Electrical devices on Royal Princess

[blulou]

We're from the US and are taking the British Isles cruise on the Royal Princess in May. I have a medical device and need to know if I need an adapter for the plug, and if so, which type of adapter do I need (UK/European)?

 

It probably makes sense to use a power strip for the other electrical stuff. Can we get one that has US plugs in the strip, but the strip itself has whatever type of plug the ship uses?

 

Thanks for your help!

[CruiserBruce]

The ship will have US and European plugs. No need for an adapter on board. But if you are staying in a hotel, yes.

[blulou]

Thanks so much!

[chengkp75]

Just remember that the European plugs on the ship are 220v, not the 110v the US uses. Similarly, if you are staying at a hotel, you will need an adapter as well as a transformer (voltage converter) if your medical device does not say "input 100-240vac" somewhere on it.

[blulou]

But if the staterooms have US plugs, why would I need to use the European ones?

[PSCSkipper]

We were recently on the Royal and there seems to be fewer outlets available in the cabins than on the older ships. If you have something like a CPAP machine to plug in, you may need an extension cord to reach a plug near the desk. I brought my own cord (and duct tape to tape it down), but you can ask your cabin attendant to provide one.

[SwissDave]

But if the staterooms have US plugs, why would I need to use the European ones?

 

In case you were staying in a hotel pre or post cruise.

[blulou]

Yes, a CPAP is exactly what I have. Thanks for the suggestion.

[jagsfan]

I keep an extension cord permanently in the case with my CPAP. Need it frequently in hotels. You're fine on the ship, but definitely for European hotels you will need a converter to step the voltage down to 110, and a plug to plug it into. Most luggage shops and Magellan's web site have them.

By the way, if you note your needs on your your, Princess can provide a heavy duty extension cord and a gallon of distilled water. I don't use their cord because it's too darn big for a tiny cabin.

[Pam in CA]

We were recently on the Royal and there seems to be fewer outlets available in the cabins than on the older ships.

Weird. They must have removed an outlet or two because older Princess ships generally have two U.S. 3-prong outlets next to each other on the far side of the desk from the beds. The Royal (and Regal) have two U.S. 3-prong outlets, each on opposite ends of the desk, and one 3-prong round outlet. These outlets are far more usable than on older Princess ships. True, you can no longer access the outlet behind the TV but I don't know anyone who used it.

[caribill]

True, you can no longer access the outlet behind the TV but I don't know anyone who used it.

 

I always use it. It is great for plugging in a battery charger.

[IECalCruiser]

I always use it. It is great for plugging in a battery charger.

Same for us. I have a 12" extension cord with two outlets. I plug in a charger with several USB outlet that I plug in behind the TV and use to charge our iPhones, DW's Kindle, our headphones and our Bluetooth speaker in one outlet and a charger for our iPads in the other outlet. I place everything on the TV shelf to reduce clutter. It was much less convenient on the Regal but with the outlet far apart, at least both of them can be used at the same time.

[Ferndale Girl]

I always use it. It is great for plugging in a battery charger.

 

This was the info I was looking for. We always would put our alarm clock on the shelf in front of the TV and could see it when we woke up in the middle of the night. Thanks for the photo of the desk. One question about a hotel room in London - will we need an adapter for battery charger, hair dryer, etc.???

[Colo Cruiser]

We were recently on the Royal and there seems to be fewer outlets available in the cabins than on the older ships. If you have something like a CPAP machine to plug in, you may need an extension cord to reach a plug near the desk. I brought my own cord (and duct tape to tape it down), but you can ask your cabin attendant to provide one.

 

 

There always seems to be a lack of oulets on any ship we have cruised on.

On the Regal it was the same as other ships. Still not enough.

[srice]

...True, you can no longer access the outlet behind the TV but I don't know anyone who used it....

I am one who does use it. We usually book mini suites and I use the outlets behind both TVs. On one I put an octopus power strip to run computer, cell phone charger, clock, etc. When we are in a balcony cabin the outlet behind the TV is not as useful.

[Colo Cruiser]

I am one who does use it. We usually book mini suites and I use the outlets behind both TVs. On one I put an octopus power strip to run computer, cell phone charger, clock, etc. When we are in a balcony cabin the outlet behind the TV is not as useful.

 

We had friends in a reg balcony on the Regal where the TV is attached to the wall. It was not possible to access the plug. The TV was tight against the wall.

I would imagine this would be the same for insides as well.

[JF - retired RRT]

I keep an extension cord permanently in the case with my CPAP. Need it frequently in hotels. You're fine on the ship, but definitely for European hotels you will need a converter to step the voltage down to 110, and a plug to plug it into. Most luggage shops and Magellan's web site have them.

By the way, if you note your needs on your your, Princess can provide a heavy duty extension cord and a gallon of distilled water. I don't use their cord because it's too darn big for a tiny cabin.

CPAP machines made in the last 10 years have a converter (or whatever it is called) inside. The manufacturers got tired of making one machine for the US market and one for the European market. They sell worldwide.

[lucky cal]

This was the info I was looking for. We always would put our alarm clock on the shelf in front of the TV and could see it when we woke up in the middle of the night. Thanks for the photo of the desk. One question about a hotel room in London - will we need an adapter for battery charger, hair dryer, etc.???

