...big clunky cameras, walkie talkies, and netbooks...

[Travelnerd44]

:o

 

Random thoughts here...

 

*my camera is big and clunky but takes excellent pics...but might be a pain in the neck...am i just as good with a disposable (if i lose it or break it ...it wont matter?) type?

 

* will walkie talkies work on board if you get seperated - or choose to get seperated :p - from your travel companion?

 

*as for the small netbook...im thinking its a good idea for downloading pics onto so i can reuse my memory card...worth the effort or just invest in more memory cards?

 

***one more thing...where do you buy the free soda card? Or can i bring my own from home and keep it in the fridge? Every cabin has a fridge right?:rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

 

Comments?

[1025cruise]

I'd want to use my normal camera.

Walkie talkies may or may not work, but consensus is to leave them at home. Plus, depending on where you are going, the frequencies they use might be illegal.

I always bring a laptop to download pics, but I never end up doing so. I just leave them on the card.

Which cruiseline are you on? Odds are, every waiter will be selling soda stickers. Not all cabins have fridges, it depends on the ship.

[serene56]

walkie talkies:

 

cabins are equipped with voice mail. se tit up when you arrive in the cabin.

 

ships are not that large where someone is getting lost. Use the activity pages to see what each member of your party whats to do. (using a high lighter you will know when and where to find them.

 

Walkie talkies are not worth the packing space. They are loud and obtrusive

 

Although they have many channels--many people will be sreaming in each channel looking for their people. Many kids will be screaming into it for mom and many moms will be shouting back-- what???

 

what cruiseline depends on bringing soda onboard.

 

 

Most allow- carnival allows 12 beverages of non alcohoc variety.

[mark13]

camera, bring your own. You'll appreciate the picture quality more.

Walkie talkies, leave yours at home. Some ships rent for a small charge and then you and your kids have a dedicated channel for yourselves, think beeper/wallkies in one

Soda card will be obvious as soon as you walk inboard on most ships or available at any bar anytime

I always bring some caffeine free coke because I can't get it inboard, check with your cruise line for exact requirements

And I usually get a fridge in a balcony room, but it is often a mini bar, so not for own use

[chipmaster]

IMHO you should never trust your kodak moments to a iPhone or P&S and I love that big camera, it ain't clunky its speedy and fast!

[Travelnerd44]

"Walkie talkies are not worth the packing space. They are loud and obtrusive

 

Although they have many channels--many people will be sreaming in each channel looking for their people. Many kids will be screaming into it for mom and many moms will be shouting back-- what??"

 

:D:rolleyes:

 

thats actually similar to my cell phone ringer...hahahaha "Mom mom mom mummy mama mum mum mumma mom mama mommy mumma mom...MOM!!!! ......WHAAT!!!" :mad:

 

Anyway...points well taken! ;)

 

I keep forgetting to mention ill be on the Carnival Glory. i wasnt sure if walkie talkies would interfere with anything or if they would staticy and none too private...so ill leave them at home! And...if i am able to bring 6-12 cans of my diet decaf soda that is MORE than enough for the week...i am budgetted for a good number of foofoo drinks by the pool anyway...hahahaha....plus it will leave that empty space for all my mementos going home! :cool:

[serene56]

Glory- you can take a 12 pack of your favorite beverage.

In our begining of our cruises we took 12 packs- never drank them all and had to give them to the cabin steward on the last night.

 

We did take them with us to dinner.

 

Free iced tea and lemonade was available.. either by itself was nasty but when we mixed them together=== woo hoo we had a good drink

[Travelcat2]

There are so many small digital cameras that take wonderful photos -- many are inexpensive. Think about purchasing one of them instead of your big clunky camera.

 

Several people have posted on CruiseCritic that they HATE walkie talkies. They are noisy and should not be necessary. We just put a post-it note inside the door saying where we are going.

 

Don't stress about things..... just go and have a great cruise.:)

[pdmlynek]

Hello Travelnerd44! You’ve gotten some good advice. Let me chime in.

(1) As far as cameras go, take the camera that you feel comfortable using. It makes no sense to take a complicated camera that you are not passionate about using or use so rarely that you do not know what all buttons do.

But on the other hand, the bulkiness is outweighed by higher quality pictures. Aside from memories, pictures will be the only thing that you’ll have from your trip. You do not want to take a look at your album and see just a bunch of low quality snapshots that a disposable camera provides.

(2) We took walkie talkies with us, but we have not used them. Voicemail worked fine, and we felt the need to keep track of each other a lot less than we thought.

(3) We do not drag a computer with us on a vacation, unless we have something to do for work. It is extra weight and worry about breaking it. And our vacations tend to be so filled that we do not really have time to use a computer. For pictures we just use large capacity chips that we leave in the camera. We off load the pictures when we get home. We generally use high capacity chips instead of several smaller chips, because it is easier to keep track of just the camera rather than to keep track of the camera and extra chips.

[Crew News]

:o

 

Random thoughts here...

 

*my camera is big and clunky but takes excellent pics...but might be a pain in the neck...am i just as good with a disposable (if i lose it or break it ...it wont matter?) type?

 

Bring the clunker for scenic pictures but put a small point and shoot camera in your pocket for impromptu pictures. A spare battery for the clunker would be a good idea as well.

 

* will walkie talkies work on board if you get seperated - or choose to get seperated :p - from your travel companion?

 

Walkie talkies don't work well through walls so they will only be good on deck to someone else on deck. They are also illegal in some countries without a license. Leave them at home.

 

*as for the small netbook...im thinking its a good idea for downloading pics onto so i can reuse my memory card...worth the effort or just invest in more memory cards?

 

Bring the netbook to backup your storage cards (bring extra). You can also use it to keep your cruise log.

 

***one more thing...where do you buy the free soda card? Or can i bring my own from home and keep it in the fridge? Every cabin has a fridge right?:rolleyes:

 

Bring your own sodas just to be sure your fav brand is available. If you don't have a fridge, place a plastic bag in a trash can, fill it with ice from your room steward, add a few sodas, and you can always have a cold soda at the ready.

 

Comments?

 

Enjoy your cruise. Keep a good log. Take pictures of the food and lots of pictures of the ship.

[Langley Cruisers]

...If you don't have a fridge, place a plastic bag in a trash can, fill it with ice from your room steward...

 

Umm, ewww. I'm sure the cabin attendant would get you an ice bucket. ;)

.

[calliopecruiser]

It makes no sense to take a camera you won't use, but by the same token, it makes no sense to leave your favourite camera behind. I will bring my DSLR camera, because I love using it and the pictures I take with it.

 

As for a netbook, I am taking one to use on the land portion of my trip and through airports. I expect I won't really use it on board; I don't feel the same need to download photos right away as many other posters seem to.

[ducklite]

I took my little point & shoot on our last Bahamas cruise, I knew it would do the trick for the limited photos I'd want to take.

 

I hauled one of my pro level DSLRs (ie 30-40% larger and 50% heavier than the average DSLR) to Europe, there was no way I was going to trust the P&S or even one of my prosumer level DSLRs to get photos of what might be once in a lifetime places. Rather than a clunky camera bag I broke it down into three pieces for transport, each in their own padded bag in my tote--the body, the lens, and the battery grip and carried it onto the plane in my tote. Once I arrived in Europe I put it together and carried it over my shoulder or with the strap around my wrist everywhere I went.

 

I use a battery grip which adds weight but also adds a second battery and makes vertical shooting a breeze. Both batteries charge on the same charger, I only brought one charger, I don't think I ever charged the body battery, just the grip. I took about 2000 photos over the three weeks.

 

I brought a netbook, never used it. I did use my iPhone daily on WiFi for email, Facebook, etc.

 

Walkie Talkies are a waste of time and annoying to others, leave them home.

