Cruise Talk: E-mail charges on ships

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Topic: E-mail charges on ships

tomc
First Class Passenger
Member # 1624

posted 10-12-2000 11:49 PM

IF the ship has internet connections, and IF it happened that I cared about anyone onshore during the cruise, ha ha, how much do ships in general (HAL in particular) charge for this? I have a Hotmail account.

Posts: 78 | From: Wilkes-Barre PA USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Jules
First Class Passenger
Member # 1529

posted 10-13-2000 04:30 AM

To answer the first part of your question ships do have internet connections (or at least the last one I was on had it).

I have no idea what they might charge to use e-mail. I have never seen a ship advertise this service and only know that it is available as I saw the e-mail address on the wall of the Captains office and asked about it.

Posts: 136 | From: Scotland | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-13-2000 06:37 AM

Tom - I believe that all of HAL's newer ships have an internet cafe now - that is one of the big things on the new ships. Don't know what the price is but I am sure someone who has been on HAL recently will know.
When is your next cruise and what ship?

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

10X
First Class Passenger
Member # 2

posted 10-13-2000 07:55 AM

On our last cruise in February on Enchantment of the Seas, it cost us 50 cents a minute to use the Internet.

Posts: 51 | From: Lansing, MI USA | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

tomc
First Class Passenger
Member # 1624

posted 10-13-2000 08:43 AM

quote:
When is your next cruise and what ship?

We leave in one week, eight hours and twelve minutes. That is, Friday, Oct 20, on the Maasdam. I didn't see anything like Internet last year, but that was last year.

Next year is the Amsterdam and I'm sure that's as wired as someone on ten cups of coffee.

[This message has been edited by tomc (edited 10-13-2000).]

Posts: 78 | From: Wilkes-Barre PA USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 10-13-2000 09:56 AM

We had internet on the Voyager and Norwegian Majesty and found the price very reasonable. I seem to remember it was about $7.50 US for 15 mins. We use it to keep in touch with the office, which when you run you own business is important.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 10-13-2000 10:27 AM

On NCL Wind it was $11.00. That was including the time it took to manuver through to e-mail, and just send a quick note to our daughter
Kevin DianaD did you use their e-mail our go to your carrier, I am sure it made a difference

[This message has been edited by K&K (edited 10-13-2000).]

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Chalk Dust
First Class Passenger
Member # 1272

posted 10-13-2000 07:50 PM

On the Zaandam this summer we paid about $12 each time we used the internet e-mail. I think it was worth it to have the fun of letting family know what a great time we were having. We carefully planned our use of time though. We wrote our message on paper first, then typed it in quickly. We also read the e-mail sent to our web-based e-mail page very quickly! The clock is ticking and the charge is piling up quickly. There were plenty of available terminals each time we used the service. Have a great cruise (little danger of failing that!).

Posts: 47 | From: Flower Mound, Texas, U.S.A. | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 10-13-2000 09:03 PM

K & K, We used our own carrier which really surprised us that it was so easy. We had not set up anything ahead of time from home. Really never expected to use the computers but of course when my husband saw them (ex IBM) he just had to see how well they worked.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

starfish
First Class Passenger
Member # 986

posted 10-14-2000 07:31 AM

tomc Welcome aboard. I see you count the days down like a typical cruiser.
We only have 112 days to go.It's good to see another Valley resident aboard.
Have a great cruise.

Posts: 225 | From: Dallas,PA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Terri Lee
First Class Passenger
Member # 942

posted 10-14-2000 03:22 PM

When I was on the ROTTERDAM in August,I used the Internet Cafe on board. Unfortunately,I forgot to take along my password and ID #.Consequently I was forced to use the ship's Email which cost $3.95 US for each Email.The minute rate was another 75c so because I am not a very fast typist,the charges were a lot higher than they should have been.

I used it three times and my total cost was $42.60 US so with my CDN exchange,it was $63.60!! Don't forget either,that the charge for just reading any replies is $2.25 US for 3 minutes.

The moral here is always remember to take along your password and ID #,that way you will only pay 75c a minute.(There are no print-outs either!)

Unless things have changed since May,there are no Internet facilities on the MAASDAM.Having said that,of course,they may have installed an Internet Cafe by now.

Happy sailing!!

Posts: 292 | From: Burlington Ontario Canada | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-14-2000 07:22 PM

Tom & Terri Lee - yes they do now have an Internet Cafe on the Maasdam. It is located where the puzzle corner used to be next to the library. I didn't ask what the price was - sorry.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Terri Lee
First Class Passenger
Member # 942

posted 10-15-2000 01:37 PM

Thanks for the info,Sympatico. I would imagine the price will be the same as on the ROTTERDAM and all the other HAL ships.

I will definitely take along my password and ID # when I go on the MAASDAM at Christmas and then I'll be able to see the difference in the charges from the ROTTERDAM!!!

TL :-))

Posts: 292 | From: Burlington Ontario Canada | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

tomc
First Class Passenger
Member # 1624

posted 10-15-2000 02:26 PM

quote:
will definitely take along my password and ID #

At the risk of sounding like a ditz, what do you mean by "password and ID#"? The standard username and pw like we all use for e-mail? Or is this something special for ships?

6d, 2h, 27m

Posts: 78 | From: Wilkes-Barre PA USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-15-2000 03:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tomc:
[QUOTE]will definitely take along my password and ID #

At the risk of sounding like a ditz, what do you mean by "password and ID#"? The standard username and pw like we all use for e-mail? Or is this something special for ships?

