Laptops in rooms??

[ncligs]

Just wondered if laptop computers have hook ups in rooms.I know I can go to Internet Cafe, just wondered if I can bring a laptop on board.
Thanks

 

[tstobb]

If you're looking to get on the net with your laptop, it would be cheaper by far to use the internet cafe as you will pay the per-minute phone charge to connect from your room. There are no high speed connections in the rooms.
We did bring our laptop, however, to dump the memory from our digital camera each day.

 

[ncligs]

Thanks for the quick answer......thats what I thought.A friend of mine is going on the 3 day this week and he just called me. told him I would have an answer in a couple minutes and I did.

P.S. Thanks Cathy for your PM also.

 

[CathyCanada]

No problem, Nick! Before the days of the Internet Cafe when Dreams did the Around the World tour and kicked it off on the ship, we were lucky to be able to use the broadcast booth for internet access and live chats. That was a blast......except when Michelle's computer crashed in the middle of the Captain Hans' chat and the questions couldn't be sent until Pete fixed it. As the tech-challenged Co-Executive Producer of the event, I had to do what I do best.....TALK! I chit-chatted poor Captain Hans' ear off but we did get an invite to the bridge while docking in St. Thomas out of that!

Um, what was the question again???
CC

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by WebmasterCathyCanada

Um, what was the question again???
CC

 

[taswira]

To anyone worried about their laptop being stolen from their room - - I don't know about the rest of the room stewards, but you can certainly trust I-Ketut on the Wonder!

My adult nephew brought his laptop on our Halloween cruise. Since I chose to sleep on the sofa-bed by the verandah, he always sat on the bed while using his computer. THEN he ALWAYS left it <I>on the bed</I> (and out of its case) every time we left the room! Even after I-Ketut made the bed, he would put the laptop back exactly where my nephew had left it.

I would never leave anything of value in clear view like that (<I>being the obsessive neat-nik that I am!</I>), but I was impressed with this . . especially considering how they leave the door wide open when cleaning.

 

[thebecka]

IMHO - leave the laptop at home. You're on vacation! Happy sailing!

 

[tstobb]

We took ours just to download pictures each day - it saved us from spending extra for memory sticks for the digital camera so we never had to worry about running out or missing a shot. I'm the type that will take 20 pictures & throw out 19 just to get the perfect shot.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by tstobb

I'm the type that will take 20 pictures & throw out 19 just to get the perfect shot.

Me too.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

I have a 256 meg memory card, I will be happy if I get 10 good pictures out of it so include me in the club!

 

[BethC1952]

I, too, bring my laptop to download pictures. I took over 800 during my 12 day trip, and most are keepers (I've been a professional photographer covering sporting events, kids events and weddings so I'm quick to catch a moment).

I'll be posting pictures with my trip report if I ever finish my laundry!

Beth

 

[Hopelessly Hooked]

I was thinking of bringing my laptop to download and view digital photos. What do you think based upon your experience? Will I just end up leaving the PC in the luggage? I thought it might be fun to view the photos on the laptop during lunch and breakfast instead of waiting until we got home to look at pictures. Good or bad idea? Thanks.

 

[taswira]

Hopelessly Hooked - If you <I>need</I> to download photos from your camera in order to make space for more photos, then by all means bring your laptop. But I doubt if you'll want to spend much time viewing or editing, and it would certainly be inconvenient in the dining room. There is just too much else to do on the ship! I spend so much time at a computer that crusing is a great escape from it. But I carry a 512MB card and and additional 128MB card, so I have never run out of space.

My own experience has been that the less I bring, the happier I am. I am obsessive about it and itemize everything I will wear and take. I <I>do</I> carry a PDA with a mini keyboard that slides onto the bottom. That's how I write my journal. But cruising is the <I>one</I> time my laptop stays behind!

 

[tstobb]

We were on the 7 day with 3 days at the parks total and took over 1500 pictures! I could set my camera at the highest resolution (takes about 1 mb per picture) and not worry about missing anything. Each night, while DW was getting ready for dinner, I would download the memory stick(s) from the day to the laptop and when I got enough, I burned them right to a cd (let it work while we were at dinner or a show) so we wouldn't have been able to go without it.
They do make devices that are like a portable hard drive that you can upload your memory cards into (several mfgs., MindStor, Kanguru, etc) that are smaller than a laptop but you can't view your shots right away. They're $300 to $420 and range from 10 to 30gig.

