Cell phones and the Cruise
Our new new obsession with smartphones comes with a serious unrealistic cost when used on or near the ship. While there is connection to your cell phone connections in Juneau, one should consider the cost of the roaming charges as they often do not relate to the same world of cell phones that we use in the lower 48 states to send to facebook of all of our finest selfies. My suggestion is that you disconnect the phone and put it in the cruise room safe while you are on the ship. Break it out to shoot a photo in Juneau make a call or two to find out about how things are at home and put it back again. Use your point and shoot USB oriented camera to take great photos of your adventure. When you return home to your familiar connections may be used upload those gems you would like to share from your computer's hard drive directly to your facebook account or sent to your friends. The savings here could be as much as 75 dollars. If you plan to use your cellphone in Victoria plan on spending extra money on "foreign travel" connections. The Canadians have a different viewpoint regarding mobile (cellular) phones and it is considerably more expensive to jump into the middle of their system with your plan.. or the agreement of your plan with their plan for you. If you plan to use your smart phone when you get off the ship, don't forget to bring its charger so that it will be in shape as you arrive back home. It is not a great way to stay in touch with your friends on the ship when you go ashore. It does come in handy as an entertainment source at the end of the cruise. There is often a long wait to get off the ship (your color has to be called) and it is really nice to have a smart phone to call or to engage in the internet while you wait for the call after you have vacated your room. Being that you are back in the world of your cellphone contract it is great to connect with your "smartphone world."Fancy Cameras
If you are a user of a great camera, such as a DSLR with fancy lenses, there is no reason not to take such a device. Weight is not an issue unless you are flying. The ship will allow you to bring as much wieght along as you want. The only restrictions are what you might want to carry comfortably on your excursions. This may also apply to the use of computers on the ship. Consider your computer laptop without the use of the internet. It can me used to write a blog or a diary or to process photos that you have taken. It can be used to play the music you want to hear or watch that movie that you have been wanting to watch but have not found the time to see. Use of your laptop in the ship's wifi connections will not save you money.
There will be some places that you will want to take great photos. The Alaskan trip has some unbeatable photographic opportunities. The movies can be priceless and some of the dramatic views including the inside passage and whales and sea otters and bald eagles and bears are subjects that you just do not want to pass up. Don't forget to turn on the anti vibration features.
Internet use on Ship
Hooking a computer up to the internet in a ship that is constantly moving its position is problematic and the cost of the service through the ship's IT is problematic too. There is a very effective computer lab that you can rent time to send emails and collect emails and even catch up on your favorite sites on the ship's computers. Sadly, effectiveness of this resource is at best is pretty slow. There are certain times were every computer in the library is used. The night before landing, people head for the computer to make changes in airline connections and flights. Our last cruise had a 2 dollar a minute charge for internet use. When considering the old AOL charge of 49 cents a minute as excessive it will give you pause. Granted there are some packages that you can get a better deal in connection minutes especially on the first day on the cruise. Cruisers can buy a package that will allow you to use the computer and the internet or use your laptop's wifi for 2, or 5 hours or 10 hours. Again everything is charged to your account and your room card so no money will change here until the ship lands and you "settle up" your charges the night before or agree to have the ship charge your account the amount they believe you have spent. Some people compose their emails by hand before they log on and send using the ship's internet connection. When you sign off the computer, the program will tell you how many minutes you have spent on the internet. In most cases the cost will also be revealed if you do not have a purchased plan. So get the plan the first day the price goes up on the 2nd day of the cruise.
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