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Should I bring my laptop on cruise ship vacation or leave it at home?

For many of us personal computers and laptops have an important role in work and life. We all know that, and apparently cruise lines know that too.

That is the reason why they put a lot of effort into facilities and services that will cover information technology needs of passengers.

For many people it is enough just to exchange few emails with their families or friends during vacation and they can do that from internet café located either on the ship or in the port.

However, there are a certain number of cruisers that don't want to separate from their laptops even during their precious vacation time on ship. This could be for various reasons: catching-up their work if needed, keeping on internet activities or games or having access to personal files such are photos or videos,etc...

There are some things to keep in mind when you decide to bring laptop to cruise:

Before booking check with cruise line or travel agent is there and what kind of internet access is available on ship. That really depends from one ship to another.

Few scenarios are possible:

o No internet access at all, in this case you can use your laptop in your cabin or anywhere else but only offline

o Internet access trough ship's local area network, you will need network cable to connect and probably ship's IT personnel to help you with setup

o WI-FI access is best and most comfortable solution, available mostly on new, modern ships. You can use your laptop wherever you want, in your cabin or in any public area where WI-FI signal is present. Of course, your model needs to have wireless access antenna to use this feature.

Note that lines charge internet access and it's usually not included in fare. Prices may vary and you better check them in advanced.

Another important issue to consider is security. You cannot carry your laptop with you all the time and it's good to know few things on how to avoid headache caused by loosing valuable data or such-like ...

o First make a good backup of all of your data on some media like CD or memory stick and keep it on safe at home. If you do that, whatever happens to the laptop you will have your data and be able to recover from loss.

o Remove your business data from laptop before trip if they are not absolutely necessary. In case it's stolen, for sure the last thing you want is that potential thief has a top classified data from your company. This happens more often than you would think and in some cases consequences can be disastrous. So remove your business data on CD mentioned above, keep it on safe place and put them back on after vacation. If it is really necessary to have business data on it even on a cruise you may consider using software encryption to secure them.

o Secure access to your laptop with password. Most basic password protection is the one implemented in your operating system (Microsoft Windows mostly).In most cases this will protect you from non welcomed users. For extra protection it is also possible to use BIOS password. BIOS is basic computer setup menu which can be accessed if you press DEL (or some other key depending of manufacturer) key during machine startup. This function is usually being displayed as "press DEL to enter setup" on most laptops. Three kind of passwords are possible to enable that:

1. Boot password - to allow only authorized booting up of operating system.

2. Hard disk lock password - to secure your hard disk with password in case it has been removed from your laptop and used in some other machine.

3. BIOS access password - is to secure entering BIOS settings where first two passwords can be turned off.

Those advanced measures are not recommended to be handled by inexperienced users. If you decide to use BIOS passwords it is highly recommended to ask for a professional assistance.

o If your cabin has a safe and laptop can fit in use it. Since this is not the case on most of the ships, another option is to check if your machine has a security lock slot. If it does, you can purchase a security cable which enables you to lock laptop to some non movable object and prevent theft. Recently on market

can be found another type of security cables that use VGA port if your model does not have security slot.

o Avoid making naïve mistakes like having a sheet of paper with passwords in carrying case or such-like

o Do not leave your laptop on public places like hotel lobbies or airports without keeping an eye on it

Of course, not all measures mentioned above should be necessary but that's all up to you to make the best judgment on how to protect your assets.

Taking a few simple precaution measures can spare you of trouble and definitely can prevent ruining your vacation.

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Has anyone been on the Golden Princess Cruise?

I think it's supposed to be the Hawiian cruise. Any insights and or where to I view the inside of the ship. Is there a video online like Royal Caribbean has?

I ve been on the golden princess. the crew is attentive and friendly, the entertainment is good, and the food pretty much compares to most of the other mass market lines like other princess ships, carnival, holland and royal carribean.
best wishes for a good cruise.

try this site:

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If you have ever taken a sea cruise to say the caribbean or west coast around Catalina, you'll recall how blue and clear the water was. The perfect location for underwater enjoyment.

I think that (If) you were into scuba diving, or maybe not, and the cruise offered an underwater expedition you would want to sign-up. A big (If). If you sign-up, you would want to be in good physical condition and be an experienced swimmer, and most of all be Certified. Certification assures the cruise dive team you are a qualified Scuba Diver, the Grim Reaper also lurks underwater.

Scuba diving is one of the greatest sports activities in the world, but there are certain knowledge involved before entering into your exciting journey.

Here are some Do's and Don'ts connected with Scuba Diving.

(Do's): (1) Be in good physical condition and be Certified. Physical Fitness and Certification are the two most important aspects of diving, make your journey enjoyable and safe.

(2) Have a check list. There are many items to consider, but these are the most important items to be sure you have before leaving home.

