hey Alan & Sharon - we are Alan & Denise also currently at our home in Sun City. Where are you located? We're near 103rd & Thunderbird. We cruise A LOT and can answer just about any of your questions if you want to get in touch - I'll provide my email if you're interested. Denise

[Sun City Allan & Sharo]

Hi everyone. Wow, some great answers. We do have free internet due to elite status, so no worries on time. We'll only use it for e-mail, so we won't run short.

 

To the 2 people who asked about our location, we are near 103rd and Peoria in the OLD section of Sun City!!

 

I think I will sign up for a Yahoo account. Sounds like the easiest way to go. And I'll put all the addresses in it ahead of time. Great suggestions everyone. Thank you!!

 

edit: insag, it's Sun City, AZ if that's what you were asking.

[Glasgow144]

Can anyone say if the USB slots on the Computers on the Sea Princess will be easily accesible to transfer data from a memory card to another disc.

[billet]

Can anyone say if the USB slots on the Computers on the Sea Princess will be easily accesible to transfer data from a memory card to another disc.

There is no USB transfer facility provided by Princess. They do have a DVD maker booth(s) at the photo gallery where you can transfer memory card data to a DVD for a charge.

[Glasgow144]

There is no USB transfer facility provided by Princess. They do have a DVD maker booth(s) at the photo gallery where you can transfer memory card data to a DVD for a charge.

 

Thanks for that. Anybody know what they charge to make a DVD?

[flamomo]

When I did it almost a year ago, it cost $15.

[Cruisin' Chick]

It's nice to have a web-based email account anyway. I have both Earthlink and Yahoo accounts and when our computers were down for quite a few days, I was able to go to our local library to check my email. Just make sure you don't click on "remember me" and make sure you log out when you get done. I remember getting on one of the machines one day, going on a website and seeing someone's name on the page.

[caribill]

There is no USB transfer facility provided by Princess. They do have a DVD maker booth(s) at the photo gallery where you can transfer memory card data to a DVD for a charge.

 

 

They have a CD maker, not DVD.

[caribill]

caribill.... what do you mean "princess' version of email"??? What is that? How does it work? What is the cost involved? We have free internet as elite passengers if that matters here. Thanks for your help to both of you who have replied.

 

 

For those without an e-mail account, Princess has some feature that will allow you to send e-mail. It costs either $2.95 an e-mail or $3.95 an e-mail, I forget which. This is in addition to minutes charged while using the Internet.

 

I still suggest you try out mail2web.com With this, you do not have to set up any other accounts or have a different e-mail address from what you are using at home.

[juggles]

yes a Yahoo email address would be fine but don't forget the password you choose. :D

[Katie333]

Definitely don't get suckered into the Princess 'Seamail' which basically allows you to create an onboard email account and charges $3 per email. I've never done it but am amazed they would offer such a ridiculously priced service.

 

As others have suggested set up a free email account before you go with a password you'll remember, and practice using it before you go just so you'll feel comfortable.

[insag]

Hi everyone. Wow, some great answers. We do have free internet due to elite status, so no worries on time. We'll only use it for e-mail, so we won't run short.

 

To the 2 people who asked about our location, we are near 103rd and Peoria in the OLD section of Sun City!!

 

I think I will sign up for a Yahoo account. Sounds like the easiest way to go. And I'll put all the addresses in it ahead of time. Great suggestions everyone. Thank you!!

 

edit: insag, it's Sun City, AZ if that's what you were asking.

Yes, my inlaws are in Sun City in Bluffton SC near Hilton Head and just love it,, I have 9 more years before we can go, but wow on all things to do there 2 golf courses, 3 club houses, unlimited activies,, I get tired just looking at all the stuff there to do,, Dad seats on the Board so he is keeping busy, and play's golf every other day and works out and swims and Mom loves it because he is never at home,,

[Sun City Allan & Sharo]

Yes, my inlaws are in Sun City in Bluffton SC near Hilton Head and just love it,, I have 9 more years before we can go, but wow on all things to do there 2 golf courses, 3 club houses, unlimited activies,, I get tired just looking at all the stuff there to do,, Dad seats on the Board so he is keeping busy, and play's golf every other day and works out and swims and Mom loves it because he is never at home,,

 

Sun City, AZ has 8 golf courses, 3 country clubs, 7 rec centers, 2 bowling alleys, etc., etc. Like you said, tons of activities. No reason to be bored!! We are 40,000+ population. How big is the one in SC?