Warning electric extensions

[1160451]

Hello, we cruise with around five lines, so I read all the five forums.

I see lots of threads about tips when cruising.

One that keeps cropping up is about taking extension leads.

Well we have just returned from a P and O cruise on the Azura and a full crew alert for a fire in a cabin took place.

The cause was a passenger using an electric extension and loading it up with various appliances.

Fortunately we were docked and many passengers were off ship.

We were just leaving the ship but it was a sobering thought to see the ships crew in full alert.

You see lots of crew drills but it was immediately obvious that this was for real.

Thought I would share this with the lines we have cruised with.

[sail7seas]

Very good warning and hopefully all will take notice.

The wiring for individual cabins is not ample to supply multiple guests personal appliances. You cannot plug in all sorts of things at the same time. It can cause FIRE.

Edited February 9, 2014 by sail7seas

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank for telling us what happened on your cruise.

It certainly can happen. People bring too many appliances with them -- like curling irons. I understand that P&O also allows coffee pots???

[RJ2002]

Thanks for sharing this experience. Always a good reminder not to overload electrical outlets, whether on the ship or at home.

[YubaSutter]

They need more electrical outlets in cabins. One near the desk and one in the restroom is not enough.

[CHOPPERTESTER]

It's not the number of appliances they are trying to power that causes problems. On the ship side, circuit breakers are sized related to the gauge of wiring. The breaker will trip before the wiring fails.

 

That is if there are no defects in the wiring (bad crimp, shorted insulator, kink etc) which will cause local heating. Issue is cruisers using the 99 cent special extension cords of questionable quality. No control of what gauge wire they use. Even if the total load of their appliances does not reach the circuit breaker limit it can be a fire hazard.

 

So the cruise lines control what they can control (design standards for their ships) and prevent passengers from bringing on board potential fire hazards (extension cords, curling irons, clothes irons etc).

[Randyk47]

Thank for telling us what happened on your cruise.

It certainly can happen. People bring too many appliances with them -- like curling irons. I understand that P&O also allows coffee pots???

 

I honestly think my wife would not cruise if she couldn't bring her curling iron. ;):)

[shrimp56]

My mother plugged in her hair dryer on Epirotiki's Orpheus in the later 70s. She blew the electric on the whole front of the ship. It got fixed, but everyone knew LOL.

[USN59-79]

They need more electrical outlets in cabins. One near the desk and one in the restroom is not enough.

 

Here is a tip: There are two outlets on the desk, one 110V and one 220V. Probably 90% of the things you have to recharge - camera, laptop, ipod, phone, etc. will accept either 110V or 220V. Look closely at the small print on the charger and it will tell you. We carry a small adapter for the 220V outlet and use it for things that need to be recharged.

[sapper1]

Here is a tip: There are two outlets on the desk, one 110V and one 220V. Probably 90% of the things you have to recharge - camera, laptop, ipod, phone, etc. will accept either 110V or 220V. Look closely at the small print on the charger and it will tell you. We carry a small adapter for the 220V outlet and use it for things that need to be recharged.

 

That is exactly what we do as well. It doubles the outlet capacity for us.

[startwin]

I honestly think my wife would not cruise if she couldn't bring her curling iron. ;):)

 

Anything that has a heating element should never be plugged into an extension cord. I take my curling iron too - I can't live without it ;) - but it gets plugged directly into the outlet.

[Randyk47]

Anything that has a heating element should never be plugged into an extension cord. I take my curling iron too - I can't live without it ;) - but it gets plugged directly into the outlet.

 

I agree. She always plugs that directly into the wall outlet. She has a travel version that's dual voltage so she has the choice of either outlet.

[bishop84]

I understand that P&O also allows coffee pots???

 

The cabins are come with electric kettles, teabags and various coffee sachets which I presume means instant coffee. Coffee pots are still rare for us Brits!

 

IIRC there was a serious fire with several cabins damaged on the either the old Noordam or old Nieuw Amsterdam where the cause was traced to a coffee pot in a cabin.

[Cruiz'nBaers]

They need more electrical outlets in cabins. One near the desk and one in the restroom is not enough.

 

I agree, just 1 or 2 more could be a big help.

[Cruisergal1208]

We now request an extension cord from the ship to use with DH's CPAP machine. We have never had our own taken away but once we started seeing discussions about this, we don't bring one.

[Randyk47]

I understand that P&O also allows coffee pots???

 

I can't speak to P&O but we had an expresso machine in our cabin on Silversea. Obviously they'd tested them and had enough experience with them that they didn't consider it an issue. We're not big expresso fans but actually used it several mornings as Mrs. K needs her shot of caffeine as early as possible :) and we were up and at it early on a very port intensive cruise.

