Power strips not allowed?

[fleckle]

We also always bring our power strip/surge protector and have never had a problem with it on any cruise ship, although we have heard about other people occasionally having theirs confiscated.

 

We leave ours right out on the desk for the entire cruise.

 

Most devices these days (even hair dryers, flat irons, electric shavers and such) are dual voltage.

 

[gimletgal]

Our power strip was confiscated on our Nov. 2013 Eclipse cruise. According to a list from ship's security, power strips are a no-no, so away it went. Shortly after boarding, we went to guest services, said we needed the power strip for CPAP, and got it back with no further problems.

 

Have always used my power strip on X, Eclipse included. Never been a problem. You must have run into someone who was truly misinformed. Glad to hear that cooler heads prevailed and that you were able to get it back. I always carry it in my carry on, along with computer, and all those other must have devices that require charging. :)

[kitty9]

Got called to the naughty room for my power strip. After I explained that I needed it for my mobility scooter, they let me keep it. But I did see a number of them sitting on a table.

[Katsno]

There is a newer version on the Belkin on Amazon - I have taken a regular power strip but will try this version as it takes up less space - or make take both in case they take one away - lol but I need one of them!:D:D

[mcrcruiser]

In over 20 cruises with Celebrity never had any problems bringing my power strip with me on the ship in my luggage;):p

[CathyCruises]

Just checked out the Belkin one on Amazon--looks perfect for a cruise ship. What if you plugged it in to an adapter when in Europe? Could you still use it to charge small electronics? We only have one adapter and are always struggling to get everything charged when staying in hotels.

 

Also, how about this--is there any reason you couldn't use a car charger in a rental car in Europe?

[travelingmom37]

Just off Reflection three days ago, used our power strip throughout the cruise as we have done on many previous cruises.

[Macadian]

This is just a shot in the dark but them being not allowed may have something to do the possibilty their use, depending on how much 'load' is exacted on the outlet (via) the power strip, may become excessive causing the breaker for that circuit to over load/trip. Just like at home drawing too many amps from a 15 amp 110 V outlet. I would imagine that if every stateroom was to use one power strip, with the additional devices drawing power from it, the extra load (demand for electricity) would be quite measurable meaning that more fuel would be burned to provide the extra amps? No doubt some one with more knowledge on the generators/ditribution panels on board may be able to provide a more informed answer.

[bbqoug]

These are great but you should spend a couple dollars more and go with the 2.1 amp/10 watt model.

 

This is good advice for anyone now looking to purchase one.

I plugged my new IPAD Air into one of the USB ports on the Belkin Mini adapter I bought a couple years back and it says "Not Charging."

 

It looks like I need to buy the newer model before our next cruise.

[USOBuckeye]

While on Princess we had to get an extension cord from the ship for one of our CPAP machines? Do we need to take one? We each have a machine. Thanks.

[ghstudio]

This is just a shot in the dark but them being not allowed may have something to do the possibilty their use, depending on how much 'load' is exacted on the outlet (via) the power strip, may become excessive causing the breaker for that circuit to over load/trip. Just like at home drawing too many amps from a 15 amp 110 V outlet. I would imagine that if every stateroom was to use one power strip, with the additional devices drawing power from it, the extra load (demand for electricity) would be quite measurable meaning that more fuel would be burned to provide the extra amps? No doubt some one with more knowledge on the generators/ditribution panels on board may be able to provide a more informed answer.

 

Yes, in theory, but not in practice. The peak power draw for rooms is most likely in the morning when hair dryers are being used....and that's without any power strips. If you think about what people want to plug in, everything these days is low wattage...irons, hot plates and similar aren't allowed. So if I plug in three chargers/radios/...., I am probably not drawing 1 amp total in the room (1 or 2 watts). The ships electrical system certainly should not have a problem.

[jcrandle]

Yes, in theory, but not in practice. The peak power draw for rooms is most likely in the morning when hair dryers are being used....and that's without any power strips. If you think about what people want to plug in, everything these days is low wattage...irons, hot plates and similar aren't allowed. So if I plug in three chargers/radios/...., I am probably not drawing 1 amp total in the room (1 or 2 watts). The ships electrical system certainly should not have a problem.

 

The hair dryers, I believe, are on the 230 volt supply. It would be unusual for a single circuit breaker to protect a 230 and 120 volt supply in a residential setting.

[BKFlowerMound]

There is a difference between a converter and an adapter.

 

An adapter just changes the physical outlet from two round pins to one with flat pins so that you can use a US style plug in a 220V outlet. That's fine for a device that is rated for both 110 and 220V...and this is what's most commonly sold and used. It does not convert 220V, it only converts the configuration of the plugs.

 

example: http://www.amazon.com/OREI-Grounded-Universal-Adapter-Germany/dp/B004SY5O5K/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1388427697&sr=8-16&keywords=european+to+us+adapter

 

A converter changes does the same physical thing as an adapter, but the output on the US plug side is 110V....internally, it changes the voltage from 220v to 110V. In this case, you can plug any 110V electrical appliance in.

 

example: http://www.amazon.com/Simran-International-Converter-Countries-SM-1875/dp/B000W91XBO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1388427494&sr=8-4&keywords=220+v+converter

 

Read your devices! An Apple (iPad, iPhone, etc.) device charger works at 110v or 220v and so does a Kindle. You can plug these chargers with an adapter into a 220v socket and your device will be fine. If you try that with something else (e.g., a Nintendo DS), you'll ruin the device for sure and may hurt yourself and cause a fire.

[ghstudio]

The hair dryers, I believe, are on the 230 volt supply. It would be unusual for a single circuit breaker to protect a 230 and 120 volt supply in a residential setting.

 

The hair dryers provided by the ship are 230v, but the hair dryers brought on by passengers are often 110V. I have no knowledge of how they protect the electrical outlets on a ship...if they follow american electrical code, you are correct a 110V circuit and a 220V circuit would be protected separately.

[fredflint]

I brought two of these

 

had them in my carry on and no issue at all, if they just had an outlet on the bed side it would not be as much of a pain, had a 220-110 adapter so we could use more outlets on the table.

 

On the Infinity I brought a power strip, but also had so much stuff I would defy almost anyone to tell what I had in my bag. Laptop, tablet, 3 phones, camera, 2 lenses, batteries, cables, etc..

[wedding96]

I had my power strip taken away as well. Now I travel with those multi-plug adapters. I pack them in my carry-on and never have a problem.