Would you bring your iPad on your cruise to the pool?

[MrsPete]

If you do, make it hard to get. For example, wrap your iPad in your towel and loop the towel around your deck chair. Or if you bring a beach bag with you, zip it up and loop the handles. Anything to slow down somebody who might have been watching.

I fall into the "paperbacks by the pool and at the beach" camp, but if you're determined to bring one to the pool, this is a good idea. If someone were to steal your electronic gadget, it'd be a crime of opportunity ("Oh, look . . . it's mine now" rather than a planned heist), and any small slow-down would make the thief think twice. Even 2-3 second to unwind the item could mean the difference in the owner seeing him.

If my cabin is close to the stairs, I take my iPad, use it, then take it back to the cabin when I am ready to go into the water or get something to eat. I leave it in the cabin if I am not willing to make the trip. I might risk a Kindle, but the iPad cost more than I am willing to risk losing.

I disagree. My new Kindle wasn't very expensive (as opposed to my dearly loved, but now departed original Kindle), but not being able to read it for the rest of my cruise would matter to me just as much as the financial loss.

I have seen someone have one of these by the pool at one of the hotels and it looked pretty slick....check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/Overboard-Waterproof-Protective-Galaxy-BlackBerry/dp/B004TG67YY/ref=pd_cp_pc_1

Looks like a $45 ziplock bag to me. I do take my Kindle to my neighborhood pool, where we are usually one of 2-3 families present, and a ziplock serves me well. I keep one in my pool bag and use it for the whole summer.

I take my Kindle to the pool deck and leave it in my bag or under my towel when I go into the pool. If someone takes it (no one has), I can purchase another for $140. Not an insignificant sum, but not a fortune. Besides, I can immediately "de-register" it so no one can download any new books and who wants to read the books I've chosen?

I remember reading (might not have been here -- I don't remember) about a mom who thought she was being smart by hiding her Kindle under a towel . . . 'til her child came and sat down on the towel.

 

You're right that you'd need to de-register it ASAP so no one could spend on your Kindle account. I also do have back-up copies of my ID and credit cards stored in my Kindle; it's password protected, but who knows how smart the thief might be?

 

A whole new thought: I know quite a few people who read books on their smart phones or Blackberries. Maybe I don't understand because I don't own either of these gadgets, but I think the small screen would drive me nuts. Still, this might be an option for someone who wants something super-small that can very easily be hidden in a beach bag.

[Beth C]

A whole new thought: I know quite a few people who read books on their smart phones or Blackberries. Maybe I don't understand because I don't own either of these gadgets, but I think the small screen would drive me nuts. Still, this might be an option for someone who wants something super-small that can very easily be hidden in a beach bag.

 

The small screen does drive you nuts when reading for any length of time - the only time I use the kindle on my iPhone is when i'm waiting in line forever on a Saturday afternoon at Costco lol That said, my iPhone is worth a heck of a lot more than my Kindle or my iPad plus it has way too much personal information on it. The other thing is - no one probably really notices someone reading on a kindle but you'd stick out like a sore thumb with a big target on you if you had your phone out. BUT if anyone did steal it I can track it and heck maybe i'd get some free vacation photos like that woman who had hers stolen on the Disney cruise!

[rutgersgirl27]

Honestly, I wouldn't. There's too many things to worry about. I'm not going to enjoy being in the pool if I'm spending my time watching my bag. I'm not in a position where I can afford to replace it, so I wouldn't even think about bringing it on board. Losing it/having it stolen/damaged would leave a mark on my vacation, and it's simply not worth it.