Mask, Diving Fins, Weight belt, Regulator and Octopus, Compass, Dive Light with backup, Dive knife, Dive watch, Air Tank and backup, Dive flag, Spare mouthpiece, First Aid kit, Flare gun-don't forget the flares.

(3) Have a diving partner. This will make your diving more pleasant and safe, especially if you get into trouble. Keep visual contact at all times, and try not to kick out you're partners mouthpiece.

(4) Have a third person. It's very important to have a third person along top side. They should have a cell phone handy in case of trouble, they can also assist you when getting out of the water.

(5) Take along an underwater camera and underwater light and backup. You'll want to show your friends and family pictures of your beautiful underwater adventure.

(Don'ts): (1) Please Don't Drink and Dive. Intoxication can put a diver in a compromised position. One being, the inability to use common sense, and make rational judgments, especially when it involves safety involving yourself and your partner. Leave the booze at home to enjoy while your viewing your pictures.

(2) Forget to let someone know where you are going and approx. when you'll return.

(3) Eat a big meal before making your dive. You should wait at least two (2) hours after eating before you make your dive. Diving on a full belly can put you in a dangerous situation. Not only creates the possibility of acquiring cramps, but also possible upchucking in your mouthpiece making it difficult to breath.

These are just a few of the Do's and Don'ts connected with the sport of Scuba diving.

Here are a few topics in my Tid-Bit section you might be interested in.

Tid-Bits: Several centuries B.C. ancient carvings revealed Assyrian soldiers crossing rivers using inflated goatskins. This the only documentation that inflated goatskins might have been used as breathing devices. I'll leave this to the readers imagination.

Leonardo de Vinci made the first known mention of an underwater breathing device. (UBD) around the 15th century. He described it as Bad Human Nature, and gave no details as to how it worked. Mainly because using the (UBD) could possibly be used to sink ships and even used to commit murder.

Waterproof goggles were first introduced in France in the 1930's. They were actually invented by Guy Gilpatrick to keep the salt water out of your eyes at the surface. Thanks Gil.

The first Scuba Certification course in the USA was offered by the L.A. Co. Dept. of Parks and Recreation. The program was introduced by Albert Tillman and Bev Morgan.

It was 1956 before wetsuits became available to the public.

I will be adding Tid-Bits to upcomming articles. The main topic of this article is to caution you as a diver to use sound judgement in safety and take advantage of the great rewards you'll receive from your Scuba Diving Experience

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Do I need a passport to go on a honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean? If so, what details should I be aware of?

In case it matters, I'm 23 years old and my Fiancee is 19.

You got a bunch of WRONG answers. Neither the law or the cruise lines require you to have a passport. SOME cruise lines want all passengers to have a passport, but it is NOT required by law. Starting in June 2009, passports will be required for sea travel with the EXCEPTION of loop cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean that begin and end in the same U.S. port. See 1st 2 sites below. Then see 3rd site for all passport application info...in case you decide to get passports. Cost is $100.00 plus photos and it currently takes 3 weeks ( not months) to get your passport.

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why don't we get results from friendly matches in the caribbean countries ,except jamaica?

you dont seem to cover the other caribbean islands like trinidad and tobago for example.you always cover other soccer playing nations who we dont even hear about or even know existes, i think that is very biased on the the part of yahoo.

Aye, you may want to try this site.....

http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx

click on Soccer Int'l then FIFA friendlies-National

with most games they have live scoring updates !

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There's really something unique about the Florida Keys. Visit once and you'll know there's a reason Ernest Hemingway lived in the Keys.

The Keys are an incredible place to spend some time if you want to hit the beach but you don't want to deal with huge tourist crowds. They're also a wonderful place if you want to spend some time at gorgeous old bars and inns, without having to worry about getting a headache from the legions of noisy weekend revellers.

In terms of culture and climate, it's somewhere between a charming, rustic American town, and the relaxing, scenic appeal of a beach resort destination in the Caribbean.

Sounds like a great place, doesn't it? For adults, anyway.

It's not exactly Disneyland, but fear not! You can totally take a trip to the Florida keys without boring your kids to tears. The Keys are definitely a laid back part of the country, but really, a lot of the attractions strike a perfect balance between relaxing and fun. You won't get bored, but you won't get a headache, either.

So here are just a few of the cool things you can do in the Keys without boring your kids half to death.

Mallory Square

Something of a Key West tradition: At dusk every day, visitors and locals alike gather at the seaside Mallory Square to watch the breathtaking sunset and enjoy the entertainment of street performers. The beauty of nature, some entertainment, and nobody walking around with a giant Mickey Mouse head on their shoulders.

