iPad finally worked well on the ship

[Sandy R]

Not sure if this has already been covered but our iPod finally worked great on our recent Sapphire cruise. When we signed up at the Internet Cafe, they handed us a print-out with directions for using our iPad on the ship. Directions worked well. We were able to log-on in the cabin... picked up our e-mail, sent e-mails as well as surfing the net.

[johnmik1]

Not sure if this has already been covered but our iPod finally worked great on our recent Sapphire cruise. When we signed up at the Internet Cafe, they handed us a print-out with directions for using our iPod on the ship. Directions worked well. We were able to log-on in the cabin... picked up our e-mail, sent e-mails as well as surfing the net.

 

Do you mean IPad?

[Sandy R]

Whoops... yes iPad

[knittinggirl]

We tried to get our Kindle Touch WiFi to work on the ship, and it only worked once. On our recent cruise, it seemed to me that there were times the internet was slower than dial-up.

[ibfern]

I just got off the Pacific Princess, I did not have problems with getting emails on my ipad but the browser they push into your device made it difficult to surf the net using anything but that browser. When I would fire up Safari, I would get booted within a few minutes. This did not bother me and actually helped save minutes, however at some point on the cruise they did upgrade their systems with a new browser (which was actually the old browser they used to use) and this essentially fixed all problems.

[KirkNC]

I think they mean ipad.

[VOR]

I used my Tablet last week on Sapphire, and had few issues.

 

It ran out of IPs once or twice but so long as you understand this is not Starbucks, and the service will be slower, its not bad.

[AliceS]

This is good news to me, I just got a new iPad. Looking forward to using it on the ship. I'm afraid that I won't need my Sony Reader anymore. I do have a lot to learn about the IPad though. I'll keep reading here and learn. Alice

[Sandy R]

The print-out the gave out was a whole printed page but what worked for me was: If you lose the WiFi network after you have been connected, you have to disable "Autologin" in your setting.

 

I kept autologin off until I returned home.

 

I had trouble getting to the Princess Internet log-on page, so I tapped my Safari app, which brought me right to the Princess internet log-in page. Once I was in, I could use my apps. I experimented with the location of our cabin that was best... it happened to be next to the balcony sliding glass window.

[ibfern]

This is good news to me, I just got a new iPad. Looking forward to using it on the ship. I'm afraid that I won't need my Sony Reader anymore. I do have a lot to learn about the IPad though. I'll keep reading here and learn. Alice

 

Keep the reader, the iPad is impossible to read in sunlight but the readers work great in or out! I carry both.

[Reader0108598]

My ipad was impossible to use on my last cruise. :( The internet manger even set it up for me to work correctly, Not!:rolleyes:

 

Reader

[chief30]

What was the cost to use your IPad. Would like to take ours on our cruise in Feb.

[grandmaa]

I used my iPad on the Emerald and it worked great..easier than taking the lap top. No problem getting on the Internet. Great device.

[caribill]

What was the cost to use your IPad. Would like to take ours on our cruise in Feb.

 

Internet costs are the same no matter what type of computer or device you are using. They are also the same for using the ships computers in the Internet Cafe.

 

Speed is basically that of dial-up and the internet may not be available at all times due to the ship's position.

 

First there is a $3.95 initial sign up charge (once per cruise per user; free for platinum/elite passengers). Then 75 cents/minute unless you purchase a package. No refund for package minutes not used.

 

Packages:

100 minutes $55.00

150 minutes $75.00

250 minutes $100.00

500 minutes $175.00

 

If you sign up for a package the first day, there is usually some free bonus minutes. You can also pre-pay for a package at http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/communications/index.jsp and this will include more bonus minutes than you would get onboard. If you pre-pay, it will also include the 3.95 initial sign-on fee.

 

The package minutes can be used both on your own computer and on the ship's computers in the Internet Cafe.

 

The first time you use the Internet onboard, there will be instructions on how to set up your account and select a password.

 

Please note that on your own computer you must sign out with an address of 1.1.1.1 or your minutes may continue to be counted down. Alternatively, you can use an address of logout.com on some ships.

 

If you sign up on board for a package, you do so either on your own laptop or one of the ship's computers in the Internet Cafe. Either way, you can do it without the need to interact with the Internet Cafe manager.

[AliceS]

Keep the reader, the iPad is impossible to read in sunlight but the readers work great in or out! I carry both.

