Electrical Outlets? - Star Legend - Classic Oceanview Suite

[kmtoner]

We are cruising on Star Legend at the end of May. We're in a classic Oceanview Suite on Deck 4. I'm struggling to find a definitive answer about the current state of electrical outlets in those cabins for our U.S. 110v devices. I found a post from several years ago suggesting only three outlets in these cabins. (Behind TV, by the desk, and a shaver/hairdryer plug in the bathroom.) Is that still the case? Would more plugs be available to us if we bring European to US converters?

 

In particular, I'd like to know what might be closest to the nightstands in the bedroom and what the voltage would be. I'm trying to make sure we have the right gear to connect two 110v Cpap machines. On some ships, there is an outlet tucked away behind the bed or one of the nightstands which allows me to solve this problem with a triple plug connector that uncurls, but that's not always the case.

 

Thanks in advance for answers and suggestions. Happy Cruising!

[Pudgesmom]

I have not traveled since the refit. I have been in your stateroom category several times with my CPAP. Our cabin attendant has taken the cord across the room and secured it very well to the floor with tape. 
 

We travel with a couple of converters so we can make use of all of the outlets. 
 

 

[avalong]

My husband always packs an extension cord for his cpap, just in case.

[kmtoner]

7 hours ago, Pudgesmom said:

We travel with a couple of converters so we can make use of all of the outlets. 

 

Thanks. For Windstar's ships, do you bring European 2-prong converters for those additional outlets? I bought two of those for a Rhine-river cruise through Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. They worked well for our US three-prong and two-prong devices. Windstar's non-sailing ships visit many different countries, so I'm not sure what the standard outlet might be for most cabins. 

[Cortesefam]

We were in an "original" balcony cabin on the Star Legend in April, 2022.  There is one U.S. style plug at the desk in front of the bed--the remainder are all european style two-prong outlets.  There are several USB ports for charging devices.  There was one euro-outlet by the nightstand on one side of the bed--there was not an outlet by the other nightstand.  Definitely bring adaptors. 

[Pudgesmom]

Yes - the additional plugs are European as Courtesfam said. We got a couple of nice ones from Amazon that will work in many countries as they cover four or five different types of plugs. You will not need converters - just adaptors. 

Edited May 10, 2022 by Pudgesmom

[new_cruiser]

On 5/10/2022 at 6:33 AM, Cortesefam said:

We were in an "original" balcony cabin on the Star Legend in April, 2022.  There is one U.S. style plug at the desk in front of the bed--the remainder are all european style two-prong outlets.  There are several USB ports for charging devices.  There was one euro-outlet by the nightstand on one side of the bed--there was not an outlet by the other nightstand.  Definitely bring adaptors. 

Maybe not all the old cabins are the same or the outlet you mention is hidden? I was on Star Legend in one of the original balcony cabins in May/April and didn't see any outlet by the bed. There was one US and one Euro type on the desk and one in the bar cabinet and a shaver outlet in the bathroom. 

[kmtoner]

I feel like venting. (No offense intended, Windstar. This applies to every line.)

 

Our days of traveling with disposable batteries will soon be over. In this decade, cruise passengers are bringing digital cameras, digital video recorders, phones, e-books, nightlights, headphones, portable speakers,  smartwatches, tablets, laptops, backup batteries, medical devices, grooming equipment, etc. It is currently common for a traveler's bags to contain cords with two different types of connectors: USB-B or USB-C on one end and any of four different connectors on the other (USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, and Apple lightning.) Most USB slots on nightstands and on or near desks won't accommodate my devices that come with USB-C on both ends of their cords. 

 

The ships' electrical systems differ from hotel systems. The ships prohibit certain power strips with surge protectors. (For good reasons!) While it is pretty safe to assume what sort of wall outlets a hotel will provide, ships are another story.

 

On our first European river cruise, it took me three days to find a Euro-style plug adapter for the cabin. Everything was closed on Sunday.  Monday was a bank holiday. And I found open shops mid-morning on Tuesday in the third port city.  I've been trying to plan better ever since.  I sure wish every cruise line would state on their web sites how many wall outlets are available in a standard cabin and in their  suites and what sort of plugs are required to connect to them.

[CruiseOrLand]

I don't have a CPAP, but I'm surprised that the manufacturers don't find it cheaper to make only 100-240 volt units for worldwide sale - like most computer and phone manufacturers.

 

It depends on how much traveling you do, but I would mention that I have a small transformer for 240->120 use with small devices that aren't 100-240. I use it mostly for my Phillips toothbrush charger (some Phillips units are dual-voltage, but I think the cheapest models are not.) It's only rated for 50 Watts, so it would not run most CPAPs. I used bigger transformers at home (in the reverse direction) for traveling musicians, but they get VERY heavy above 100 watts. I mean like toy train transformer heavy, if you remember them. My 50w transformer weighs 10.5 oz., and is about as big as a child's fist. I should also say that it's so old (I started traveling in 1987) that it's the old slim bi-pin configuration (I call that, inaccurately, Italian), not the Shuco (northern Europe) style on Windstar.

 

I remember the same pre-refit wall configuration, under the big bureau mirror. That single 120 volt parallel-blade outlet was roughly opposite the feet of the bed occupant closer to the bathrooms.

Edited May 22, 2022 by CruiseOrLand