Charters

There are a lot of charter tours in the Keys, in fact, far too many to ever list here. You can take Danger Charters and take a look at the sharks and wildlife of the area, or you can take Easy Day charters for fishing, snorkeling, and even, hopefully, some dolphin sightings.

Hemingway Home and Museum

Your kids might not be so into The Old Man and the Sea just yet, but you can go to appreciate all the stories and artifacts that really bring literary history to life, and your kids can enjoy the six-toed cats, descended directly from the cats owned by Hemingway himself.

When your kid is asking for Six Flags and you tell him that you're going to some place in Florida he's never heard of, he probably won't be too thrilled at first, but rest assured, the Keys really are a great place to take your whole family. You get the laid back atmosphere of a real grown up vacation, but with a degree of entertainment and excitement that the kids will love.

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Best Disney Resort for kids at the in between age....?

Would like any suggestions for a resort on site at Disney world.. Have a girl age 12 and a boy age 9. We are currently looking into the Caribbean and Coronado Resort in the Moderate rated resorts. I am concerned about the Caribbean because there are A LOT of bad reviews for this place, people say it is really run down. Any advice would be helpful
We have already decided to add the meals and the hopper passes.

I used to work for a major disney resort (up until this fall) and know of each resort very well. First, each resort is going to have a bad review because people always have a high expectation of disney. Disney is supposed to have the best of the best customer service and hospitality, and sometimes people are just too picky. Yes, Disney (and surrounding areas) has better service than anywhere on the planet, and yes, people who take trips there are going to be spending a nice amount of money on this trip. But nickel and diming yourself with the hotel is not the way to go. Use the money toward the parks, dinners, and other fun things. Both resorts you suggested have transportation to the parks. Both resorts are popular. I would say that Coronado is better than a moderate rated resort and would suggest that hotel over carribbean. Both offer same services, but parents tend to like Coronado (its a lot more relaxing). The kids wont think twice about the hotel because they will either be passed out after the parks and wont appreciate it, or they will be soo excited to be in Disney that they would appreciate staying in a cardboard box. Well...not literally, but you catch my drift. Anyway, Coronado is nicer, but its really a toss up. Enjoy the parks and enjoy the great weather in Orlando. The meals are hit or miss....but good call purchasing the park hopper. You may find that one park has lines for rides and want to hop over to a different park. Thats why I suggest the hopper. ANd since your hotel offers transportation, u wont need to get a rental car.

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For many people their cruising vacation will be the first one they have ever been on, and many people will not know what to expect on the first day of a cruise vacation. They may be somewhat apprehensive, they may be extremely excited or they may even be somewhat nervous, after all it will be their first vacation on the open seas. Needless to say, once on board, they will be assured that all their preconceived notions will fly out the window as they experience their own unique cruising vacation. So what can novice cruise passengers expect on the first day of a cruise vacation?

The first thing to expect on the first day of a cruise vacation is waiting while all the departing passengers from the last cruise disembark. For some this can be a long drawn out process but to actually watch the process of passengers disembarking and disembarking, supplies being loaded onto the ship, and the change in crew is actually an event in itself, the precision in timing is nothing short of a well planned and executed military manoeuvre. After everything is finalised and passengers are able to board the ship this is where the actual excitement really begins. Shore based cruise staff will start the process of having the passengers board the ship for the first day of their cruise vacation.

Once on board, passengers will have to show their boarding documentation once again and from here passengers will be guided to the cabin they have been assigned for the vacation. Cruise staff assist passengers in carrying their luggage to their cabin, and on some cruises even hand passengers a glass of champagne for the walk to the cabin. Once settled in their rooms passengers will then be able to traverse down to the dining room where lunch will be waiting, the first of many fine meals they will experience on their cruise. From here passengers will hear the mesmerizing sound of the ships engines starting and son after feel the movement of the cruise ship departing from the wharf.

After lunch, it is time for passengers to start having a walk around the ship, and undoubtedly they will be pleasantly surprised by the wait staff offering 'Bon Voyage' drinks which come in so many bright colours that passengers on the first day of a cruise vacation won't know which one to start with. After this passengers will start to explore and experience all that is on offer on the cruise, whether that be slipping back to the cabin for a nap, taking a plunge in one of the ships pools, or taking part in the activities and entertainment that cruise ships are famous for. One of the greatest parts of the first day of a cruise vacation is the first cruise dinners, which are always remembered for their wide variety of quality foods which will appeal to anyone's tastes.

A word of warning, don't over exert yourself during the day as after dinner is when the cruise really becomes alive. Some of the greatest entertainment is reserved for the evening and regardless of what passengers are into they will find entertainment that will keep the buzz of the first day of the cruise vacation alive until its time to slip back to the cabin for the night to enjoy the cosy bed which has recently been turned down by the stewards. The first day of a cruise vacation is always to remember and one which will be relived for years to come.

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