Visit the Caribbeans... without your gadgets?

TadW · 09-07-2007, 07:36 AM

Crazy story, but it's real. A luxury resort in the Caribbean decided to ban any mobiles, laptops and PDA's from its beaches. I am not sure if that also includes the Sony Reader or any other e-book device... but still, would you visit this dreamy land of technophobia?

Before you decide, make sure you have a look how gorgeous it looks there:

http://www.eliteislandresorts.com/

Nate the great · 09-07-2007, 08:02 AM

Not taking onto the beach is different from not taking it at all.

Bob Russell · 09-07-2007, 08:03 AM

I don't take a chance on carrying a PDA or cell phone or whatever to the beach anyway. Well, I guess I would like to be able to carry a cheap MP3 player with earbuds, so I don't like the idea of an electronics ban. The real problem seems to me to be noise. Ban loud noise and radios and phone ringing, and I might even look for that resort. I know people like to party and lay in the pool with loud music blasting, but personally I enjoy quiet nature.

HarryT · 09-07-2007, 08:33 AM

Travelling without gadgets is an unimaginable horror. For a while last year they banned pretty much all hand luggage on flights between the US and UK, when there was all that fuss about liquid explosives. That was horrendous, having to face an 8h flight "gadget-less"

.

Nate the great · 09-07-2007, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Travelling without gadgets is an unimaginable horror. For a while last year they banned pretty much all hand luggage on flights between the US and UK, when there was all that fuss about liquid explosives. That was horrendous, having to face an 8h flight "gadget-less"

.

I had just that experience in January. Coming back from my first trip overseas, I was stuck in a middle seat for 9 hours. With only a nonfunctional PDA. While they played The da Vinci Code on the front wall of the cabin. *shudder* I still have nightmares.

kilohertz53 · 09-07-2007, 09:24 AM

That ban on gadgets couldn't have come out of the blue -- there must have been some obnoxious The-World-Is-My-Phonebooth/Concert Hall types that annoyed the piss out of the other guests. Or perhaps a rash of thefts of said gadgets while the owners swam or waked along the beach, for which the resort did not want to be liable.

Of course, to make the beach really idyllic, they would also have to ban jet skis and power boats...

Azayzel · 09-07-2007, 10:51 AM

It would be extremely tough weening myself from the technology I love, for a few days. Sure, we're on vacation but I still need my Internet, and general unwinding time via reading, games, and music. As for taking it physically to the beach... nope, wouldn't take the risk of ruining it due to some freak occurrence; i.e., rain, sand, stepped on, stolen, etc. I might take an MP3 player to relax listening to music, but then there's the sound of the ocean and screaming kids... Ok, better bring the MP3 player!

wyldkit · 09-07-2007, 10:56 AM

At first I was thinking no technology sounded great, but actually there's no way I could relax without my phone. Not that I want to be talking on my phone or that I get that many calls, but having my phone with me gives me peace of mind. Like, someone *could* reach me if something went wrong, and since they haven't, everything must be ok. Maybe I'm just paranoid!

Adam B. · 09-07-2007, 11:31 AM

I'm the only IT person at a company of about 90 employees. I couldn't go without my phone or laptop. Even if I wanted to...

RWood · 09-07-2007, 06:56 PM

Never. It is getting to the point where it is unsafe to not carry your phone. The public phones of by-gone days have almost all gone away and when was the last time you saw an emergency call box on a highway?

As for a vacation, ok, I can leave the stuff in a room safe for a few hours; but, not for a few days.

LaughingVulcan · 09-07-2007, 09:10 PM

Voted no, mainly because if one resort is closed to gadgets, another will be open.

Of course, if someone gave me the vacation for free I'd go for it and just read some *shudder* paper books on the beach.

I've got to admit it's about the only gadget I wouldn't want to do without. (Then again, if it was just no gadgets on the beach... who wants sand in their reader buttons???

)

Roy White · 09-07-2007, 11:40 PM

I went to Mazatlan last week. I brought my reader and spent hours laying in the pool, AND Ocean, with my reader in a aquapac bag reading up a storm! I loved it!

I wouldn't go to a resort that banned electronic devices.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-10-2007, 06:08 PM

All-inclusive bans are just dumb. Noise? My PDA doesn't make any... besides, it's a beach, not a library. Glare? Take a look at a pair of sunglasses. Theft? I back up, and insure. Ugly? Did you just see that fat guy in the Speedos? There's just no good reason for an all-inclusive ban.

NatCh · 09-10-2007, 06:15 PM

I can think of one ... Techno-Geeks' spouses who want to escape the gadget siege.

LaughingVulcan · 09-10-2007, 08:49 PM

And, like kilohertz above mentioned, maybe it's also a concern with thefts - if a whole bunch of thefts were reported I could see their insurance premiums going up.

