Valor-1st ship with bow to stern internet access

[GottaCruz]

I just read this article and I'm wondering if you bring your own laptop do you still have to pay for internet access? Even if you just use your laptop in your cabin?

New Carnival Valor First Cruise Ship to Offer

'100 Percent Bow to Stern' Wireless Internet Access

Carnival Cruise Lines' new cruise ship, Carnival Valor, which has made its U.S. debut, is the first cruise ship to offer "100 percent bow to stern" wireless Internet access, providing guests unparalleled opportunities to surf the Web, check e-mail, and obtain stock quotes and news updates from anywhere aboard the massive 2,974- passenger SuperLiner.

Unlike other cruise ships that have designated Wi-Fi hotspot areas, Carnival Valor will feature ship-wide wireless Internet capability, enabling guests to use laptop computers to access the Internet from every public area, including all lounges, bars and pool decks, as well as any of the ship's 1,487 staterooms.

"Wi-Fi is a huge consumer trend, appearing in more places than ever and Carnival Valor's new ship-wide wireless Internet service offers our guests unprecedented convenience and connectivity at sea. This multi-million-dollar investment places Carnival at the forefront of this new technology," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO.

Carnival Valor's new Wi-Fi system complements the ship's Internet café, "The Web," which provides guests with high-speed Internet connectivity via private flat-panel workstations. The new system works with any Wi-Fi-enabled laptop. Laptops and Wi-Fi cards are also available for rent on board for a nominal fee; charges apply for Wi-Fi connectivity.

Carnival Valor's new "bow to stern" Wi-Fi system is part of a pilot program that may be expanded to other Carnival ships, all of which currently feature Internet cafés and wireless Internet access in select areas. The new system, which was installed during construction by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, was designed by Carnival's in-house network engineers and San Jose, California-based Cisco Systems Inc. The capability to provide highly secure Wi-Fi access throughout Carnival Valor was accomplished with Cisco Aironet 1230G Series IEEE 802.11b/g Access Points (AP) compliant with the 802.11g 54 mb/s standard. For the ship-wide Wi-Fi Hotspots, Cisco Catalyst® 6509 Series Switches provide switching capability at the core while Catalyst® 3750 Series Switch with Power over Ethernet connect the Cisco Aironet APs to the network.

[JoeyandDavid]

I dont KNOW<] the correct anaser.. But my guess<] is Yeap.. You will have to pay extra

[Dan]

Of course it will cost extra. This is Carnival after all.

[DaCruzNut]

When serious cruising began, a mere 20 years ago, the whole idea of going on a cruise was getting a way from it all...

No television, no phones (you had to go to the Radio Room during specified hours to make a call), no Times Fax, no USA Today.

Nowadays, you take it all with you....desktops, wireless phones.....

I think I liked it the "old" way!

"I'm goin' on a cruise!"

[Bodger]

Being a cynic, I fully expect that cruise lines will do almost anything to get their hands in your pocket. (No not for that, :wink: they just want your money!)

Technically I am impressed, as these are radio signals and there are immense amounts of signal blocking steel with which to contend. You undoubtedly will need to enter your cabin number or other identifier to gain access, and the time clock will start ticking.

The system on the ship will be pretty fast. I wonder if the internet access will be as fast. This is a significant investment in a technology that will likely not last past the first major refurb.

Bodger

[Suzila]

People in this day and age are attached (read this as 'addicted') to the internet. They NEED<] the information they get from the internet everyday, even if they're on vacation. I know, as much as I love cruising, I suffer withdrawals when I'm not able to access the internet.

Of course my hubby won't be as happy about this as I am...I'm pretty sure he takes me on a cruise each year just to get me off the computer.

[cruisinmama]

Well I guess they are keeping up with world...I do like to use the internet while on board to check in with home...if we leave the kids...

I don't think I would bring my laptop, but i know many people do...

be interesting to see who else follows them..

[DaCruzNut]

Sorry.

When I'm on a cruise, I make it a point to avoid anything that keeps me up-to-date! It can all wait until I get Home.

[Dan]

The internet is mostly recreation for me. Not something I need, but something I enjoy spending time doing, along with karaoke and golf LOL. I probably won't decide until we board whether I'll use the net or not, but chaces are I will, just to pop in here and say hi. Of course, posting from a ship isn't as much a novelty now as it was when we went on our last cruise. But, on that cruise, being days after 9-11, people booked on the sailings immediately after ours were hungry for information about what we knew was going to happen to their trips, so I was answering a lot of questions too.

I'm not a "get away from it all" type of person. I'm away from work, and there is zero chance I'll see one of my company's trucks in Mexico, so that's as away from it as I need to be. I wouldn't be upset if there was no TV news or internet on board though. I also don't begrudge people that bring their laptops with them on a cruise, and sit out by the pool typing away. I mean, if you have to take a "working vacation" what better place to do it? Some people simply have jobs they can't check out of for a week or more. Those poolside laptop uisers may not even be working. They could be setting a nice webpage of their cruise, as it happens, or even be a Crazie typing out the mother of all cruise reviews LOL.

[TheSkipper]

It states right in the press release that there are "connectivity charges". That means kiddies you will have to pay to use the network on your own laptop.

Many hotels now have wireless in the rooms and there still is a charge to access their network, either hourly or by the day.

Just one more income generating activity and you can bet your boots it spread throughout the cruise world.

If I need the net, I go to an Internet Cafe ashore, unless I'm on Princess where I get free unlimited internet as an Elite Member of their Captain's Club. :grin: