Working Vacation

[Remus]

I'm sure this will be considered strange to many or most people but, I'm thinking about taking a cruise on which I spend a lot of time working. I can work pretty much anywhere I have my computer and internet (even if only once in a while). I think it will be nice to just get away from my office and the many interruptions/distractions. Does anybody know if this is common? Is it discussed anywhere on the boards? I haven't been able to find mention of it anywhere. Thanks!

[Essiesmom]

It may not be called a working vacation, but many people ask questions about internet connectivity onboard because they have to keep in touch or work while on their cruise.  EM

[CruiserBruce]

People ask about ability to do work regularly, with the focus being on the quality of on board internet being adequate to support work needs. I have to admit I have taken care of work related issues on almost every cruise since ships offered internet access. Not a lot...maybe a couple of hours, total, in a week cruise. 

[mom says]

I wouldn't say it's common, if you mean working full time. But it's certainly not rare for someone to use their Internet to take care of some work matters during their cruise. On our last cruise we met a lovely gentleman who would spend 2-3 hours each day working remotely with his office back home. He didn't require streaming quality for zoom calls, though.  I'm not sure how well it would work in that case.

[evandbob]

If I had to be on a "working vacation", I think I would choose a modern resort rather than a cruise ship.  The wifi might be more reliable and working from a resort beach or pool might provide a better ambiance than a ship deck or cabin balcony. 

 

Back when I first started cruising in the aughts, I did need to check in for work but I usually used internet cafes in ports rather than the ship's wifi.  I hear that the ship's wifi has improved since that time, and you may be able to get a low cost package rate  But some island resorts are advertising their services as remote work stations, so take your pick. 

 

Anyway, I'm glad my work worries are all in the past, retirement rocks.  JMO, YMMV.

[ldubs]

I always waited until we were in port for big file transfers.  Ship wifi was just too slow.  

[Remus]

Thanks for your responses - very helpful. I don't really need internet but once in a while to email a report or documents so great wifi shouldn't be a problem. I've had to work on previous cruises and so far the wifi has been sufficient. A modern resort might be the way to go but the feeling of being gone and disconnected from most everything is what I'm really looking for. I'd like to find a ship with an out-of-the way quiet place where I can set up my laptop, a couple extra monitors and just work without interruption. I don't know if that exists but I'm going to look. Know of any particular ships with such a place? I'd prefer a Princess cruise given all the cruise credit I've accumulated due to cancelled cruises but I'm interested in all.

[CruiserBruce]

22 minutes ago, Remus said:

Thanks for your responses - very helpful. I don't really need internet but once in a while to email a report or documents so great wifi shouldn't be a problem. I've had to work on previous cruises and so far the wifi has been sufficient. A modern resort might be the way to go but the feeling of being gone and disconnected from most everything is what I'm really looking for. I'd like to find a ship with an out-of-the way quiet place where I can set up my laptop, a couple extra monitors and just work without interruption. I don't know if that exists but I'm going to look. Know of any particular ships with such a place? I'd prefer a Princess cruise given all the cruise credit I've accumulated due to cancelled cruises but I'm interested in all.

If you are in port, the ship will quiet down considerably, as most people are off the ship. So, a library or similar location, or a conference room, would work well. Even a pool, or cabana area, will work.

[Remus]

57 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

If you are in port, the ship will quiet down considerably, as most people are off the ship. So, a library or similar location, or a conference room, would work well. Even a pool, or cabana area, will work.

I didn't even think about that. Port days would be great for getting things done.

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, Remus said:

Thanks for your responses - very helpful. I don't really need internet but once in a while to email a report or documents so great wifi shouldn't be a problem. I've had to work on previous cruises and so far the wifi has been sufficient. A modern resort might be the way to go but the feeling of being gone and disconnected from most everything is what I'm really looking for. I'd like to find a ship with an out-of-the way quiet place where I can set up my laptop, a couple extra monitors and just work without interruption. I don't know if that exists but I'm going to look. Know of any particular ships with such a place? I'd prefer a Princess cruise given all the cruise credit I've accumulated due to cancelled cruises but I'm interested in all.

 

Your need for extra monitors might be a problem unless you do the work in your room or on your balcony.  Are you expecting to carry the monitors to your work location on the ship every day.  Are you planning to spend all day watching your stuff so that someone doesn't fool with it.  Also what do you plan to do if a party of people decides to sit down near your formerly quiet location - ask them to move.

 

Your stateroom - maybe.  Anywhere else - not a good idea.  Think about it.  

