Power Strips Confiscated

[Iamcruzin]

On 7/24/2019 at 12:55 PM, Outerdog said:

 

I wouldn't bet on that.

 

I use this for charging gadgets... iPhone, Android, cameras, BT speakers, whatever.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OJ79UK6

 

 

 

I brought this item on Royal Caribbean in June. As it turned out I didn't need it since they had a proper charging station at the desk with two USB ports and 2 outlets. These types of threads are on all of the boards. You would think that in this day and age that Princess would add charging stations, at the very least on the newer ships. Most gadgets today use USB for charging leaving the regular outlet for cpap machines and hair dryers.  Celebrity is another line that doesn't have adequate outlets and require extenders.

[Colo Cruiser]

32 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I brought this item on Royal Caribbean in June. As it turned out I didn't need it since they had a proper charging station at the desk with two USB ports and 2 outlets. These types of threads are on all of the boards. You would think that in this day and age that Princess would add charging stations, at the very least on the newer ships. Most gadgets today use USB for charging leaving the regular outlet for cpap machines and hair dryers.  Celebrity is another line that doesn't have adequate outlets and require extenders.

They are.........

[Kingofcool1947]

Is it possible using a common household  extension cord , an electrical fire could happen?   In the stateroom or in the wall?

I once plugged an electrical extension cord in the outlet and noticed the cord got really hot, and the camera battery I was charging started smoking.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Iamcruzin]

20 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

They are.........

Happy to hear that especially since they have improved on the internet service.

[MermaidPrincessSusi]

Certain powerstrips are not allowed. I always just take a multi outlet plug, it plugs into one outlet and allows for up to three plugs to be added. I have never had a problem with these...I also bring along an extension cord with multi outlet plug-ins for my tablet. The regular kindle cord is not long enough to stretch from the outlet to the kindle when I lie on the bed and want to read on my kindle! The extension cord works just fine! And it does not have to be very long. 4-6 feet is fine. 👍👍

Edited August 5, 2019 by MermaidPrincessSusi
Spelling

[chengkp75]

4 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

Is it possible using a common household  extension cord , an electrical fire could happen?   In the stateroom or in the wall?

I once plugged an electrical extension cord in the outlet and noticed the cord got really hot, and the camera battery I was charging started smoking.

Yes, if the cord is not rated for the current being drawn by whatever is plugged in, just like on land.  Your camera battery had shorted and was drawing excessive current.  Ship's wiring is rated for the amount of current the circuit breaker will allow, so it cannot cause a fire in the walls.

[Grego]

On 8/2/2019 at 3:21 PM, Colo Cruiser said:

The only issue with that is what you and I think is OK is at the mercy of the terminal/ship personal who will inspect it so it really doesn't matter. If they think it is prohibited you will not win that argument.   

I understand your concern.  If it looks like a surge protected power strip then, to them, it must be.  The one we chose is actually round so it won't raise a flag.  I also plan on taking the spec sheet to show if questioned.  Here is a link to what we purchased.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Power-Strip-NTONPOWER-Nightstand/dp/B073ZDH43X/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=EDOVN98N90A0&keywords=ntonpower+travel+power+strip&qid=1565005744&s=gateway&sprefix=nton%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSlo4TzEzWVQ4NUVKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzgzNzg0MVdDWVVUMEtaUllDOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzI2MTkzSElPR0dZV1A1WkdWJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by Grego
Better link for product

[ecs66]

13 hours ago, AZJerry said:

My latest buy is this from Amazon along with a basic cube tap of some sort

That corded item you have could work well.  The one we bought (the link I posted) worked well -- EXCEPT that in our Island Princess mini-suite the outlets were in areas over the refrigerator.  There was the refrigerator, and above that were two large shelves on either side of the fridge area.  The outlets were on the wall over the shelves -- impossible to reach by people of average height.  Having a cord would provide more length and better access.

 

You said:  "The trouble I've had with devices of this type is that the location of available AC outlets is sometimes such that it won't fit in the available sockets."

