Wireless Internet

[BobandLee]

Any chance that Disney will install wireless internet on the Magic and Wonder any time soon. I thought I read a thread(rumor) where Disney was or maybe it was a different cruiseline. Just wondering.
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[DrCavin]

Someone posted a thread about "If you knew the CEO of Disney was reading this what would you ask for". A few people said wireless access would be great.

I have not read anything that it is in the plans to be done. The Wonder goes to drydock this October, so maybe then. The Magic goes in 2005.

I would like to see wireless access as well.

 

[RickW]

I would imagine that even if Disney was planning on adding this, we wouldn't find out about it until right about the time that it actually happens. DCL doesn't seem to announce these changes too far in advance. (Look at the "Free Soda" announcement as an example)

I would love to have a way to connect my laptop (wired, wireless, inroom, hotspot, business center, whatever, just so that I had the additional flexibility that you lose with a web terminal)

 

[lovetotravel1974]

It would be a nice addition to DCL if it happens.

 

[tvguy]

I must be odd.
When I am on vacation, the last thing I want is a phone or a computer!!!!
Sorry, those work tools just aren't in my vision of Paradise.

 

[Rence]

Actually there is wireless connectivity on the Magic, just not for passengers.

We were talking with the Rep at the DVC desk and noted that her laptop only had a wireless card, no network cable and she was accessing DVC information on the internet.

 

[goingbacksoon]

Noticed that too when making Palo ressies, the CM had a wi-fi card in the laptop he was using. Would be nice to keep up with email without being tied to a terminal.

 

[MarkRG]

Now, I'm not talking about people whose jobs are computer based, but for me, my contact with home amounts to:

-How's things at home? fine.

-How's (insert pet name here) Fine.

-How's the family? Fine.

I honestly am having too much fun enjoying my vacation to bother with anything at home short of the the house blowing up or something. And this may even seem cold to some of you. I have a 93 year old grandmother that is suddenly showing her age. DW asked me the other day well what happens if it happens right before or during the 10-day. I'll make calls to people, but I will not abort the trip over it.


For me, vacation means being away from home, not bringing it with me.

Now that said would I find wireless in other places on the ship or being able to use my own laptop convenient? Certainly.

 

[FLGalInTN]

TVGuy and MarkRG

I'm with you. I am a computer engineer and, most days, my laptop rarely leaves my side. I've lugged it all over the U.S. and Europe on business and the last thing I want to do is lug the darn thing on vacation. I only hope that I don't take too many pictures with my digital camera. I have one extra memory stick and that should give me 200+ pictures.

As for WiFi on the ship, I'm sure the last thing they need is all us computer geeks dragging our laptops on board, sucking up the bandwidth and bringing their network to a crawl.

 

[FredS]

I think that there is a big difference between someone who would like the convenience of being able to use a wireless internet connection a few times on their trip (e.g., to touch base with family and friends, research potential excursions or info about ports, download photos from digital camera, check prices to compare if rebooking onboard, whatever) and someone sitting in front of their computer most of their vacation! Many people are uncomfortable that they are not really accessible by phone. One can utilize their laptop and wireless internet service to improve the quality of their vacation -- it sounds like some don't understand the point. If you want to be totally shut off from technology, have at it, but there's nothing odd with someone who chooses to use it to make their vacation better.

I think wireless internet service would be great, and I am sure that we would use it, although probably for no more than a few minutes total on the trip.

 

[DrCavin]

Originally posted by FLGalInTN
TVGuy and MarkRG

I'm with you. I am a computer engineer and, most days, my laptop rarely leaves my side. I've lugged it all over the U.S. and Europe on business and the last thing I want to do is lug the darn thing on vacation. I only hope that I don't take too many pictures with my digital camera. I have one extra memory stick and that should give me 200+ pictures.

As for WiFi on the ship, I'm sure the last thing they need is all us computer geeks dragging our laptops on board, sucking up the bandwidth and bringing their network to a crawl.

200 pics, you mean a day? We took almost 700 for the week....

 

[Spectro is #1]

I am the same way...need the laptop for photos too!

 

[MarkRG]

Fred,

You said lots which I won't quote, as I do agree with it, except for this.

Many people are uncomfortable that they are not really accessible by phone.

The fact is all you have to do is give whoever this number: 888-DC-AT-SEA (888-322-8732) or this one for the international crowd. +1 (732) 335-3281

My party even got contacted by using it once, as my parents who went on the Western with us had a failed hot water heater at home. Was as reliable and clear as if we were staying at WDW, maybe even moreso as they could have had them paged to any phone on the ship, just managed to catch them in the cabin right off.

As far as the camera unloading, I intend to make use of the cd burning service onboard, plus the fact I just bought a new memory chip that gives me approx 3,000 pics at the highest setting of the camera short of tga, so I don't intend to unload it till we get home.

I just don't want to schlep the notebook along, one less piece of junk to be lugging about till the cabin's ready, thru the airports, etc..

And there's nothing about being totally shut off from tech here- I'll be in Cove Cafe once a day to check for any messages from home, and then some

But I do look at vacation time as an oppotunity to just unplug for a while too.

 

[FLGalInTN]

I guess, besides not wanting to drag around yet another piece of luggage, my biggest concern is the possible theft of my computer. I have already had this happen once (on business in Amsterdam - NOT FUN) and I don't want it to ever happen again. That would ruin my vacation.

I don't want to be removed from technology on my vacation. Quite the opposite. I like knowing that the technology is there if I need it and Disney has it covered. I figure with the intenet cafe (which I will be using to check up on things at home but NOT at work ), ship to shore phone service and the fact that I have an international cell phone, I'm good to go.

That brings up another topic: security of valuables in the stateroom. Hmm. I may have to post that one.

MarkRG - What kind of camera/memory do you have? DH may be interested in getting a new one before our August cruise (since, as Dr Cavin pointed out, we can ONLY take ~200 pictures ).

 

[MarkRG]

Mine's an Olympus they don't even make anymore in any form. However, my advice would be if you want to max out on the memory, ones that use Compact Flash are still the way to go. They seem to push the upper limit on memory first. I currently have a 1 GB chip in mine.

 

[avgeek]

I"ll betcha if they ever did offer wifi on board it would be expensive. I did notice that I had cell phone access 50 nautical miles out of port canaveral (I called a buddy of mine on Duncanville, TX) and seemed to have a signal in Nassau and CC (I guess from a nearby island). If any of you have cell phones that double as wireless modems, it might be worth looking into.

As for the laptop, I agree with the hassle. I drug mine along to pass time on the flight and to off load pictures since we shot nearly 1,000 the week we were there, but the security hassles were almost not worth it.

-D