If you are going on a cruise and will need frequent computer access, bringing your own laptop is a feasible option. If you will need to go on the Internet, many ships are now WiFi enabled. But be aware than Internet access is costly: as of October 2009, rates range from 30 to 75 cents per minute (see Reference 1). Do a little research about your ship before you leave to determine what services will be available if you take your laptop on board.
If you will need Internet access, call your cruise line to find out if wireless is available and if personal computer access is limited in any way. Ask about rates for wireless access versus regular shipboard Internet access.
Buy a wireless package with the most minutes possible: the larger the package, the cheaper the minutes. Join a frequent cruiser club to get free or reduced Internet minutes.
Make sure to back up all important data on your computer.
Make sure your passwords are encrypted.
Attach a sticker to the computer with your contact information in case the computer is lost.
If you're accessing the wireless Internet, find the areas on the ship where service is available - some ships have ship-wide access, while others only provide hotspots.
Log on and off frequently to save minutes. Download email messages and read them offline. Reply to email messages offline, saving them and sending them after you have reconnected.
Prevent work from being lost by always composing things offline and saving them before working online.
Save to your computer's hard drive a copy of anything you write before sending it from the ship.
Send pictures from your computer more quickly by setting your camera to a smaller resolution (800 x 600) that allows fast and easy uploading.
Prevent theft by keeping your laptop with you at all times when using it outside of your cabin.
