LAPTOP/NO LAPTOP

[Nita]

My TA told me that I should not bring my laptop with me. I was going to use it for the purpose of downloading pictures as I make them. She said that 1st it will be too hot to withstand all the heat, and I will have no where to lock it up once I get on the ship. Mind you it's not a very expensive laptop so it is not real durable. It is a HP that was less than $200.00 during Walmart after Thanksgiving sale. What do you think???

[NancyN]

I am sure your TA is just being cautious and looking out for your best interests, but
I always carry my laptop with me and have never had an issue with transporting or leaving it in my cabin.
Nancy

[Jim C.]

The heat should not be an issue. If it is, the processor will shut down long before you get any real damage. So if you take it and you are out on deck with it sitting in the sun (why you would do this I don't know) you may see it "freeze up" or get the "blue screen of death". If you do, turn it off, take it back to the cabin and let it cool down before turning it back on.

The bigger question is were you planning on using the wireless LAN access to download the pictures to the internet? Or just pulling them off your camera with it? If the former, I would caution you on the costs for internet access on the ship. If you want it to just manage you pictures, then knock yourself out.

personally I just bring extra "digital film" (i.e. memory cards) for my cameras. Having my laptop with me is too much like work. And its hard to type with a boat drink in each hand

[Dave]

I bring a laptop with me. I don't understand the comment about heat. It isn't as though you are going to the Mojave Desert for a week. It is cooler on a ship in the Caribbean than it is in most of the U.S. today.

As for the safe storage - well, most cabins don't have safe storage for anything really. The safes are about big enough to hold passports, jewelry and money. I have to leave my cameras out too. I've never felt that anything would be stolen.

Now that I'm done discrediting what your TA told you .......let me say that I do as Jim C does and just bring enough memory cards with me to get through the cruise. For me this is 4GB of storage for my SLR, and a couple of 1GB SD cards for the snapshot cameras. Even with highest resolution, this is enough for over a thousand photos.

[Nita]

Originally posted by Dave56:
I bring a laptop with me. I don't understand the comment about heat. It isn't as though you are going to the Mojave Desert for a week. It is cooler on a ship in the Caribbean than it is in most of the U.S. today.

As for the safe storage - well, most cabins don't have safe storage for anything really. The safes are about big enough to hold passports, jewelry and money. I have to leave my cameras out too. I've never felt that anything would be stolen.

Now that I'm done discrediting what your TA told you .......let me say that I do as Jim C does and just bring enough memory cards with me to get through the cruise. For me this is 4GB of storage for my SLR, and a couple of 1GB SD cards for the snapshot cameras. Even with highest resolution, this is enough for over a thousand photos.

Thanks to everyone for you answers I really want to take my laptop I just thought it would be cool to download pictures as you make them while still on the cruise, maybe I am just being a little bit over excessive because this is my first cruise and I just don't know what to expect and probably WILL not need a laptop just enough memory on my camera and I will be just as happy???? !!!! I am so confused of what to do

[BoySam]

Take your lap top !
First, the heat is NOT a danger, particularly because your cabin is air conditioned.
Secondly, it's good to save your precious photos on a hard drive in case of "accident" to your card - or even simply filling up your card.
Thirdly, if you use e-mail, it is good to be able to download your messages to "outlook" programme on your lap-top. If you don't do it, you will have hundreds of messages accumulating on your web server (and perhaps blocking your reception).
However, a caution. Internet services can cost a fortune. Oceania charges $1 a minute. If you use 30 minutes a day, it will cost you close to $500 for a two-week cruise. Other lines may be more reasonable, including the use of local services when in port.

[Jim C.]

Nita-

Take the laptop if you want to. But, you'll most likely end up never turning it on. You will be so busy having fun that you won't have time to download pictures.

Dave brings his because he has some strange affliction that makes him wake up before dawn. So he has plenty of time to use it.

You'll probably way over pack for your first cruise anyway. So what's one more bag?

[Dave]

Originally posted by Jim C.:
Dave brings his because he has some strange affliction that makes him wake up before dawn.

Ho Ho Ho! You very funny man!

Actually I take a laptop so I can provide my daily cruise updates! I also like being able to download my e-mail in those early hours when I am looking for the sunrise while sipping my coffee.

BTW - Jim knows this. He is just messing with me.

[Larry in Miami]

I have taken my expensive Mac laptop and left it out in the room for the cruise with no problems.

The rooms have AC so there is no heat issue.

[Dave]

Originally posted by Larry in Miami:
I have taken my expensive Mac laptop and left it out in the room for the cruise with no problems.

The rooms have AC so there is no heat issue.

Hi Larry,

I use a Mac too. On my last cruise - in June - I took my MacBook Pro and had no problems. In fact, it appears I had better wi-fi than those with Windows laptops.