Six Ways To Save On Costly On-Board Internet

[by contributor Geoff Edwards].

At first the wire worked, but then we set sail.

Only a decade ago, Internet communication from a cruise ship was practically nonexistent. I was on Rotterdam when Holland America Line started to offer e-mail in 1999. But this was not the World Wide Web, mind you, only a link to it. E-mail was sent to Seattle where the company would forward it.

In those days, you’d check the ports for Internet cafes before leaving home. When the ship docked, it was off to the closest one of those cafes to communicate with friends and family.

Today most ships have their own Internet cafes, many with wireless from stem to stern. The cost to connect varies per ship, up to $1 per minute, and most have packages that reduce the per-minute fee. One thing, however, is standard: Connection is slooooow, particularly from your stateroom. And while you’re watching the little connecting circle blinking, you are being charged that exorbitant per-minute fee.

As many ships have only single outlets, you may want to bring along an extension cord – or even better, a power strip. That will take care of your laptop, phone charger, IPod, camera battery charger, and Kindle.

Six Tips To Help You Save A Buck Or Two:

2. For general email, the ship’s internet cafe is as fast as you’ll find on board. Some ships have designated special sections where wi-fi also operates efficiently. But your cabin is another story. It can be slower, so to save money, write your email messages in Word or other text software, then connect, cut and paste.
3. Use Gmail. It is fast, and archives everything you send or receive. And it’s there for you no matter where you are.
4. Believe it or not, if you open your cabin door, your connection will sometimes be faster, and maybe room service too.
5. Be sure to log off as directed, usually achieved by tying in http://1.1.1.1, otherwise you remain connected and continue to be charged.
6. Two days before final billing, check your charges. I was once charged double. “Oops,” they said, “Computer error.”
7. Many ships block Skype, but some don’t. Skype’s a lot cheaper than using your cell phone. One trick, according to savvy crew: If you’re on a ship that blocks Skype and you have your laptop with you, launch Skype ashore. That establishes the connection and maintains it for as long as Skype remains open on your computer.

What about you? How do you save on internet charges while cruising?