wi-fi

[greener]

can one bring a laptop and access the internet from anywhere on the noordam?

[Mary Ellen]

Yes, but some places will be 'better' than others. It will depend upon how close you are to one of the wi-fi cones (visible) in the ceiling. The charges will be the same no matter if using your own computer or theirs. However, with your own laptop you can compose messages offline and save some by not paying while you type them.

[Caribbean Chris]

I wouldn't say ANYWHERE, based on our experience which ...truth in posting...was almost three years ago, so maybe better now. There were certain places where the signal was stronger, some places nonexistent. But I did manage to get online in my stateroom, which was aft-facing. I believe the Explorations Cafe manager gave input on bet places to pick up the signal.
Slower than a signal would be usual ashore, as is typical on ships.

[jtl513]

The cabin deck antennas are placed about 12 cabins apart on the Noordam. If you're near one you'll get a strong signal, but if you're 6 cabins away you may have to open your cabin door to get a barely usable signal. Tell me what cabin are you in and I can tell you how far you are from an antenna.

[Crazy Gramps]

And the speed is SLOW!!!!!
Really slow.

Gramps

[terrydtx]

And the speed is SLOW!!!!!
Really slow.

Gramps

Of course HAL Internet is charged by the minutes logged on, so the slower the better for HAL finances:D

[jtl513]

Of course HAL Internet is charged by the minutes logged on, so the slower the better for HAL finances:DThere are rumors floating around that this will be changed so that we will be charged by the Mb transmitted/received ... or maybe a combination of volume and time. If it becomes data volume based only, this would mean the slower it is the less we would pay. I asked the I-net manager on the Veendam if this was true and he would neither confirm or deny it. If it wasn't at least being considered I think he would have just flat denied it.

If it does happen, I think it's going to be confusing for a lot of people ... and much harder to "budget" their usage.

[Caribbean Chris]

That's interesting about a potential plan based on MB usage. That's how I pay for my ipad2 AT&T 3G contract, $25 a month for 2 GB of data. May not be all that confusing if there's a simple explanation sheet on what gobbles the data the most and with sample useage for a brief email etc. And the sign-out screen would probably tell you how much you had left just as it does now, so you could learn to estimate fairly quickly.

I hate paying by the minute and sitting there staring waiting for the transmission to happen. Especially made me crazy when I was trying to work and download big files to proofread, even though it was a deductible expense.

When it was exceptionally bad one time, DH mentioned to the Expl Cafe manager who offered a credit. I guess if you ask, they are authorized to do that.

Of course the bottom line to me is - it is a miracle to be able to send and receive information, print boarding passes for a flight, etc. - in the middle of the ocean versus the cost of phone calls. A slow miracle, but much appreciated.

[Tampa Girl]

Yes, it does depend on the location of your cabin. We were just on the Noordam, #7072. The signal was way too weak to use the laptop in the room. I did not try to use it with the door open. Maybe we were in the 12th room??

[terrydtx]

There are rumors floating around that this will be changed so that we will be charged by the Mb transmitted/received ... or maybe a combination of volume and time. If it becomes data volume based only, this would mean the slower it is the less we would pay. I asked the I-net manager on the Veendam if this was true and he would neither confirm or deny it. If it wasn't at least being considered I think he would have just flat denied it.

If it does happen, I think it's going to be confusing for a lot of people ... and much harder to "budget" their usage.


I bet the financial end of that will still be in HAL's favor. If I use my 3g smart phone though Cellular At Sea or in any foreign port I get charged by ATT $20mb. I am on a domestic plan with ATT for 200mb for $15 per month and I use about 80 of those. So if I used 20mb a week while on the ship it would cost me$400:eek: :eek: :eek: A good friend was in Canada this summer uploading pictures and updating face book the whole time and got home to a $480 date usage bill from ATT:eek:

Fortunately for us while I am in San Juan I can use my smart phone as Puerto Rico is part of ATT domestic coverage area.