6d, 2h, 27m [/QUOTE]

Tom - I think it is just "Sympatico" that you have to have a password and ID#. Terry's and my carrier is "Sympatico.ca", which is Bell Telephone in Canada. Am I not right, Terry?
My daughter just registered with Yahoo today, so that we can use the email on the Veendam at Christmas and there is no ID#, just a password, which you would have with Hotmail.

[This message has been edited by sympatico (edited 10-15-2000).]

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

James
First Class Passenger
Member # 1351

posted 10-15-2000 03:34 PM

Re: password & ID# - ID# is your mailbox address at your home server, password is your password that you use but don't have to put in from home base because your computer remembers it and puts it in automatically. Your provider (server) will have instructions on how to get your e-mail from a computer away from your own. We use libraries when we travel on land and the access is free. Many ports have internet cafes near the docks where access is quite reasonable. Your cruise director or social hostess will know about these and be able to direct you for sure.

Posts: 202 | From: Illinois, Home of Lincoln and great graft | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Chalk Dust
First Class Passenger
Member # 1272

posted 10-15-2000 05:04 PM

About the ID and Password question:
The e-mail programs on the ship are set up for an e-mail account that is on the ship's computer for you. But that use of that account coststeh 3.95 US that Terri Lee talked about. However, if you are set up on one of the many free (if you do not mind seeing advertising) web-based e-mail accounts, you can access those accounts from any browser. The cost for browsing the net is only 75 cents per minute. It is cheaper to use on the web based e-mail pages than to use the ship's e-mail service. Besides, you can tell your friends what your e-mail address is which is harder to do if you use the ship's account. Your ID on the ship is something like your initials and your room number.
I'm not sure that I explained this very well...I think I made it sound harder than it is.

[This message has been edited by Chalk Dust (edited 10-16-2000).]

Posts: 47 | From: Flower Mound, Texas, U.S.A. | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

tomc
First Class Passenger
Member # 1624

posted 10-15-2000 05:26 PM

Thanks. I'll figure it out ... by asking someone on board! I'm not going to mess around at 75 cents/minute when I can see someone else doing it. I can access my regular home address, as well as this Hotmail address that I use for message boards.

5d, 23h, 27m

Posts: 78 | From: Wilkes-Barre PA USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Terri Lee
First Class Passenger
Member # 942

posted 10-15-2000 06:46 PM

Well,I guess we are all on the same wavelength regarding ID and passwords.

Being as I did not and still do not have a Hotmail or Yahoo email address,it was explained to me by the Internet Manager on the ship that I needed to log on to my home server in order to email for 75c a minute.
So because I couldn't remember my codes,I had to log on to the ship's email thingy(I am quite computer-illiterate,guys!!!)

Sorry,I didn't mean to confuse anyone...I thought I was helping...guess I'll keep quiet in future.

And,yes,Sympatico,you only have to remember one password with HotMail or Yahoo.....maybe I should get a HotMail email address before my next cruise??????

TL :-((

Posts: 292 | From: Burlington Ontario Canada | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

AGT
Just Boarded
Member # 1546

posted 10-18-2000 03:25 PM

I was on the Millenium's Baltic cruise in August and they charged .95/min for onboard Internet access.
We actually went to the public library in downtown Helsinki (on the advice of a member of the crew) to get on the Internet since it was free there. It was only 2 blocks from the shuttle drop off....another bonus.
My advice....ask the crew, they may be your best source of information!

Posts: 6 | From: St. Paul. MN USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Snick500
First Class Passenger
Member # 1647

posted 10-20-2000 01:36 PM

I just came off a cruise on Monarch of the Seas and they had an internet cafe. It was 50 cents a minute. I wrote about 2 e-mails a day to my daughter and read hers to me. At the end of the week the total came to about $28.00. I was really pleased. I had constant contact and felt better about things back home. It was $7.95 a minute for a phone call so I think I made out real well. It was a wonderful service in my opinion.

Posts: 10 | From: Newark, De USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

tomc
First Class Passenger
Member # 1624

posted 10-28-2000 03:37 PM

I'm back.

Maasdam was .75 per minute and I carefully wrote everything out beforehand. I also used my trusty RadioShack timer so I knew exactly how long I had been online. The cost was worth it for me. However, I do want to find out about free (or cheap) sites onshore. Maybe along around July or August I will ask people how to check on this for the NYC-Montréal cruise. I noticed one place in Bar Harbor, but was not able to take advantage of it.

Advice: write messages out beforehand and use a timer. As the operator of the onboard room said, "Internet time is the quickest thing in the world."

Posts: 78 | From: Wilkes-Barre PA USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Darlene
First Class Passenger
Member # 112

posted 10-28-2000 08:09 PM

I was on the Radisson Seven Seas Navigator in January 2000. It cost $1.00 U.S. for a one page email to be sent (much cheaper than a postcard). I didn't need my email ID because the email was prepared and sent to the ships LAN server. Periodically throughout the day the ship would send (and receive) emails via the internet to the designated email addresses (make sure you bring them with you). If someone replied to me, it cost me $1.00 to receive the incoming email (automatically billed to my ship board account). The incoming message would come in to the ships server. They would print off the message, put it in a sealed envelope and deliver it to my room. It was a great way to keep in touch with the kids at home, and send electronic postcards to family and friends, with up-to-the minute news.

Posts: 61 | From: Canada | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

tomc
First Class Passenger
Member # 1624

posted 10-28-2000 09:44 PM

Friends of mine just went to China for an adoption and their hotel did that. No charge, as far as I know. A nice touch for people far away from home.

Posts: 78 | From: Wilkes-Barre PA USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

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