cruise ship: cell phone? net access?

[dibbern2]

Probably a dumb question, but I've never been on a cruise, and we were talking...

Is there cell phone/blackberry access thru satellite or some other technology when you're in the middle of the Atlantic and a thousand miles from the nearest cell phone tower?

How about net/email access? If its satellite, is it extremly spendy?

How do twitter heads/ facebook freaks survive cruises?

Thx

[LifeinAsia]

How do twitter heads/ facebook freaks survive cruises?

It's called quitting cold turkey. Similar to what they do in alcohol/substance abuse rehab centers. :)

Apparently, some have it, some don't. But it sounds like the majority of ships have some form of cell phone/Internet connectivity (although mostly not cheap).

[grandpa]

How do twitter heads/ facebook freaks survive cruises?

Isn't the idea behind a cruise or a vacation to "get away from it all"?

Oh, and don't tell all your Twitter/Facebook friends that you are going on the cruise - at least not publicly. One never knows who else is watching.

[Conard]

Most cruise ships have satellite Internet access and it can be bought in blocks of time. Something like 250 minutes for 100 USD.
Cell phones relay by satellite is also available but very pricey. You can check your cruise line and get some exact figures.
I shut my phone off when we board and use email and Skype when needed.

[ken_b]

Hey if ya can afford a cruise, just take your satellite phone along. :)

[BillyS]

I went on a cruise about three years ago. My site was still there when we got back.