 

True.  The item we bought did not fit in the outlet on the desk area.  There wasn't enough clearance between the desktop and the outlet.  However, the thing fit fine above the desk in my sister's cabin, adjacent to ours.

 

You said:  "it looks just like every other surge protected power strip and might be confiscated."

 

True.  I believe it is true that every surge protector will be confiscated, no matter how it's designed.  I guess they were messing with the ships' electrical systems at times.

[jgrahamiii]

So, does a 220V surge protector have same issue on a cruise ship as a 110V one?  Heard that some Princess ships have a euro socket for lamp behind bed which sounds perpect to run to a USB charging hub bedside. Ordered this from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015XHODES/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.  No reference to surge protection in any description or on device itself, but on box says surge protector (and I now see that in Q&A section). I don't care if it's confiscated but if not I don't want to use if dangerous. All posts here about dangers are 110V related, so just wondering about 220.  Thanks. 

[chengkp75]

5 minutes ago, jgrahamiii said:

So, does a 220V surge protector have same issue on a cruise ship as a 110V one?  Heard that some Princess ships have a euro socket for lamp behind bed which sounds perpect to run to a USB charging hub bedside. Ordered this from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015XHODES/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.  No reference to surge protection in any description or on device itself, but on box says surge protector (and I now see that in Q&A section). I don't care if it's confiscated but if not I don't want to use if dangerous. All posts here about dangers are 110V related, so just wondering about 220.  Thanks. 

Yes, any "consumer" surge protector will have the same problems with the ship's grounding, regardless of whether it is the 120v or 220v.  The only surge protectors that don't present fire hazards on ships are specific marine products.  Just be aware that surge protectors are not needed on ships, none of the ship's own expensive and critical electronics are surge protected.

[Cruisin Kay D]

For past 2 weeks, we used a nearly new black power/surge protector strip with a black, gray & white cord for Mike's CPAP, SoClean and my phone charger on Caribbean Princess, and our room steward (woman) said it was fine to use.   The strip laid on the desk/makeup area from his nightstand to the outlet.  

In June we were on Holland Maasdam, which provided Mike with a power/surge protector strip for his CPAP & SoClean, but the cord & power strip had to lay on the floor throught the middle of the walking area, causing a real danger of tripping!!   

 

[Colo Cruiser]

41 minutes ago, Cruisin Kay D said:

For past 2 weeks, we used a nearly new black power/surge protector strip with a black, gray & white cord for Mike's CPAP, SoClean and my phone charger on Caribbean Princess, and our room steward (woman) said it was fine to use.   The strip laid on the desk/makeup area from his nightstand to the outlet.  

In June we were on Holland Maasdam, which provided Mike with a power/surge protector strip for his CPAP & SoClean, but the cord & power strip had to lay on the floor throught the middle of the walking area, causing a real danger of tripping!!   

 

Stewart/ess has no authority to approve any electronic devices.

If it truly was a surge protector it puts the vessel and everyone onboard at risk from a fire.

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, Cruisin Kay D said:

For past 2 weeks, we used a nearly new black power/surge protector strip with a black, gray & white cord for Mike's CPAP, SoClean and my phone charger on Caribbean Princess, and our room steward (woman) said it was fine to use.   The strip laid on the desk/makeup area from his nightstand to the outlet.  

In June we were on Holland Maasdam, which provided Mike with a power/surge protector strip for his CPAP & SoClean, but the cord & power strip had to lay on the floor throught the middle of the walking area, causing a real danger of tripping!!   

 

Even a brand new, straight out of the box, 100% fully functioning surge protector, even with nothing plugged into the power outlets, can catch fire due to circumstances completely out of your control.  A ground fault (like an exterior lighting fixture filling with water during a rain storm), anywhere else on the ship than your cabin, can subject your 100% perfect surge protector to reverse voltage, and cause the semiconductors to fail and overheat, causing a fire.  I will repeat that surge protectors are not needed on ships, because the types of power surges that they protect your electronics from on land do not happen on ships.  I have been on several ships struck directly by lightning, and none of the ship's electronics (communications, navigation, safety systems, automation systems, etc, etc) were ever damaged by the lightning, and none of the ship's systems are surge protected.

