Bringing along a power strip

[ASIWISH]

They just don't want somebody bringing some old, frayed thing that's likely to start an electrical fire in the cabin.

 

That is likely the real reason... at least that is the common reason given at hotels and convention centers when planning for meetings. We brought one on the first two times we cruised, but never used them... made it through security just fine.

 

As for slowing the ship down, or draining it's electrical supply...? Really? That is an incredible stretch... that is hilarious!

 

If they're free, I'd use theirs... if they aren't free, I'd still use theirs... less hassle.

[Typhoon1]

Electrical fires are all too common. It happened on one of our cruises.

 

See your cabin steward if you need assistance with electrical devices.

[SwissMyst]

......

As for slowing the ship down, or draining it's electrical supply...? Really? That is an incredible stretch... that is hilarious!

 

......

 

This is the inside stuff you get when you have Neptune Lounge special parties and get to talk to the captain. He did not say this with tongue in cheek. And it sounds like there is a connection.

 

There is no power cord running from the ship to the great Power Socket in the Sky so being a self-contained vessel, this is not entirely .... hilarious .... considering the bulk of necessary electronics people are traveling with these days and the age and wiring many HAL ships were built for.

[cruisinjudy]

Do not discount the bathroom shaver outlet. Most cellphone/camera battery chargers pull so little current that the bathroom outlet can be used. EM

I have found that the bathroom outlets only take non directional plugs. I used to take a nightlight to plug in but I could no longer find nondirectional ones. OK I don't know what that is called but both prongs are the same size. I wondered how a shaver would work but we don't have one.

[Alberta Quilter]

I have asked for and received HAL power bars on one or two cruises. The cabin steward has brought them and they were provided free of charge. I kept it for the length of the cruise and plugged it in when necessary.

[Sea42]

Again, this seems to be another issue where people pick and choose which policies apply to them. For some it comes down to their own convenience versus the health and safety of others.

[ASIWISH]

This is the inside stuff you get when you have Neptune Lounge special parties and get to talk to the captain. He did not say this with tongue in cheek. And it sounds like there is a connection.

 

There is no power cord running from the ship to the great Power Socket in the Sky so being a self-contained vessel, this is not entirely .... hilarious .... considering the bulk of necessary electronics people are traveling with these days and the age and wiring many HAL ships were built for.

 

I assure you... that is entirely hilarious!

[nothriver]

I've traveled with my own power strip for years and never thought about any potential safety hazard, thank you so much for bringing this policy to light. I'll leave my power strip at home next cruise!

 

I keep a power strip and extra chargers for most of our electronics packed in my suitcase at all times. Not that we have a ton of electronics to charge but the beauty of a power strip is that I keep the chargers together where I can see them and remember to take them home. I can't tell you how many phone chargers I've plugged in underneath a hotel bed and left behind...

[eh2zed]

I have asked for and received HAL power bars on one or two cruises. The cabin steward has brought them and they were provided free of charge. I kept it for the length of the cruise and plugged it in when necessary.

That is good to know

[hpf]

I travel with a surge protector and always ask our steward before pluging it in and they have always checked it and ok'ed it and i have used it for our duration aboard ship.

 

Helen

[jschm27]

I have asked for and received HAL power bars on one or two cruises. The cabin steward has brought them and they were provided free of charge. I kept it for the length of the cruise and plugged it in when necessary.

 

Same for me. We needed more power outlets on one cruise, we asked our cabin steward on the first day. It was delivered very quickly for use during the whole cruise at no cost.

 

To those of you who have been bringing extension cords or power strips, you can now leave them at home. That should give you enough room in your luggage so that you can bring your formal wear again! :D

 

John

[startwin]

I have always brought a power bar w/surge protector, for C-PAP and chargers. The room steward has never said anything, and until now I wasn't aware it was a no-no - my bad, and thank you for bringing this up. In future I will ask the room steward for a HAL-approved one.

[Big Dawg CC]

Just to confirm, got a power strip from HAL on out last curise - it was provided at no charge (so long as we returned it).

[Tamaracboy]

HAL says...

 

If more outlet space is necessary,

only Holland America Line provided power bars are to be

used.

 

I don't see how this could be any clearer.

