Power Outlets

[Heimey]

Hello everyone!! We are leaving for a cruise on the Vista in a week. We’ve cruised the Vista and Horizon in the past but hasn’t been for a few years. My wife seems to remember having a hard time getting her flattening iron and whatnot to work. Is this still a problem??? What kind of outlets can we expect in our room? Should we invest in an adaptor to hook into them?

Thanks

Heimey

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I don't recall any issues on Vista. I always cruise with with a power strip that takes up to 6 items. Plug it into one of the 110 outlets (USA/Canada standard) and it allows me to charge my laptop, phone, camera, wife's phone, etc, all at the same time.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

There seems to be an issue with the CERAMIC units.  It doesn't seem to be the amount of power drawn, but in the way ceramic heating elements react with the ships power.   I don't know all the technical aspects of ship's power, but it has something to do with both legs of power on the ship being around 60 volts to ground and 120 volts between then, whereas normal power is around 110 to 125 volts to ground on one leg and zero volts to ground on the other leg, for the 110 to 125 volts. 

 

I assume someone with knowledge of the electrical systems on the ships will have a better explanation and correct me.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Old Fart Cruisers

[crystalspin]

Paging @chengkp75 to the white courtesy telephone...

[Heimey]

On 10/2/2022 at 10:48 PM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

There seems to be an issue with the CERAMIC units.  It doesn't seem to be the amount of power drawn, but in the way ceramic heating elements react with the ships power.   I don't know all the technical aspects of ship's power, but it has something to do with both legs of power on the ship being around 60 volts to ground and 120 volts between then, whereas normal power is around 110 to 125 volts to ground on one leg and zero volts to ground on the other leg, for the 110 to 125 volts. 

 

I assume someone with knowledge of the electrical systems on the ships will have a better explanation and correct me.

 

 

Thanks Old Farts (love the name). This is where she ran into problems. Her straightener wouldn’t work where everything else would. We ended up getting a special cord from the room steward. We bought the multi adaptor but it wouldn’t fit into the outlet box.

 

Heimey 

[chengkp75]

I've only heard anecdotal reports of hair straighteners not working, and they seem to be the newer ceramic type units.  Similarly, I've heard reports of Dyson hair products, with digital motors, not working on ships.  I believe these are related to how the electronic circuits look at "neutral" and "ground" to modify power for the appliance, which is different on ships to that on land.  There is no solution for this that I am aware of, short of getting a different hair straightener for use on ships.

[chocolate melting cake]

This is what the outlets on the newer ships look like. Also, if you do get a power strip make sure it does not have a surge suppressor. Just look for a "ship power strip".