 

Last year in Italy, we used a European plug adapter for our hotel room's desk outlet. We then plugged a US 4-plug power strip into the adapter and were able to charge our electronics and use our hair appliances. Our hair appliances were dual voltage so we didn't need a voltage converter. And the hotel had a hairdryer so we just used the European outlet in the bathroom for that.

 

You will need a different adapter for the UK than the one we used in Italy. Amazon.com has many choices/price ranges and Magellan's is also a great resource for adapters.

[IECalCruiser]

Last year in Italy, we used a European plug adapter for our hotel room's desk outlet. We then plugged a US 4-plug power strip into the adapter and were able to charge our electronics and use our hair appliances. Our hair appliances were dual voltage so we didn't need a voltage converter. And the hotel had a hairdryer so we just used the European outlet in the bathroom for that.

 

 

 

You will need a different adapter for the UK than the one we used in Italy. Amazon.com has many choices/price ranges and Magellan's is also a great resource for adapters.

Just make certain that the power strip doesn't also have a surge suppressor. Most surge suppressors sold in the U.S. are not rated for 230V. I forgot and plugged one into our hotel room in Madrid and promptly blew a circuit breaker and plunged our hotel room into darkness [emoji33]

[Ferndale Girl]

I checked with the hotel and they have hair dryers available and do wake up calls. I'll charge my camera batteries on the ship on the last night. She also said they have some adapters to loan out on a first come basis. I think we'll be fine. Thank you.

[dancersmate]

For all you CPAP users. On Royal Princess there is an electrical outlet on the back wall under the bed. It's a European 220v outlet so you'll need to carry a small "step down" converter with you (most travel stores and Amazon carry them) they are also necessary if you plan to stay in any European hotels -- it will have a cord with a European plug and the converter box will have a US outlet on it. You could even plug in a small power strip to the converter but no hair dryers. This will eliminate the need for a long extension cord all the way to the desk.

[dancersmate]

Just want to add a bit to my previous post. Most modern CPAP machines handle both 110V and 220V power. They switch automatically so all you need is a little plug adapter (about $2.00) and you're good to go. If you have a really old CPAP machine or plan to use the 220V plug for other electronics, you will probably need to have a step-down converter. They cost about $15 and you can get them at your local travel store or Radio Shack.

[bendar06]

If you need water for your CPAP machine, the following is from the Princess Website:

 

Distilled water can be provided, for use with your c-pap machine, onboard free of charge in gallon units, provided you submit a request in advance of sailing. Once onboard, simply contact your stateroom steward to request the water to be delivered to your stateroom as needed. To request distilled water for your voyage, please contact our Dietary Coordinator using the dietary request form. In the comment section of the form, please indicate the quantity required in gallons. Note that for domestic sailings, advance requests must be received no later than 35 days prior to sailing date. For international sailings, advance requests must be received no later than 65 days prior to sailing. For late requests, we cannot guarantee availability onboard.

 

Check Cruise personalizer, Dietary Requirements.

[hm9912]

We're from the US and are taking the British Isles cruise on the Royal Princess in May. I have a medical device and need to know if I need an adapter for the plug, and if so, which type of adapter do I need (UK/European)?

 

It probably makes sense to use a power strip for the other electrical stuff. Can we get one that has US plugs in the strip, but the strip itself has whatever type of plug the ship uses?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

I used this power strip on our recent cruise on the Caribbean Princess

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F9YN2M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01

 

I plugged it in behind the TV and used it for our clock and charging the camera, IPad, and IPhone

 

It worked out great

 

Howard

[satxdiver]

We have octopus type extension cables that have one plug to be inserted into the cabin's outlet and 2 or 3 separate plugs at the other end to be used by your various electronic devices. No surge suppressor to cause problems and plenty of space for those large wallwarts.

 

http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-29803-Power-Splitter/dp/B000083KIH/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&qid=1448748760&sr=8-43&keywords=extension+cord

 

Anyone using a step down transformer to change 220 VAC to 110 VAC needs to be aware of the current rating of the device. You cannot get a transformer and simply plug in all of your devices. Hair dryers are notorious for using a lot of current which will exceed the rating of the transformer. CPAP machine also may have the same problem.

 

For example here is a 200 watt 220 to 110 converter on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Simran-200-Converter-International-Blackberry/dp/B000W9DJ1Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448748936&sr=1-1&keywords=220+to+110+converter

 

While 200 watts may sound like a lot, it is not. Check the wattage ratings on your electrical equipment you want to plug into it. If you exceed the 110 volt power rating either the internal fuse (assuming it has one) will blow or you will destroy the device, causing the entire 220v circuit to switch off and even start a fire when the device gets too hot. If the device gets hot, don't touch it with your bare hands as you will most likely get a really bad burn.

 

Wattage does matter so pay attention. If you device lists maximum amperage use instead of maximum wattage rating, simply multiply the amperage required with 120 volts to get the power rating in watts. Finally using a transformer at more than 80% capacity will shorten its life.

Edited November 28, 2015 by satxdiver