Sending and receiving e-mails aboard the QE2

Hello! We are very excited about our cruise, departing August 28, 2004. Can anybody tell me about the computer center and how much it costs to access the internet? Also, are we able to receive e-mails for free? (Via the purser's desk). I think I read that somewhere. Thanks! Christine

We join the QE2 on Saturday. I made a note of the following email address...

qe2@cruisemail.com

Subject: for passenger ******, cabin # ****

I have just sent a test email to this address, I hope it works.

One of the great things about being aboard the QE2, about being at sea, is that for the first time in your hyper-connected life you can (if you want) be isolated from the work-a-day world. Consider this a plus. If you really must be e-linked to the world at large, be prepared to save your e-mails to floppy disks, as the e-mail links are not always available. My advice: take a good book and a bottle of single-malt scotch, and enjoy. The world will survive without you for a week or two.

Richard Schmidt

Hi Rich

I kinda agree with you. When i'm on board, I love the isolation that comes from being at sea. It begins when I enter my cabin, and I say to myself ....

"No computer ... no phone ... no radio ... no stupid Lexus commercials ...

no CNN .....

Ahhhh .... I'm free!! " :-)

NANTCKET - I am sure that what you want is an answer not a lecture, so here goes. Access to the internet is charged per minute and though I can't remember the rate it did seem very expensive to me. I usually wait until I get ashore somewhere and use a internet caffe. With e mail the trick is to write your messages in Word which does not cost you anything, then copy paste into the e mail window. Cost for this is if I remember around a dollar. Emails sent to you are delivered to your cabin as hard copy. There is no charge for this. Anyone sending mail to you should include your cabin number in the subject box. The adress is qe2@cruisemail.com

David.

Great idea, David. I am leaving four children at home, so this soothes my nerves somewhat. I also found a great international calling card; 49 cents per call and then 2 cents each minute to the States. Thank you! Christine

There is an internet cafe in Southampton in the basement of a shopping center in the downtown area. A cab can take you there. Cost for about half an hour was something like 3 pounds. Would be less for less time. I ran over there to send some longer messages.

Your international calling card will not work on the ship and maybe not with the pay phones on the dock. I tried the ones on the dock and was unsuccessful. It should work in your hotel if you are staying before and after, however. This was with a UK international calling card, which was very cheap. I ended up not being able to use all the minutes.

You can go directly onto the internet on the QE2, it is just that it costs $1 per minute and is slow and unreliable. I teach an online course and spent about $100 checking student emails and responding to questions. It was great fun to tell them I was writing from the middle of the Atlantic, however!

ENjoy this wonderful ship!

Hello,

I was on QE2 as recently as two months ago. Part of the work done on her when she was drydocked in Bremerhaven after her tandem crossing was all new equipment in the Computer Center. I'm pretty sure that the charge for internet access was 50 cents per minute then, lower than it had been in the past. They also sell an internet access package. I didn't buy it, so I can't remember the details, but if you use it, the per minute charge is less.

You will get your faxes delivered under you cabin door. My cabin was switched on-board, and even with the incorrect cabin number on my incoming faxes, they all arrived very timely. I like this system, as it's sort of like the old days of getting a radio-gram delivered to your cabin.

The mall basement internet cafe in Southampton previously mentioned is adjacent to Bar-Gate (or Bargate?), a major central Southampton landmark. Very easy to find, and inexpensive. You may bump into some ship's crew in there, as I have.

Personally, I'm more in line with Vic the Parrot and Richard. Being at sea is, for me, about leaving behind all the bother of life at home. Peace, quiet, and relaxation.

Either way, ENJOY!!

kj

I agree with stowaway... I love getting email print-outs slipped under the door on QE 2... it's very much like getting a "shore to ship" wire in the 1950's!

I've heard that the new QM 2 does not do this... all cabins have internet on the TV set and emails are just electronically forwared to your cabin (more efficiant but less fun!)

Michael

NYC

Oh gosh, the old get away from it all debate.. some of us can only vacation as much as we do thanks to the amenities of the connected world... if I could not be connected at least a few times in a week, I couldn't be away as much or as long. I am willing to accept the bargain. Perhaps a sad state of affairs, but that is what modern life has wrought.

Anyway on QE2 it is around 75 cents a minute in the computer room.. and be very diligent about your time and checking with the desk about what you are being charged. I was overcharged constantly by tens of minutes and was always having to correct things at the desk. Also be wary of the satellite calls. My friend made a call, and was charged for three, 3 minute calls.. however they were each initiated a minute apart on the bill - an impossible bending of time.

Your calling card is only good on land. In my years of travel to europe, I have found IDT's Global Access card to be the best.. and they have very good toll free access in the UK. Any leftover minutes are easily used for long distance calls within the US.

I rang Cunard and was told that they do not put the email address in their literature anymore as it is meant for urgent correspondence only! So long as you know if it is urgent!!

What stupid comments we seem to get from Cunard reps. at times. E mail is part of modern life, like it or not. It is promoted on board as a service to passengers, causes no distubance to others, unlike some other activities on board and it is unlikely that the company loses money on its provision. Emergency use - Bah.

David.

Just thought I would update the email address for QE2.

It is qe2@cunardmail.com

Subject: for passenger ******, cabin # ****

We went to the communications room adjacent to the pursers office and enquired about the address. They said they had changed the address from qe2@cruisemail, however they were not making the address widely known!!??

All ended well. Our boys (men), left at home, were able to send their mum a greeting on her birthday. Sure enough it was pushed under our cabin door, along with a card from Captain Heath.

It has been a little over 2 weeks since we disembarked and my wife is already looking at when we can go on her again. An amazing experience, we feel so lucky to have travelled in such a sophisticated manner.

The lady at Cunard I spoke to, who was cagey about giving out the address, told me it was qe2@cruisemail.com this week. So now I'm not sure!! Does someone know for sure if it is cruisemail or cunard please?:o

Diana

Hi Folks,

Which email address do we use then, is it cruisemail or cunardmail?? or maybe even both????

thanks,

Myles cunardqueen@aol.com

counting the days till the 2nd October and QE2 !!!!!!! with an upgrade !!!!!

I have friends on the QE2 as we speak and their address is definitely QE2@cunardmail.com no matter what anyone else may have said. We are sailing from Honolulu to Auckaln d in November 2005, anyone else on that cruise ?

Try sending a test message using "cruisemail" - works every time.

David.