Charging Station... allowed?

[Kate-AHF]

I'd like to bring my charging stand on my HAL cruise... it's 4 usb ports to a single plug.

 

Is this allowed?

 

Will it stay charging even if my room key is not in the lights slot?

[jtl513]

I'd like to bring my charging stand on my HAL cruise... it's 4 usb ports to a single plug.

 

Is this allowed?

 

Will it stay charging even if my room key is not in the lights slot?

Yes and yes. :)

 

BTW, any credit-card or room-key sized card ... or even stiff paper ... will work the lights slot.

.

Edited December 15, 2016 by jtl513

[bdfred]

Used mine the last cruise earlier this year without any issues. Will again on cruise in January too!

 

Dale

[chengkp75]

Without knowing what charger you are using, let's condition the answer to yes, if it is not surge protected. If it has a two prong plug, it is fine to use. If it has a three prong plug, then you need to look at the documentation, or on the charger itself for mention of surge protection, or surge protection key words like "joules of protection" or "clamping voltage". Also, if it has an LED indicator that reads "protection", then it is surge protected. Just an LED indicator light does not disqualify the charger, look for the word "protected" next to it.

[ppmanusa]

I would think the sockets still work even without a card in the slot. Our room stew would lift the card enough while we were gone to kill the lights. When we returned our devices had full charges. Not a 100% sure as we used the usb plugs on the desk and night stand would assume its the same circuit.

[marycruz]

Yes and yes. :)

 

BTW, any credit-card or room-key sized card ... or even stiff paper ... will work the lights slot.

.

 

Key in the light slot? What are you referring to? Haven't been on HAL in years so not familiar with this.

[sapper1]

Key in the light slot? What are you referring to? Haven't been on HAL in years so not familiar with this.

 

On the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam ( and most likely, the Koningsdam) there is a slot just inside the door for your room card. The lights in the cabin will not work unless the room card or some other type of card is in the slot. It was intended as a means to ensure the lights were turned off when you left the cabin. However some clever people determined that any old card would work so that defeated the purpose of the key slot and lights can be left on.

[jtl513]

On the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam ( and most likely, the Koningsdam) there is a slot just inside the door for your room card.

Definitely on N.A. and K'dam, but IIRC they're not on E'dam.

However some clever people determined that any old card would work so that defeated the purpose of the key slot and lights can be left on.

We always remember to lift the card slightly when we leave, but have returned to the room to find that the steward left it down. The problem with using the key card is that often the card in the slot belongs to a person leaving the room and not the one remaining. Either you have swap cards or the departing person can not make any purchases or leave the ship. Edited December 15, 2016 by jtl513

[IRL_Joanie]

Without knowing what charger you are using, let's condition the answer to yes, if it is not surge protected. If it has a two prong plug, it is fine to use. If it has a three prong plug, then you need to look at the documentation, or on the charger itself for mention of surge protection, or surge protection key words like "joules of protection" or "clamping voltage". Also, if it has an LED indicator that reads "protection", then it is surge protected. Just an LED indicator light does not disqualify the charger, look for the word "protected" next to it.

OP, no matter the other posts in this thread, this is the ONE person to listen to!!!

 

Believe me, with his credentials He KNOWS what he speaks of no matter what we, the other posters say we have done. (And yes, hubby and I have used the device you ask about a few times.) Heed his knowledge above.

 

Joanie

Edited December 15, 2016 by IRL_Joanie

[jtl513]

OP, no matter the other posts in this thread, this is the ONE person to listen to!!!

Yes, when I quickly answered 'yes' I forgot that that type of charger could have a surge suppressor. ;)

 

Off topic: how will you be vacationing now that you won't be cruising HAL any longer?

.

Edited December 15, 2016 by jtl513

[IRL_Joanie]

Yes, when I quickly answered 'yes' I forgot that that type of charger could have a surge suppressor. ;)

 

Off topic: how will you be vacationing now that you won't be cruising HAL any longer?

.

 

I will be having the same vacation that I have every other day of the year.... a staycation:) With the exception that I will be having Pizza and/or pasta every single day:)

 

Hubby has placed himself on a diet of sorts and my favorite foods are very very very seldom on the table........So while the Gander is away the Goose will play:)

 

Joanie

[Kate-AHF]

OP, no matter the other posts in this thread, this is the ONE person to listen to!!!

 

Believe me, with his credentials He KNOWS what he speaks of no matter what we, the other posters say we have done. (And yes, hubby and I have used the device you ask about a few times.) Heed his knowledge above.

