Engineroom Snipe

OMG! I just realized I become the old grumpy guy who complained about my sound system forty years ago! 😮

I keep hearing Pink Floyd, "If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have your pudding if you don't eat your meat." 😁

"Not to worry man, we will wait until we are twelve miles out before using it," 🤣 The cruise lines have a hard time finding smokers on balconies which are visible and make smoke. I cannot picture them with a directional Yagi antenna in the hallways playing fox-n-hound catching @DaKahuna with his magic box.

Thanks so much for posting. I have an 8 day on Enchantment in April, and it is sold out. How was occupancy and did you @pcur think staff was sufficient to handle the food properly? I know you are not one to exaggerate by your previous posts. I hope they use customer feedback to improve the situation by then.

Considering the posts about what people are wearing (or lack thereof), I don't think anyone will even notice wrinkled clothes. You could always wear them on a hot humid day for an hour and then hang them up instead of the bathroom steam trick. Might not feel as fresh later though. 😁 😉

Thank you so much for being so gracious in deciding to "let this go". If I did not know better, I would think it be somewhat condescending and dismissive. 🤔 You have never walked in my shoes, and I have never walked in yours, so I guess we both will agree to "let this go." 🤐

1. Great question, I was answering your reply to my original post. You stated that one 20-amp circuit was feeding three rooms. I have no Idea how the room power distribution is on any specific ship unless I was assigned to them. 2. Capacity referred to your answer of 20 amps being available to each outlet in the three rooms off of the one 20-amp circuit. 20 amps is available to any one outlet of the three rooms if they are the one and only outlet being used. If ten amps is being used in another room, a receptacle in my room has the capacity to conduct 20 amps but only 10 amps available before it trips the load breaker. Just because an outlet and cabling can conduct 20 amps does not always mean it is available to all outlets on the circuit (reduced capacity). 3. You are the one who mentioned how land-based bathrooms are wired in your answer in your reply to my original post. If you are not sure about what it has to do with my answer than why did you include it in your reply to my original post? 4. As far as source capacity, yes, it is important when calculating transformers, circuit breakers, and generation of electrical power. Using your answer about one 20-amp circuit per three rooms on a 6000 persons double occupancy would mean about 1000 circuits or about 2.4 Megawatts. One circuit per room would bring it to 7.2 Megawatts. Since the amount of circuit breakers limit the amount of load on the generation of electricity, the designer can limit the fuel consumption and size of the associated electrical prime mover to the maximum of 2.4 Megawatts instead of 7.2 Megawatts. The ship might be designed with extra capacity but how much? Excessive capacity comes at a cost. In another thread, you mentioned how if one of the main power plants is disabled, the ship is designed for that. The second one goes down and the speed goes down. The engineers did not want an excessive amount of generation capacity, or they would have designed the ship to go its designed speed on one main prime mover with two down. I am aware that there are other generators on board that handle non-propulsion electricity and I do not know how much extra capacity they have but excessive capacity would be part of a bad design which would increase the construction, operating, and maintenance costs. So, by limiting the total 20-amp circuits needed, the source is reduced. The designer realizes that excess generation capacity cost weight and fuel (diesel generators operate at maximum efficiency at about 95% rated output). My original reply, there must be a concern about the amount of wattage being used that RCI does not allow guest to bring hair dryers onboard.

For anyone not interested in electrical stuff, please skip this post. You affirm my point as an electrical engineer. To ensure that each cabin could power a 20-amp circuit simultaneously, they would have to run three feed lines (with individual breakers) instead of one. They saved weight and wiring by only running one branch from one breaker to three rooms, thus decreasing the peak availability (note availability and capacity are distinct items) per room according to instantaneous load factors of the other two. Each cabin has its own bathroom. Per the design you quote, the design engineer is willing to accept the possibility of tripping breakers (or assuming that three bathrooms will not be using more than 20 total amps) as a trade-off to save money by reducing total feeds. One feed for three cabins (and three bathrooms) instead of one feed per cabin and bathroom. I know that RCI hair dryers are 1250 Watts because my wife complained on how long it took to dry her hair and I took a look at it. Most electrical engineers will admit that the 20-amp breakers can handle 1,680 watts continuously and 2,400 watts for up to three hours by design. It will take about five minutes to trip at 4000 watts due to three hair dryers and lights. Most breakers are inverse time/current breakers. The higher the current beyond breaker capacity, the quicker it trips. What are the odds of three passengers using three hair dryers at the same time for five minutes? While not the ideal design for absolute reliability, it is a tradeoff of cost and weight. A maritime engineer is going to want to reduce weight as it affects displacement and stability. Electrical engineers on land have to worry about weight as it affects cable raceways, cable support, conduit supports, etc. You mentioned dwellings which I do have much experience with. Depending upon the year of the National Electrical Code (NEC), a dwelling could have many variations of electrical feeds. Some states allow Building Officials and Code Administrator (BOCA) codes to be used and substituted for the NEC if the engineer can quote the proper electrical code out of the appropriate section. For many years, wet areas such as kitchens and sinks did not require GFCI outlets. When those homes are sold, they are not required to have GFCI outlets because the house was approved under the code in effect at the time. The National Electrical Code is an ongoing discussion emerging from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) which was originally created for the protection from the dangers of fire. Everything else emerged from that premise. All of the below changes were made over the years as a RESULT of fire or personal injury (to include death). Very few changes were proactive because it cost builders more money to put them in and their competitors will undercut them if the competitors do not. Similar to airbags in cars, the manufacturers want the government to mandate them, so they are not at a price disadvantage for sales. Bathrooms went from 15-amp shared circuits to 20-amp shared circuits: to 20-amp GFCI shared circuits: to 20-amp GFCI circuits for bathroom(s). I predict as time goes by, you will see it change to 20 amps GFCI per bathroom and then all bathroom receptacles will be GFCI, not just GFCI protected. When the 20 amp is shared with two bathrooms, code currently allows for one GFCI on the first receptacle to protect the remaining non-GFCI receptacles. This was due to the fact that many years ago, GFCI receptacles were expensive, not because it was a best practice. I had my bathrooms wired for 20 amps on individual circuits with each receptacle being a GFCI back in 1991, far in excess of existing code. Why, because I am an electrical engineer, and this was a discussion going on at the time about home buyers who did not see the house built trying to figure out what GFCI covered what receptacles. Should two people be sharing a bathroom (dual sinks are very popular in master bathrooms and main guest bathrooms), one can see that the other is using a hairdryer and not overload the circuit. Any guest can reset the GFCI without having to go to another bathroom, it is the receptacle that they are plugged into. A failure of one GFCI does not affect the remaining GFCIs. I never had to worry about someone else using a hair dryer in the main guest bathroom, i.e. my children, at the same time my wife wanted to use one in the master bathroom. My powder room had an individual circuit and GFCI. I envisioned my daughter having friends over and all of these circuits were going to be used at the same time. There is good, better, and best. How much does it cost? While something can be safe and serve it purpose, my original comment was correct in that RCI is worried about wattage of the hair dryers or they would allow people to bring them onboard. They are not worried about maintenance because curling irons have power cords, and they can short-out and catch fire like any hair dryer. Power cords on electrical devices are recognized fire hazards as they dry out from age, start cracking from movement, and physically damaged when plugging them in and removing those plugs (many people just pull the cord instead of the end-plug, stressing the casings). They should be inspecting all electrical devices when brought on board that have a power cord if your reason was valid and they do not.

Most curling irons use a maximum of about 150 watts (unit of power, current times voltage) at 120 volts alternating current (VAC). Some as little as 30 to 50 watts. Just make sure it is not above 500 watts at 120 VAC and the cabin electrical system should handle it. Many hair dryers sold domestically can go to 1500 watts at 120 VAC. This is the edge of a 15 Amp 120 VAC breaker and line in a land-based dwelling. If they are run continuously for over three hours which is possible in a hair salon (commercial establishment), it would require a dedicated 20-amp branch circuit. To run this in a cabin, the ship would have to install larger current carrying conductors (cables) to each cabin beyond what is there now. This would cost more to build and add more weight. The electrical system source would need more reserve electrical capacity when many people start using them at the same time (before MDR seatings for example). That is why they provide a hair dryer that is of lower wattage in the cabin, and they would like you to use a specific outlet when you use it in most cases.

As the ship starts violently zigzagging and rocking side-to-side😲😟🤢🤮 during your first test onboard and the lights begin to dim: May I suggest you sing acapella, as loud as you can, on the balcony, 'We be Jammin'(Bob Marley) as you flick the power switch for dramatic effect. 🤣

I was thinking the same thing. "I am afraid that something in MY room is burning and I cannot figure it out. I have disconnected everything and it smells like something is burning. Could you send someone to help me find the smell?" They will be there with maintenance in two seconds. Great twist on the problem without accusing anyone.

Sooooo funny! We have one house in our neighborhood that they insist on perching in their long trees. No one other house will do, only in that particular house since last fall. My wife and I are joking at the same time why they are so patient, "There is death coming soon, we will wait." If they move to our trees, "We are out of here!" 😱

We had no problems all morning until that one group left food behind. After that, they zeroed in on us. As you and others stated, if no-one leaves food behind or unattended, the odds of being left alone increase as they fly to other areas for easier pickings.

