Internet Access
The internet is an expected necessity of modern travel. At least 65% of cruise passengers utilize internet access for laptops, iphones, cell phones, and other tech gadgets, and the ship's staff is in need of communication with land based operations for credit card verification, ordering, and arranging shore excursions.
Most cruise ships have had cybercafes for years. But this last year has seen an explosion in technological advances that allows cell phone access at sea, and Wi-Fi in strategically located hotspots or even in-cabin. Progress in seagoing communications is happening so quickly it is essential to check with your cruise line before booking, and also immediately prior to sailing to get up to date information about access and fees.
Fees
The one thing that has not changed when it comes to our ability to access the internet while at sea, is the extraordinarily high price tag for the minutes we use. Cruise ships use satellite connections which lump all communications coming from the ship - both passengers and ship's business - into one stream that is smaller than what most families use for their home computer. Because of the high amount of traffic going through one small link, speeds are significantly slower than land based connections. For example, loading a web page or downloading email is measured in minutes rather than seconds. Newer technology compresses and optimizes the data being fed to the satellite, and this does increase speed somewhat, but you can still expect higher prices and slower speeds than what you are accustomed to in your home or office. Please, don't set yourself up for unpleasant surprises. Refer to a cruise line's website or call them to learn about their current access details and fees before packing any tech devices.
Cost Cutting Tips
If you are like the majority of passengers who cannot live without connections to friends, family, financial info, and the office, there are ways you can cut Internet access costs while on your cruise vacation.
Purchase a bundle of minutes from the cruise line instead of paying as you go. The difference between per-minute fees and pre-purchased packages can be as much as 50%.
Pre-cruise preparation can save time, and time is money when access is adding up by the minute. If possible, set up a new web based email account, such as Google's gmail, and add the addresses of your friends and family to your address book. Without having to download all the data in your usual email account, the new account should load and send emails quickly. If you plan on using the ship's computers in the cybercafe, while you are at home take the time to archive one email with a list of your favorite websites. For example, if you are accustomed to visiting a discussion forum every day, copy the url for the index page of the forum and add that to the list. Then, when you want to visit these sites you won't have to use a search engine. You can just click and join.
Do NOT upload full sized pictures while at sea. As tempting as it might be to share your adventure with the folks back home, uploading pictures off your digital camera can use up enormous amounts of bandwidth.
When in port, seek out and visit a cybercafe or use the free WiFi if it is available in a restaurant or hotel lobby. The prices will be a fraction of the ship's fees, making it much more affordable to upload your pictures and surf the web. Do NOT use public shared computers for any sensitive information, such as checking your bank balance or stock portfolio. Hackers can place keylogging programs on public computers that will capture your login and passwords as you type them, and use that data to later compromise your personal accounts. Bring your own laptop - the new netbooks are the perfect size for slipping into a purse or carryall - and you won't have to worry about security.
