Power Strips Confisgated - Veendam, San Diego March 9

[sackman]

I can have fun without electrical power...but i can have a lot more fun with power. We will have 2 iphones, 2 ipads, a laptop, gps unit, 2 flashlights, 2 cameras, camera flash, stabilized binoculars, batter charger for stuff that needs batteries, electric toothbrush, electric razor, blue tooth earphones, travel speakers...... None of this is work related as we are retired. These all provide fun or utility for us.

 

I dont need to be a luddite to enjoy a cruise. So extension cords or nonsurge bars Will be packed!

 

I'm the exact same way. I don't have quite the assemblage of gadgets that you do, but it's pretty close. If I want more power, I'm going to find it. If I have to take a surge protector, that's what I'll do. I've taken a dozen cruises or more with it and it's never been an issue. People do that all the time.

 

I'm on the Westy next Saturday. We'll see if I can sneak on with it. :cool:

[Hertz Von Seasider]

Fair Play Robin, Happy Cruising :)

 

Hertz

[Robin7]

Well ... (1) get a power strip without a surge protector. If it doesn't say it has one, it likely doesn't. (2) ask at the Front Desk for one of HAL's (3) If they don't have one for you, ask them if they approve yours (4) I dunno!!

 

Also, if any of your chargers are dual-voltage (most are these days) you can buy a simple plug adapter and use the 220v outlet. I do that for my computer. The label on the plug will tell you.

 

Somehow I missed this yesterday. I just looked. The CPAP power strip is just a power strip, not a surge protector. Whew. But I am also going to call Guest Services and tell them we'll have a CPAP so an approved power strip can be put in our room. Hopefully that will alleviate any problems getting one.

 

And that will hopefully solve the camera charger issue too, but I did look at them and they are dual voltage so I'm adding a plug adapter to my list just in case. Thanks, John!

 

Robin

[cbr663]

With all due respect to those providing advice on which type of power bar to purchase, please remember the following is stated in the Know Before You Go document:

 

"If more outlet space is necessary, only Holland America provided power bars are to be used." (emphasis added).

 

Bringing any power bar of any type onto the ship is a violation of Holland America's policy and you risk having the power bar confiscated.

[iancal]

We don't take our cell phones on vacation any more. We never use HAL internet...too expensive, too slow. We are happy to get it free at a port side coffee shop or beer.

 

But, when I was working, I did need access-at least once every 48 hours, to my mail-sometimes more often. It is a fact of life in our 'connected' environment.

[waASPCrusier]

With all due respect to those providing advice on which type of power bar to purchase, please remember the following is stated in the Know Before You Go document:

 

"If more outlet space is necessary, only Holland America provided power bars are to be used." (emphasis added).

 

Bringing any power bar of any type onto the ship is a violation of Holland America's policy and you risk having the power bar confiscated.

 

Exactly, the way this is worded, it would include anything that would create more than a single outlet...ie extension cords(with more than 1 receptacle) and power strips without surge should not be used. Just because they don't confiscate doesn't mean you should be using it.

[cruz chic]

Quoting for truth about folks not being able to be unplugged. It is astounding how shallow and self absorbed people are/can be.

 

... and proving what I just said...

 

Now before you go tossing the baby out with the bath water with the selfies, I am RIPPED right now with plenty of striations all about so a selfiie or two is always taken after a workout to highlight where improvements have been made and where more need to be made.

 

Those pics are only shared amongst workout partners and not the public on FB though as far too many people share too much there... and I don't need a line at my door! ;):D:o

 

Derek

 

At least your selfie serves a purposes. I have a friend that is on mat leave. She has a 3 year old and a 5 month old. Yesterday she posted a selfie saying she doesn't wear make up anymore. Who cares? Surely she has other priorities to deal with.

[silvercruiser]

There are two versions of the Belkin charger. The 1 amp, 5 Watt one is fine for smaller electronics, like iTouch and camera, but won't charge an iPad. However, the 2.1 amp, 10 Watt one works just fine with the iPad. Often I've found that when we're in port the iPad won't charge at all, but once we start sailing again it will. Is the power lower in port? If so, then I'd worry about surges frying my iPad when it jumped up. Awhile back I read here on CC that we should be wary of that and the writer stated two examples of fellow cruisers having electronics ruined that way.

 

776 days at sea....39 ships.....7 continents

HAL 4* ....................Princess ELITE

 

plus 10 other cruise lines, at least 5 of which are no longer in business. Hope it wasn't my fault.

[sammygoose]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I learned something today.

It takes a village....how cliche but true.

I have always brought a power strip on our cruises and for full disclosure it's so cheap it has no surge protector hence it has never been confiscated. Now I have a much better understanding of why and what.