[jtl513]

Yes, it does depend on the location of your cabin. We were just on the Noordam, #7072. The signal was way too weak to use the laptop in the room.You were just about midway between two antennas, the worst place to be. There is one at 7080 and one at 7066, just forward of the glass elevators.

[Mar56]

You were just about midway between two antennas, the worst place to be. There is one at 7080 and one at 7066, just forward of the glass elevators.

I am in 5024 on Zuiderdam in Feb and apparently there is an antenna at 5028 according to Joanies amazing website do you think I'll haverasonable internet in our cabin? Sorry if this is hijacking the thread

Mar56

[jtl513]

I am in 5024 on Zuiderdam in Feb and apparently there is an antenna at 5028 according to Joanies amazing website do you think I'll haverasonable internet in our cabin? If you look at Joanies amazing site again you'll see that I'm the person who gave her that list of antenna locations. :) She also posted my explanation that those are locations on the Noordam and that "I would bet" that they are in similar locations on other Vista ships as well. If that's true, you should get a pretty good connection in your cabin.

The "coffee cup" pic below is what you should look for.

Sorry if this is hijacking the thread

Once an OP's original questions have been adequately answered (as they were in Mary Ellen's reply) I don't think anyone minds a little thread drift.

http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/47362/2502533720099632937S200x200Q85.jpg

[TheCalicoCat]

Joanies amazing website

URL please... (Hopeing that it is amazing in regards to Volendam as well.)

[Mar56]

Joanies amazing website

URL please... (Hopeing that it is amazing in regards to Volendam as well.)

See the sticky re Hal staterooms on holland America thread first entry is Joanies at bottom is a link it's a great resource site

[jtl513]

Joanies amazing website

URL please... (Hopeing that it is amazing in regards to Volendam as well.)http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/

It includes all HAL ships.

[TheCalicoCat]

Thanks!:)

[English_in_Spain]

According to the list here are the locations on deck 6 of Noordam

Stateroom Numbers -6024, 6025, 6059, 6060, 6078, 6089, 6098, 6105, 6136, 6141,

We were in 6068 which is 4 cabins from 6060, 5 from 6078.

We had excellent reception in our cabin - as good as anywhere on the ship - even during the TA crossing. I had my netbook on the desk by the window. We did not open the door.

[kjw869]

I am in 5024 on Zuiderdam in Feb and apparently there is an antenna at 5028 according to Joanies amazing website do you think I'll haverasonable internet in our cabin? Sorry if this is hijacking the thread

Mar56

We were on the Zuiderdam in January, and according to that list, we were four cabins away from the antenna. When we got to our cabin, it was right in front of our door. This also was the case on the Oosterdam last year. The antennas were three or four cabins off from the list. On both cruises we were close to the Neptune Lounge.

As I notice that list is for the Noordam, I probably will have poor reception being in a wraparound aft cabin this coming January.

[jtl513]

We were in 6068 which is 4 cabins from 6060, 5 from 6078.When I said the antennae were "about 12 cabins apart" that was for everyplace where the cabins are 9 ft wide: decks 1, 4, and 5, and the ends of decks 6, 7, and 8. In the center of 6, 7, and 8 the cabins are wider, so there are fewer doorways between them. :)

[English_in_Spain]

When I said the antennae were "about 12 cabins apart" that was for everyplace where the cabins are 9 ft wide: decks 1, 4, and 5, and the ends of decks 6, 7, and 8. In the center of 6, 7, and 8 the cabins are wider, so there are fewer doorways between them. :)

The point I was making was not the number of cabins but the fact that we were mid-way between the antennae and had good reception.

I did not look to see where the nearest antenna actual was.

[jtl513]

The point I was making was not the number of cabins but the fact that we were mid-way between the antennae and had good reception.

I did not look to see where the nearest antenna actual was.Yep, I figured that ... but was explaining before somebody said "that's not 12 cabins apart"! ;) There's also a difference in how good the connection is depending on how good the adapter is in the laptop/netbook. I get much better performance with my newer netbook than I used to with the laptop I used to bring.