Internet access on liveaboards

[mike_s]

You are exactly right, Mike. Any boat with an Inmarsat or Irridium system (by far the most popular) have the option of using chatcards for their crew, and customers if they desire. Chatcards come with a pre-set number of minutes or bytes, depending on the value of the card. The passenger buys the card (usually in denominations of $25, $50, or $100), scratches off their PIN number, and uses their card in the manner they would like. The card is good for 2 years once activated, and it doesn't matter what phone it is used on as long as the service provider doesn't change. That chatcard may be bought and activated prior to departure, saving the passenger a few bucks.

It's kind of funny to see someone who bought a $25 dollar card's face when they run out of time 10 minutes into a conversation. "What do you mean you only get 10 minutes?" "But sir, I told you it was $2.50 per minute". Better yet is the guy who just hits the send/receive button on his computer, and downloads 6 or 7 Mb of spam. "Sir, I told you to log onto webmail."

Frank

or worse, you have to deal with a cheap-skate who bought a $25 card and only used $18 of it and wants you to refund him the other $7.

And you waste $25 of your time trying to explain to him to him.

 

[robint]

Liveaboards are NOT for everybody! If someone can't be away from their internet access, or can't be away from the TV each night, then they shouldn't do a liveaboard. Period.
(We spent a week on a liveaboard with a couple where the guy was miserable halfway through the trip as he didn't have his ESPN fix. He said he would never do another one for that reason. I wouldn't be surprised if the wife divorced him shortly after that as she said that is all he did at home too, sit in front of TV and vegg.)

 

[tvictory]

You might consider a cruise ship vacation on an itinerary that hits three or four diveable destinations. OK. this isn't really a "proper" dive trip but all the cruise ships have internet connections available and most of the ports of call will have internet cafes, etc. Many of the local dive operators will let you check your email from their shops.

 

[scubafanatic]

Liveaboards are NOT for everybody! If someone can't be away from their internet access, or can't be away from the TV each night, then they shouldn't do a liveaboard. Period.
(We spent a week on a liveaboard with a couple where the guy was miserable halfway through the trip as he didn't have his ESPN fix. He said he would never do another one for that reason. I wouldn't be surprised if the wife divorced him shortly after that as she said that is all he did at home too, sit in front of TV and vegg.)

...totally agree ! ...just a scuba diving isn't for everyone, neither are liveaboards....scuba off a liveaboard is adopting a refreshing new mindset...a different 'mood'...the WHOLE point is to GET AWAY from everyday life...get immersed...literally and figuratively, in the whole 'remote', "at one with nature" "nautical" experience......trust me, I not only survive, but prosper WITHOUT my daily newspaper...phone calls...internet...e-mails....CNN...movies......basically all the 'noise' we surround ourselves with. I'm always amused by those who are so incredibly self-important, who feel that the sun itself wouldn't rise each morning if it weren't for them! Look, the earth successfully survived 4.5 billion years before your husband got his 'essential' job......and will likely not miss a beat if he, or anyone of us for that matter, vanished tomorrow! ....when I return from a week or two 'at sea' and go back to the real world....I easily realize the world overall didn't miss me a bit and the earth managed to remember to continue rotating...and the sun remembered to rise each morning! Good Grief !!!

.......honestly, you're not liveaboard 'material'...and that's OK......please don't mess up all the other fellow divers' cool trip by showing up on the boat...."going whiney" about being cut off from the world...and drag down everyone else with the negativity that will inevitably result......sorry, just being honest!

 

[Damselfish]

.......honestly, you're not liveaboard 'material'...and that's OK......please don't mess up all the other fellow divers' cool trip by showing up on the boat...."going whiney" about being cut off from the world...and drag down everyone else with the negativity that will inevitably result......sorry, just being honest!

note it's not the OP that wants to be on the net, but her husband.

 

[scubafanatic]

note it's not the OP that wants to be on the net, but her husband.

...understood that.....grouchy hubby will transmit the negative vibes...not the OP, but bad vibes will still be generated and impact a small boat with no escape for anyone...it's sometimes hard to 'avoid' certain people on a boat...unlike a land based trip.

 

[darkstar]

...understood that.....grouchy hubby will transmit the negative vibes...

"Always with the negative vibes ...." Great movie.

But I missed the part where she said her husband was grouchy. Just that he wanted Internet access.

I've been on many vacations where just prior to leaving "something came up" and if I hadn't been able to say "you can reach me if you need me", then my employer would have reimbursed me and told me to cancel. It's also really cool to add, "but it will cost you a lot", because it's amazing how independent people get when there are costs involved.

There will be grouchy people where ever you go. If that concerns you greatly, you could become one of them.:shocked2: