Using (and paying for) internet on the CB

[Kellie in Texas]

We sail on 10/22/05 on the Caribbean Princess for our first cruise. My parents will be staying with our two boys, getting them to school etc. We plan to check in with them once a day or so by email. This is our first cruise so we'll be paying for our internet access. Can anyone tell me if the computers have anything like Word or Notepad where you can type your message offline and then cut-and-paste it into the email after you've logged on? Also, are there printers where we could print out the emails from our parents and kids, and read them "for free" (i.e. after logging off)? Thanks for the info. Kellie in Texas

[Toto2Kansas]

Internet access takes you directly to the web. No wordpad or anything else to pre-type your emails in for no charge. You are able to print off emails for $1 per page.

Internet is charged to your cruise card for 35 cents per minute and often times the connection is quite slow.

[lbhafen]

I have always found the internet cafe's in the ports the best way to check and send e-mail. This cruise is a problem, since there are only two ports (Princess Cays doesn't count). I don't feel safe using my primary e-mail accounts in the internet cafe's, so I usually establish a hot mail account just for the trip, and send mail from there, and have family send e-mail to us there.

 

If you want more frequent access, you are tied to the ship. I can't wait to have 5 cruises on Princess as one of the perk's is free internet access.

 

Keith

[beachy2]

I found the internet connection slow only if there were many other people on at the same time. If you go at a time when most people are otherwise occupied (like at dinner, at the pool on a sunny day, later in evening) the connection was similar to what I have at home. I wrote an e-mail home almost everday, and read only the most important e-mails, and usually got away with an internet charge of $2-3...certainly not a big deal. When I was in ports I didn't want to be at an internet cafe...much more interesting things to spend limited port time on!

[cynbar]

If you have your own laptop, you can sit in the ship's atrium and prepay for connection time --- it's the same price as the internet cafe, but you buy ahead in blocks of time, I forget how much. We did this very successfully, could write our notes in advance, then send them and receive our e mail for later reading in a short amount of time. The connection time in the internet cafe is often very slow, so this is a good option.

[cruznliz]

I've heard that the connections can be slow onboard due to the satellite connection. :eek: My method is that if you don't connect in 30 seconds, log out and go to another terminal or wait an hour or so. On the ship computers you can go to the Princess website for free, so many people check to see how fast they can get on that first. If you get on fast, then log on and do your e-mail.;) I usually write out the e-mails in advance (long hand) and then it is faster to just type them in. (Also you don't forget what you wanted to say). We've been very successful at Internet Cafe's all over the world. They are usually just a hole in the wall, but it's part of the experience and usually very cheap. (Watch out for pick-pockets though. Keep your purse in your lap while you're typing!) :(

[Kellie in Texas]

Thanks for all the ideas. I am a fast typist and we will probably write a few notes first to make the typing faster. It'll be nice to know we can have a little communication each day with the boys and my parents!

[NthernLgts]

Thanks for all the ideas. I am a fast typist and we will probably write a few notes first to make the typing faster. It'll be nice to know we can have a little communication each day with the boys and my parents!

 

Kellie, we just got off the CB 3 weeks ago. I used the internet connection once at about 11pm to let the family know we had changed course due to Rita and to let them know we were fine. I connected right away and got my email off as soon as I was done typing. A total of maybe 4 minutes online. It worked well.

[cezovski]

I read that the rate is $7.50/15 mins. Is that a minimum charge? Does that mean if you are only on for 5 minutes you are charged $7.50 anyway or just the amount that 5 minutes would come to?

Thanks for the tip about checking the princess.com website for speed before logging on!

Carol

Dawn Princess on 2-8-06