My first thought was yeah a teenager-how shallow-so you couldn't play candy crush or text friends. I'm glad I read through the thread.

-I don't have a job that requires I be connected on vacation but I do like to bring a camera,an iTouch and an eReader on a cruise.

-I also like to sort through my work inbox near the end of a vacation trashing useless email with a glass or 3 of wine- it makes the first day back to work bearable. I find that doing that on vacation makes me more heartless in my trashing- a good thing.

Regardless of why you think you need a power cord if it's important to you then IT IS. Maybe if my job was more critical then a quick check in would help fight some fires so I don't have to deal with an inferno once back to work- that CAN be stress relieving to.

So lesson learned. No surge protector....take good advice from CC posters and equip properly.

I'm glad I learned this now and not like OP

Good topic.

[runnergirl71]

Why didn't you give her a turn with one of the few outlets in the cabin to charge her laptop? If the plug could not fit, couldn't she use yours for a little while? You know, share.

 

 

That thought occurred to me as well.

 

The midterm and job stuff I can understand, but surely in a university setting the paper wasn't just thrown at the class last-minute, right? As much as I don't like to do things early and tend to do better work under pressure, the year we had a trip planned for spring break, I made sure I finished or was well ahead of the work on the syllabus to the next week so I could generally chill.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[jtl513]

If the plug could not fit, couldn't she use yours for a little while? You know, share.

That thought occurred to me as well.

Maybe not. It would depend on what s/w and files are on the non-student computer. My daughter wanted to use mine once to do some school work but my version of Word was too old for her files.

 

There are two versions of the Belkin charger.

And neither one is allowed to be used on board. HAL sets rules to protect their ships. If your iPad gets fried, so be it. If you don't want to take that chance, don't use it on board.

.

Edited March 20, 2014 by jtl513

[silvercruiser]

This is more on the subject from the Princess CC boards.

 

"What does a protector do? It ignores all voltages less than 330 volts. Of course, readers want confirmation. That let-through voltage numbers should be printed on every box. Unfortunately most who recommend a protector also ignore that number. It means a protector does nothing until voltages exceed 330 volts. How often does that happen? On a ship - never."

 

I live in Florida, where lightning strikes can cause huge surges and we must protect things like television sets and computers with strong surge protectors.

 

I also bring along a very short extension cord, about six or seven inches, which makes the Belkin easier to work with.

[marysb]

That thought occurred to me as well.

surely in a university setting the paper wasn't just thrown at the class last-minute, right? As much as I don't like to do things early and tend to do better work under pressure, the year we had a trip planned for spring break, I made sure I finished or was well ahead of the work on the syllabus to the next week so I could generally chill.

 

...In a perfect world this makes perfect sense,

most teenagers I know don't live in that world.

[kjw869]

That's what I bring and it's never been confiscated.

 

This is the same one we bring along. When I first bought it (finding about this on CC), I wanted to make sure that HAL would allow the use on their ship. I left the unit with the Neptune Lounge concierge so that the electrical department could check it out.

 

Later that day, an electrician brought the unit back to our cabin and said it was acceptable. He also said one of the officer's had the same Belkin 3-way adapter in his cabin.

 

On our next cruise, I asked our room steward if we could use the same adapter. The following day, it was returned to our cabin with a tag with a string on it. The tag read "OK".

 

That was about 6-8 cruises ago. I will let the HAL electricians onboard decide what I may or may not use.

Edited March 20, 2014 by kjw869

[serendipity1499]

There are two versions of the Belkin charger. The 1 amp, 5 Watt one is fine for smaller electronics, like iTouch and camera, but won't charge an iPad. However, the 2.1 amp, 10 Watt one works just fine with the iPad. Often I've found that when we're in port the iPad won't charge at all, but once we start sailing again it will. Is the power lower in port? If so, then I'd worry about surges frying my iPad when it jumped up. Awhile back I read here on CC that we should be wary of that and the writer stated two examples of fellow cruisers having electronics ruined that way.

 

776 days at sea....39 ships.....7 continents

HAL 4* ....................Princess ELITE

 

plus 10 other cruise lines, at least 5 of which are no longer in business. Hope it wasn't my fault.

 

This is more on the subject from the Princess CC boards.

 

"What does a protector do? It ignores all voltages less than 330 volts. Of course, readers want confirmation. That let-through voltage numbers should be printed on every box. Unfortunately most who recommend a protector also ignore that number. It means a protector does nothing until voltages exceed 330 volts. How often does that happen? On a ship - never."

 

I live in Florida, where lightning strikes can cause huge surges and we must protect things like television sets and computers with strong surge protectors.

 

I also bring along a very short extension cord, about six or seven inches, which makes the Belkin easier to work with.

Before using your surge protector suggest you read post No. 35 & Post 40 by ChengKC..He was a chief engineer on NCL for many years & explains what a surge protector does to a ship..His post opened my eyes..Chengkc explains that surge protectors should not be used on a ship. because they could damage the hull..

 

 

Also I posted about both Princess & RCCL confiscating surge protectors..

 

IMO we all should take heed.. If surge protectors could damage a ships hull it may need major work which requires quite a bit of $$$ to get it back in shape.. If major work needs to be done on all ships because we are using surge protectors for phones, ipads, computers etc the cruise lines may be forced to increase fares which many cruisers either can't afford or don't want to pay..

 

Think about it folks do we want to pay more, when all we have to do is make a small adjustment by using a good extension cord instead.?

 

Prescotbob posted about a good 4 plug extension cord which is being sold on Amazon & would suffice if & when the cruise lines can't supply all those power cords..

 

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MP-OTG...cr_dp_asin_lnk

 

I plan to order one for our next cruise..Agree we should be using a HAL cord, but as the OP stated they could not find one for him so it might be better that we get approval for our own..

 

OK will get off my soap-box now!

 

Cheers..Betty

Edited March 20, 2014 by serendipity1499

[serendipity1499]

Exactly, the way this is worded, it would include anything that would create more than a single outlet...ie extension cords(with more than 1 receptacle) and power strips without surge should not be used. Just because they don't confiscate doesn't mean you should be using it.

 

However if the ship can't provide a power strip, what would you do if you needed one for lets say a Breathing Machine or Wheelchair or something else? The OP stated the ship could not provide one for three days..

 

Agree you are right but if I can't get one on board & need one then I'll sure as heck get approval to use my own!

 

Suggest that some posters on this thread may want to re-read some of the other posts on this thread, before passing judgment..:rolleyes:

 

Betty

[travelinjones]

It's pretty easy. We've been doing it for over 10 years. Are we running cloud applications? No. But suffice to say that if you need to be connected to work while you're on vacation, you figure it out.

 

Just in case someone wants to jump in with the "I'm on vacation and I don't want to have to worry about my cell phone / laptop / tablet, etc." - Just remember, some people own businesses or have jobs that require them to be connected, even at sea. If you don't, then good for you. Please don't get all judgmental about it. Thanks.

 

 

Here, here!

 

There are many people who cruise who either own their own business or who have a job that requires them to "keep in touch" occasionally even when on holiday. This is a fact of life for those in the client service/consulting world. With the right technology, one can keep in touch and still have a wonderful cruise.

 

We've never had too many issues staying in touch on HAL - but just like hotels, we believe newer ships will need to have more than 1 power plug to stay competitive with a wide range of cruisers.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[silvercruiser]

What I was trying to point out was that there probably isn't any danger of surges on a ship that could damage your electronic devices.

[jellybeana]

The title of this thread caught my attention as my brother and I were on the very same cruise. Sitting on the table next to our TV and Dvd player was a power strip which had both plugged into it. We used the extra outlets for our phone, underwater cameras and Nook. The strip didn't look like anything special, actually looked like something they bought at Walmart 10 years ago.

 

I get a kick over all those who criticise the kids who can't give up there phones. My brother and I are in our late 50's and had 2 to 3 things plugged in recharging at all times. We use our phones for camera and music, each have underwater camera we use when snorkling and I use my Nook for my books and magazines. Maybe these ships need to just install extra plugs for the future.

[waASPCrusier]

However if the ship can't provide a power strip, what would you do if you needed one for lets say a Breathing Machine or Wheelchair or something else? The OP stated the ship could not provide one for three days..

 

Agree you are right but if I can't get one on board & need one then I'll sure as heck get approval to use my own!

 

Suggest that some posters on this thread may want to re-read some of the other posts on this thread, before passing judgment..:rolleyes:

 

Betty

 

Getting approval to use your own is very different then not getting one taken away and then using it. Just because it doesn't have a surge protector doesn't mean it isn't a hazard. A couple people have written that they had theirs checked by front desk, neptune, or even room stewards before using them, that is the safe thing to do IMO. To answer your question if I needed one for a breathing machine or wheelchair I would be sure to make plans long before I got on the ship. :rolleyes:

[chengkp75]

However if the ship can't provide a power strip, what would you do if you needed one for lets say a Breathing Machine or Wheelchair or something else? The OP stated the ship could not provide one for three days..

 

Agree you are right but if I can't get one on board & need one then I'll sure as heck get approval to use my own!

 

Suggest that some posters on this thread may want to re-read some of the other posts on this thread, before passing judgment..:rolleyes:

 

Betty

 

We had similar problems when I worked for NCL. While we didn't specify that only our power strips were acceptable (we would inspect any brought onboard for applicability), we always had a problem with getting enough power strips, extension cords, and transformers for the CPAP machines and scooters. At times it became a triage or need based conundrum, where we were scrambling to find enough for those who actually required one after the guest services had given out a lot. That's why its so important to let Special Needs know in advance if you have a medical need for an electrical appliance like these. If someone really needed one for a medical reason, HAL would most likely have taken one from some other cabin (and ticked off that passenger), but that would have been the right thing.

 

Agreed, if they make a requirement that only their equipment is to be used, then they need to invest in a larger inventory of these than other lines do.

[cbr663]

Getting approval to use your own is very different then not getting one taken away and then using it. Just because it doesn't have a surge protector doesn't mean it isn't a hazard. A couple people have written that they had theirs checked by front desk, neptune, or even room stewards before using them, that is the safe thing to do IMO. To answer your question if I needed one for a breathing machine or wheelchair I would be sure to make plans long before I got on the ship. :rolleyes:

 

+!. Page 5 of the Know Before You Go:

 

"It is essential that we be notified of any special medical, physical or other requirements you may have (including whether you intend to bring a scooter with you) as soon as possible, preferably at the time of booking, so that we may make our best effort to accommodate you."

[chengkp75]

Before using your surge protector suggest you read post No. 35 & Post 40 by ChengKC..He was a chief engineer on NCL for many years & explains what a surge protector does to a ship..His post opened my eyes..Chengkc explains that surge protectors should not be used on a ship. because they could damage the hull..

 

 

Also I posted about both Princess & RCCL confiscating surge protectors..

 

IMO we all should take heed.. If surge protectors could damage a ships hull it may need major work which requires quite a bit of $$$ to get it back in shape.. If major work needs to be done on all ships because we are using surge protectors for phones, ipads, computers etc the cruise lines may be forced to increase fares which many cruisers either can't afford or don't want to pay..

 

Think about it folks do we want to pay more, when all we have to do is make a small adjustment by using a good extension cord instead.?

 

Prescotbob posted about a good 4 plug extension cord which is being sold on Amazon & would suffice if & when the cruise lines can't supply all those power cords..

 

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MP-OTG...cr_dp_asin_lnk

 

I plan to order one for our next cruise..Agree we should be using a HAL cord, but as the OP stated they could not find one for him so it might be better that we get approval for our own..

 

OK will get off my soap-box now!

 

Cheers..Betty

 

While I appreciate that someone actually reads my posts, I think you are overstating the danger somewhat. Surge protectors provide a potential path for current to the hull. The more surge suppressors, the more paths. However, the damage to the ship's hull from consumer electronics is minimal, and most ground fault problems tend to be long term in their damage to the hull (many years). The problem is, that the ship's engineers cannot tell when they get a ground fault alarm whether it is from the 10,000 volt propulsion motor or your laptop (overly simplistic), where the damage from the motor will cause damage to the hull and motor, while your laptop is a nuisance, but they will have to spend time looking around the ship for where the ground fault has actually occurred.

 

And Silvercruiser is correct, that the clamping voltage of most surge protectors is well above the normal voltage variations experienced onboard ship. As I've said, unless there is a lightning strike, or a blackout and subsequent power recovery, the surge protector will do nothing for you. Even a lightning strike generally does nothing, as the ship's hull is separate from the ground pin in the outlet, so lightning striking the steel ship will pass through the hull to the sea, generally without anyone noticing anything other than a loud bang.

[jtl513]

At times it became a triage or need based conundrum, where we were scrambling to find enough for those who actually required one after the guest services had given out a lot.

Today nearly everyone wants more outlets than are built into the ships. Wouldn't a simple solution be to simply furnish every stateroom with an approved one? The cost would be far less than, say, a DVD player that every HAL cabin has! I know a lot of loose ones would "disappear" at the end of each cruise, but maybe they could be attached by a chain, or fastened securely to the desk. Edited March 20, 2014 by jtl513

[chengkp75]

Today nearly everyone wants more outlets than are built into the ships. Wouldn't a simple solution be to simply furnish every stateroom with an approved one? The cost would be far less than, say, a DVD player that every HAL cabin has! I know a lot of loose ones would "disappear" at the end of each cruise, but maybe they could be attached by a chain, or fastened securely to the desk.

 

Probably. And it would sure help the WalMart economy, buying replacements all the time!:p But I'm sure if you put them out on a chain, there would be those who would complain that it wasn't convenient for their particular use, or took up desktop space, or something. Really can't please everyone, but yes, as I've said, HAL needs to improve their inventory.