 

Thinking that approval from your cabin steward is sufficient is wishful thinking.  The steward has little to no technical training to recognize a surge protector, has little to no understanding of how a surge protector can be dangerous, and little to no understanding of how a cruise ship actually works.  Add to that, the natural and corporate induced desire to please the customer, and there is little incentive to tell you something you obviously brought as important, would not be allowed.

[Potstech]

9 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Stewart/ess has no authority to approve any electronic devices.

If it truly was a surge protector it puts the vessel and everyone onboard at risk from a fire.

But they can and will report things they see that might present a hazard to the ship as all ships personnel should do.

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, Potstech said:

But they can and will report things they see that might present a hazard to the ship as all ships personnel should do.

I would change the wording to "may" report things, if they understand that it presents a hazard (which is less than certain), and if they feel secure enough to risk loss of DSC or tips for annoying the guests.  Heck, I've confiscated more surge protectors from crew cabins than I have from pax cabins.

Edited August 12, 2019 by chengkp75

[chipmaster]

I can see how a powerstrip could be a risk, plug a couple high power things you might bring and that is a log of current and local heating the power distribution may not be able to handle.    Fire is the biggest nightmare risk on a ship, no wonder they are scared of this.  

 

That being said I did bring a extension cord, as others have noted there is NEVER enough outlets these days for charging a couple phones, cameras, and then running laptop too in a cabin.     

[chengkp75]

28 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

I can see how a powerstrip could be a risk, plug a couple high power things you might bring and that is a log of current and local heating the power distribution may not be able to handle.    Fire is the biggest nightmare risk on a ship, no wonder they are scared of this.  

 

That being said I did bring a extension cord, as others have noted there is NEVER enough outlets these days for charging a couple phones, cameras, and then running laptop too in a cabin.     

There is no more danger from a power strip than there is from an extension cord with multiple plugs on one end, in fact they are likely safer.  As for the ship's power distribution, that is protected by circuit breakers sized to match the wire sizes, and will trip before overloading causes overheating.  You may overload the power strip, and its wire, but most have a circuit breaker/on off switch as well.

 

The risk is with surge protected power strips, as these contain semiconductors that provide the surge protection, and these are not designed for the ship's grounding method, and can cause a fire.

[K.T.B.]

This is what I've used for numerous trips:  https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BZ103050-TVL-Surge-Protector-Charger/dp/B0015DYMVO/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=multiplug+usb&qid=1565629424&s=gateway&sr=8-9

 

One of the best things I've ever gotten!  The best thing is that the 3 prongs rotate, so you can put in any position you need.

[Colo Cruiser]

6 minutes ago, K.T.B. said:

This is what I've used for numerous trips:  https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BZ103050-TVL-Surge-Protector-Charger/dp/B0015DYMVO/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=multiplug+usb&qid=1565629424&s=gateway&sr=8-9

 

One of the best things I've ever gotten!  The best thing is that the 3 prongs rotate, so you can put in any position you need.

This is not allowed.  

[donaldsc]

17 minutes ago, K.T.B. said:

This is what I've used for numerous trips:  https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BZ103050-TVL-Surge-Protector-Charger/dp/B0015DYMVO/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=multiplug+usb&qid=1565629424&s=gateway&sr=8-9

 

One of the best things I've ever gotten!  The best thing is that the 3 prongs rotate, so you can put in any position you need.

 

"Belkin 3-Outlet USB Surge Protector w/Rotating Plug– Ideal for Mobile Devices, Personal Electronics, Small Appliances and More (1 Amp, 918 Joules)"

Did you notice the words "surge protector" in the product description or don't you care about causing a fire on the ship?

 

This is from a Coast Guard Safety Alert https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO Documents/5p/CSNCOE/Safety Alerts/USCG Marine Safety Alert 03-13 Surge Protective Devices Onboard Vessels.pdf?ver=2017-08-08-082206-293

 

"We’ve all seen them and used them. Surge protective devices (SPDs), more commonly known as surge protectors or power strips help protect our expensive electronic devices from being damaged from excessive currents and allow us to simultaneously deliver power to multiple devices. This safety alert addresses the use of certain electrical protection devices onboard vessels and the inherent risks they may cause. Most commercially available SPDs are designed for use ashore and will interrupt only the hot conductor when a surge occurs. What does that mean for the ship owner/operator? It means that while these devices may provide protection in our homes and offices, these same devices may be a fire risk onboard vessels. A marine casualty investigation of two separate stateroom fires onboard a U.S. Flag Container ship revealed that the sources of the fires were attributed to the use of SPDs plugged into a lighting circuit. It was discovered that a ground had developed on another circuit that was connected to the same distribution panel providing power to the staterooms. This ground created an imbalance of voltage between the two power conductors supplying the SPDs which caused excessive currents, overheating, and subsequently, a fire. In this instance, even if the SPDs automatically tripped as designed, only one power conductor would have been secured while the other would continue to provide power, possibly shorting to the device’s ground wire and the structure of the vessel."

 

Here is another reference - https://safety4sea.com/uscg-issues-safety-alert-on-surge-protectors/"

 

And yet another one - "https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/stateroom-fires-caused-by-surge-protectors/10714/6"

 

DON

 

 

Edited August 12, 2019 by donaldsc

[chengkp75]

7 minutes ago, K.T.B. said:

This is what I've used for numerous trips:  https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BZ103050-TVL-Surge-Protector-Charger/dp/B0015DYMVO/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=multiplug+usb&qid=1565629424&s=gateway&sr=8-9

 

One of the best things I've ever gotten!  The best thing is that the 3 prongs rotate, so you can put in any position you need.

And that device is surge protected, and should not be used in any instance on any ship.

[Cruisin Kay D]

Maybe I was incorrect in saying what we brought with us was a surge protector.  It is a thick cord with a black strip at the end with 6 plug-in spots.  We use it at home in the living room to plug in a lamp, a laptop charger and a phone charger.   On the 2 week cruise we used it for Mike's CPAP, SoClean and my cell phone/tablet charger.  I believe we bought it as an extension cord.    Is there some way to tell the difference of simple extension cord or combo extension cord/power strip/surge protector once it has been purchased & being used?

Edited August 12, 2019 by Cruisin Kay D

[Colo Cruiser]

3 minutes ago, Cruisin Kay D said:

Maybe I was incorrect in saying what we brought with us was a surge protector.  It is a thick cord with a black strip at the end with 6 plug-in spots.  We use it at home in the living room to plug in a lamp, a laptop charger and a phone charger.   On the 2 week cruise we used it for Mike's CPAP, SoClean and my cell phone/tablet charger.  I believe we bought it as an extension cord.  

Often those are surge protected.

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, Cruisin Kay D said:

Maybe I was incorrect in saying what we brought with us was a surge protector.  It is a thick cord with a black strip at the end with 6 plug-in spots.  We use it at home in the living room to plug in a lamp, a laptop charger and a phone charger.   On the 2 week cruise we used it for Mike's CPAP, SoClean and my cell phone/tablet charger.  I believe we bought it as an extension cord.    Is there some way to tell the difference of simple extension cord or combo extension cord/power strip/surge protector once it has been purchased & being used?

Surge protected power strips will have a small LED with the word "protected" next to it (this is not the light in the on/off switch), and should have something on the back that mentions "VPN= xxx volts", or "joules of protection", or "clamping voltage". All of these are terms that measure surge protector effectiveness.

[voljeep]

6 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Surge protected power strips will have a small LED with the word "protected" next to it (this is not the light in the on/off switch), and should have something on the back that mentions "VPN= xxx volts", or "joules of protection", or "clamping voltage". All of these are terms that measure surge protector effectiveness.

will you provide a link to the device you use on board ships to charge your devices ?