What is the best Power Charging Station to take?

[veryseasonedtraveler]

We are cruising to Alaska soon and will want to keep 2 ipads and 2 IPhones fully charged. Any ideas for a charging device? Know the one HAL plug is recessed, so that could be a problem.

[Bonnie J.]

A power strip may be the answer so you can plug in 4 items at the same time. I have a plug in that plugs right into the socket. I can only charge 3 things at once though.

However, my phone is turned off and put in the safe. I can always take it out to check for voice mail but I never do. I charge it the last night so will have it charged on way home. You can always charge something when you are out of your cabin too.

[Essiesmom]

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=usb+plug+extenders

 

Pick a usb plug extender. Just make sure it does NOT have a surge protector. HAL plugs have a US plug next to an EU plug. Your electronics are mostly dual voltage, so if you take a plug adapter for US to EU you can use both. There is also an outlet in the bathroom that has enough current for a shaver....but is plenty to charge electronics. EM

[SadieN]

Look at the Anker USB multiport devices.

 

This one does not have surge protection.

https://www.anker.com/products/71AN3654WS-WA

[babs135]

 

We used this. I assume you can get this or similar in the States. Sorry pic is on its side. Couldn't figure out how to 'turn it' !!

[donaldsc]

I have one of these - http://www.thinkcomputers.org/instream-septimusb-7-port-fast-usb-charger-review/3/.

 

This is the Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T5GL7UM.

 

Just love it. Small and I can charge 7 different things with it.

 

DON

[cb at sea]

Or...plug and unplug as needed! My phone and iPad only take a short time to charge up!

[Nizzie]

Look at the Anker USB multiport devices.

 

This one does not have surge protection.

https://www.anker.com/products/71AN3654WS-WA

 

 

 

I have that one! We love Anker products and have a lot - not only two multiport USB plugs like this (one 3-port and this 4-port) I also have a grab bag of Anker cables, two power banks for on-the-go battery charging, and a car jump starter. All products have been very reliable.

 

 

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[zqvol]

The least expensive and most efficient way to do what OP wants is to bring a short extension cord with four plugs and use the Apple chargers that came with the devices. They charge faster than any 3rd part device.

[Gryphonette]

We are cruising to Alaska soon and will want to keep 2 ipads and 2 IPhones fully charged. Any ideas for a charging device? Know the one HAL plug is recessed, so that could be a problem.

 

 

Which ship are you going on? I was just on the Oosterdam and there were multiple USB charging ports and no power strips allowed.

 

 

 

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[SadieN]

I have one of these - http://www.thinkcomputers.org/instream-septimusb-7-port-fast-usb-charger-review/3/.

 

 

 

This is the Amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T5GL7UM.

 

 

 

Just love it. Small and I can charge 7 different things with it.

 

 

 

DON

 

 

 

According to the manufacturer's website it has surge protection :(

[donaldsc]

According to the manufacturer's website it has surge protection :(

 

Guess you are right. I missed that.

 

DON

[chengkp75]

Guess you are right. I missed that.

 

DON

 

Actually, it does not have surge suppression. The Amazon site shows a two prong plug, and without a ground connection (the third prong), there can be no surge suppression. This is one of the problems I've faced when researching these items for threads here on CC, inaccurate descriptions on third party sites, and even difficulty getting correct answers when contacting the manufacturers directly.

 

Since "surge protection" is a "sexy" marketing term, that has been drummed into everyone's heads for years to protect electronics, marketers tend to use this term almost exclusively. What these devices have is not "surge protection", where a large voltage surge is diverted to ground to protect your electronics (since there is no ground connection there can be no diversion to ground), but instead these devices have "voltage limitation", where the output of the charger is shut off when the input voltage gets too high. While this will protect most electronics in most cases, when an actual voltage surge happens, like a lightning strike or a transformer failure and you get several thousand volts going into the charger, the voltage limitation will likely burn through and pass the spike to your electronics, which is why you should have surge suppression on a power strip before this charger, or better yet, a whole house suppressor.

 

Now, as I've stated many times before, those voltage spikes you can experience on shore like lightning and transformer failures don't and can't occur on ships, so the additional surge protection is not needed, and the voltage limitation feature of these chargers is sufficient.

