Apps to use on board? (and... connected or detached?

I'm curious how many folks here like to stay connected (i.e. with Internet/email/etc) while away on a cruise vs. how many will detach. I've always detached 100% in the past and likely will again on our upcoming cruise next month, but am curious about others.

Also even more curious which apps folks tend to use on board? In the past I've enjoyed using SkySafari to identify stars and constellations while cruising at night (and, yes, it works even without data connection!), though that app is a bit long-in-the-tooth and there are likely others that are better.

In any event, just curious which ones you all use?

I check email & FB once or twice a day. We sail Princess and get some free internet minutes for being a repeat customer. I have never used enough minutes to have to pay for some.

I keep a journal and post it daily on another forum. EM

I am on vacation. I take vacations to get away from the daily routine. Staying connected defeats that. I have too much to do and see to spend time checking in on what Bobby or Mary is sharing on Facebook, and am not so self centered that I have to keep everyone else updated on what I am doing all the time.

My favorite app while onboard is the OFF button. ;)

I am unconnected and proud of it! :)

Our children know how to get it touch with us on the ship in case of emergency so no need or desire to stay connected. :)

LuLu

We have 4 kids, 3 of which are school age, and we also own a restaurant so we never fully detach. The kiddos know not to send us a ton of texts but we do exchange texts occasionally just to check in. Also, DH has to be available for the restaurant. Granted, we do not carry our phones around everywhere with us but we do check them several times a day.

Unless there's some sort of emergency back home (someone has been hospitalized, jailed or won the Powerball), I try to keep use of the phone to a minimum.

That said, I occasionally us the Find Near Me app for interesting ideas. :D

I'm curious how many folks here like to stay connected (i.e. with Internet/email/etc) while away on a cruise vs. how many

 

I've enjoyed using SkySafari to identify stars and constellations while cruising at night (and, yes, it works even without data connection!), though that app is a bit long-in-the-tooth and there are likely others that are better.

Hands down, Star Walk. No conx needed, awesome. I watch meteor showers on it, on the Atlantic.

Using my iPad, I write in NOTES, while on ship, then email the thing while in port. These are basically I AM OK MISSIVES. Generally there are Internet cafes, but sometimes the fact is hidden, so I ask in bars, which seem to have them more often than not.

So far my cruising has been limited to TA s.

Otherwise, I use my tech to read books!

I'm curious how many folks here like to stay connected (i.e. with Internet/email/etc) while away on a cruise vs. how many will detach. I've always detached 100% in the past and likely will again on our upcoming cruise next month, but am curious about others.

 

DH and I are both self employed, and both happily love our work. So we tend to be very connected. I have a private professional practice so staying in touch is pretty important for me. I do email runs morning and night - and on sea days I do one or more mid-day. I can actually relax better knowing that everything is under control.

I also sometimes save projects that keep getting sent to the back burner for cruises. For example, I might write articles for my newsletter - and that often requires I go online to do a little fact checking.

And as I said, I really love what I do so I don't see vacation as a time to "escape" from work so much as escape from cooking, cleaning, routine etc. and a time to be pampered, eat "out" every day without feeling guilty, see new places, do new things etc.

I know people tend to think it's terrible that we work while we're on a cruise, but I personally I think it's pretty cool that we're both lucky enough to love our work and not want to escape it.

DH and I are both self employed, and both happily love our work. So we tend to be very connected. [...] I know people tend to think it's terrible that we work while we're on a cruise, but I personally I think it's pretty cool that we're both lucky enough to love our work and not want to escape it.

Interesting, and thanks for sharing this. For the record, I don't think what you do is terrible, at all. ;)

I, too, am self-employed and really do love what I do (ok, well, most days I love what I do... there are always those occasional exceptions that I call, "the days for which I really get paid."). I love the people that work with me, and I love all of our readers of the website and listeners of the podcast. I truly am quite fortunate to be able to earn a living helping people and doing something I love.

I detach for a very different reason. When we were planning our first cruise in 2006, it was about 8 years after we started the main business (at the time... not the FIRST business, of course) and while we had certainly vacationed, I hadn't ever really detached. I remember my daughter (6 at the time of planning, turned 7 on board the Disney Magic) asked me, "Wait, Daddy... if we do a cruise, would your cell phone work? Could you get email?"

That was enough for me to realize that no matter how much I loved my work, it is a distraction from me spending quality time with my family. As such, a habit started, and I've found that detaching is not only good for me and my family, it's good for my employees, too. On that first cruise I had a guy who worked for me who really grew his confidence knowing that I trusted him to make decisions and not run everything by me.

Now, things have changed significantly since then... on this cruise I'm worried that the smartphones my kids (now) have will distract them from me, but... that's how life goes, isn't it? ;)

We don't use our phones at all on board, but then we still use flip phones anyway! We do check the internet once a day, mostly because of elderly family members at home, using the ship's computers.

I sometimes WISH that I could be "connected all the time, just like home!"

But given the reality of slow/expensive internet connections at sea, that ain't really gonna happen. :-)

We don't stay attached while on board at all. However, IF we are in a port and going to someplace (like an AI) that has free wifi, we will take our little 10" computer with us to check in (I research ahead of time to know whether or not it will have the wifi). My hubby owns his own business and needs to check in to sales and shipping. Me, well the only reason I need to check in is to post that picture of the beautiful crystal blue Caribbean water we are experiencing while everyone back home is usually covered in snow. :D Yep, I'm bad. :p