More internet access for cruise lines

[Jason]

I'm not convinced that lugging a laptop along on a cruise actually qualifies as a vacation, but I am certain that staying connected is comforting.

In 1999, Norwegian Cruise Line launched the first Internet cafe at sea. Passengers smitten with the new technology flocked to rows of PCs to check e-mail, follow the stock market and share digital images of their cruise vacations as they unfolded. Even grandparents have mastered the art of e-mail.

Internet access now is nearly ubiquitous, found on the ships of every major line, as well as aboard many small ones.

With the Internet's popularity come the crowds. On a trans-Atlantic cruise aboard the QE2 two years ago, nary a terminal was unoccupied among the ship's two-dozen PCs -- even on formal night, with computer users decked out in tux and gown. On a more recent cruise, I contended with a long wait for a seat at the PC in a ship's lobby coffee bar. And when I wanted to check my e-mail in the wee hours of the morning, I was out of luck without a connection in my cabin.

Some lines, such as Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean International, have solved this problem by offering Internet access in staterooms. But the newest wave is high-speed wireless access, and the first to employ Wi-Fi was again Norwegian, which began offering it in 2002.

Essentially, users with Wi-Fi-equipped laptops or PDAs can establish an account aboard ship that lets them link to the Internet through global ship-to-shore and satellite communications services offered primarily by the Maritime Telecommunications Network of Miramar.

Surprisingly few lines offer wireless access. When available, it's typically in "hotspots," central locations such as Internet cafes, libraries, card rooms, pool areas and lounges. Like pioneering Norwegian, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 provides Wi-Fi in certain public areas, as do Princess, Holland America and Carnival, though primarily on newer ships. Many lines plan to add Wi-Fi, but very few I surveyed provide shipwide Wi-Fi coverage -- and none of the mega-lines offers it.

Among those leading the trend for stem-to-stern Wi-Fi coverage is Seabourn. Two of the line's three ultra-luxury yachtlike vessels, the Pride and Legend, just added shipwide access. The line's third ship, the Spirit, will follow suit by Aug. 25. Coincidentally, Seabourn also has decreased its connectivity costs. Outbound satellite telephone calls have dropped from $12.50 per minute to $4.95 per minute. Internet connection, which had cost 95 cents a minute, is 50 cents per minute. Discounts for bulk online time can reduce passengers' costs to as little as 25 cents per minute.

MTN president Dave Kagan summed up the Wi-Fi trend, telling the Web site Wi-fiplanet.com, "From (the cruise lines') perspective, their big competition is resorts on land, not other cruise lines. They want to bring to their guests all the same capabilities as if they were on land."

In addition to untethering passengers from a specific location, Wi-Fi even might change passenger demographics. With limited Internet access and links to corporate networks, business folks have been reluctant to hold conventions at sea, according to Kagan.

With the flourishing of Wi-Fi, you might find more seagoing CEOs elbowing kids out of the way for pizza on the pool deck.

For one Orlando Sentinel reader, lipstick was the kiss of death for automatic, on-board gratuities.

After a recent column about tips being automatically charged to a cruiser's account, Joseph Maynor Cruey of Winter Park, Fla. wrote via e-mail that he was content with this arrangement until he "started to have a drink in my cabin, picked up a glass, and it had last week's big lips on it."

"I moved the glass to an area that anyone (would) think it needs to be cleaned or replaced. (The cabin attendant) kept putting the dirty glass back into the clean area. I didn't say anything at first because anyone can goof every now and then. (By) Wednesday I got tired of this and went to the purser's office. ... I was told I could stop the tips from going on my credit card and did. She did the job right Thursday, but Friday she left the room a mess. ... I left her $2 and a note saying she would have got more but she blew it the night before."

Cruey summed up the downside of automatic tipping along with his frustration. "We decide who gets what! It seems that if (staff) think the tip is locked up, the service sometimes goes way down."

So, if service is not up to your standards, be sure to make your feelings known at the purser's office.

Source: Arline Bleecker, Belleville News

[TheSkipper]

Intresting article Jason.

I lugged my laptop on a couple of cruises and it was more of a pain than a pleasure. So, now I just spend a half hour in an internet cafe ashore from time to time to catch up on my email and let it go at that.

Aboard Princess we get unlimited internet access free as Elite members of the Captain's Club, so take advantage of that once in awhile, mainly to let our kids know we are alive and well.

Still kinda liked the days before cruise ships had TV and telephones in the staterooms!! :wink: