Internet on the Ship

One of the main questions that you will have once you decide to embark on the MV Explorer is how you will stay connected with life back home. You are given a total of two hours of Internet for your entire four month exploration. I know that this is a very minuscule amount of Internet compared to what you may be used to at home. However, you much consider the circumstances. You will be crossing an ocean and some seas. In most cases, you will be on a moving ship, and have Internet; this is amazing! The Internet on the ship is very slow because the Internet needs to send to a satellite in space and back to the University of Virginia. Then, the Internet needs to go to another server, and then all the way back. The email and Internet will be delayed because you are constantly moving, and the satellites need to keep up with this. Keep this in mind when one of your messages isn't sending.

Although you have a limited amount of Internet time, you have unlimited email. You will use Mozilla Thunderbird as your email server. You'll use your SAS email for this account. You are free to forward all of your other email account to your SAS account because your Thunderbird account is only for gmail accounts. You can send pictures via email, but it may take a long time. It is better to resize your pictures first. The IT specialists can give you a photograph resizing program to help you do this.

If you run out of Internet minutes, you may buy more from the pursers desk. It is extremely pricey though, as are Internet plans from your phone companies.

I planned on saving my Internet minutes for picking my spring classes, however SAS gives you two hours to do this. You schedule your time at the IT office once they make the announcement in early October. You can break up your Internet time if you wish, which is what I did. Just make sure you schedule your time, because the are 600 other students that need to register too!