Is It Worth Bringing Laptop On Radiance?

[Dave4120]

Hello...We will be on the Radiance November 25th. Since I just got my first laptop, I was wondering if it made sense to even bring it on the ship.

 

Is there an internet connection in our cabin to hook up the laptop and get onto the internet?

 

If so, do you know what the charge might be?

 

Does the ship have hot spots so you can use the laptop anywhere on board?

 

Or is it just better to use the ships internet computer if you really need to get onto the computer?

 

Thank-you for any help and suggestions.

 

Dave

[madforcruising]

Hello...We will be on the Radiance November 25th. Since I just got my first laptop, I was wondering if it made sense to even bring it on the ship.

 

Is there an internet connection in our cabin to hook up the laptop and get onto the internet?

 

You can go for the CyberCabin to get Internet connection in your cabin.

Your laptop needs a modem for this, it´s a dial up connection to the ships satellite system at a speed of app. 46 kbps. You have to go to the Pursers desk for this ASAP after boarding as availability is limited.

 

 

If so, do you know what the charge might be?

Cost was 120 USD for my 12-day cruise. It´s unlimited access.

Does the ship have hot spots so you can use the laptop anywhere on board?

Yes the ships have hot spots. Cost for these is on a per minute rate which goes from 0.50/minute down to 0.33/minute. You can buy packages to lower the cost, non used minutes from the pacage are non-refundable. Wireless access is faster than Cyber Cabin but still slow.

 

Or is it just better to use the ships internet computer if you really need to get onto the computer?

Can´t answer the question for you, but cost is the same as wireless, speed varies. It depends on what you plan to do on the Internet and how long you want to be online. Advantage of own Laptop is of course you can write e´s offline while you would be online on the ship terminals all the time while writing and reading.

 

The decision if it´s worth lugging it can´t be done by anyone else than you, as only you know about what you plan to do.

Thank-you for any help and suggestions.

 

Dave

[DonnaK]

I lugged my laptop on my last cruise and didn't use it. I knew I wouldn't have patience for the cyber cabin dial-up service. As long as I had to leave my cabin, it was easier to go to the internet cafe than to carry my computer there, especially considering it was all the same cost.

 

I used the computer far less than I thought I would, just to check emails and reply to the urgent ones. I'd compose emails offline, and then send them quickly. With cell phone service more readily available now than ever before, I found I used my phone to keep in touch rather than the internet.

[cb at sea]

The service is pretty slow--Anyway, you're on vacation--do you really NEED to be connected all the time?? Yes, when you get home, you will have TONS of e-mail to delete, but it only takes a second!

If you must connect, they do have computer's and e-mail service you can use.

[WrenchHeadCruiser]

I take my laptop if for nothing else to download all my digital pictures from my camera. We have a few memory sticks, but have been known to fill them too. Downloading them to the laptop insures we will be able to take any picture we want.

As for Hot Spots, there is a nifty gadget produced by GoldLantern and sold at Wal-Mart for $24. The WiFinder will help locate the strongest signal and the stronger the signal the better performance you will have. This will work on the ship, in airports and anywhere else there is a WiFi signal.

 

Happy Cruising

[Treven]

My laptop is like my Amex card; I never leave home without it.

 

I don't use it to connect home but to download that day's photos from my camera (then reformat my camera's microdrive). Then during the evening I'll Photoshop that days pix.

 

On the last full day of the cruise I set up my laptop on the pool deck and run a slide show of the pix I'd taken during the week. If anyone wants a copy I quickly burn a CD for them right there; I esentially become their photographer for the week.