 

Joanie

 

Thank you Joanie, I will. :)

 

chengkp75....THis is the description, sounds okay to me? What are your thoughts?:

 

Detachable 4 Port USB charging dock, come with 5 clear device separators which can be easy setup or removed, so that there is enough space to suit different charge posture of your devices(lying flat or lean on) or to suit different thickness of the devices with protector; you can charge just about anything and charge four items at once, a great way to solve the clutter issue of multiple devices charge

Stylish and Sturdy, used the photocurable coating material, which is excellent in thermal discoloration resistance, adhesion to a base, abrasion resistance, water resistance and impact resistance

Built in blue led charging indicator system, there is one LED in each slot, the one next to the power cord will light up blue when there is electricity into the charging station and the rest will light up blue when you connect a device to show it is charging

Certified Safe: CE, FCC, ROHS Certificates. built-in high quality PVC Copper wire,Premium Circuitry with over-voltage, over-current and short circuit protection

What you get: 1 KeyEntre 4 Port USB Charging Station, 4 short USB cable(10.5 inch, gold), 18-month warranty and friendly customer service

[Kate-AHF]

I haven't sailed on HAL for 11 years, but i thought all ships now had the key card. Clearly, i am wrong! I will be sailing on the zuiderdam, so i'll just be surprised about the key card situation.

[POA1]

I haven't sailed on HAL for 11 years, but i thought all ships now had the key card. Clearly, i am wrong! I will be sailing on the zuiderdam, so i'll just be surprised about the key card situation.

There's a key card for the door to unlock it, but what people are talking about is a slot inside the door, on the wall. You insert a key card and it depresses a switch that turns on power to the lights. We have a nice selection of old hotel keys that we keep for just such a situation. (I use a Four Seasons or Waldorf Astoria key if we want to impress our room steward. We use a Hampton Inn or Courtyard by Marriott key if we want to seem down to earth and accessible. ;) )

Edited December 15, 2016 by POA1

[jtl513]

There's a key card for the door to unlock it, but what people are talking about is a slot inside ...

And on the K'dam there is no slot on the outside, just a RFID sensor. We kept trying to "swipe" our cards past the door lock, and finally figured out that it worked better if we just held it steady.

[chengkp75]

Thank you Joanie, I will. :)

 

chengkp75....THis is the description, sounds okay to me? What are your thoughts?:

 

Detachable 4 Port USB charging dock, come with 5 clear device separators which can be easy setup or removed, so that there is enough space to suit different charge posture of your devices(lying flat or lean on) or to suit different thickness of the devices with protector; you can charge just about anything and charge four items at once, a great way to solve the clutter issue of multiple devices charge

Stylish and Sturdy, used the photocurable coating material, which is excellent in thermal discoloration resistance, adhesion to a base, abrasion resistance, water resistance and impact resistance

Built in blue led charging indicator system, there is one LED in each slot, the one next to the power cord will light up blue when there is electricity into the charging station and the rest will light up blue when you connect a device to show it is charging

Certified Safe: CE, FCC, ROHS Certificates. built-in high quality PVC Copper wire,Premium Circuitry with over-voltage, over-current and short circuit protection

What you get: 1 KeyEntre 4 Port USB Charging Station, 4 short USB cable(10.5 inch, gold), 18-month warranty and friendly customer service

 

It sounds okay, but again, the key is the plug. Two prong is definitely good to go, 3 prong need to check closer. Even surge protectors can have the certifications noted. Is this description off the documentation or the device itself? I know my old eyes have trouble reading the fine print on many of these things, magnifying glass is your friend. One of the problems with these devices is that they provide "over-voltage" protection as yours notes. This is fine, it just means that if the input voltage is out of range, it switches off output to your devices (stops charging). The problem comes when their ad people get cute and know that people are looking for surge protection (which is different, but a type of uber over-voltage protection), so they call the "over-voltage" feature "surge protection" when its not.

[marycruz]

On the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam ( and most likely, the Koningsdam) there is a slot just inside the door for your room card. The lights in the cabin will not work unless the room card or some other type of card is in the slot. It was intended as a means to ensure the lights were turned off when you left the cabin. However some clever people determined that any old card would work so that defeated the purpose of the key slot and lights can be left on.

 

Thanks. At least I know now. We are going on Eurodam. Someone just added that Eurodam does not have this feature so I guess it remains to be seen.