 

 

I still have books on my reader, so I have no intent to scrap it, but my hope was to only have to carry one toy and charger eventually. Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out and find what I use most. A

[ibfern]

I enjoyed using my iPad, I tried to get others interested by lending it out on the cruise!

 

I bought two adapters, one for SD cards and the other for my Canon camera. This turns the ipad into an amazing electronic photo display so its easy to up pictures and see what you took, delete what did not come out, and even email those pics you loved to people who were in them, or would want to see them. The biggest obstacle to this is not having enough room on the ipad to load them all. I have a 32 gig ipad and wish I had bought the 64 gig because I can't have pictures and movies on the same drive, and I usually travel with movies or TV shows in case I need distractions on planes, trains, and automobiles (never ships)!

 

I'm going out to buy me the ipad 2, with as much memory as possible! Not sure how easy it is to add memory, on a PC it is simple but somehow I bet its not as easy on the iPad. Anybody know?

[David7621]

If we brought our own computer or Iphone what are the chances of Skyping with our family back home? Gonna be tough on our 3 year old as Mommy and Daddy have never been gone longer than 1 night:(

[Sandy R]

Using your own computer, iPad, etc., you no longer use 1.1.1.1. You now use logout.com, when finished.

[ibfern]

If we brought our own computer or Iphone what are the chances of Skyping with our family back home? Gonna be tough on our 3 year old as Mommy and Daddy have never been gone longer than 1 night:(

 

Lots of people Skype from the ship, its easy! Early in the morning/late at night yield the best times to get the fastest internet and this would facilitate you if you skype.

[CruisinGrandpa]

We used our IPad on the Crown in August with great success,

AFTER getting a software update in Glasgow!

 

Some tips:

Be sure to 'synch' to ITunes before leaving home. Ship will have latest software

And if you don't have latest updates on your device the connection

might not work

 

Connection speed - sign on in the morning for fastest response.

Afternoons were always busy, especially on port days

 

To conserve minutes download all your emails then sign off before

Reading them. You can read, and respond, while not connected

To the Internet. Next time you sign on sent emails will go out,

But again, do this in the morning or you will use a TON of minutes to

send in the afternoon when everyone else is signed on

[Gazelle2]

Our recent (28 November) cruise on Emerald was the first time I have used the onboard Internet service in our six years of cruising. I did not even take my laptop but rather took only my new ASUS Transformer 101 Android Tablet.

 

It worked great all over the ship and I used it every day. Absolutely no problems except for the overall slowness of the ships satellite-based Internet service and no computer can fix that situation.

 

Gazelle2

[Mar56]

Did a search of all forums and this thread came up - not sailling on Princess but the general info was great. If you wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions though, those of you with experience with iPad and emailing.

 

All the advice I have seen says, while on the ship, download your emails, log off, compose your replies, then log back on and send them.

 

I use hotmail on my iPad (1st one not iPad2) and I can't seem to be able to compose messages while onlline. I've been trying it out at home prior to my cruise, so that I had it figured out, but I don't!! What am I doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mar56

[kcbbq]

I use hotmail on my iPad (1st one not iPad2) and I can't seem to be able to compose messages while onlline. I've been trying it out at home prior to my cruise, so that I had it figured out, but I don't!! What am I doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mar56

 

Hotmail (like yahoo, gmail, etc.) is browser-based, so you wouldn't be able to compose without being online.

 

What I would do is use a word processing app like SimpleNotes to compose my emails, then save to my device. When online, open your word processor, open your pre-written emails, highlight, copy, then paste into hotmail and send.

[DeltaOne]

Did a search of all forums and this thread came up - not sailling on Princess but the general info was great. If you wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions though, those of you with experience with iPad and emailing.

 

All the advice I have seen says, while on the ship, download your emails, log off, compose your replies, then log back on and send them.

 

I use hotmail on my iPad (1st one not iPad2) and I can't seem to be able to compose messages while onlline. I've been trying it out at home prior to my cruise, so that I had it figured out, but I don't!! What am I doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mar56

 

You need to use the iPad's Mail app, not the Safari browser. Settings, then Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Add Account, then use the Hotmail option -- all you'll have to enter is your user name and password.

[Mar56]

Thanks everyone. Just noticed my typo - sigh. But it seems you knew I meant "offline" - I'll practice with this.

 

Thanks again.

 

Mar56