Internet access on Oceania??

[lahore]

Hi, I see from the brochures that Oceania has what looks like a computer training room-cum internet cafe. It also says that cabins, whoops sorry 'staterooms', have internet access. I am tossing up whether to bring my lap top or whether to buy a photo bank. I would be keen to know:

a: what sort of charges for in-stateroom access to internet?

b: does the above work?

c: If one doesn't bring laptop, can one burn disks in computer training room

 

All questions related to digital photography of course (and the added bonus of internet access if I brought laptop).

 

Thanks

 

Lyn

[PurpleCow]

a. $25. for initial hook-up plus $1. per minute or somewhat less if you purchase a multi-minute plan.

 

b. Yes, but v-e-r-r-r-y slowly. Remember dial-up as it existed 15 years ago?

 

c. Yes for a nominal charge. I paid $10. to load my aunt's photos onto my own thumb drive because my laptop couldn't read her camera card.

 

If you want your laptop simply to view and edit pictures and burn CDs, then, or course, you don't need either an Internet connection or the in room set-up.

[lahore]

Great, thanks for that info. Might skip the laptop and go with the photo bank. Don't need to burn CD's really, but might just to have backup. Internet can wait given those charges and timespans - too much like work anyway and it will do me good to get away from it.

[Florida cruisee]

:mad: I would caution you about laptop use in the cabin unless you have a great travel surge suppressor. I stupidly didn't take one on the R7 in 2000 and blew my hard drive. These ships have very problematic electrical systems, according to the ship's computer people. You would never know it as a passenger - unless you lose your hard drive. I rather doubt that Oceania has rewired the ships, therefore caution is a good thing.

[lahore]

Thanks heaps Florida Cruisee - that is truly invaluable information! Another rethink happening.....

 

Cheers

[PurpleCow]

:mad: I would caution you about laptop use in the cabin unless you have a great travel surge suppressor. I stupidly didn't take one on the R7 in 2000 and blew my hard drive. These ships have very problematic electrical systems, according to the ship's computer people. You would never know it as a passenger - unless you lose your hard drive. I rather doubt that Oceania has rewired the ships, therefore caution is a good thing.

I used my laptop on battery and plugged in only to rechage the battery while the computer was turned off. I don't know if that's what saved my hard drive or if I was just lucky. I also recharged my cell phone without any harm.

[phlewt]

b. Yes, but v-e-r-r-r-y slowly. Remember dial-up as it existed 15 years ago?

 

The world wide web (or internet as we now know it) didn't exist until late 1992. The first user friendly browser followed in 1993. This was less than 15 years ago :) . There were some computer BBS systems 15 years ago, but most people weren't trying to move huge files over them.

 

As for ships electrical systems, they are not as clean as what you find within the electrical grid in north America, but should not be a problem for laptop computers. The battery for a laptop has a very low impedance and as such, acts as a pretty good surge suppressor. The Oceania ships have multiple voltages available, so make sure that you plug the laptop into an outlet with the correct voltage.

[Florida cruisee]

It was verified by the guy in charge of the ship's computer systems that the R7 (at the time Renaissance) had a very fluky electrical system with multiple surges. That is undoubtedly what blew my computer. At any rate it was an expensive lesson learned. I now travel with a good surge suppressor all the time. I can assure you that I had my computer plugged into the correct outlet!

 

A question: is the internet speed in the cabins slower than in the computer lab? It seems that it would be the same. That would deter me from bothering with access in the cabin, if slower. What are they charging for access in the lab? What are the package costs?

[drwong]

My wife's curling iron shorted out on our recent cruise, but it might have been due to the wrong voltage setting - we don't have to worry about adjusting voltage in the States since everything is uniform. But on the other hand, my rechargable batteries recharged in about half the time it takes back home!

 

We brought along two 1GB memory cards for our camera. We didn't want to incur the cost and expense of uploading the photos to a website nor did we think it necessary to burn the photos onto a CD onboard (we didn't think that we needed that as a backup). As it turns out, we had more than enough memory on those two cards to cover our two-week trip. But if you want up upload your photos as a precautionary measure, you might be able to find an internet cafe ashore where most of the terminals will have a USB port compatible with your camera's cable.