 

Memory cards are ridiculously cheap, just buy a bunch of them. I recently bought 10 Sandisk 8GB SD cards for $1.99 each off Amazon. I've got about 50 gig worth of CF cards and even with my highest end camera shooting RAW I can still take well over 5000 photos. Every day I started with a fresh CF card and a spare and left the others in the card wallet in the room safe.

[Travelnerd44]

Excellent advice everyone...thanks so much! I agree...i think ill regret not bringing my clunker of a camera...plus it takes great panoramic photos... ;)

[Steviewonder1]

There is a Photo Gallery here at CC that has some great info on cameras and pictures. Me, I bring my big DSLR with two lenses and 4 Digital Storage cards. Every day the cards (if used) get backed up to a separate hard drive not in a computer. I then find 2-3 of what I look as my best shots, print 5-7 copies of each on a portable printer I take and post them on a folder on the door of our Suite for others who pass by to take one of and enjoy. I have even received pictures from others that do the same! Have a great time and take lots of pictures.

[meggie711]

Excellent advice everyone...thanks so much! I agree...i think ill regret not bringing my clunker of a camera...plus it takes great panoramic photos... ;)

 

I just bought a "clunky" camera specifically for our cruise next year! A Canon t4i dslr. You are going to get some awesome pics with the "clunky" one and you won't regret taking it.

Also, I don't have a netbook, laptop, iPad, or any of those things, but still recommend that you bring extra memory cards and leave those things at home. You aren't going to want to have to keep up with all of that, or at least I wouldn't. :)

[MSgirl cruiser]

I agree with bringing what you feel most comfortable using.. I will say when we went on Alaska cruise 2 years ago, I took my big clunky camera and extra memory cards. At the end of each day in port, I put that memory card back in its case and wrote on the outside where we were. When got home made it easier to remember where the scenic pics where taken. Going on western carib in Sept and taking waterproof disposable cause I know I wont be taking as many pics.Its our second western.

As far as the fridge in the cabin, we always ask the steward to take out the mini bar items and put our stuff in there and this has never been a problem..

[serene56]

cabins DO have refridgerators but they are more like a cooler then anything. It will not keep your stuff cold. (cool yes)

 

we take a small collapsible cooler - one that holds 6-9 cans and the steward will keep it full of ice.

[sparky-elpaso]

I usually have 2 cameras - my Sony for regular shots and a little waterproof point & shoot.

 

I take a netbook and download my photos every night - then back them up on a portable hard drive every few days (I've had computers crash and I still have all my pics because I had backed them up).

[2Okies]

:o

 

Random thoughts here...

 

*my camera is big and clunky but takes excellent pics...but might be a pain in the neck...am i just as good with a disposable (if i lose it or break it ...it wont matter?) type? I used to bring my good Canon digital camera with me. However, on my 2nd cruise, I was on deck as we were coming into Jamaica taking pictures. The humidity was really high that morning, and evidently it shorted out the electronics and my camera quit working! I had no camera for the rest of my trip (and this was our first of 3 ports!) I had to send my camera in for repairs after the trip. NOW, I have an Olympus 8000 Stylus Tough underwater digital camera that I love! It takes beautiful pictures on land or in the sea. It's small, and travels well in my purse or backpack. I leave my big camera at home.

 

* will walkie talkies work on board if you get seperated - or choose to get seperated :p - from your travel companion? We've always brought our walkie talkies, and it helps if we get separated from each other. Once I didn't have them, and got separated from my friend and her daughter on the ship. It wasn't fun trying to find each other.

 

*as for the small netbook...im thinking its a good idea for downloading pics onto so i can reuse my memory card...worth the effort or just invest in more memory cards? I just pack more memory cards. I like to travel as lightly as possible because we usually do the self-disembarking, and we sure don't want heavy luggage. Cards are so cheap now, so I just wait until I get home to download.

 

***one more thing...where do you buy the free soda card? Or can i bring my own from home and keep it in the fridge? Every cabin has a fridge right?:rolleyes: I've never bought one, as I'm not a big soda drinker, and figured I could survive a week without one anyway. But, you can buy them onboard once you are on the ship. And, I believe you are allowed to bring 12-20 oz cans/bottles of soda or water per person aboard in a carry-on. Even if you don't have a fridge, you can ask your steward to keep ice in your room bucket & have a coke on ice - or just take it w/you & get your own cup of ice from the buffet. We are going to bring our own large insulated cups this time, so that we can keep cold drinks longer at our lounge chairs. The small cups you get from the buffet just don't last very long, and the ice melts quickly. Plus, you have the accidental spilling problem.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments?

 

I've answered your questions above. I hope it helps!

[Travelnerd44]

The small cups you get from the buffet just don't last very long, and the ice melts quickly. Plus, you have the accidental spilling problem.

 

 

I dont know if you have a Bed Bath and Beyond store near you...but try the Turvis brand cups (may be spelled wrong :p ) i took one of those beasts to Jamaica and my pina colada was still cold on the beach hours later...(i had forgotten it in in the sand under my lounge chair) They are a little more expensive but i have to say they were well worth the money!

 

:)

 

heres the website

http://www.tervis.com/info/anatomy-of-a-tervis

[2Okies]

 

I dont know if you have a Bed Bath and Beyond store near you...but try the Turvis brand cups (may be spelled wrong :p ) i took one of those beasts to Jamaica and my pina colada was still cold on the beach hours later...(i had forgotten it in in the sand under my lounge chair) They are a little more expensive but i have to say they were well worth the money!

 

:)

 

heres the website

http://www.tervis.com/info/anatomy-of-a-tervis

 

 

Thanks for the info. I've already bought my insulated cups at Big 5 Sports. They have the flip up spout, and they can be clipped to a bag, etc. They are slim in shape, and I think they will pack well. However, your info will be good for others searching for just the right cup!

[Eris0303]

I have a "clunky" Canon Rebel but I opted to leave it at home. Less because it was annoying to carry but more because I didn't want people to see it and think "look there goes a $1600 camera". I borrowed my mother's P&S Casio and it took great pictures. I would leave the computer at home and just stock up on memory cards. I like uploading the pictures when I get home much more. Happy memories and all that :)

[Harry and Lucille]

I use a Canon ZR50. Not what I would call clunky. I added a wide angle lens and attach a lite weight telescoping tripod. This comes in handy when cam is set to 440X zoom. Also has a remote control that operates all camera functions. Record or photo to card. A couple of batteries, a few tapes and cards and I am ready to go. On a moving ship, 440 is really useless due to the speed of focus, but, I find it great while in port. It can go where I don't have the time to. Example: while in Hawaii and on deck, I was able to catch photos of surfers 1 1/4 miles down the beach and even see the expressions on their faces. Got a great deal when Ultimate Electronics went out of business. Remember my old RCA over the shoulder 8 track cam. What a change. :cool:

[Proseknitic]

(and the answer is more than one of what has been suggested).

 

My electronics backpack is heavier than my suitcase. I bring 1-2 camera bodies, 2-4 lenses, flash. I also bring my MacBook Air which doubles for reading, email, and writing.

 

I download my photos every night and also back up to an external hard drive. If something doesn't come out, it gives me a chance to find someone else with a photo. I have also been known to download and burn off CDs for other people (most ships now offer this service). The last trips I have also been emailing off photos to others on the cruise. Not everyone captures the moose/sea otter/whale.....

 

Photography is a serious hobby for me. Even tho CF and SD cards are cheap, I like knowing if I have what I want while still on the cruise.

 

Next spring I will also bring a small water-proof camera (not taking the big one's snorkeling).

 

In summary - the weight is worth it to me. The smaller camera case (which fits inside the backpack) is what I take on a daily basis