 

[taswira]

I shoot at highest resolution as well, and my original file sizes are unfortunately even larger than that. However, I don't shoot 1500 digital pics on a cruise, because I try not to duplicate what I have already shot many times. I usually shoot about 300+ digital, and also use my 35mm SLR.

How much drive or card space someone needs is entirely an individual matter. Not everyone has a high-resolution, memory hogging digital camera, or has the same method of shooting. With digital, I immediately delete shots I don't like, or those that look like previous photos. But a lot of people have simple, inexpensive digital cameras that don't have high resolution or large file sizes (and some don't even have a preview monitor). They can get by with much less storage space. So each person has to determine their own needs. I would not want to talk someone into buying a 30 GB drive or lugging their laptop for downloads if that is beyond their needs.

 

[tstobb]

Originally posted by taswira
I would not want to talk someone into buying a 30 GB drive or lugging their laptop for downloads if that is beyond their needs.

I don't sell the things, I was just offering an option!

Someone on another board asked if anyone had pictures of the Pride from the Magic and she was happy because I shot the entire sequence of the ship backing out, turning right in front of us and traveling down the channel. It was about 45 shots that I normally wouldn't have taken with a film camera but the digital allowed that. I take shots of lightening & clouds and spent hours one day at a waterfall watching & shooting salmon swimming up the falls - that day was 6 hours & only 5 shots of the salmon out of over 1000 shots taken (they just won't listen & jump when you want ). Do you know many people with shots of the lines being shot to the crew while docking at Castaway Cay (30-40 of that). I would rather know that I got the shot than chance missing something and we don't take trips like this as often as some others.

Like you said in your earlier post, there isn't the time to do any editing so I usually don't even review them on the screen of the camera when I know I can do it later, at my leisure, on a bigger screen.

 

[taswira]

tstobb - Sorry if you took that personally. I was not trying to insinuate that you were a salesman! I was only pointing out (to anyone who happens to read this thread) that those with low-end digital cameras that don't have high res and huge file sizes don't necessarily require downloading to a laptop or a drive while onboard. Not <I>everyone</I> who shoots digital pics is a <I>serious</I> photographer, and most people are a whole lot happier travelling as light as possible..

I, too, have <I>many</I> of the shots you described (including the salmon - being a part-time Idahoan and also spending time in Alaska), but mine are 35mm. My primary occupation is professional wildlife photographer & safari director specializing in African wildlife. I am a part-tiime TA and enjoy shooting digital when cruising, due to the convenience.

 

[mcnuss]

does anyone use a memory card reader and if so, what would you recommend I buy? I need a Christmas gift for a digital photo afficionado.

Thanks!

 

[tstobb]

Originally posted by taswira
Sorry if you took that personally. I was not trying to insinuate that you were a salesman!

Naa, my hide's too tough to get insulted, like I said, I was just offering up options. Now, if you'd called me a lawyer . . .

mcnuss, I would recommend that you look at a model that can accept infrom any type of memory (compact flash, memory stick,smart media), that way, it will be great if your giftee changes cameras, they won't have to worry about replacing their reader. Also make sure that it will work with the 2 most recent versions of Windows (or their Mac if they're so inclined).
As far as brands go, mine is the cheapest one I could find on eBay (couldn't find a brand marked on it anywhere) & it's worked without a hitch since day 1.

 

[taswira]

SanDisk makes several reasonably priced readers that accept dual formats. I have one for CF & SD (my PDA uses the latter) and one for CF & Memory Stick. See if you can find out what his camera uses (Compact Flash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, etc.). If he has a Sony camera, you should get him a CF & Memory Stick model to cover the bases. If he has a Nikon or other model and also has a PDA (my situation), try the CF & SD model. I am assuming he does <I>not</I> have a camera that records to mini-CD? I would also recommend that it be USB connection, as that offers reasonably fast file transfers and is widely compatible.