Will our travel adaptor (not a powerboard!) be taken away from us?

[mackel]

Hi everyone, we are travelling from Australia around the US for four weeks, including three nights on the Liberty of the Seas. For our travels, we have this power adaptor (https://bauhn.com.au/universal-travel-adaptor-kit/) which does look suspiciously like a powerboard/strip - but it's not! It's just so we can use our Australian power plugs in the USA. 

 

Can anyone tell me whether they're going to take this off us, thinking it's a powerboard?!

[chengkp75]

Not quite sure how you feel this is not a "power board" (what in the US is a "power strip"), since it goes from one plug, through a cord, to a box that has more than one outlet, as well as USB outlets.  To me, that is an out and out "power board".  They call it an "adapter", because there are different input plugs.  I would also be worried that this is surge protected, which poses a fire hazard on ships.  You need to look at the molded in printing on the back of the unit to see if it has a "VPN rating" in volts, or any mention of "joules of protection".  If it does, then it is surge protected, and should not be used on the ship.  If you want this for the land travel part of your vacation, then it will likely be confiscated, (RCI does not allow anything with a cord on it) and returned at the end of the cruise.  You would be better off using a simple plug adapter that adapts the EU outlets to your Oz plugs.

Edited December 2, 2022 by chengkp75

[AtSeaAlways]

Looking at the manual it does not seem to contain a surge supressor. What we have been bringing are the tiny cheap Euro to US adapters.  Most modern cell chargers and laptop adapters are "switching" and per the label are happy on 230V /50hz Euro power.   Hair dryers not so much.  The port inspection team may disagree however.  

[mackel]

On 12/2/2022 at 10:30 PM, AtSeaAlways said:

Looking at the manual it does not seem to contain a surge supressor. What we have been bringing are the tiny cheap Euro to US adapters.  Most modern cell chargers and laptop adapters are "switching" and per the label are happy on 230V /50hz Euro power.   Hair dryers not so much.  The port inspection team may disagree however.  

Thank you for looking into this and providing a polite answer! From my understanding, as it isn’t surge protected we should be able to take it on. I’ll pop it in my husbands carry on bag and let him explain (I get very nervous and crumble with confrontation). 

[mackel]

On 12/2/2022 at 10:28 PM, chengkp75 said:

Not quite sure how you feel this is not a "power board" (what in the US is a "power strip"), since it goes from one plug, through a cord, to a box that has more than one outlet, as well as USB outlets.  To me, that is an out and out "power board".  They call it an "adapter", because there are different input plugs.  I would also be worried that this is surge protected, which poses a fire hazard on ships.  You need to look at the molded in printing on the back of the unit to see if it has a "VPN rating" in volts, or any mention of "joules of protection".  If it does, then it is surge protected, and should not be used on the ship.  If you want this for the land travel part of your vacation, then it will likely be confiscated, (RCI does not allow anything with a cord on it) and returned at the end of the cruise.  You would be better off using a simple plug adapter that adapts the EU outlets to your Oz plugs.

Just so you know, I’m not trying to do the wrong thing here, and if it isn’t allowed onto the ship I’m not trying to sneak it on. I was asking a genuine question as we will be using it for the remaining 3.5 weeks we are over there. 
 

It’s also not surge protected, so from my understanding should be permitted. If we can get it returned at the end of the cruise then there are no issues - do you know how they usually do this? Is it once we are off the ship we get it back and does that part of the process take a long time? We will be heading straight to the airport with not a lot of time to waste.

[DaKahuna]

28 minutes ago, mackel said:

Just so you know, I’m not trying to do the wrong thing here, and if it isn’t allowed onto the ship I’m not trying to sneak it on. I was asking a genuine question as we will be using it for the remaining 3.5 weeks we are over there. 
 

It’s also not surge protected, so from my understanding should be permitted. If we can get it returned at the end of the cruise then there are no issues - do you know how they usually do this? Is it once we are off the ship we get it back and does that part of the process take a long time? We will be heading straight to the airport with not a lot of time to waste.

 

 The only issue I see here is that the security folks may take exception and take possession of it and hold it until the end of the cruise.  I have a four outlet power strip with a 12-inch cord.  Not surge protected at all -- I have had cruises where I was able to bring it onboard with no issue and I have had cruises where it was taken and held until the end of the cruise.  No rhyme or reason - just the whim of the people running security at the terminal. 

 

[cruisegus]

It is very dependent on who is looking at the security/3d/xray scanner at the specific pot of embarkation. 

 

I personally at 35+ cruises on various lines have ever had anything confiscated.  But YMMV

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, mackel said:

Is it once we are off the ship we get it back and does that part of the process take a long time?

There is typically the "naughty table" with all confiscated items at the security check point as you leave the ship.

[AtSeaAlways]

This is a problem similar to filling travel mugs and water bottles at sea.  The current equipment on many ships allows the spout to go into your bottle/mug and get contaminated.  Ewww.

 

Many/most corded power strips contain an MOV device the size of an M&M/ dime which helpfully sends to ground momentary power surges. 

 

On ship AC, @Chengkp75 has carefully explained that the MOV can attempt to dissipate longer fluctuations in the ship generators and start on fire.  

 

To prevent fires the lines have banned hot plates, rice cookers and now corded power strips.  It is a semi blunt instrument.  Can the security crew tell every time which has an MOV?

 

If I was in charge I would issue or sell at cost the 75 cent little Euro adapters with logos on them.  An instant two more outlets.  YAA.  But then people would plug in non 220 devices and those would start on fire.  

 

Or add some cell phone ports.  Or more 115v outlets.   Bedside would be nice.  But on RCI, if you require the app - and you do, we need a device charging answer.   To answer the OP- go minimalist.  If it looks like a corded power strip they might grab it.