Bringing laptop

I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been asked, but the search is still down. If I bring my lap top will I be able to access the internet?

I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been asked, but the search is still down. If I bring my lap top will I be able to access the internet?

I'm looking for an answer to a similar question but I think I can answer yours..

yes you can access the internet in public areas like the atrium...

my question is have they improved the accessibility yet? can you access it from your cabin? is the internet you get via wireless included in the $75 credit allotted to Platinum members on a 7-day? Last time I checked you had to go to the internet cafe if you were Platinum and using your credited minutes, otherwise you got charged!

I imagine there's a whole lot of steel prohibitting the use of wireless internet other than in public area?

Some ships are different is to where they have wireless available. Some have it in cabins, but I don't know which. I don't believe the platinum/elite benefit applies to wireless yet.

The free minutes for Platinum or Elite status are not for wireless, they are only good at Princess Interent Cafe computers, Princess states that right on their website for their Platinum/Elite perks (look at the bottom of the packages offered). You will pay 50 cents per minute for wireless (and they also may offer some sort of package deal for wireless also).

Wireless is not accessible in the staterooms, the atrium area or internet cafe will be your only options on a Princess ship.

Thanks for your comments.

Somehow the metal doesn't seem to be a problem... on Carnival Liberty I was able to use my laptop and access the internet wirelessly from my inside cabin on the lowest deck, then on HAL's Noordam I was able to do the same from my aft balcony cabin on the 4th deck...

too bad Princess doesn't let you access the perk with a wireless connection!

One other note with using your computer. Princess blocks the CP address so you will probably not be able to access your company's intranet service through VPN.

My company won't let any unfamiliar CP address log onto the VPN. Some people find that a bad thing. I find it a great way to not be able to work on the ship!! :D

I took my laptop on our recent 33 day trip and loved having it. I could compose all my emails in my cabin or on the balcony or on deck or in a lounge over a martini, then go to the Horizon Court or Atrium to send and receive. It was less expensive than using the Internet Cafe as the internet connection was so slow and I was writing while live on line. I guess I'm a slow typist but using minutes to type was just a waste of my free minutes. The WiFi on the other hand is very fast. You get a PIN from Princess and your 50 cents a minute are added to your folio. I usually used about 3 minutes to send/receive email. I did not send any photos and had instructed friends and family not to send me photos, jokes, or those wonderful "forwards". The other advantage of having the laptop is downloading photos and keeping a journal. It'll be going with me on all furture cruises.

We brought ours on the Diamond Hawaii in January. I thought the wireless seemed faster than the ship's computers. In fact, I thought it was faster than dial-up I've used on other trips. That being said, it was much slower than dsl or cable, but it was ok. I, too, composed emails in my cabin and cut and pasted them. It was also useful for downloading photos. Our next cruise is a TA, and we plan to land travel in Italy afterwards so I don't think I'll carry it. We'll just use our platinum free minutes and save carry-on space.

The location you can use the WiFi vary by ship and even by cruise in some cases. Our cruise on the Island Princess the end of May 2007 it was only working in the Horizon Court and not in the Atrium as it had been working the previous week. It took two days for anyone to tell me where it would work on that cruise.

On our cruise in January on the Caribbean Princess it was working in teh Atrium and probably also the Horizon Court but I did not attemp to use it there since it was always busy and people waiting for tables. I did notice several other pople that were using their computers in the Horizon Court.

If you do purchase or plan to purchase a package of minutes then check the Platter early the first day to see if you can get extra minutes free by signing up that day within whatever time frame they advertize. On our last cruise it was 30 mintures extra for free just for signing up the first day of the cruise.

I always have taken my computer and have composed and read all email offline. Even doing this with the slow speed of the onboard internet has taken around 5 minutes or more each time. I also like to download all of my photos from memory cards to the computer and also a portable external harddrive.

I also have a broardband card for my computer and use it if the port we are in has Broadband service available. It is just soooo much faster than the ship's internet.

I'm also wondering about using the Elite minutes. We've taken our notebook on cruises for the last several years. We had never used it for e-mail or the internet though. Even with the elite perk.

On a recent cruise on the Maasdam we had a family emergency that made it necessary for us to have e-mail. We were able to access it from our cabin or balcony and could compose and send or download incoming. Actual time on the internet was minimal. Probably averaging about 3 minutes for a transaction. We liked the service and thought on future cruises we would probably open an account just to keep in touch.

Because of my typing skills, if I had to compose while on line my cruise card would runneth over.

One other note with using your computer. Princess blocks the CP address so you will probably not be able to access your company's intranet service through VPN.

 

My company won't let any unfamiliar CP address log onto the VPN. Some people find that a bad thing. I find it a great way to not be able to work on the ship!! :D

Does that mean I would not be able to use virtual desktop from the ship:confused:

Tip for people using their own laptop with WiFi. Be sure to update anti-virus and operating system prior to cruise. Then disable all auto updates as they take up a good amount of bandwidth and will slow down your transmitting and receiving your email and or web surfing.

After cruise is over be sure to re-enable auto updates.

we used the terminal on board.

Tip for people using their own laptop with WiFi. Be sure to update anti-virus and operating system prior to cruise. Then disable all auto updates as they take up a good amount of bandwidth and will slow down your transmitting and receiving your email and or web surfing.

 

After cruise is over be sure to re-enable auto updates.

Nice thing about bringing along your laptop is you can also download (and backup) and view your digital pictures. ;)

Nice thing about bringing along your laptop is you can also download (and backup) and view your digital pictures. ;)

Yes Indeedy, that's the only reason I would take my laptop.

Don't want to surf unless it's the splashy kind, don't want any e-mails don't want a cellphone.

Want sun, sand, and food.

Happy bunny.:)

..and to listen to MP3s whilst she is choosing what to wear etc etc etc:eek: :D

Good advice. I'm planning to bring my laptop with me in a couple of weeks and I wouldn't have thought to disable Norton.

Be sure NOT to disable the anti-virus program, just the "live update" option