 

DON

[Remus]

1 minute ago, donaldsc said:

 

Your need for extra monitors might be a problem unless you do the work in your room or on your balcony.  Are you expecting to carry the monitors to your work location on the ship every day.  Are you planning to spend all day watching your stuff so that someone doesn't fool with it.  Also what do you plan to do if a party of people decides to sit down near your formerly quiet location - ask them to move.

 

Your stateroom - maybe.  Anywhere else - not a good idea.  Think about it.  

 

DON

Good points - fortunately I've got that covered. The monitors are very light and thin and fit will in a laptop bag purchased for travel. It's easy to move if I need. I'm not worried about the noise - just somebody trying to get my attention while I'm working. I can easily ignore the noise. And, working in my room is fine also.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, Remus said:

Thanks for your responses - very helpful. I don't really need internet but once in a while to email a report or documents so great wifi shouldn't be a problem. I've had to work on previous cruises and so far the wifi has been sufficient. A modern resort might be the way to go but the feeling of being gone and disconnected from most everything is what I'm really looking for. I'd like to find a ship with an out-of-the way quiet place where I can set up my laptop, a couple extra monitors and just work without interruption. I don't know if that exists but I'm going to look. Know of any particular ships with such a place? I'd prefer a Princess cruise given all the cruise credit I've accumulated due to cancelled cruises but I'm interested in all.

 

For that sort of quiet space, I would suggest one of the premium/luxury Lines, as they have way more space per pax.After 40 years, we gave up on Princess, as the ship were too big, too many pax and too crowded,

 

After 4 months with Viking Ocean, they have lots of quiet space to set up and work. Have no doubt you will find similar experiences on the other premium/luxury lines.

Edited June 19, 2021 by Heidi13

[Remus]

Just now, Heidi13 said:

 

For that sort of quiet space, I would suggest one of the premium/luxury Lines, as they have way more space per pax.After 40 years, we gave up on Princess, as the ship were too big, too many pax and too crowded,

 

After 4 months with Viking Ocean, they have lots of quiet space to set up and work.

Good to know. I'll check them out. I wasn't pleased with Princess my last cruise with them which was after they were purchased by Carnival. It seemed the quality of the food dropped significantly. We have cruise credit with them because we wanted to cruise with certain family members who talked us into it.

[SelectSys]

42 minutes ago, Remus said:

The monitors are very light and thin and fit will in a laptop bag purchased for travel.

I once needed to work on a cruise during a family vacation.  I simply pulled my laptop and ended up working in a quiet bar for a few hours per day while it was largely unoccupied.  This was only for a week so it was pretty straight forward.

 

My one question in carrying monitors would be where you can set them up?  I am not sure if privacy or ergonomics are a concern for you.  Cruise ship cabins - at least the ones I have been - aren't really set up with desk space.

 

Good luck!  

[sanger727]

I don’t think many people do this on cruise ships because many people who can work remotely need contestant internet/phone which can be difficult and expensive on a cruise ship compared to a land resort. Quiet spots to sit and work on your laptop should be easy to find in the mornings and on port days. Assuming you don’t need a lot of internet or phone usage. Finding enough space to set up a laptop and extra monitors may be a challenge. Keep in mind that these spots will mostly be in bars/lounges which are set up with tables just for drinks. 
 

sea days would be more tricky since these are the rooms they use for many activities. So a room that was empty at 1, could be packed at 2 for trivia.

[Joebucks]

9 hours ago, Remus said:

I didn't even think about that. Port days would be great for getting things done.

 

I've always tossed the idea around about a working cruise. While not working on a cruise is preferable, being able to work from a cruise sounds like a far better experience than not being on a cruise. Cruises are very affordable and some people have more money than time! How great would it be to work and then finish your day with some cruising nightlife?

 

With that said, I hate the idea of working on a port day to take advantage of the extra wifi. To me, that starts crossing over to the territory of not being worth it. I'd much rather find a beach or a resort to work from. To each their own.

[Zach1213]

52 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

With that said, I hate the idea of working on a port day to take advantage of the extra wifi. To me, that starts crossing over to the territory of not being worth it. I'd much rather find a beach or a resort to work from. To each their own.

 

I agree with you 100%. I work remotely like 95% of the time (I technically have an office, but even when I am not traveling, I am usually working from home), and have worked from resorts before. But a cruise ship? No, no thanks. I have done some emails from a cruise ship, but I agree with you that if I am going with the intention of working a lot, a land-based resort would be vastly superior for me and my needs. 

