Internet use and fee help

[hsteacher]

My 17 DD is very concerned that Palatine, Illinois might not survive without her and god forbid she wouldn't be able to AOL IM to people at home who might lose touch with her. So -- is there AIM (some form of AOL IM available -- this is her question -- I don't understand most of this IM to begin with and can't imagine communicating with so many people on one screen) in common grounds at no cost for the teens? Where can she use the internet if not at common grounds and what is the cost for a 4-day? How do I sign up for this (in other words, is it another line I'll have to stand in??) I appreciate the help. If she can't get the AIM form, she's told me she won't bother -- whatever that means! Thanks!

 

[Mskanga]

I don't know if they have AIM or not I honestly don't remember but there's no free internet access anywhere on the ship, you have to pay , I paid $39 for the three day cruise, I believe the 4 day was $49 and the 7 day was $89 , all for unlimited use and for everyone in the room as long as they know the user ID and the password. The way you sign up is the first time you go to use the computer it will ask you to slide your KTTW on the side of the computer and then it will ask you the user ID and password that you want to use , then it will start working and you will be charged for whatever service you sign up for. They also have services by the minute but I don't remember how much the charge was for that. I chatted on the DIS chatroom while sailing last August, I had a blast doing it , the kids were in the clubs having a blast , dh watching a movie in the theater and me checking my e-mail, e-mailing friends and relatives and chatting too.
By the way, the computer terminals on the Disney Wonder are right outside of Parrot Cay on deck 3.

 

[mermaid96]

For $40 you can get unlimited internet access for your cruise. We did this and it was a great way to communicate with home since calling is so outrageously expensive. The internet cafe is next to the Promenade Lounge on Deck 3. I didn't try to access Aol IM so I'm not sure about that though!

Was it $49? LOL I thought I Paid $40.... oh well, it's only money!

 

[Parrotheader]

You'd think with Internet usage and the proliferation of laptops and PDAs (especially for relatively affluent people who can afford to cruise) that Internet access would be available in your rooms by now, even if it's for an additional fee. I know what a major pain it is to wire networking cable into a building's infastructure (much less a ship.) But surely a ship built around 1999 (even though it was probalby in the design process years before) had SOME thought given to this?!

While I don't always drag my laptop along with me on vacations I'll occasionally bring it since I make my living online and find I can get EXACTLY the info I need much faster: check weather, e-mail, news, events for the next day, etc. I'd originally thought about bringing my laptop with me on this vacation just in case I needed it for anything, particularly for teleconferencing with my brother who will be taking care of our house and dog while we're gone. Since nearly every hotel I stay in these days has ethernet drops in every room I didn't even realize it might not be a possibility on the ship. Granted, I don't plan on spending my vacation surfing the web or working, but it would be nice to have all that functionality in my room instead of having to go to a central computer lab (brings back college nightmares.) Paying a fee really doesn't bother me, although I think a daily fee instead of an hourly fee would be a better alternative for limited service and might get more people to use it whom might otherwise shirk away. I know that's just a picky point and it's something I'm sure they'll add eventually. I was just a little surprised is all.

 

[SeaShelley]

Mermaid is right. We paid $39.95 for unlimited use on the 4-night Wonder. It was worth every cent! Your daughter shouldn't have any problem connecting to her AOL account.

 

[rcostello1]

Do you have to swipe your card every time or do you only have to do it the first time you set up the service?

And AOL IM is available via the web. Go to www.aim.com and click on the AIM Express link. (url is http://www.aim.com/get_aim/express/aim_expr.adp) Note that the "start" button might take a few seconds to load.

Then you don't have to sign on to AOL in case someone is using your account.

 

[albiats]

hsteacher -

One of your original questions was about using AIM while onboard. The answer is that yes you can, one of the options on the main screen of the terminals is to use AOL or to use the Internet. So you can login to your AOL using the 'Guest' feature and then put in your userid and password and it will come up with many of your preferences loaded, including your buddy list.

The cost is $0.75 per minute, or you can sign up for the unlimited package.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by Parrotheader

You'd think with Internet usage and the proliferation of laptops and PDAs (especially for relatively affluent people who can afford to cruise) that Internet access would be available in your rooms by now, even if it's for an additional fee. I know what a major pain it is to wire networking cable into a building's infastructure (much less a ship.) But surely a ship built around 1999 (even though it was probalby in the design process years before) had SOME thought given to this?!

Parrotheader, the Internet service onboard is provided by a company called Digital Seas (www.digitalseas.com, "<i>The earth is mostly water. Somebody has to wire it.^TM</i>"). According to their web site, they <i>do</i> provide inroom Internet access on some of the other ships they're on, but these are only the brand-new ships. Digital Seas hadn't come into existence yet when the Disney ships were designed and constructed... the Internet Cafe was a retrofit. I'm sure if they ever get around to building their third ship, it will be wired for Internet access in the staterooms.

 

[lespaul55]

hsteacher,

Are your daughter and my daughter related? The first thing I was asked to do on our 3 day cruise was sign up for unlimited internet access. Then my daughter and everyone else in Common Grounds got to use my account to IM the whole teen universe. Oh, well, she had the best time and did actually meet lots of teens on the ship that she now spends her time at home IMing.

Signup was painless, no line, and you only need to charge it on your KTTW the first time. After that you use your screen name and password. Only one person can use the screen name and password at a time. So if your teen up in Common Grounds is on the internet using your screen name and password and you try to log on the Promenade Lounge, you will not be able to until your teen logs off.

Leslie

 

[Parrotheader]

Thanks for the info Dave. Being a full-time geek I was just a little surprised that this aspect was overlooked (even in the late 90s.) Another alternative they could take to get connectivity in the rooms would be to set up wireless repeaters throughout the ship. That way, they could offer in-room service without having to tackle the ordeal of rewiring. While I personally don't have a wireless card, I know a lot of people do (they could even rent out wireless LAN cards.) I guess I'll have to get by for a few days without my computer. It's just such an integral part of my daily routine and I know I'm not the only one in this day and age.