Is Surge protector allowed onboard?

[ECCruise]

I think it is important to note that since Celebrity says they are not allowed and others have reported them being confiscated, I would not think that you will be assured that yours will make it to the room. If you are planning on needing it for whatever, I would probably look for a plan B (like the Belkin)

[breezy1200]

We too had a power strip confiscated about a year ago on the Constellation. It was in our checked bag and we had to go to the naughty room to retrieve our luggage, sans the power strip which security retained. Turned out it was not really an issue at all. We took turns charging iPads, phones and laptops, and unplugged them for the short time when we needed the hairdryer.

 

We recently returned from another cruise on the Connie, didn't take any additional electrical converters and didn't miss them at all. However, I certainly understand that those with needs for other devices would need additional outlets. My husband and I did agree that if we had brought our EU converters we would have had 4 outlets vs. 2.

 

Also, thanks Celebrity for posting the policy.

Edited March 20, 2016 by breezy1200

[Paraveina]

If I'm not mistaken, the fire hazard from the extension cords does not come from the cord itself, but the aggregate effect of many people drawing more electricity at once than was planned for by the ship. So, although a person may look at their extension cord and see it's perfectly safe for use, if the ship were to allow many extension cords, it would be a hazard. Even if it didn't cause a fire, you'd see short electrical outages each time the circuit gets overloaded.

[Cruise Raider]

I have never been able to get mine to rotate. I see the arrow on the back and white rectangle that looks like a button. Are you supposed to push it in to get it to rotate? When it doesn't fit in a location the only way I can use it is to add an extension cord...I probably should replace mine.

 

Mine looks exactly as the one shown in the picture and no special button to make it rotate ... just grab it and turn it upwards. I am sure they have models that are slightly different, though....so not saying others don't have a button, just that mine doesn't.

 

PS -- when Celebrity notes that power strips and surge protectors are not allowed, do you think they mean these are included? I have never had trouble with this one before but am not trying to break the rules.

[cl.klink]

i take a small adaptor with USB ports on it, and also a small extension cord with 4 outlets on it, packed into my red "electronics" cube that has adaptors, camera, laptop cord, etc in it. Never had a problem.

 

- Joel

[rwb]

i take a small adaptor with USB ports on it, and also a small extension cord with 4 outlets on it, packed into my red "electronics" cube that has adaptors, camera, laptop cord, etc in it. Never had a problem.

 

 

 

- Joel

 

 

We take something similar, that plugs directly into one outlet, but gives us three outlets and two usb ports. (It swivels, too, which is very handy to avoid obscuring the neighboring outlet.). We've taken it on a half dozen Celebrity cruises of 10-14 days with no issues.

 

It is good to remember to disconnect these things when they are not in use. If the cabin attendant does not see them connected, they will not be touched. Use them only when you are in the cabin.

[cl.klink]

.... It is good to remember to disconnect these things when they are not in use. If the cabin attendant does not see them connected, they will not be touched. Use them only when you are in the cabin.

 

 

Good tip!

- Joel

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AZ Boomer]

In January during our Equinox cruise, I prearranged an extension cord and a bottle of distilled water for my CPAP. No problem getting both, now the funny part - sort of. I asked our cabin attendant to tape down the extension cord. After four days the "tape" arrived: a hand towel laid across the cord. Luckily, the only part of the long cord that was exposed to foot traffic was about 3-4 feet between the wall and the bed. I guess they had a shortage of duct tape that trip, or maybe because it was a heavy duty AQ Class towel??

 

We didn't get a tape job or a towel. It was all DIY (Do It Yourself)

Pictures of Millennium Assessible sky suite-8125.pdf

[PartyAllDaTyme]

For safety purposes, power strips, extension cords, or similar items are prohibited from being brought on board.

 

An extension cord may be provided for medical reasons only. For further information, please contact our Access Department at 1-866-592-7225.

 

I would think this would be the last word on the subject. Their ship, their rules, and we agree to abide by them in the cruise contract. Celebrity may not be as fanatical about it as smuggling booze, but as other posters mentioned, it's a safety issue due to the possibility of drawing more power than the ship's wiring is designed to handle. One extension cord, or an extension cord for anyone with a medical need, not a problem. A thousand extension cords, problem.