 

This is in place for your SAFETY.... and the safety of ALL the other passengers and crew on board.

 

It is NOT safe to use your own power bars. By ignoring this you are putting everyone on board at risk. HAL provide the power bars if you require them.

To anyone that uses their own you are playing with FIRE. Use some common sense!

Yes, please do use come common sense AND a dash of knowledge.

 

Again, this seems to be another issue where people pick and choose which policies apply to them. For some it comes down to their own convenience versus the health and safety of others.

 

I travel with a surge protector and always ask our steward before pluging it in and they have always checked it and ok'ed it and i have used it for our duration aboard ship.

 

Helen

 

First: That Captain was totally pulling someone's leg. I'm very surprised you couldn't see his tongue protruding from his cheek !

And yes there are separate generators for the propulsion. Not that all systems couldn't be cross connected if ever necessary in case of emergency.

Think Carnival Splendor in Mexico earlier this year.

 

Second: a few posters here have actually used the "HAL supplied" power strips.

They can attest that they are nothing special.

They are exactly the same as you can buy at Home Depot, Walgreen's or Radio Shack.

No, NOT "similar", the very same ones !

In fact if you go to the front desk to ask for one, they will pull out an assortment looking just like a grab bag of whatever has been left behind by passengers.

Nothing special, no secret patented shipboard only technology, no HAL branded exclusive equipment.

PLUS, they do not have all that many, so they can easily run out.

If you do not have your own in that case, you do without.

 

Third: as to the comments about traveling "unplugged"; two people in a cabin, each with their own camera that needs charging, one outlet = you do the math.

This does not even account for an iPad or similar for backing up the memory card in the camera, just to be safe.

Or a Kindle for reading, or that rechargeable flashlight, or GPS for Geocaching.

These ARE vacation devices.

100% necessary ? no, but useful tools to enhance your travels.

AND, we haven't even gotten to medical devices like CPAPs, and various pumps, fans, ionizers, etc.

ONE outlet per cabin is far from enough.

And the battery chargers take such little current, that every cabin on the ship could have two plugged in, and the technicians wouldn't even notice it.

 

Fourth: if you really insist on being a stickler, just take your own, regular, off-the-shelf power strip to the front desk, have them wave their magic wand over it, and abracadabra you have an "Approved" power strip !

 

Facts, not speculation nor hysteria.

 

r.

[English_in_Spain]

The trouble with the ship provided power strips is that they are all for US plugs.

 

In each cabin there is a socket for European type plugs. If we want to plug in more than one item (recharge for camera, video, Kindle, toothbrush, netbook) we have to have our own power strip.

 

Whenever we cruise we always buy a new power strip and take it onto the ship still in its original wrapping (the ones we buy here are seal wrapped). The cruise lines (not just HAL) have always been ok with that.

 

The only thing we have been told is not to leave anything plugged in when we are not in the cabin. That makes it even more necessary to have more than one socket as we mainly have to do our charging at night.

[Wehwalt]

Interesting. I think what I will do is bring one with a surge protector, and if there's any questions, say that there was nothing in the rules against surge protectors and HAL didn't say if their equipment would have them. That being said, I will ask for a power strip first thing and if it is supplied, leave my equipment in my suitcase. I'm going to have (sorry folks and hope it doesn't make the ship late) iPhone, headphones that require recharging, camera ditto, extended power source for my iPhone (almost two years old, so it needs it on transcontinental flights just playing games and listening to music, laptop and travel kettle (I will check to see if it is allowed, I like my coffee first thing and I'm an early riser and first thing does not mean dressing and walking up several decks). Considering that few of those will consume much power at sea what with high internet prices, I don't think the ship will be late into port. Incidentally, they refuel and resupply almost constantly (they have to do something while we are loaded into shore excursion buses) so I do not think my iPhone will cause the captain to tap the fuel gauge nervously.

[Wehwalt]

The bathroom outlet in the newer and renovated ships is totally useless for many of us. It was put up at ceiling level where we can't reach it. :eek:

When you find a tall person to reach it for you, you find that the toothbrush has no place to set anyway. So now you have to plug the toothbrush in at the desk, taking up the one outlet that's there! :mad:

 

Guessing that a former NBA player now works in HAL/Seattle. :rolleyes:

 

Umm, call the cabin attendant?

