I sit down at a horseshoe-shaped table, pick one of 22 Compaq computers, sign on, and enter my password to access email. But something's strange: The room seems to be moving. In fact, it is. I'm aboard the Crystal Harmony, on Deck 11, in Australian waters.
My last time on a cruise, email wasn't available, and at $15 per minute, the phone wasn't a viable option. Now, like all the guests on the Harmony (and her sister ship, the Symphony), I can register for an email account for the duration of the cruise.
A voicemail in my stateroom alerts me to incoming email. In the computer lab, I can print or reply just as if I were at home. There is a difference: mail is sent and received four times a day, when the ship hooks up by satellite to its Nashville server. But hey, that delay isn't so different from my erratic AOL account.
One woman on the ship received a JPEG of her newborn grandchild. All I got was spam.
Crystal Cruise email: $5 to register, $3 per message. The Cruise Professionals: www.cruisecrystal.com
STREET CRED
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