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Something for RSSC to consider #67616 07/02/04 09:58 AM
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ITravelNow Offline OP
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While I feel a little like a traitor as I start researching Seabourn, I found this announcement and wanted to share it with all of you. For some of us geeks, this would be a wonderful addition to Radisson's ships as well.

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THE LAPTOP OF LUXURY: SEABOURN YACHTS ARE WI-FI HOT SPOTS

MIAMI, June 29, 2004----Beginning this summer, the ultra luxury, all-suite cruise ships Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend are being upgraded to create one continuous accessible wi-fi “hot zone” throughout each ship, allowing guests to connect to the internet on their wi-fi equipped laptops and PDAs without plugging in.

Cruising guests with suitable devices can send and receive web-based email, surf the net, check on their investments or Google the answers to a trivia quiz while they relax in their suites or in most public areas of Seabourn’s three intimate, yacht-like ships.

According to Richard D. Meadows, Seabourn’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, “More and more of our guests use wi-fi devices not just to conduct business, but also to communicate with their friends and families. So even while they are vacationing with us, their Blackberries and laptops are a part of their lifestyle that they’d rather not leave behind.”

Wi-fi is shorthand for wireless fidelity, a system that utilizes radio signals from a transmitter/receiver located in a laptop computer or Personal Digital Assistant to connect to networks and the internet. For wi-fi users, the challenge in using the system is locating an active access point within range of a network, colloquially called a “Hot Spot”.

Seabourn has conquered that challenge for guests on board by installing an active access network manufactured by Wi-Fi Zone that blankets most of the ship, with few “dead zones” or areas where the system is not accessible.

Aside from the obvious convenience of accessible wi-fi connectivity, Seabourn has also secured a new satellite service provider that is considerably more economical than the company’s previous connection, which will result in dramatically lower costs for telephone calls and internet connections than were required in the past.

For those without wi-fi wanderlust, the Internet Center on board each yacht has also been refreshed with new PCs, software, printers and other accessories. Users of these cable-connected computers will also benefit from the lower costs of satellite connection, as will guests wishing to make satellite telephone calls or send faxes from ship to shore.

Previously, the charge for outbound satellite telephone calls from Seabourn ships was $12.50 per minute; it is now $4.95 per minute. Internet connection, which previously cost 95 cents a minute, will now be 50 cents per minute. Discounts for purchasing bulk packages of online time can further reduce the internet cost to as little as 25 cents per minute.

Wireless internet connectivity is only the latest in a continuing series of improvements and enhancements that guests enjoy aboard The Yachts of Seabourn. Earlier this year, the line added luxurious Frette bed linens and Rosenthal china to the list of prestige brands with which guests are pampered while they sail. In the coming months, over 75 custom designed shore excursions are being introduced, offering “trophy experiences” available only to Seabourn guests. Seabourn’s “Signature Delights,” a generous menu of exclusive features and services adding pleasure and value to every Seabourn cruise, helped make Seabourn the highest-rated cruise line by the readers of Departures, the official publication for American Express Platinum Card and Centurion members, in the magazine’s annual Luxury Survey.


Margo
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67617 07/02/04 10:10 AM
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Marc Offline
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Margo, nice idea, but expensive. I bought 10 hours of computer time on navigator for $40. That is $0.0667 per minute. Of course, it depends on speed of connection.

I believe NCL also has wi-fi on some of their ships. It definitely should expand. Computers on Navigator were hard wired. Computers on Voyager were wireless (IIRC). Shouldn't take much to allow passenger wireless too.



Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67618 07/02/04 10:16 AM
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chip Offline
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This really is the next generation of connected ships. Making it cheap and easy to use.

Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67619 07/02/04 11:26 AM
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petlover Offline
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Interesting...I'm sure whatever is being implemented by Seabourn will hopefully be implemented by Radisson as well. Radisson still has the balconies that Seabourn doesn't!!


Marcie

Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67620 07/02/04 12:52 PM
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English Voyager Offline
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Of course the Radisson ships are much bigger!
The Seabourn experience is more like being on a private yacht.
We are looking forward to our September cruise on the Diamond.The comparison with Seabourn will be interesting.

Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67621 07/02/04 01:36 PM
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dolebludger Offline
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The "wi-fi hot zone" concept is spreading fast. I Found out last week that the whole town of Durango, CO is a hot zone. Definitely ripe for adoption by Radisson, as the size of the area does not seem to deter the technology.

As far as price comparissons between Seabourn and Radisson for computer time, this becomes a little rough. Seabourn quotes a lower per minute price ON THE SURFACE. But it must be considered that on all Radisson ships I've cruised, the charge meter stopped when I reached my ISP (AOL). Once I posted on this board, read my email, and sent a couple for 28 cents!

Radisson, and all lines, MUST do something about those high onboard phone charges. Not because I say so, but because with email, world cell phones, sattlelite phones, and the like, nobody is using the phone in their suite to call home anymore. As I understand it, these room phones still rely on a decades-old radio wave technology that IS expensive for the ships to operate. But with less expensive technology now available, there is no reason why the room phones need charge over $2 per minute, if properly set up.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)


"It's five o'clock somewhere."
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67622 07/02/04 11:33 PM
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Masaki Offline
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Richard - the Internet charges seem to have changed recently all across the Radisson line - it now subtracts minutes for all Internet access. No stopping of the clock when reading and such. But overall, still cheap per minute.