[Boytjie]

Originally Posted by RuthC

The bathroom outlet in the newer and renovated ships is totally useless for many of us. It was put up at ceiling level where we can't reach it. :eek:

When you find a tall person to reach it for you, you find that the toothbrush has no place to set anyway. So now you have to plug the toothbrush in at the desk, taking up the one outlet that's there! :mad:

 

Guessing that a former NBA player now works in HAL/Seattle. :rolleyes:

Umm, call the cabin attendant?

 

 

Have you seen the HAL cabin stewards? :D

[tcook052]

Third: as to the comments about traveling "unplugged"; two people in a cabin, each with their own camera that needs charging, one outlet = you do the math.

This does not even account for an iPad or similar for backing up the memory card in the camera, just to be safe.

Or a Kindle for reading, or that rechargeable flashlight, or GPS for Geocaching.

These ARE vacation devices.

100% necessary ? no, but useful tools to enhance your travels.

 

Facts, not speculation nor hysteria.

 

Sorry but this portion of your post is opinion, not fact, and isn't an opinion I can fully agree with. I understand the reality of playing with all the toys but can't see them being as necessary as you do. And that's okay as we can have differing opinions on the subject.

[SwissMyst]

.......travel kettle (I will check to see if it is allowed, I like my coffee first thing and I'm an early riser and first thing does not mean dressing and walking up several decks). ........

 

Room service is friendly, fast and safe. You can answer the door in your PJ's. Or pull the covers over your head and they will silently leave the tray in your room.

[SwissMyst]

......

Third: as to the comments about traveling "unplugged"; two people in a cabin, each with their own camera that needs charging, one outlet = you do the math.

This does not even account for an iPad or similar for backing up the memory card in the camera, just to be safe.

Or a Kindle for reading, or that rechargeable flashlight, or GPS for Geocaching.

These ARE vacation devices.

100% necessary ? no, but useful tools to enhance your travels.

AND, we haven't even gotten to medical devices like CPAPs, and various pumps, fans, ionizers, etc.

ONE outlet per cabin is far from enough.

And the battery chargers take such little current, that every cabin on the ship could have two plugged in, and the technicians wouldn't even notice it.

......

 

Times 2000 plus passengers and you have quite a new power demand on old ships. How are they designing outlets in the newer ships -- any brand? How many outlets in Oasis of the Seas cabins for example for this newer generation of Plugged-In tourists. Remember when travel at one time was a flirtation with terra incognita. Now it is Jaunts to GPS City.

[RuthC]

Umm, call the cabin attendant?

 

 

Have you seen the HAL cabin stewards? :D

Maybe Wehwalt meant the cabin steward should stand in the bathroom holding the suspended toothbrush after a tall person had plugged it in. ;)

[Wehwalt]

Times 2000 plus passengers and you have quite a new power demand on old ships. How are they designing outlets in the newer ships -- any brand? How many outlets in Oasis of the Seas cabins for example for this newer generation of Plugged-In tourists. Remember when travel at one time was a flirtation with terra incognita. Now it is Jaunts to GPS City.

 

:How many of the 2000 are, so to speak, "plugged in"? Look, HAL has fine engineers, who are paid very good money I'm sure to worry about these things. If there was a need, I'm sure we would be told to economize on power in a way beyond the level of "let's all be green". As in announcements from the Captain. I would certainly respect his requests, and ensure in future I took a vessel on which I did not feel guilty about recharging my camera battery.

[ASIWISH]

Or pull the covers over your head and they will silently leave the tray in your room.

 

My wife does that all the time... so funny!

[Wayfairers]

Sorry Wayfarer you got this one wrong. The propulsion MOTORS are electrically driven and use power from the same generators that provide the power to the ships electrical system. The captain was technically very correct but as you read into it... his answer contained a small amount of BS!!!:rolleyes:

 

Stephen

 

I got my information from an officer on the Ryndam. I cannot imagine propulsion and electrical hotel load would be on the same power grid due to the potential variation in power usage (on both ends). I would think lights would be blinking and the drive system would be surging. I may be wrong - I am not the person who designed the system, but I wouldn't design the two systems to use the same power source.