Laptop - Is it worth bringing?

We will be sailing on the Viking Freya in June. The ship has wi-fi and some computers on board, but was wondering if I should bring my laptop. I do have a 10" wi-fi tablet I can bring, but would not be able to download pictures onto the tablet. If you took your laptop, did you use it often? Just curious as to what other travellers have done.

Thanks!

I don't own a tablet (I do own a Kindle Fire), so I don't have experience with how people use it. I use my Kindle Fire mostly for reading and reading emails.

I always bring my ultrabook, which is a small, light laptop, and I use it daily to transfer the day's photos to its memory. I create a file tree beforehand with the various cities identified, and I transfer the photos to the appropriate location at the end of the day. It's much easier this way to identify your photos after you return home.

I also use the ultrabook to browse the web and type my email responses.

The ultrabook is small and not heavy, and I always travel with it.

Sergio

My ipad travels with me wherever I go. I use it for reading, emails, posting here.

My ipad travels with me wherever I go. I use it for reading, emails, posting here.

Same here, I also download photos onto my iPad every day and upload them from there as well.

I wouldn't travel anywhere without my iPad, but I'd never take a notebook on holiday with me.

Not sure which tablet the OP you have powderqn, but are you sure you can't get your photos on to it?

I don't own a tablet. I travel with a notebook computer that I use to download photos each evening (my prime reason for carrying a computer in the first place) and to check e-mail, etc. If it weren't for the photos, I'd simply use a smartphone via wi-fi for checking e-mails, etc.

I take my iPad mini. So convenient. I use it to download photos,emails completing my travel blog and also checking airline schedules along with being able to FaceTime my family back in Australia. Just love modern technology. :)

Mark T - I have a Motorola Xoom and it only has the micro-usb port. But you got me thinking and I googled downloading pictures and there is a camera usb/micro-usb connection that you can buy to download. So I think I'll order it and see if it works. If so, I can leave the laptop at home. :D

use it.

If you need to do spreadsheets or have a need to use a word processing program for long written information...then you will do better with your laptop.

HOWEVER, if you are like most travelers and only need it to surf the web, transfer images and do emails, just take your tablet.

I used to take my laptop on ALL my travels (before I got my tablet)...both business and personal. Now I only take my iPad and it works GREAT.

On board the river boat my experience (and I think most people mentioning it on the board) is that the wifi will be pretty slow and, accordingly, the device you use will also have spotty reception and speed.

I think your purchasing an interface to download you pix is a great idea, though, the memory in my camera holds enough info for me to do both my video and photo's and I just keep it on there until I get home with access to my desktop.

On Vantage the speed was very fast last year ..

We use DH's Ipad for travel, and I now have a Samsung Galaxy which I will take next time. It is smaller and easier to transport in my purse. Back in the old days, ( 3 years ago), we used our laptop and it was way too bulky. Having the tablet makes it so convenient for checking e-mail while on shore and not getting frustrated with the slow speed of the ship's internet.

A tablet is the only way to go. We cruised with my iPad last year and it worked great. However, my wife's Kindle Fire could not connect to wifi. This was a Princess cruise and may be unique to them.

On Vantage the speed was very fast last year ..

It is my understanding that the signal strength is, basically, the same for all of the river cruise lines.

The speed is usually derived from two things: (1) strength of signal (weather and other obstructions play into that); and, (2) amount of bandwidth being used up (in other words how many people are trying to use the internet available...lot's o' people, very slow or not at all or few people online more available bandwidth in the pipeline).

I brought my netbook and used it every day to download pictures, write my travel journal, and check the internet. It is small, lightweight, and fits in my small over the shoulder carryon.