Power strip ban?

[twincheryl]

Boarded Equinox yesterday and was surprised my sister was called to the naughty room after her bag was routed there.  Must have been over 100 people on the list hanging on the door.  Almost every one we saw had power strips taken away... regardless of whether they had a surge suppressor or not.  My sister just had a little plug in 2 usb connector and they took that, too.  The woman behind us said this isthe first time in over 30 cruises that she has had a problem!  Just wondering if something had changed...?

[kenevenpar]

There has been a ban on power strips for as long as I can remember, but was loosely enforced, unless the type used for computers or electronics with surge protector.  There have been reports over the last couple of months of more strictl;y enforcing the ban, with even the small cube types being confiscated.

[sptrout]

Not really new IMO, just being enforced differently. It is really becoming a free for all mess with "power" anything and the rules are different for each cruise line. It would seem that what is dangerous for one ship would be dangerous for all, but apparently not. I think that part of the problem is that the folks that monitor the x-ray scanners are the people who are making the rules and they are not electrical engineers, and even if they were, do not have time the really look closely at each of the thousands of bags that they must scan in a very short time. Surge protectors are a perfect example. The last time I looked, Celebrity, Princess, and MSC, do not specifically mention that they are prohibited. And even if they did say that they are, how is the poor guy at the x-ray machine going to know what devices out of the hundreds available going to know what has a surge protector in it or not? They all look the same on x-ray, protected or not. And it is very likely that the passenger doesn't even know, or know that they are a serious danger. Any cruiser that does not read CC will have no idea that surge protectors are bad on ships or know why.

 

Another problem is that the "what not to pack list" that cruise lines publish on their websites are so vague that they could mean about anything or really close to nothing at all about this subject. I have yet to see any "not to pack list" that covers all the items that are now being confiscated.

 

Above I mentioned three different cruise lines that we have sailed the past three or four years. I have to bring a CPAP machine with me. I have asked each one via their "Special Needs" form if they could supply an extension cord and some distilled water. Celebrity is the only one of the three mentioned that has answered "yes" every time. Princess says yes sometimes and other times have told me to bring my own. MSC flat-out said that they would not provide either (but when we got to the cabin they were both already there).

 

If cruise lines are going to confiscate things coming out of the x-ray machine then IMHO they ought to get their act together and be much more specific on what is prohibited. At the very least, all the sister lines within a corporation should have the same rules, but they don't even do that.

[Tourist1292]

It is described in the FAQ what is not allowed under "What Not to Pack".

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/int/company/customer-support/help-and-faqs/pre-cruise/all-pre-cruise-faqs

 

Other cruise lines allow extension cord but no surge protector. I bought a simple extension cord before I found the FAQ saying it is not allowed.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Tourist1292