Spirit electrical system

[Valchie]

Has anyone recently purchased a converter to use their own hairdryer on the Spirit? Please let me know where and when. Leaving Friday. I purchased one last year but couldn't use it because my hairdryer has that GFI plug and the directions inside the package said can't use. Thanks in advance.

[EndlessLove]

I also want to know so I am bumping this back up to the top in hopes that someone will have an answer for us! Hope you have a great cruise - we're going in September.

[Sauer-kraut]

Did a search for you and found this:

 

No! Every cabin on the Spirit has both 120 volt American style and 220 volt European style power receptacles. But, the American style power receptacles are limited to 500 Watts, and since most hair dryers you can buy in America are 1500 to 1800 Watts, using your own could cause circuit breakers powering your cabin to trip. Only electrical devices including heaters (like hair dryers) use that high Watts, most portable electronic devices do not. Therefore, the Spirit's American style power receptacles are great for everything else.

 

I suggest using the built in hairdryers on the Spirit, if you wish to pack your own hairdryer, make sure it's a dual voltage hairdryer, that's it's switched to 220 volts, and you bring your own power adapter plug so you can use the European style 220 volt receptacle.

 

The reason why the Spirit's American receptacles are rated for so low wattage is because Star Cruises never expected to run the Spirit near North America. The Superstar Leo was built with wiring in place for 220 volts, and therefore uses smaller wire sizes. That saved lots of money on the original construction. When the Superstar Leo was transferred to NCL as the Norwegian Spirit, new American style power receptacles were installed next to the older European style receptacles. They did not replace any of the smaller gauge wires to every cabin. If you follow the Spirit's 500 Watt limitation, the resulting lower amps on the Spirit's smaller gauge wires will never overload the circuits and trip the circuit breakers.

 

The actually mechanism that prevents fires on overloaded electrical circuits are circuit breakers that trip at a specific amperage. A 10 amp circuit breaker can only handled 1200 watts at 120 volts, at 220 volts that same 10 amp circuit breaker can handle 2200 watts. 500 Watts limitation probably means the circuit breakers on the Spirit, along with the wire gauges, are probably rated nearer to 5 amps than 10 amps.

 

NCL could rewire the Spirit completely. That's what would have to be done so you can safely run 1500 to 1800 Watt hair dryers in every cabin. But rewiring the Spirit (hundreds of miles of wiring) can not be accomplished cheaply.

[Sauer-kraut]

OR, just buy a new cheap dual voltage $10 hair dryer, eases up the hassles of getting a converter.

[EndlessLove]

Thanks for the information. I will buy the cheap hairdryer!

[Bigbe]

Purchased a cheap dual voltage hairdryer at Target and an adapter. Someone told me that we still can only use it on LOW.l Anyone ever used a dual voltage on the Spirit and used it on HIGH?

[Don Haynes]

And if you open the package carefully of that dual voltage hair dryer, you can pack it up like new, wrap it, and use it as a gift....

 

The European adapter has the two round prongs...

[Valchie]

Did a search for you and found this:

Thanks Sauer-kraut, for the research. I read it aloud to my husband (wayyyyyyyy over my head)...and read your follow up about purchasing a cheap dual voltage hairdryer and that sounds like the best route. Called a local beauty supply store and they have one for about $30 and thats fine by me (for some reason thought they were much more money).

 

Thank you everyone that responded. I'll be going out tomorrow to make my purchase.

 

Hope everyone enjoys their Summer whether you're cruising or not ;)

[Barb Nahoumi]

I used their built-in hair dryer. Less hastle, and it worked perfectly well. The less that we have to lug from home, the better we like it.

[Don Haynes]

Purchased a cheap dual voltage hairdryer at Target and an adapter. Someone told me that we still can only use it on LOW.l Anyone ever used a dual voltage on the Spirit and used it on HIGH?

 

Ohms Law. E=i x R or simply voltage = current x resistance

 

Therefore the more voltage with the same wiring and dryer means less current... there is a significant drop in current when using double the voltage ....

 

Simply put, a 220 volt dryer won't consume over 500 watts....

 

Whereas a 110 volt dryer will consume much more than 500 watts, some up to 1800 watts...

 

The Spirit was designed for 220 volts, with the proper wiring for it... Unfortunately the Spirit wasn't designed with the proper wiring for high wattage 110 volts, over the 500 watt limit...

 

Let her rip..... Just be sure to switch the switch to 220 volts with the dual voltage hair dryer.... You will require an European two round prong adapter. Its hard to fit square prongs into round holes...

[Bigbe]

Thanks for the reply. I'll let everyone know if the lights go out.