Powerstrips and essentials for cruise newbies

[Thepominlaw]

Hi all,

 

Slowly gathering items for a cruise from Fremantle to Singapore aboard the Dawn. Putting together a shopping last at present and would appreciate any essential items you bring?

 

Also can I bring along a power strip it says to check first as some lines prohibit such items. Could do with one as between us there will be 2 phones, 1 tablet and 2 cameras that will need charging.

 

Booked in an interior cabin is a night light needed, surely there would be light switches within reach of the bed?

 

Thanks

 

 

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[lrockwitt]

I had no problems with a power strip that I brought along on all of my past cruises whether I had an inside cabin or outside. There is a light switch by the beds and on the wall.

 

 

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Edited January 29, 2016 by lrockwitt

[XBGuy]

We have taken a power strip on our last 4 cruises--all on Princess. It is very handy.

 

Yes, there will be room light switches just over your head as you are laying in your bed.

[paul929207]

We also take a power strip and have not had any problem

[Treven]

I always take along a power strip; I too have multiple electronic toys that need nightly charging.

 

If you are the type that need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'm sure you won't want to turn on the main cabin lights - not if you expect to go back to sleep. A small night light you can plug into the outlet in the bathroom would be enough to guide you, but not bright enough to completely wake you up.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi all,

 

Slowly gathering items for a cruise from Fremantle to Singapore aboard the Dawn. Putting together a shopping last at present and would appreciate any essential items you bring?

 

Also can I bring along a power strip it says to check first as some lines prohibit such items. Could do with one as between us there will be 2 phones, 1 tablet and 2 cameras that will need charging.

 

Booked in an interior cabin is a night light needed, surely there would be light switches within reach of the bed?

 

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

 

Check out this thread....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2236232&highlight=surge+protector

[Times Prince]

I always take along a power strip; I too have multiple electronic toys that need nightly charging.

 

If you are the type that need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'm sure you won't want to turn on the main cabin lights - not if you expect to go back to sleep. A small night light you can plug into the outlet in the bathroom would be enough to guide you, but not bright enough to completely wake you up.

One of the light switches by the bed typically lights the area near the bathroom. Also remember there are nightstand lamps.

 

A little trick we've discovered - those electronic toys put out more than sufficient light to navigate by at night, just by activating the screen (we use our cell phones). this should be more than enough illumination to navigate to the necessary.

 

The disadvantage of the night light in the bathroom is that the door will be closed unless you really like the sound of a door opening and closing as the ship gently rocks. There's a little gap at the bottom of the door, but the night light would do you no good until you are inside the bathroom. Better to use the electronic toy.

[mmckm]

We always leave the bathroom door closed and the light on, enough light shows under the door to get to the bathroom. Saves packing and bringing night light.

[Thepominlaw]

Thanks all, the list of goodies is growing just need to cut it down to the bare essentials before we leave.

 

 

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[Mike45LC]

I bring two extension cords and a USB Power Strip -- I think there are 6 USB ports on the power strip. that way, I just plug all the electronics (two phones, a tablet, an IPod, speakers, ...) into the USB ports.

[Alaskanb]

No power strips with surge protectors.

[skynight]

Hi all,

 

Booked in an interior cabin is a night light needed, surely there would be light switches within reach of the bed?

Thanks

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

A night light is good for the bathroom so you don't have to stumble around in the middle of the night to get there.

[chengkp75]

It takes a bit of searching to find power strips, and particularly USB chargers without surge suppressors, but it can be done. Sometimes you have to go to the manufacturer's website, not just the Amazon or Walmart description to be sure. Key words are "so many joules of protection", "so many clamping volts", or "overvoltage protection". If it states any of these, or flat out says it is a surge protected device, do not use it onboard ship.

[joybook]

I ususally cruise Princess and always take a small powerboard with me and have had no problems, however my son and his family have just returned from a cruise with RCI (Explorer of the Seas) and all powerboards were confiscated but returned to each passenger when they returned to Sydney. It seems as though the policy for their use may be different from one cruise line to another.:)

[chengkp75]

Some lines like Carnival spell out specifically that power strips without surge suppressors are fine, and some lines will just take all power strips away, rather than take the time to determine whether they are surge suppressors or not. Usually, in that case, they will provide their own power strips.

 

As a further note on electrical safety onboard, know that our cousins from Europe and Down Under have power strips that are markedly safer to use onboard ships than we do in the US. This is because the European/UK/Oz use of 220v generally means that the power strip's circuit breaker (the little on/off switch is really a circuit breaker) will open both legs of power, while US ones will only open what is considered to be the "hot" leg in US wiring, while the neutral is not opened. With ship's wye wired power, that leg that a US power strip thinks is "neutral" can still be pouring current to whatever caused the circuit breaker to pop, and this could cause a fire.

[pablo222]

Some lines like Carnival spell out specifically that power strips without surge suppressors are fine, and some lines will just take all power strips away, rather than take the time to determine whether they are surge suppressors or not. Usually, in that case, they will provide their own power strips.

 

I'm sure you're right.

 

I've been on quite a few princess cruises, and no one ever inspected

a power strip that I brought to see if it had a surge suppressor, or not.

 

There are a couple posts here that say princess doesn't allow surge

suppressors, but in reality, they never check. Despite the posts...

[GUT2407]

When we bordered in Oct they were taking power boards, I believe they were examined and if OK returned.

 

It seems surge protectors are an issue.

[GUT2407]

I'm sure you're right.

 

I've been on quite a few princess cruises, and no one ever inspected

a power strip that I brought to see if it had a surge suppressor, or not.

 

There are a couple posts here that say princess doesn't allow surge

suppressors, but in reality, they never check. Despite the posts...

 

As said above in Oct they were certainly checking.

[floridalover5623]

Since Princess doesn't seem to spell out things very clearly I guess we'll continue to bring ours along & if they inspect it & deem it unsatisfactory i'll deal with it at that point.

[Traveler103]

I have traveled for years with the Monster 4 and 6 plug strips and used them aboard the Princess and Diamond and Viking Star. Avail at Amazon.

[Keith1010]

We take a travel power strip.

 

Keith

[Papa Yoda]

If your power strip/bar/board has a surge protector or a circuit breaker in it, please don't bring it on any ship I or any of my friends or loved ones may be on, unless you are very sure it is approved for Marine use (and almost none are).

 

Fire is bad, and though that trusty surge protector strip may have been with you for thousands of miles and hundreds of days at sea and has never, ever caused any problems (yet), it is still a potential fire hazard.

[pablo222]

Fire is bad, and though that trusty surge protector strip may have been with you for thousands of miles and hundreds of days at sea and has never, ever caused any problems (yet), it is still a potential fire hazard.

 

Then, why doesn't princess add surge protectors to the list of

things that can't be brought onboard, and actively check for them?

 

Certainly your safety can't be dependent on every passenger reading

and understanding a post on cruise critic...

[Hawka]

when i was getting info for this i saw you can not bring boards on that have surge protectors on them i am unsure if you had one without one if you could still get it on without you maybe able to but that is a guess

Edited January 30, 2016 by Hawka

[Aus Traveller]

Then, why doesn't princess add surge protectors to the list of

things that can't be brought onboard, and actively check for them?

 

Certainly your safety can't be dependent on every passenger reading

and understanding a post on cruise critic...

The previous poster, Ferd Berfle, is correct in his comment about the danger of surge-protected power strips. It is likely that at some stage Princess will add it to the prohibited list, as other cruiselines have done. :)