[DirtyDawg]

Since "surge protection" is a "sexy" marketing term, that has been drummed into everyone's heads for years to protect electronics, marketers tend to use this term almost exclusively. What these devices have is not "surge protection", where a large voltage surge is diverted to ground to protect your electronics (since there is no ground connection there can be no diversion to ground), but instead these devices have "voltage limitation", where the output of the charger is shut off when the input voltage gets too high. While this will protect most electronics in most cases, when an actual voltage surge happens, like a lightning strike or a transformer failure and you get several thousand volts going into the charger, the voltage limitation will likely burn through and pass the spike to your electronics, which is why you should have surge suppression on a power strip before this charger, or better yet, a whole house suppressor.

 

I had never heard of these before two months ago when we were having some other electrical work done, our electrician asked if we wanted one. The additional cost was not much, so it was a 'no brainer' to get one installed.

[veryseasonedtraveler]

Which ship are you going on? I was just on the Oosterdam and there were multiple USB charging ports and no power strips allowed.

 

 

 

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Thanks for all the great tips. Will be on the Amsterdam for 14 days.

 

 

5 Star Cruiser

[donaldsc]

Actually, it does not have surge suppression. The Amazon site shows a two prong plug, and without a ground connection (the third prong), there can be no surge suppression. This is one of the problems I've faced when researching these items for threads here on CC, inaccurate descriptions on third party sites, and even difficulty getting correct answers when contacting the manufacturers directly.

 

Since "surge protection" is a "sexy" marketing term, that has been drummed into everyone's heads for years to protect electronics, marketers tend to use this term almost exclusively. What these devices have is not "surge protection", where a large voltage surge is diverted to ground to protect your electronics (since there is no ground connection there can be no diversion to ground), but instead these devices have "voltage limitation", where the output of the charger is shut off when the input voltage gets too high. While this will protect most electronics in most cases, when an actual voltage surge happens, like a lightning strike or a transformer failure and you get several thousand volts going into the charger, the voltage limitation will likely burn through and pass the spike to your electronics, which is why you should have surge suppression on a power strip before this charger, or better yet, a whole house suppressor.

 

Now, as I've stated many times before, those voltage spikes you can experience on shore like lightning and transformer failures don't and can't occur on ships, so the additional surge protection is not needed, and the voltage limitation feature of these chargers is sufficient.

 

Regardless of whether it is surge protected or not, it is a great charger. The manufacturer also has great customer support. The first one I got did not work rights which sometimes happens w electronics. They replaced it within less than a week.,

 

DON

[Crew News]

The Port Security in Vancouver is confiscating extension cords with multiple outlets when you go through scanning of your carry-on bags. They did not confiscate from my checked luggage. Items were returned on the last cruise day but the HAL folks could not say why adapters, even without cords, were confiscated.

 

After you get on board, you will see a safety briefing running on the TV that shows a prohibited adapter with cord, on/off switch and cord.

 

USB adapters with cords did not seem to be a problem.

[bUU]

To be clear, they were confiscating ONLY "extension cords with multiple outlets" ... not "adapters". Yes?

[Crew News]

To be clear, they were confiscating ONLY "extension cords with multiple outlets" ... not "adapters". Yes?

 

My only confiscations were from my carry-on bag. They also confiscated my single piece, three-outlet, "T"-shaped, AC adapter that had no cord. Duplicate cords/adapters in my checked luggage were not confiscated. I was told by the person inspecting the contents of my carry-on bag that USB charging cables/adapters were OK.

 

I must note that any adapters/cords in carry-on luggage were not confiscated in San Diego while any cords in checked luggage were confiscated.

 

IMHO this is not a HAL issue but rather the local cruise terminal Security implementation of the HAL/other cruise line policies. For this reason, I split my adapters between both checked and carry-on luggage.

 

Here is a photograph from the "Prohibited Items" video from the Noordam, 2017:

 

[bUU]

Okay it is just that I've never heard of these things called "adapters". I always associated the word "adapters" with the power cords that come with electronic devices, themselves, often quite unique cords for which there is no interchangeability and generally no opportunity to use the cord from another that you might have in your other luggage. I've got to broaden my understanding of how that word "adapter" is used.