But I agree that Wi-Fi is an idea that has come and it's only a matter of time before luxury cruiselines will be forced to include it on their ships - it'll be expected. Hopefully RSSC will do this sooner rather than later.

Masaki

Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67623 07/03/04 02:40 AM
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They had WiFi on the Queen Mary 2 and it was very handy. It was suposed to be only in certain public rooms (library, atrium, etc.) but it seemed to work most everywhere including my cabin. I noticed that Holland America says that their newest - Westerdam - is also supposed to be WiFi-ready. Now if only the Qantas lounge at LAX had FREE WiFi (instead of Boingo at $29.95 per day :b: ) I'd be happy. BWI has it at $7.95 a day. Marriott has it free at almost all it's major hotels, as did the LAX Hilton.


Phil from Greenland!

NEXT CRUISE - HAL Westerdam 13
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67624 07/03/04 07:14 AM
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dolebludger Offline
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I just read in this morning's newspaper that a partnership involving the Cherokee Nation of Native Americans ( now a large and respected business organization)is in the process of turning Tulsa, OK and it's suburbs into a "hot zone." This is a 500,000+ people area. Of interest, the company will initially employ only 12 people, so labor costs in this "hot zone" business must be next to nothing! What this means is it should be no big deal to turn a 700 guest ship into a "hot zone."

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)


"It's five o'clock somewhere."
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67625 07/03/04 07:48 PM
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dolebludger Offline
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Masaki:

That is a shame that Radisson has, in effect, increased its internet access charges. They were such a bargain, and I sold so many people on Radisson with this as one of the reasons. On the Voyager in April, sometimes the "meter" just stopped for no reason. I was told by the ship's "computer guy" that when the system got overloaded to a point, the charges just stopped!(?). In any event, we used all we wanted on a 14 day cruise for about $10 or so. Hope, somehow, it stays that way. I have heard "horror stories" about internet charges on other lines.

(PS: Would love to move to Hawaii, but need some "talking points" to sell Carol on the idea of moving to an island. Any advice?)

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)


"It's five o'clock somewhere."
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67626 07/03/04 09:27 PM
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If you have pets to be moved to Hawaii, they quarantine them. Used to be for an extended time. I know it's shorter now, but, still they are quarantined to be observed for Rabies, I believe.


VOYAGER:
MC to FLL 11/07
MC/Dover 6/06
MARINER:
BCN / Ven 10/11
Alaska 2001|2006
Panama Canal 2003
NAV
Caribbean 11/06
Bermuda|New Eng/Canada 6/04
PG 5/05
OCEANIA
Nautica |Ist/Athens 6/07
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Riviera 2013 Crossing -Istanbul to Miami
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67627 07/03/04 09:44 PM
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Masaki Offline
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Actually, with proper immunizations, you can actually bring your pets in after deplaning now. It requires a 3 month process before you leave wherever you're coming from but you don't need to put them into quarantine any more which is nice.

Talking points, Richard? Let's see ... how about never shoveling snow for the rest of your life, temperate climate all year around, warm friendly people, being close to a beach no matter where you are, and all sorts of water sports. There are certainly negatives - you can't drive to places any more and cost of living is higher than on the mainland. But we think that the pluses outweight the minuses. :D

Masaki

Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67628 07/04/04 12:05 AM
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dolebludger Offline
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Masaki:

On which island in Hawaii would you suggest living? One thing I have experienced that Carol hasn't experienced as much is the niceness of the people of that State. In my USAF officer training program back in the late 60's, we had a young gentleman from Hawaii who was a true Hawaiian. He arrived in San Antonio wearing no shoes! He had to be briefed on what a snake looked like (they are common in San Antonio). And he was one of the nicest guys I've ever met. While in the school, his wife had a baby daughter. After the school was over, he was allowed to go home for a couple of weeks, and then have his family join him for his next assignment (Pilot training). But he had no money for an airline ticket. After our graduation, I approached a Major with the USAF Security Service I had met before joining up and asked for his help, as there were no AF planes going to Hawaii from our base at that time. The Major looked over the situation, made a phone call, and suddenly there was a plane going to his island ready to go. Fifteen minutes later, this big, black plane pulled up (I think it was an SR 71) and my Hawaiian friend got in the back seat, and literally shot off for home. I asked my friend, the Major, how long it would be before my friend got home. He said "about three hours ago!" I clearly did not do this alone. The Major saw that this was a nice guy, just as I saw in all the Hawiians I met in the USAF.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)


"It's five o'clock somewhere."
Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67629 07/04/04 05:57 AM
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Marc Offline
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Richard, I paid a lot less for computer time on Navigator with new system than on Voyager with old system. $0.067 per connect minute vs $0.75 for download minute works out great. Also, you can carry over your time.



Re: Something for RSSC to consider #67630 07/05/04 12:59 AM
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Masaki Offline
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Richard - that's a great story and I wish I could have seen that Blackbird fly into Hawaii airspace!

From the price standpoint, I would go with Kauai or the Big Island (Hawaii) as being more compatible with your desire for larger lots and a bigger house. Plus, the Big Island is bigger than the other islands (duh, hence the name) so would give you more of a chance to exercise that S2000 of yours. Only problem is that both (Kauai in particular) may be a little too rural for your tastes. Maui would be better from that standpoint but real estate on Maui is crazy price-wise. Oahu is getting much too crowded with lots of traffic and unless you really require a city atmosphere, I wouldn't recommend moving here (even though I live here) :) .

Masaki


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