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Cruising for the Cyber-AholicI Found Bliss on the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the SeasBy Madelyn Miller
But what was really remarkable to me is how totally satisfying the cyber opportunities are. At night, you can sit on barstools situated in front of monitors on the fifth floor, and listen to the wonderful lounge entertainment and imbibe drinks from the nearby bar. Or choose latte or espresso from the coffee bar. During the day, you can sit at cozy curved cubbyholes on the fourth floor and look out at the ocean through portholes while you wait for your email to download. . Best of all, there was never once a wait for a computer at any of these places and I was cruising with a bunch of email hungry journalists.
Brilliance of the Seas GREAT GUIDEBOOKSSTERN’S GUIDE TO THE CRUISE VACATION Pictures by Len Jensky and courtesy of Royal Caribbean Lines Royal Caribbean OnlineThe largest digital cruise fleet, Royal Caribbean ships provide Internet access to more than 27,000 guests each week -- as much as all the other cruise lines combined. Since the first royal caribbean online Internet center was installed on Sovereign of the Seas August 1999, thousands of guests have sailed the royal seas and surfed the net from destinations around the world. Each center provides 24-hour access to e-mail and the Internet, with connections to popular web sites for updates on stocks, sports, and entertainment. Royal Caribbean guests can also send virtual postcards in ports-of-call worldwide. The system currently uses English and Spanish, and plans are underway for service in German, French, Italian and Portuguese. Through the latest IBM hardware technology, the centers offer a new level of communication options for even the most sophisticated traveler. The charge is 50 cents per minute, and a flat surcharge of $4.95 per transmission to send a digital postcard. Cybercabin is a new internet initiative, available on Voyager, Explorer, Radiance, Adventure and Brilliance, that provides internet access via the guest cabin from the guests' laptop. |
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TM
Everyone will tell you the food is wonderful on the new
Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas. The staff goes overboard with their
enthusiasm. And the rooms are large, comfortable and well designed. All of
those things are a given.
Of course you can take your computer to the pool. Or go
to the business center. And I heard that the interactive computer games for
the teenagers are really cool. But I did not need to look. I do not need
another addiction and I already spend enough time with my best friend, the
computer. But I can’t think of a better place for us to vacation together
than on the Brilliance.
There are a few other things to do, too. My big regret
is that I did not rush into the spa the moment I arrived to book an
appointment, because the cruise-savvy travelers filled up all the massage
times. But since the computer chairs here are all ergonomic, I am probably
less tense and stiff in the shoulders than usual. And the free drinks and
pool are certainly adequate stress antidotes. And best of all they will
deliver big chocolate chip cookies to your room.