[lahore]

I was just about to type 'OK, I think I won't bother with the laptop' but then I thought - ah, but it could be useful on shore as we are very independent travellers and like to book tours trains etc by internet - so it could be handy in Hong Kong and Beijing. I don't think I have to worry about voltages as I have a laptop that was bought in America but works fine in Australia where I live - I just looked undernearth it and it says DC 16V - it's a Sony Viao and I have used it in USA and Aus and Asia. But a surge protector is a good idea....what about plug shape though - I would need to get a surge protector that fits USA style plugs? I have several travel power adaptors (one being a mega expensive multi format one that can even charge on planes), but none of them have a surge protector. I take it that if I put a surge protector between the plug and the computer I will be OK?? Still in a quandry.... I also thought about the 1GB memory stick, it would certainly make life easier - I might end up going with that! But I take so many photos and the camera is 5 mpx... Still dunno...

[PurpleCow]

Several years ago, before a trip to Australia, I purchased a kit with different plug configurations for my laptop. Because the power connection already includes a transformer, all that was needed was to attach the "Australian" plug. The staterooms on the Oceania ships have two different plug confugurations, United States (two parallel slots) and Europe (two round slots), but not Australia (two angled slots), so you'll need one or the other plug converter.

 

I think the connection in the staterooms is slower than that in the computer lab because the stateroom set-up is a dial-up conection to the ship's network. I have read that there is wireless access in some parts of the ships. I would be interested in knowing where they are and how wireless access is charged.

[phlewt]

I just looked undernearth it and it says DC 16V

 

That is the DC (battery) voltage that operates the laptop. The voltage that is of interest is the high side (AC) voltage for the power adapter. The power adapter is the device that connects between the outlet on the wall and your laptop. Look at the nameplate on the adapter, and it should tell you what the allowable AC voltage is. Most of the units I have seen will operate between 110 and 240 volts and at 50-60 Hz in frequency. If yours is like that, you can plug it into any stateroom outlet in which it will fit on Oceania (except the one that says shavers only).

 

Appliances such as hair dryers and irons will only operate properly at their rated voltage. Plugging a 120 volts-AC hair dryer into a 240 volts-AC outlet will almost surely destroy it.

 

I believe that mechanical issues are a more likely culprit for hard drive failures than electrical surges. Most transients on the AC side will fail to pass through the transformer/battery power source of the laptop. The constant vibration encountered on board is far from an ideal environment for a hard drive, however.

 

If I were to bring a laptop with me, I would not bother bringing a surge protector.

[drwong]

Lahore - if you're an inveterate shutterbug, you should bring several packs of rechargable batteries and a high-speed charger. We brought three sets of 2300 mhz batteries - we kept one set in the camera and carried another with us as spares, while the third set recharged. I can't tell you how many times that extra set of batteries came in handy!

 

We didn't see any evidence of wireless access aboard the ship. Although people were working on laptops without the umbelical tethers, they were working with stand-alone programs. Anyone connecting to the internet had to do it by wire - either via one of the computers in the library or lab or from your stateroom. Given the $25 convenience fee for setting up a stateroom connection, the lack of adequate counter space in the staterooms, and the new weight limitations on both checked (50 lbs) and carry-on (13 lbs) luggage (not to mention most batteries' inability to sustain themselves through a trans-Atlantic flight), we decided to leave our laptop at home.

[patlanta]

lahore,

 

You didn't say where you were staying in Beijing but I wanted to chime in for the surge protector. We "blew up" at the Sheraton Great Wall. Thanks to the protection our laptop and our whole trip's pictures were saved. Also, the manufacturer replaced the damaged surge protector; they said it was guaranteed for life.

 

At several hotels around the world we have been able to get transformers to step down the voltage. Just ask at the front desk.

 

We also carry a grounding plug. In other words, when we connect it's a rather Rube Goldberg configuration.

[lahore]

Hi all. Thanks for all the info - somehow I stopped getting notified that these posts were here.

 

I feel like such a dullard about the 16volts - d'uh, the battery, of course. It was late at night - or that's my excuse.

