laptop vs ships computers

[rikki11]

I have always used the ships computers with varying degrees of success in the past.I am considering bringing a laptop this time Rotterdam sept 6

What are your experiences cost wise? convenience wise?Any thoughts or experience would be helpful.

[FredUno]

It can be a lot cheaper if you use your own laptop. Simply just pay for air time to download and upload your email messages (using for example, Outlook Express). Read and compose messages offline (free!):D

[bruceh4]

To me bringing your own laptop is the only way to go. The cost is the same, but you cannot use the ships computers using your purchased laptop minutes. That is also vis versa, in other words if you purchase ship computer time you cannot use it with the laptop. The beauty of the laptop is that you can sign on and download your emails and then signoff. Now you can answer and compose emails offline on your laptop. When you are finished you sign on again to send and receive more emails. Because it only takes one or two minutes to send and receive you can really save time and money with your laptop. Using the ships computers you are signed on for the entire duration of composing, sending, receiving and answering and sending. Also there is some software overhead on the ships computers which burns up time. One other benefit of using your own laptop is having the ability to attach pictures. When on my 64 day cruise of the Pacific I composed a diary of each day and attached pictures while offline, I then logged on and sent them to a mailing list. Finally you can use the laptop in several different hotspots on the ship. On the Amsterdam I even found I could use the laptop in the lido, which of course allowed me to have a danish and coffee while emailing.

 

I hope this helps with your decision.

[jtl513]

The cost is the same, but you cannot use the ships computers using your purchased laptop minutes. That is also vis versa, in other words if you purchase ship computer time you cannot use it with the laptop.

It wasn't that way on my last two HAL cruises. Two years ago when I was on the Westerdam the cabin dial-up minutes were separate charges, but on the Noordam (6/06) and Veendam (12/06) the block minutes could be used on either the ship computers or my laptop.

 

In addition to what the last two posters have said regarding convenience, I also find that it is very useful to have all my address books and favorite bookmarks handy, and not have to remember and type them in each time.

 

Finally, I use my laptop to make nightly backups of the day's pictures onto both the hard drive and a CD, and when nothing more interesting is happening on the ship I do some editing of the collection.

[Sundagger]

It wasn't that way on my last two HAL cruises. Two years ago when I was on the Westerdam the cabin dial-up minutes were separate charges, but on the Noordam (6/06) and Veendam (12/06) the block minutes could be used on either the ship computers or my laptop.

 

That was also my experience on the Volendam in April - as it worked out, I almost alternated between using the ship's computer and my laptop. Same block of minutes used for both.

[FredUno]

If you read and compose email while on line, it will take the same time whether you use the ship computers or your own. If you bring your own laptop, you can read and compose email offline (which you can not do if you use the ship's computers). You would need to use a program such as Outlook Express to do this. Also if you bring your own laptop, you can use it anywhere on the ship where there are "hotspots" and don't have to wait for one of the ship's computers to become available. The only thing you can't do using your own laptop is print, for that you need to use the ship's computers. The internet minutes you buy you can use for both the ship's computers and your own laptop. (Several years ago this was not true).

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have been one to always take my laptop if I was going to use the Internet. Especially when I can write my daily reports off line then post it. If I did not bring my laptop I would only post at a Internet Cafe in a port. This upcoming cruise I have decided I would not bring my laptop because I do not plan to do a daily report but I do plan to purchase a small Internet package and just use the Noordam's computers. They looks to be really good and it will save me the hassle of dragging around my laptop. I will say that I use AOL and when you sign into AOL.com your email address book will pop up along with everything else you have saved into AOL. So basically what I am saying is I will do a little bit of reporting just not my twice daily report:D

[barbon2]

If you read and compose email while on line, it will take the same time whether you use the ship computers or your own. If you bring your own laptop, you can read and compose email offline (which you can not do if you use the ship's computers). You would need to use a program such as Outlook Express to do this. Also if you bring your own laptop, you can use it anywhere on the ship where there are "hotspots" and don't have to wait for one of the ship's computers to become available. The only thing you can't do using your own laptop is print, for that you need to use the ship's computers. The internet minutes you buy you can use for both the ship's computers and your own laptop. (Several years ago this was not true).

 

So you are saying with a laptop onboard you may not even need to log on using the ship's connection. In other words, you are able to pick up a connection at a hotspot on the ship? Was not sure you were able to do this onboard.

[billsrobb]

What is the cost of using ship computers for E-mail and getting boarding pass for return flight home. I will be on the Volendam in November.

Robb

[MB Cruiser]

So you are saying with a laptop onboard you may not even need to log on using the ship's connection. In other words, you are able to pick up a connection at a hotspot on the ship? Was not sure you were able to do this onboard.

 

Exactly. I loved having the freedom to use my laptop anywhere on the Westerdam. I often picked up email in my cabin. I guess there were certain hotspots, but I was able to log on no matter where I was on the ship (though, truthfully, I didn't try it in that many places--mainly my cabin and a couple of lounges). The chief problem is the same whether you use laptop or ship's computers, though. The connection speed is very slow so it can get very expensive as you go through those block minutes quickly. Downloading email and composing off-line does help.

[jtl513]

So you are saying with a laptop onboard you may not even need to log on using the ship's connection. In other words, you are able to pick up a connection at a hotspot on the ship?

I hope you're not thinking that this means it's free in the hotspots! :D You still have to log on (connect) to the ship's server wirelessly, and as soon as you do you're paying.

 

What is the cost of using ship computers for E-mail and getting boarding pass for return flight home. I will be on the Volendam in November.

 

Robb

If you don't buy a block of time, $0.75 per minute, plus the $3.95 start-up charge, and I think $0.10 per page printed.

 

Exactly. I loved having the freedom to use my laptop anywhere on the Westerdam. I often picked up email in my cabin. I guess there were certain hotspots, but I was able to log on no matter where I was on the ship (though, truthfully, I didn't try it in that many places--mainly my cabin and a couple of lounges).

"anywhere on the Westerdam" is an exaggeration! :) There are antennas in the Atrium, the Crow's Nest/Explorations Cafe, the Lido pool area, and the Neptune Lounge. If you could pick up a useable signal from your cabin it must have been near one of those antennas ... or some freak condition existed there! :)

[bruceh4]

So you are saying with a laptop onboard you may not even need to log on using the ship's connection. In other words, you are able to pick up a connection at a hotspot on the ship? Was not sure you were able to do this onboard.

Let me clear this up. When using a hotspot on the ship you must log on to the ships system and pay your minutes. What people are saying about hotspots are that there are places around the ship where you can logon and use the ships internet connection but again you pay. Some of the places are the Atrim, Explorers lounge, and sometimes the lido on some ships. There maybe others depending on the ship. If you are lucky and have a cabin close to a hotspot you may also be able to access the internet from your cabin. But again any place you find to logon you still have to pay for the use.

 

Also I am glad to hear that you can now use your minutes interchangeably between wireless and the ships computers. That was not the case last year on the Maasdam which was the last time I sailed.