WI-FI and Cell Phones On Board

Joanandjoe · January 5, 2006

Cruise lines are competing to have the latest technology. First it was internet cafes, then in room access, then wi-fi hot spots, and now entire ships equipped for wireless internet connections. Now ships are starting to have cell phone access, even while at sea.

Do you think this trend is good or bad? Do you want to have the latest technology, or do you (as we do) go on vacation to get away from cell phones and the internet? Please vote your choice, and ring in with your comments. Joe

P.S. I don't know why there are \\ symbols in the polls: I certainly didn't type it that way. My apologies. If the moderators can remove the \\ lines, that would be great.

JoeyandDavid · January 5, 2006

I want the capibilities to be there in case of emergency.. I would feel more secure if I had my own access to the outside world, if I needed to call an SOS..

Other than that I wouldnt use it

Dan · January 5, 2006

I want the ship to have both in case I want to use either. I don't go away to be a recluse who doesn't have any clue what's going on. But I'm not the kind of person who can't enjoy a vacation if I know what's happenning in the world either.

On our upcoming cruise in 2 weeks, this will be the first time we have left either of our kids and gone any distance. (Only once in their 4 years have both of us been more than 60 miles from them at the same time). I'll have my cell phone with me anyway, since I won't leave it in the car for a week at Detroit airport, and I've told the in-laws what times we are in port and if they need to get ahold of us, to try my cell first, if it works.

Also, while we are gone, Ford will be making their big cutback announcement, and since one of our party works for the local plant thats supposedly targetted for shutdown, he wants to know. Some might say "well, he can't do anything about it anyway, so he might as well enjoy the cruise and find out when he gets home". Yeah, right. Try enjoying something while you are uncertain about your employment future.

Also that week Canada is having a national election, and since I'm an election junkie (I stayed up until 5am for the US Presidential race in 2000), I plan to pop into the internet cafe late on the Monday night and check the results.

jbond · January 6, 2006

After a problem a couple of years ago and our kids not being able to contact us for a couple of days, we bought an international satellite cell phone. We can call from anywhere to anywhere. It was a blessing when we got stranded in Barcelona last October. I'd never leave home without it.

JoeyandDavid · January 6, 2006

JBond

How expensive is something like that?

Mebert · January 6, 2006

If it were affordable I would use both.

Suzila · January 6, 2006

I need to have both available so I can know what's going on at home.

JoeyandDavid · January 6, 2006

I would be more inclined to accepting the technology if it was limited only to the individual staterooms. Personally I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t want to SEE or HEAR people on phones in public areas when I am on a cruise ship fantasy vacation.. I was taught to conduct personal business in private and to do so was rude.

However thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s just my preference.

Joanandjoe · January 6, 2006

I agree with you Joey. People loudly talking business on cell phones on land are rude, and I'd hate to have them disrupt my vacation. I also have a mental picture of trying to enjoy a show onboard, while the person next to me is clicking away on his laptop. Ugh!

BTW, what propmted this thread was a news item regarding Radisson. That line is introducting improved internet access on all of its ships (much needed-internet speed at present is ssslllooowww), and cell phone access at sea on all ships except the Tahiti ship (Paul Gauguin).