 

A surge protector, in and of itself, would not draw additional current, but where do you find one that's not also a power strip?

[rwb]

I would think this would be the last word on the subject. Their ship, their rules, and we agree to abide by them in the cruise contract. Celebrity may not be as fanatical about it as smuggling booze, but as other posters mentioned, it's a safety issue due to the possibility of drawing more power than the ship's wiring is designed to handle. One extension cord, or an extension cord for anyone with a medical need, not a problem. A thousand extension cords, problem.

 

 

 

A surge protector, in and of itself, would not draw additional current, but where do you find one that's not also a power strip?

 

 

The compact Belkin adapter that I take along (3 outlets and two USB charger ports) is not a surge suppressor, merely a multi-outlet adaptor. And that is what most people need.

 

Surge protectors are not needed on cruise ships. Power drops are a lot more likely, and computers or cameras or phones with internal batteries will handle those. The MOV in most surge suppressors really are a potential hazard.

 

We've used it on many cruises without issue. But we unplug it when we leave the cabin.

Edited March 21, 2016 by rwb

[PartyAllDaTyme]

The original question was about surge protectors. I agree the need for a surge protector is much less on a ship, but I wasn't going to delve into the OP's need, just address the original question.

 

Many subsequent posts were about whether or not you could bring power strips. Celebrity says no. If it is just something for plug conversion, I don't believe there's an issue. The Belkin you mentioned has three outlets, though, and I assume all three can be used simultaneously; otherwise, what's the point of having three? If the issue is drawing more current than the ship's electrical system was designed for, how is this not the same problem as a power strip?

[NurseDave]

These responses of "I've done it, it's fine" aren't very helpful. People have snuck alcohol on cruises before or any number of items that aren't supposed to be brought on board. Having lax or non-existent security in screening for such items doesn't make it fine, just means you might not get caught.

 

I keep waiting for CCs resident engineer to chime in. This same topic was discussed extensively on another board. The definitive answer by someone trained in such things with facts and reports to back it up is, it's not the power strip part of things that's the problem. It's the surge protect that's built into many of them that can cause a fire. It has to do with the way electricity is supplied on the ship and how it effects a surge protect and not being an expert that's all I know about it. But saying "hey, mine never started a fire" does not mean it's fine for anyone to use anything they want.

[NurseDave]

Nerdy explanation found here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=48102515&postcount=10

[rwb]

The OP may not need a surge suppressor, merely a couple of extra outlets to recharge phones, tablets, and computers. (If you are bringing your own toasters and space heaters on board, then you can ignore this.). My understanding is that the problem with surge suppressors is two-fold: they cannot be relied upon to operate with the unique wiring standard (two out-of-phase hot wires rather than one hot, one inert and one ground) that are used in marine systems since many of them will not break both of the 60v wires, and secondly there is a concern that the MOVs can cause issues as they degrade. Remember that marine 120v systems are not wired like land systems are so a surge suppressor designed for a land system can be dangerous -- last I looked (admittedly a few years ago) there was not even a UL standard for surge suppressors for use on ships. The cabin outlet has an individual breaker in the hallway electrical cabinet, so I suspect it is the possible danger from the suppressor itself that causes the ban rather than the possibility of overloading.

[markluke]

The OP may not need a surge suppressor, merely a couple of extra outlets to recharge phones, tablets, and computers. (If you are bringing your own toasters and space heaters on board, then you can ignore this.). My understanding is that the problem with surge suppressors is two-fold: they cannot be relied upon to operate with the unique wiring standard (two out-of-phase hot wires rather than one hot, one inert and one ground) that are used in marine systems since many of them will not break both of the 60v wires, and secondly there is a concern that the MOVs can cause issues as they degrade. Remember that marine 120v systems are not wired like land systems are so a surge suppressor designed for a land system can be dangerous -- last I looked (admittedly a few years ago) there was not even a UL standard for surge suppressors for use on ships. The cabin outlet has an individual breaker in the hallway electrical cabinet, so I suspect it is the possible danger from the suppressor itself that causes the ban rather than the possibility of overloading.

 

Interesting and good to know. I have one similar to the Belkin and used it on the cruise (my bad) but unplugged it when not in use. It was used more for the USB charging capability than anything else!