Warning electric extensions

We cruise with around five lines, so I read all their forums.

I have seen many tips on cruising suggesting using an extension with multi sockets.

We have just cruised with P and O on Azura.

There was a full crew alert caused by a fire in a cabin. This was caused by the passenger using an extension and loading it up with appliances.

I can assure everybody that although we were docked it was a most sobering experience to see the crew on full alert. You could tell immediately that it was no drill.

I suggest we all ignore this "tip" as it is obviously dangerous.

Great cruise on the Azura, but like Freds smaller ships.

Back to the Carribean next January on the Breamar, with hopefully no electric extensions:)

It is not so much the multi-socket extension that is dangerous it is what people seem to want to plug in.

Travel irons, high wattage hair-dryers etc., these things can cause problems even without an extension ...

Did they send everyone to muster stations. Hearing those 7 short blasts followed by one long can be quite a scary thing. And I, for one, would be very worried if I was on one of the big ships, like Azura, as if panic spread it could be a real disaster.

Why would an emergency at sea be worse on a big ship than any other? There are much the same ratio of people to space on all cruise ship's apart from the very epensive ones. In my book, drowning is the same no matter how it comes about.

Actually, there is far more space ratio on a smaller ship. We have been on Azura and I found it very crowded indeed when we were inside the vessel on days of inclement weather. I did not find the same feeling on Balmoral this January.

No we were not sent to muster stations. Certain areas were evacuated though. They did not sound the 7 blasts, but they did sound a signal, I think it was one long blast. I think my wife asked our steward what it was and he said it was a signal to the crew.

My thoughts on an emergency at sea is that I would prefer to be on a smaller ship say Balmoral than the larger ships. The reason is that even after two weeks I kept getting lost on the Azura, on the Balmoral I would feel comfortable getting to my muster station in an emergency.

We cruise with around five lines, so I read all their forums.

I have seen many tips on cruising suggesting using an extension with multi sockets.

We have just cruised with P and O on Azura.

There was a full crew alert caused by a fire in a cabin. This was caused by the passenger using an extension and loading it up with appliances.

I can assure everybody that although we were docked it was a most sobering experience to see the crew on full alert. You could tell immediately that it was no drill.

I suggest we all ignore this "tip" as it is obviously dangerous.

Great cruise on the Azura, but like Freds smaller ships.

Back to the Carribean next January on the Breamar, with hopefully no electric extensions:)

Can you post this on Thomson boards please as they are always recommending extension leads :rolleyes: Thomson only have kettles on two of their ships and some of us have said that we have taken a kettle and have had all sorts of abuse, but surely an extension lead is much more dangerous!

Actually, there is far more space ratio on a smaller ship. We have been on Azura and I found it very crowded indeed when we were inside the vessel on days of inclement weather. I did not find the same feeling on Balmoral this January.

I agree with you about that. We felt very crowded on Independence of the Seas, whereas on Braemar, although it is a small ship, you always feel there is plenty of room :)

In an emergency rule 1 is to get to your muster station. And on one of the monsters that can be a 10 minute hike - and in an emergency is likely to take a lot longer. Don't forget lifts will be out of action - and you may have to go up or down 8 or nine decks. And awful lot of the pax will have problems with that. And don't get me started on those with mobility scooters potentially blocking walkways.

On a small vessel obviously there is not as far to go. Also on most small vessels mobility scooters are not allowed on board precisely for this reason.

Can you post this on Thomson boards please as they are always recommending extension leads :rolleyes: Thomson only have kettles on two of their ships and some of us have said that we have taken a kettle and have had all sorts of abuse, but surely an extension lead is much more dangerous!

Will do Linda

Will do Linda

I first got on to Cruise Critic by googling whether I could take a kettle on Thomson ships, so it is a bit of an ongoing thing on there for me. I always say that it has never been given out at the safety drill - only no irons. My point is that surely one kettle is not going to be as dangerous as an extension lead :rolleyes: (or indeed, smoking on wooden decks, but that is another issue ;))

I'm sure it was really scarey for you and glad you are fine :)

Would you recommend Azura, we haven't been on P&O yet!

Hi Linda....

We had a great cruise on the Azura, but we have a great cruise on any ship. We cruise with friends and we just have a ball.

But our favourite ships are the smaller ships. All the Fred Olsen, the P and O ships below 75000 tonne. Arcadia etc and Thomsons older ships.

The Azura was great but as I say just a bit too large for us.

Lots of different entertainment, great shows, great Ballroom and Latin dancing, good adherence to the dress codes, cabin clean and tidy, food ok for us.

We will cruise with P and O again for sure but only on their smaller ships.

There again a good deal with a drinks package .......:)

Thanks for that. Considering Azura or Ventura for Caribbean next year :)

We Had that choice and went with Azura.

Identical ships, but it seems they discount Ventura aggressively.

Also if you check the dress codes. Azura has three codes, formal, jacket/ tie and casual. Ventura only two, formal and casual.

If I recall after the demise of Ocean Village, the ship of choice and marketed as such was the Ventura.

We had a 4 day cruise on the Ventura last year and the two ships are identical, although I can not recall dancing in the Atrium on Ventura.

We are cruising next January to the Caribbean with Fred Olsen on the Braemar.

Happy cruising whichever you choose.

Oooh didn't like Ocean Village! :eek: They don't go to dinner wearing vests on Ventura do they? They did on Ocean Village :rolleyes::D

(or indeed, smoking on wooden decks, but that is another issue ;))

Don't worry about smoking on wooden decks. Wood doesn't catch fire that easily - that's why you have to start a fire with newspaper, just putting a match to the wood doesn't work.

In an emergency rule 1 is to get to your muster station.

That is not what I was told, and particularly in the case of the OP, to enter into a potentially burning building is certainly not what I would do.

I have stated this on other forums, the current muster drill is potentially dangerous and IMO all muster drills should take place at the life boats where you should collect you life jacket, and not from your cabin, as again you could be entering a potentially burning building in which the lights could go off at any time.

A trailing socket with a cable is not needed on cruises, this is ideal IMO.

http://www.fruugo.co.uk/design-go-uk-to-europe-double-travel-adaptor/p-1317866?gclid=CKn_of6S3bwCFSYTwwodXR8ABg#s-3458504