I have been going to the New Jersey Beaches all of my life. Seagulls are a part of existence, but their aggressiveness has increased in the past ten years. To the point, they will fly in and take a sandwich, fries, anything they see you putting in your mouth, in-between bites out of your hands. While they are circling overhead, only one will dive in at a time. Anyone making the mistake of dropping a chip bag or worse yes, throwing things down, risk a gathering storm of feathers. People approaching the area could scare them, but they will hang around for another opportunity for at least an hour. The seagulls of Coco Bay made NJ seagulls look civilized (that attest to how aggressive they were). The seagulls had no fear and were in such a tight swarm that you could not see through their 10-foot diameter of action. 😲 The South Side Beach is near an off-limits area for guest. I saw seagulls congregating there so maybe we were the closest target of opportunity. 🤔

CC must have had a slower week when I arrived April 2022 and was at South Beach. One group of guests left food around their chairs, tables, and bags as they all went to the water bar. MISTAKE! These seagulls moved in and within two minutes, the almost fifty or more of them were fighting each other as they tore the area apart. To top it off, they were disposing of extra body waste at the same time. They were hungry and aggressive to say the least. The group came back shocked and miffed that no-one tried to stop them. I know I was not about to mess with them. It was like a seen from the Birds (movie).

I am not advocating traveling without reasonable insurance. MOST insurances want you to sign within 14 days of booking a deposit if you want pre-existing conditions covered. Some will insure you up to the point of final payment 90 days out. I get to keep that money in my pocket until 90 days out. If it is 100 days out and I cannot make the cruise, I am only out $200. Within 90 days, when the probability of me missing the cruise is low, I have insurance, and I make my final deposit. It was not my intent to make this post about insurance, which is another component of cruise planning.

Everyone has their own special techniques and style on cruise reservations and costs. There is a HUGE contingent of cruisers who use refundable cruise rates. You are not cheap. This is YOUR style of payment. To date, I have never had to walk away from my deposits and I have consistently booked prices that were much less than what was required 90 days out (most of them less than 50% of 90 day price payment). Because of those past savings, I can roll the dice and not fear losing one or two. It also means I am not tying in any insurance or major money until 90 days out. Should I or my wife have a medical emergency or other major problem up to 90 days out, I lose the $200 which would have been the cost of insurance. Very few insurance policies make you whole, they just mitigate damages. I would call it my deductible or co-pay. Again, the money I have saved on so many cruises using non-refundable deposits fares will pay for many $200 possible losses which have not happened yet.

I can place a $200 deposit on a cruise that I think is interesting on Next Cruise. If the original price is too high but close to my budget, I can hope for a price decrease during the following year. If not, I would do exactly what you stated and just walk away from a $200 loss and call it a day. To change a cruise is going to cost me $200 (two persons) anyway. When cruising starts to cost over $2000 (not including gratuities, parking, drink packages, shore excursions, private island bungalows, and dining packages) minimum for two people in GTY interior cabins, $200 is only 10% compared to 'throwing good money after bad'.

This is the truthful, ugly quote, of Business 101: higher demand= higher prices until demand goes down. You state the "Good (high demand for cruise lines), the Bad (higher prices due to demand), and the Ugly (prices will not decrease until demand decrease)." Absolutely no opposite opinion from me upon the economic logic. I will evaluate my next three cruises this year and go from there. This line is the consumer way, "It is the way." (Mandalorian) "We get to vote with our wallets! I love it!" @mramella

This could be a problem for RCI as they try to reduce total food consumption and waste. Those gummies could bring down a food empire. Imagine legions of "gummy" eating zombies looking for munchies 24 hours a day, banging on the Windjammer doors and MDR outside of service hours. Worse yet, an unknowing passenger has brought fresh "Twinkies" on board. (Zombieland) 😱

Used helicopter salesman, "This beauty has very low flying hours and fabulous potential for profit if you have the proper licenses to certify it to fly. By the way sir, make me an offer. Make me any offer."

It is quick good read. 1. Demand way up. 2. Occupancy way up. 3. Prices increasing faster than in the past. 4. No expectations of demand going down in the foreseeable future. I found it interesting that the goal of the cruise lines is to decrease the differential prices between cruises and land vacations. One of the draw points for me to go cruising is that I have seen it be a good deal compared to other vacations. There will come a point when the values of the vacations are equal. How will this affect demand? Time will tell.

Yes, when that starts to happen, my eyes get "Misty" (Johnny Mathis version).

You can imagine the Chainsmokers "Setting Fires" as they light-up the audience.