[jrzebird]

We now request an extension cord from the ship to use with DH's CPAP machine. We have never had our own taken away but once we started seeing discussions about this, we don't bring one.

 

I always bring an extension cord but rarely use it, since my phone, computer and camera are one and the same!

 

On my last HAL cruise I did need one and I also remembered reading about the extension cords being taken away, so I dutifully asked for one from my steward. He brought me one and it was old and in MUCH worse condition than the brand new one I had, with a power surge protector. Just sayin'.

 

Maureen

[Krazy Kruizers]

The cabins are come with electric kettles, teabags and various coffee sachets which I presume means instant coffee. Coffee pots are still rare for us Brits!

 

IIRC there was a serious fire with several cabins damaged on the either the old Noordam or old Nieuw Amsterdam where the cause was traced to a coffee pot in a cabin.

 

 

We sailed on the old Nieuw Amsterdam and the old Noordam -- had not heard about fires on either of them.

But that could be because we sailed on them just about the time we got Internet and I didn't join CC until 2001.

[alwaysfrantic]

Here is a tip: There are two outlets on the desk, one 110V and one 220V. Probably 90% of the things you have to recharge - camera, laptop, ipod, phone, etc. will accept either 110V or 220V. Look closely at the small print on the charger and it will tell you. We carry a small adapter for the 220V outlet and use it for things that need to be recharged.

 

What will it say? Is it on the cube for iPhone and iPad? Or on the device? We don't need any sort of converter, just a plug adaptor?

[sail7seas]

The cabins are come with electric kettles, teabags and various coffee sachets which I presume means instant coffee. Coffee pots are still rare for us Brits!

 

IIRC there was a serious fire with several cabins damaged on the either the old Noordam or old Nieuw Amsterdam where the cause was traced to a coffee pot in a cabin.

 

We sailed on the old Nieuw Amsterdam and the old Noordam -- had not heard about fires on either of them.

 

But that could be because we sailed on them just about the time we got Internet and I didn't join CC until 2001.

 

 

Seems there was a fire caused by a coffee pot used in crew quarters.

 

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2001/M01_13.pdf

 

[Randyk47]

What will it say? Is it on the cube for iPhone and iPad? Or on the device? We don't need any sort of converter, just a plug adaptor?

 

It will be on the converter base, not the iPhone or iPad itself. For instance, and it's hard to read, the iPad charger (the white cube converter that plugs into the wall socket) say "input 100-240V". Same is true for the majority of laptop chargers and again it's on the converter itself not the device. You would need a plug adaptor (blade to European round pin).

[Airnocker]

Hi Cruisergal,

It is the amount of current or wattage that is the issue. I travel with my CPAP machine and extension cord, and both are mandatory. HAL always runs out of extension cords, and if they have one (I have used one) it could have been used by my grandfather. The CPAP computer, camera, iPad, and other battery recharging transformers are low wattage. It's the heating element items that could be an issue. Use HAL's hair dryer, as crumby as they are, and never leave your curling iron Pluged in, unattended, NEVER, until it is cool.

Eric

Edited February 10, 2014 by Airnocker
Correction

[bishop84]

Seems there was a fire caused by a coffee pot used in crew quarters.

 

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2001/M01_13.pdf

 

 

Thank you for finding that report. Some of the report was quite concerning although I am sure they learned a lot from that incident.

[igraf]

Still better to use their cord. If something goes wrong then it is not your fault!

 

Seriously, the wire gauge (current capacity) of the cord is more important than the external aesthetics. Most consumer extension cords with surge protectors are made very cheaply.

 

igraf

 

 

 

I always bring an extension cord but rarely use it, since my phone, computer and camera are one and the same!

 

On my last HAL cruise I did need one and I also remembered reading about the extension cords being taken away, so I dutifully asked for one from my steward. He brought me one and it was old and in MUCH worse condition than the brand new one I had, with a power surge protector. Just sayin'.

 

Maureen

[Randyk47]

Still better to use their cord. If something goes wrong then it is not your fault!

 

Seriously, the wire gauge (current capacity) of the cord is more important than the external aesthetics. Most consumer extension cords with surge protectors are made very cheaply.

 

igraf

 

We actually don't take really long extension cords or cords with surge protectors. We've settled on a couple of multiple outlet plugs and a couple of very short (12 inches) but useful dual voltage multiple outlet extension cords with good wire gauge/current capacity. We actually use them around the house, one to get used to them and secondly to make sure there won't be any issues. One of the "tests" is to plug my wife's curling iron or high dryer through the adaptor or whatever. It heats up even a little and it's returned, trashed, or used for nothing much more than a single light.