[lenquixote66]

The closest I ever came to a working vacation was when I was in the process of writing a novel.I had a beginning and an end but could not come up with a middle.I posted about this on CC and a woman who was going to be on the cruise said that she was a published author and offered to collaborate with me. I never did this before but after we exchanged info about our previously published work we both decided to try a collaboration.Our spouses were okay with this but only if we limited the writing to sea days. We were on a 14 day cruise and had plenty of time to write but we just could not get it done.

We became good friends with the couple and went on other cruises with them but never wrote anything together.

[Essiesmom]

There are several lines that have computer 'labs' where they have monitors and give classes.  HAL used to, and you could use the room when there was not a class in session.  Oceania has a wonderful library on the R class (have not sailed their larger ships) with a monitor or two:

 

There were also tables in the areas where you entered the Horizon Lounge (on Insignia) .  There was often a jigsaw puzzle in progress.

 

 

 

Outside the spa area on the port side was Oceania @ Sea:

 

 

 

And next to that is the card room:

 

 

 

Your problem might be have a place to plug in your stuff.  

 

Crystal also has a computer lab.  I have not sailed Crystal yet, but they have/had a webcam in the computer lab . 

 

EM

Edited June 19, 2021 by Essiesmom

[Mike981]

My wife and I have done this on cruises and resorts. It is easier at a resort because our rooms were large and so were the balcony's (we worked on both). We only worked 2-3 hours a day and let me tell you, it made work a lot more enjoyable. And it made me more efficient, because I made it a rule that I couldn't go down to the beach/bar until I got my work done.

My suggestion if not working in your room, wear earbuds/headphones to block out the snarky comments about working on vacation.

[Aquahound]

On 6/18/2021 at 4:26 PM, Remus said:

I'm sure this will be considered strange to many or most people but, I'm thinking about taking a cruise on which I spend a lot of time working. I can work pretty much anywhere I have my computer and internet (even if only once in a while). I think it will be nice to just get away from my office and the many interruptions/distractions. Does anybody know if this is common? Is it discussed anywhere on the boards? I haven't been able to find mention of it anywhere. Thanks!

 

Royal Caribbean's top cruiser, Mario Salcedo...aka Super Mario....works from his laptop while cruising.  He practically lives on board.  If he can figure it out, I'm sure you can.  🙂

[SuiteTraveler]

My husband has worked many times when we were on cruises.  The main problem he has encountered was the ability to transfer large files.  For example, we were on the NCL Epic in her maiden year and he was trying to transfer a report he had edited back to his office and it would not go.   It would start to transfer then time out after 20 minutes. He was in the bar in The Haven and had been trying to send the file for 3+ hours.  He told me he was going to have to stay up all night and skip dinner and split the file into single pages as he had tried groups of 20 pages and it still would not go. I have a background in IT and suspected some kind of limitation had been placed on passenger internet accounts.  I suggested we go to the Internet cafe onboard instead to find out what was going on.  My husband was extremely frustrated at that point and really didn't want to "waste time" going there, but I insisted. Of course, no one was on duty there to help us, so I suggested my husband use one of the ship's computers and try to transfer the file from there and it worked in under 1 minute and he immediately received confirmation that the file was received. We easily made our dinner reservation and my husband didn't have to stay up all night after all. Later I talked to one of the people who worked in the Internet cafe and he told me that the bandwidth is limited for passenger accounts over wireless internet but not in the Internet cafe where the computers are hardwired to the network.  So that's why my husband's report didn't send from his computer in the bar in The Haven. This type of limitation is not uncommon across the various cruise lines. So, that is a real downside of trying to work on a cruise.  But now you know this might happen and what to do to try to solve the problem.  Of course, most cruise ports have WIFI and sometimes there is a nearby Starbucks as well where you can transfer files when in port.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

In an exchange for working from home, my company expects employees do have reliable internet (having poor internet is not an excuse for not being able to connect).

 

I would not trust the cruise ship to have good enough internet to ensure no connection issues.

[DirtyDawg]

OP, I hope you find a way to work effectively on a cruise ship.  I actually started cruising to be able to get away from working on my vacations. The lousy ship internet is a real blessing. " Sorry, you can't reach me. I'll be on the ship" 😁 

[ontheweb]

8 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

OP, I hope you find a way to work effectively on a cruise ship.  I actually started cruising to be able to get away from working on my vacations. The lousy ship internet is a real blessing. " Sorry, you can't reach me. I'll be on the ship" 😁 

On our second cruise, it was a blessing that the internet worked well enough for e-mails to go out (and that people were courteous enough to just send their necessary e-mails and then free up the computers. We had a hurricane and were not going to get back to Fort Lauderdale on the scheduled day. I know my late Mother-in-Law was relieved because she had been under the impression that we were just going to be dumped off in Fort Lauderdale with a hurricane hitting.