View Poll Results: Caribbean Paradise without gadgets?
Hell no.	23	76.67%
Hell yeah.	7	23.33%
Voters: 30. You may not vote on this poll

09-07-2007, 07:36 AM	#1
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	Visit the Caribbeans... without your gadgets? Crazy story, but it's real. A luxury resort in the Caribbean decided to ban any mobiles, laptops and PDA's from its beaches. I am not sure if that also includes the Sony Reader or any other e-book device... but still, would you visit this dreamy land of technophobia? Before you decide, make sure you have a look how gorgeous it looks there: http://www.eliteislandresorts.com/

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09-07-2007, 08:02 AM	#2
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Not taking onto the beach is different from not taking it at all.

09-07-2007, 08:03 AM	#3
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	I don't take a chance on carrying a PDA or cell phone or whatever to the beach anyway. Well, I guess I would like to be able to carry a cheap MP3 player with earbuds, so I don't like the idea of an electronics ban. The real problem seems to me to be noise. Ban loud noise and radios and phone ringing, and I might even look for that resort. I know people like to party and lay in the pool with loud music blasting, but personally I enjoy quiet nature.

09-07-2007, 08:33 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Travelling without gadgets is an unimaginable horror. For a while last year they banned pretty much all hand luggage on flights between the US and UK, when there was all that fuss about liquid explosives. That was horrendous, having to face an 8h flight "gadget-less" .

09-07-2007, 09:24 AM	#6
kilohertz53 Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 671 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Harwichport, MA Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-350, Augen "The Book"	That ban on gadgets couldn't have come out of the blue -- there must have been some obnoxious The-World-Is-My-Phonebooth/Concert Hall types that annoyed the piss out of the other guests. Or perhaps a rash of thefts of said gadgets while the owners swam or waked along the beach, for which the resort did not want to be liable. Of course, to make the beach really idyllic, they would also have to ban jet skis and power boats...

09-07-2007, 10:51 AM	#7
Azayzel Cache Ninja! Posts: 643 Karma: 1002300 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: PRS-500, HTC Shift, iPod Touch, iPaq 4150, TC1100, Panasonic WordsGear	It would be extremely tough weening myself from the technology I love, for a few days. Sure, we're on vacation but I still need my Internet, and general unwinding time via reading, games, and music. As for taking it physically to the beach... nope, wouldn't take the risk of ruining it due to some freak occurrence; i.e., rain, sand, stepped on, stolen, etc. I might take an MP3 player to relax listening to music, but then there's the sound of the ocean and screaming kids... Ok, better bring the MP3 player!

09-07-2007, 10:56 AM	#8
wyldkit Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 2162 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Sony PRS-500 (until I have enough Sony Rewards points for the PRS-300)	At first I was thinking no technology sounded great, but actually there's no way I could relax without my phone. Not that I want to be talking on my phone or that I get that many calls, but having my phone with me gives me peace of mind. Like, someone could reach me if something went wrong, and since they haven't, everything must be ok. Maybe I'm just paranoid!

09-07-2007, 11:31 AM	#9
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	I'm the only IT person at a company of about 90 employees. I couldn't go without my phone or laptop. Even if I wanted to...

09-07-2007, 06:56 PM	#10
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Never. It is getting to the point where it is unsafe to not carry your phone. The public phones of by-gone days have almost all gone away and when was the last time you saw an emergency call box on a highway? As for a vacation, ok, I can leave the stuff in a room safe for a few hours; but, not for a few days.

09-07-2007, 09:10 PM	#11
LaughingVulcan Technophile Posts: 204 Karma: 617 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Device: PRS-650 Sony, Nook Simpletouch, more legacy gear than I can remember	Voted no, mainly because if one resort is closed to gadgets, another will be open. Of course, if someone gave me the vacation for free I'd go for it and just read some shudder paper books on the beach. I've got to admit it's about the only gadget I wouldn't want to do without. (Then again, if it was just no gadgets on the beach... who wants sand in their reader buttons??? )

09-07-2007, 11:40 PM	#12
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	I went to Mazatlan last week. I brought my reader and spent hours laying in the pool, AND Ocean, with my reader in a aquapac bag reading up a storm! I loved it! I wouldn't go to a resort that banned electronic devices.

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09-10-2007, 06:08 PM	#13
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	All-inclusive bans are just dumb. Noise? My PDA doesn't make any... besides, it's a beach, not a library. Glare? Take a look at a pair of sunglasses. Theft? I back up, and insure. Ugly? Did you just see that fat guy in the Speedos? There's just no good reason for an all-inclusive ban.

09-10-2007, 06:15 PM	#14
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I can think of one ... Techno-Geeks' spouses who want to escape the gadget siege.

09-10-2007, 08:49 PM	#15
LaughingVulcan Technophile Posts: 204 Karma: 617 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Device: PRS-650 Sony, Nook Simpletouch, more legacy gear than I can remember	And, like kilohertz above mentioned, maybe it's also a concern with thefts - if a whole bunch of thefts were reported I could see their insurance premiums going up.