[TiogaCruiser]

It sounds okay, but again, the key is the plug. Two prong is definitely good to go, 3 prong need to check closer. Even surge protectors can have the certifications noted. Is this description off the documentation or the device itself? I know my old eyes have trouble reading the fine print on many of these things, magnifying glass is your friend. One of the problems with these devices is that they provide "over-voltage" protection as yours notes. This is fine, it just means that if the input voltage is out of range, it switches off output to your devices (stops charging). The problem comes when their ad people get cute and know that people are looking for surge protection (which is different, but a type of uber over-voltage protection), so they call the "over-voltage" feature "surge protection" when its not.

 

Thanks for explaining. That part caught my eye and I was wondering what it could mean

[navybankerteacher]

There's a key card for the door to unlock it, but what people are talking about is a slot inside the door, on the wall. You insert a key card and it depresses a switch that turns on power to the lights. We have a nice selection of old hotel keys that we keep for just such a situation. (I use a Four Seasons or Waldorf Astoria key if we want to impress our room steward. We use a Hampton Inn or Courtyard by Marriott key if we want to seem down to earth and accessible. ;) )

 

We bring old Prinsendam and NCL Gem key cards for the same reason.

[Happily@Sea]

That light slot works fine, unless you are a single.

 

Second day on the Nieuw Amsterdam, I had to make a trip to front desk to get another card made to let me in my room. I'd left my card in the slot and with no other room mate, I had no other choice. The new card only opened the room, that is all. I did remember to raise it in the slot when leaving. I always carry my key in a lanyard of some kind. I now have a old hotel keycard that I carry with me for light slots. I hadn't thought of the name of the hotel being a status symbol or not.

[IRL_Joanie]

I haven't sailed on HAL for 11 years, but i thought all ships now had the key card. Clearly, i am wrong! I will be sailing on the zuiderdam, so i'll just be surprised about the key card situation.

 

You're good to go on Zuiderdam, unlike on the Signature ships (Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam) there is no light slot on Zuiderdam:)

 

Joanie

[slidergirl]

It sounds okay, but again, the key is the plug. Two prong is definitely good to go, 3 prong need to check closer. Even surge protectors can have the certifications noted. Is this description off the documentation or the device itself? I know my old eyes have trouble reading the fine print on many of these things, magnifying glass is your friend. One of the problems with these devices is that they provide "over-voltage" protection as yours notes. This is fine, it just means that if the input voltage is out of range, it switches off output to your devices (stops charging). The problem comes when their ad people get cute and know that people are looking for surge protection (which is different, but a type of uber over-voltage protection), so they call the "over-voltage" feature "surge protection" when its not.

 

This is the description for that device that I also found when I went searching to find this device after the OP's posting. It is what is on Amazon for this device. My eyes went right to the "Premium Circuitry with over-voltage, over-current and short circuit protection" line. Sure sounded sketchy to me. Looked at the photos provided on Amazon - it looks like the plug is a 2-prong, not 3...

Edited December 15, 2016 by slidergirl

[sapper1]

Thanks. At least I know now. We are going on Eurodam. Someone just added that Eurodam does not have this feature so I guess it remains to be seen.

 

That person would be right. I was wrong when I said they were on the Eurodam. I have sailed on the Eurodam twice but have sailed many times on the NA. I know for sure they are on the NA, which was built after the Eurodam.

They are the same class of ship but when I really think about it, I realise I made a mistake about the Eurodam. I am very sorry to have misled you and happy to have been corrected.

[Kate-AHF]

This is the description for that device that I also found when I went searching to find this device after the OP's posting. It is what is on Amazon for this device. My eyes went right to the "Premium Circuitry with over-voltage, over-current and short circuit protection" line. Sure sounded sketchy to me. Looked at the photos provided on Amazon - it looks like the plug is a 2-prong, not 3...

 

It is a two prong. And it's the description of the charging hub I bought, on amazon. I just didn't know if linking to a specific item was allowed, or would somehow be construed as advertising. I think that cheng is correct, in that it's flowery language for... "this is not surge protection but we want you to think so"

 

I'm taking it. It will be a big help.

[NRFBQN]

We were on the Eurodam a week ago and found that some rooms had the card slot inside the room and some didn't. We were in a Veranda room near the aft of the 5th deck and we didn't have the slot. Further forward toward midship the same kinds of cabin did have them (we snooped as we walked by during room cleaning).

 

So, everybody is right - the Eurodam does and doesn't have the slots!

 

Best regards,

Priscilla