 

Hmmm, I am getting less inclined to lug the laptop. I have used it in Australia and pacific, Asia and USA so am sure it adapts, but I like my expensive laptop and never really thought power surges were a big problem - some of you have had proof I am too casaual evidently. But that then begs the question of what sort of photo bank to get....oh dear, life's so challenging.

 

Could still go with the 1 meg mem sticks - and they are probably cheap in China. They weigh heaps less too!

 

Batteries certainly are and yes, i always have three; one in camera, one in bag and one on charger.

 

Thanks again, hope this posting helps others also.

[phlewt]

You didn't say where you were staying in Beijing but I wanted to chime in for the surge protector. We "blew up" at the Sheraton Great Wall. Thanks to the protection our laptop and our whole trip's pictures were saved. Also, the manufacturer replaced the damaged surge protector; they said it was guaranteed for life.

 

Patlanta,

I'm curious as to what you mean when you say you "blew up". If one were to plug a 120VAC surge protector into a 220VAC system (as is the case in China), the surge protector would likely be damaged or destroyed. I'm sure that is not the case, however, because you know about the stepdown transformers for such situations. The types of transients that surge protectors are designed to protect against are also very hazardous to other electronics devices (TV's, radios, etc.). Was there any damage to other equipment in the hotel when you experienced the blow up?

[drwong]

Hi, I see from the brochures that Oceania has what looks like a computer training room-cum internet cafe.

 

It's not QUITE an internet cafe - they won't let you bring drinks into the room. I guess they had a few too many spill into the keyboards, rendering them unusable. :)

[Cecillena]

We were on the Regatta for the Mystery cruise in November. Our laptops,one a PC and one a MAC worked in the library and on the pool deck as well as the card room. We were in an OS and there was no internet access other than dial-up.

[PurpleCow]

Are you saying that there was a wireless connection in the library, card room and on the pool deck? If so, how were you charged for the time?

[Cecillena]

We purchased the time and registered our individual laptops. we were billed just as though we were on the hard line in the computer room.

[lahore]

So it was wireless? What were the charges for that (approximately) please? Was it quick, slow or indifferent.....?

[Cecillena]

The charges were as posted in the Oceania computer room. Did not ask for any discount for bulk use nor given one.. The connection was slow but perhaps the server was overwhelmed with the usage. I noticed many others using laptops as we did. If Oceania monitors this site they would be advised to upgrade their service in that more and more travellers have laptops or pda's with them. We had news as you would expect before the other passengers, i.e. the attack on the cruise ship in the Arabian sea.

[lahore]

Thanks, if it's slow I am not going to pay those sort of charges for it (yes I know, I'm a tightwad, but AUD worth only 70% of USD and prices for services on cruiseliners already high). If I find the withdrawals too much I will just go to internet cafe ashore.

 

Postscript:

 

:eek: I just made a decision folks! I bought a 2gb memory stick on ebay for AUD $182, so I reckon it's no computers for me. It will do my relationship with my partner no end of good - he will be glad that I am separated from my umbilical cord for a few weeks.

[brian_uk]

Lahore.....thats a crock . The fact that the Aussie dollar has a value of 70% of the US $ has no relevance if, for example your wages are 20% higher than in USA......then it all balances out.

 

And you lost the Ashes too !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Just a joke

 

Brian

[lahore]

Yes, but I am an academic Brian; and academics in Australia get paid **** money. I don't earn 20% more than most of the Americans who will be on this ship - more like 20% of what they earn! I would almost guarantee that Jon and I will be the lowest wage earners on the bloody ship, so it's not a crock at all. I save up hard for my holidays; they are my main vice. I don't drink, smoke or anything else costly. A lot of people here in Australia on similar wages to us don't believe the travelling we do - but with the internet, very significant discounts make it possible to travel in 5 star luxury for a reasonable price. HOwever once I am onboard, you better believe that extra 30 per cent makes a difference. As for the UK Pound Brian - well wouldn't I love to be earning that sort of exchange rate. Airfares to anywhere from Australia are also high. We try not to let any of that stop us.