Cruise/Work - Internet Package

[DisneyWorld30th]

Going on the Icon in April:  My boss specifically asked me to check my Email while I am away. 
 

Should I ask my boss for compensation for this?

 

How do others handle this?

[smokeybandit]

What does "check email" actually mean though?

Does that mean check in once a day to check for fires?  Stay in the loop?  Or is there an expectation that you are available all day to reply to emails as you work during a work day?

If it's a few minutes per day, it wouldn't bother me (in the sense of doing billable work during PTO). But any more than that and it's not vacation anymore.

[DisneyWorld30th]

17 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

What does "check email" actually mean though?

Does that mean check in once a day to check for fires?  Stay in the loop?  Or is there an expectation that you are available all day to reply to emails as you work during a work day?

If it's a few minutes per day, it wouldn't bother me (in the sense of doing billable work during PTO). But any more than that and it's not vacation anymore.

It’s what you said in the beginning. Check email once or twice a day to see if anything needs my attention. 
 

Is it out of the question to ask for them to split the internet cost for one user?

[smokeybandit]

But what if it does need your attention? Are you expected to give it your attention? I figure if you're truly on vacation then "checking in" should last as long as your morning cup of coffee, then you're offline the rest of the day.

My only concern about asking for any compensation is that's a window into your boss saying "If I'm paying you to work then I expect..."

[AshleyDillo]

Are you paying for your personal cell phone bill to check emails when you are not in the office normally?

If you are then let them know you do not have access to free wifi when onboard and if they need you to regularly check in they need to pay for your internet.  I don't think that's an unreasonable ask.  But as @smokeybandit laid out if they do so, you need to set up boundaries and expectations for them to respect your time off.  

[Gadget Hackwrench]

My phone always mysteriously malfunctions when I board cruise ships rendering it unable to receive any work communication.

[Ryan79]

Mine went “overboard” once trying to take a family picture on the balcony.

[WesKinetic]

16 hours ago, DisneyWorld30th said:

It’s what you said in the beginning. Check email once or twice a day to see if anything needs my attention. 
 

Is it out of the question to ask for them to split the internet cost for one user?

I don't think that's unreasonable at all. You need to explain that internet on a cruise ship is not free and that, if work is going to expect you to check in, then work needs to help make that feasible. 

[DisneyWorld30th]

All great comments and advice.  I will check with my employer and see if they want to split the cost with me.

[twangster]

Does your phone get any coverage while in port?   My TMobile service has coverage everywhere (nearly) so that doesn’t cost anything extra.  

Is your boss expecting you check email daily? Hourly? A few times? 

If you are taking official PTO using full days of vacation time then the request to email defeats that purpose.  If you don’t get enough time off and are borrowing time to take vacation that’s another matter.  

Work is a relationship like a marriage.  Sometimes it doesn’t work well and sometimes it does.  Only you can decide how to handle your work relationship.  
 

[HeWhoWaits]

I choose to work several hours per day on trips to save some vacation time. That's not an expectation - it's on me and an expense I'm willing to absorb.

• an hour or so before WJ opens for breakfast and quick check of email while cooling off upon our return on port days
• same hour or so before breakfast plus more of the morning and maybe during lulls in afternoon activities of interest on sea days

I typically use 3 or 3.5 vacation days instead of 5 for a 7 night cruise without feeling like I missed out on anything. Do that three times and you get an extra week off. Plus there is the benefit of not coming back to a ridiculous workload.

If my employer "asked" me to be available, it would be a hard "no" unless they agreed to pay the entire cost of my internet package.

[Babsy47]

Some states require reimbursement like California and Illinois.  If you work for an employer with folks in these states, a request would likely be seen as relatively normal.  But, if you do not have such a company culture or work in a state like Florida that does not require reimbursement, the request may be odd or raise eyebrows.  If you have some type of HR helpdesk, you could just ask.

[Babsy47]

As an aside, I always work an hour or two a day on a ship.  For me, it alleviates the stress of coming back to 7000 emails.  But, I think this is a person-specific thing.

[HeWhoWaits]

6 hours ago, Babsy47 said:

As an aside, I always work an hour or two a day on a ship.  For me, it alleviates the stress of coming back to 7000 emails.  But, I think this is a person-specific thing.

That plethora of emails is the biggest part of the ridiculous workload I mentioned above. It's so nice to have the first workday back be just another workday rather than the first of several days trying to dig out from under the "pile."

As you say - it's a personal thing. Many want to completely disconnect for X days. Others disconnect from work, but not from the rest of the internet world. I would rather have partial work disconnection and not be swamped on my return (and forums such as this are the closest I come to social media). None of these approaches is wrong.