Internet on the Noordam

[SusieCruisie]

I am traveling next month on the Noordam, and must go online at least once a day, for a short time, to check on family. I was wondering what the prices are to use the internet cafe, or if it is better to hook up my (not so new) lap-top in my cabin. Thanks for info :)

[PRINSENDAM]

I am traveling next month on the Noordam, and must go online at least once a day, for a short time, to check on family. I was wondering what the prices are to use the internet cafe, or if it is better to hook up my (not so new) lap-top in my cabin. Thanks for info :)

 

 

Best to purchase a 100 minute time plan from at the Internet Cafe. That will give you 10 minutes a day for ten days. The cost is something like $55... or 55 cents per minute. The normal charge is 75 cents. (The exact amounts might be different from what I quote here if charges have been increased in the past three months.)

 

I don't know if you would save much by taking your own lap-top.

 

Stephen

[fsalzer]

Best to purchase a 100 minute time plan from at the Internet Cafe. That will give you 10 minutes a day for ten days. The cost is something like $55... or 55 cents per minute. The normal charge is 75 cents. (The exact amounts might be different from what I quote here if charges have been increased in the past three months.)

That was the pricing on Oosterdam on 1/6/07. I got 10? extra minutes for purchasing on embarkation day. Connection was reliable and always available; speed was slow but faster than dialup. I used the atrium. Surprisingly, I was able to connect with marginal reliability in my cabin 1102.

 

Fred

[GeriatricNurse]

I am traveling next month on the Noordam, and must go online at least once a day, for a short time, to check on family. I was wondering what the prices are to use the internet cafe, or if it is better to hook up my (not so new) lap-top in my cabin. Thanks for info :)

 

 

:) Hi:

It will cost you 75 cents per minute to use the (slow) internet onboard whereas it would be far less expensive, as low as 6 cents per minute, to use an Internet Cafe at each port.

The following website: www.cybercafes.com has a database of 4207 internet cafes worldwide in 140 countries, listing the addresses & cost per minute!

[GeriatricNurse]

Best to purchase a 100 minute time plan from at the Internet Cafe. That will give you 10 minutes a day for ten days. The cost is something like $55... or 55 cents per minute. The normal charge is 75 cents. (The exact amounts might be different from what I quote here if charges have been increased in the past three months.)

 

I don't know if you would save much by taking your own lap-top.

 

Stephen

 

 

:) Hi Stephen:

Actually, it not entirely correct to call the onboard Explorations an internet cafe. Probably more correct to call it "Onboard Internet! An internet cafe is more correctly referred to as land based.

Still far too expensive @ 55 cents per minute to use the "discounted" onboard internet! Far less expensive @ "Internet Cafes"; as low as 6 cents per minute!

Refer to the following website:

www.cybercafes.com

[jtl513]

I was wondering what the prices are to use the internet cafe, or if it is better to hook up my (not so new) lap-top in my cabin.

The price is the same whether you use the Explorations Cafe, a wi-fi hotspot, or dial-up from the cabin. And the speeds aren't substantially different either. Here's the info: www.mtnsat.com/digitalseas/hal.htm

 

Taking you own laptop has several advantages, the principle one being that you can do "batch mode" email (connect, grab, disconnect, process, reconnect, send) rather than using very expensive on-line time to do it. Also with your laptop you don't have to wait for an E.C. station at busy times, such as sea days and late afternoons. And with your laptop along you can make back-ups of your pictures nightly.

[fsalzer]

Taking you own laptop has several advantages, the principle one being that you can do "batch mode" email (connect, grab, disconnect, process, reconnect, send) rather than using very expensive on-line time to do it.

I use that method but initially download only the headers. I then mark the spam for deletion, mark for download only those messages that I immediately need and retrieve the marked-for-download messages. The remaining messages wait until I return home or get a broadband connection. This method eliminates using expensive connect time to download spam and unnecessary large personal messages. I get about 200 messages/day (mostly spam) for the accounts that I check while onboard.

 

Fred

[fsalzer]

Actually, it not entirely correct to call the onboard Explorations an internet cafe. Probably more correct to call it "Onboard Internet! An internet cafe is more correctly referred to as land based.

 

Still far too expensive @ 55 cents per minute to use the "discounted" onboard internet! Far less expensive @ "Internet Cafes"; as low as 6 cents per minute!

Although most internet cafes are land-based, I've never seen that being land-based was included in its definition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_cafe If one's definition includes food, then the Windstar Cafe (or Lido?) should work well.

 

An additional advantage of using one's own computer is security. I'm concerned about others' computers having such software as keystroke loggers (known or unknown to the computers' owners) that would capture banking, brokerage, email and other logon information.

 

Fred

[jtl513]

I get about 200 messages/day (mostly spam) for the accounts that I check while onboard.

Sounds to me like you need a better filter on those accounts! :D

[fsalzer]

Sounds to me like you need a better filter on those accounts! :D

Yes! And put my Google Alerts on a different account. :)

 

Fred

[Grumpy1]

The price is the same whether you use the Explorations Cafe, a wi-fi hotspot, or dial-up from the cabin. And the speeds aren't substantially different either. Here's the info: www.mtnsat.com/digitalseas/hal.htm

 

From the mtnsat website:

IN-CABIN DIAL-UP SERVICE

Holland America’s Vista Class ships [Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam] offer In-cabin dial-up Internet access for those guests traveling with their own laptop computer. Connection is by phone cord at 56K modem dial-up speed. Phone cords and additional software, if needed, are available onboard the ship.

RATE: $0.50 per minute.

Although it says it is 56k, most reports have been that it is slower than that. Also, your plan minutes do not apply, if I recall. You are just billed by the minute for time used. But also note that the information on that website is so old that they do not list Noordam with the Vista ships. The only reference to Noordam is the old Noordam.

[jtl513]

RATE: $0.50 per minute.

Correct. My bad! :)

Although it says it is 56k, most reports have been that it is slower than that.

The in-cabin wasn't working when I was on the Noordam, but on the Westerdam it was about 28kbps.

Also, your plan minutes do not apply, if I recall. You are just billed by the minute for time used.

Kelly, the Internet manager on both the Westerdam and Noordam when I was on them, told me that was no longer true. But now I wonder how they would handle two different rates for the same account?

But also note that the information on that website is so old that they do not list Noordam with the Vista ships. The only reference to Noordam is the old Noordam.

And the Westerdam is missing entirely, and the hotspots are wrong for the Veendam! It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that there's more errors. Oh, well. :D

[berylde]

At $.50 a minute for in cabin service, I think I will leave the laptop home.!!

Will be on Zuiderdam in March

Thanks for info-------

[ESLO]

Dear SusieCruisie,

 

Hope you have a great cruise and enjoy it very much. The Noordam is a different type of HAL Ship then the older style Class ships HAL run. But she is beautiful to experience. We cruised on her on Oct 14th, the 11 day cruise to the Caribbean.

 

Your question about the pricing of the Internet Connection has been answered by many of our CC'ers on this board. But there a point I must bring up to make you aware of.

 

We (some others onboard) that posted our individual threads during our cruise did experience at times very slow response from the time we logged on to making a connection to our particular mail site to logging off. Some times it was weather conditions and other times it was the heavy demand of the number of people that were on at the same time.

 

You will see, and I believe they are still posted by each computer, a notice and warning of the conditions that may be experienced with slow response, lost connections or other circumstances that may occur. Many of us posted short and sweet messages and some dealt with the conditions to the best to our ability. I honestly found going on around Midnight worked somewhat well. The Internet Center is definitely QUIET as others are at the bars, shows, casinos, back to their rooms or Midnight Snack Buffet. But weather conditions are a concern before you log on.

 

I just felt I was obligated to advise you to workout a system that will benefit your usage of minutes you purchase. From the time you log on till you log off, you can't believe how fast the time went by and you have to add minutes to your account.

 

Enjoy.......

[jtl513]

Some times it was weather conditions and other times it was the heavy demand of the number of people that were on at the same time.

In Alaska the latitude also works against good satellite reception all the time.

[SusieCruisie]

Thank you all so much for your replies! I do not have the option to use land based cafes, except while on land, and we do have many sea days. As I stated, I have to check every day, even at sea, so I guess It does not make much of a difference to use my lap top, or the on board cafe. I thought they might have a weekly, or total cruise ,unlimited rate if you have a lap top in your cabin. I believe RCCL had it for $125.00 per week. If it is a matter of 55 cents vs. 50 cents, I might as well save the luggage space! Thanks again for all responses!

Happy Cruising!

Susie