RC approved power strip/non surge protector

[BND]

7 minutes ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Different cruise lines have different rules.  I doubt sellers on Amazon have checked the rules for every cruise line before writing their advertising. 

 

YMMV

Exactly.  There are no cruise approved ones.

[slyster]

43 minutes ago, rudeney said:

Power output (amperage) has nothing to do with the USB connector type.  Also, higher amperage does not always equate to "fast" or "super-fast" charging.  Those require both a certain level of amperage output and electronic circuitry within the charger to regulate the charge.  If your phone needs a "C" but the socket is an "A", just get an A to C cable.  Here are the valid USB plug types:

 

 

oh thank you.  I needed to see this.  My ipad and iphone 12 has the usb-c to lightning cable

[vjmatty]

9 minutes ago, BND said:

Exactly.  There are no cruise approved ones.

 

Perhaps "unlikely to be confiscated" is a better phrase than "cruise approved"..... a bit of a mouthful but satisfies your accuracy test 😉

 

[slyster]

I'm assuming if something is not surge protected and is not an extension cord, it is approved, but it also seems like there are cases where the items have been taken away too.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Power-Strip-USB-Outlets/dp/B07BHVKPC3?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

 

I agree that the company who sells or markets this shouldn't really say cruise or royal caribbean approved (because where are they getting the "approval"), but if I understand correctly, it meets RC's criteria and "should" be allowed to be used on board.  

 

Am I missing something else?

[slyster]

When we say there is one outlet in a cabin, does that mean one place to plug in or are there two places to plug into on one outlet?  I'm thinking of getting something like this so i can at least charge two things at a time.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-Durable-Compact-Included/dp/B09C5SC9FW?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

[robmtx]

I will say that, personally, we've used this 6 times now, and no problems. we even leave it out for our entire cruise.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096SCF4BY

 

The marketing says it is cruise ship approved, which is in conflict with Royal's policies. So take that into consideration. I probably just jinxed myself!

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, slyster said:

 

Hmmmm, so I went to amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx1Y04C7UJ4OVTZ/1/ref=ask_al_psf_al_hza

 

and in the questions/answers, a few royal caribbean cruisers said there was taken.  Hmmm....did you put it in  your carry on bag or checked bag?  A couple of folks said people at the terminal may not know RC specific policy whereas once its on board, they will know.

 

It was in it's original box in our checked luggage. It went through security just fine. Every ship may be different but we've have had no problems.

 

 

1 hour ago, BND said:

LOL.  Cruise approved by who?  The seller?  RCI hasn't approved anything for sale on Amazon.  People keep posting it's "cruise approved" or "RCI approved" and there is no such animal.  They do ban certain things, but they do not endorse any power strip.  I just take a USB cube and we unplug things as they are charged and plug in others as needed.  Phones and my fitbit get plugged in overnight.

 

This is true. Royal does not approve. The manufacturer's say approved only as a marketing gimmick.

 

1 hour ago, slyster said:

 

is the usb 2.4A the same as USB-C or is that different?

 

 

While USB-A could only support up to 2.5 watts and 5 volts, USB-C now supports 100 watts and 20 volts easily enough for larger devices. The practical benefits of this include pass-through charging; effectively a USB hub that powers laptops, and also charges other devices simultaneously.

 

 

1 hour ago, rudeney said:

Power output (amperage) has nothing to do with the USB connector type.  Also, higher amperage does not always equate to "fast" or "super-fast" charging.  Those require both a certain level of amperage output and electronic circuitry within the charger to regulate the charge.  If your phone needs a "C" but the socket is an "A", just get an A to C cable.  Here are the valid USB plug types:

 

 

Thanks for posting this. I'm sure it's helpful to people who do not know the difference.

 

44 minutes ago, BND said:

Exactly.  There are no cruise approved ones.

 

True to that.

[Tolkmit]

42 minutes ago, slyster said:

I'm assuming if something is not surge protected and is not an extension cord, it is approved, but it also seems like there are cases where the items have been taken away too.

 

There is no such thing as an extension cord/power strip that is approved for Royal Caribbean.

 

There are two reasons cruise lines don't allow extension cords/power strips. First, because if it has a surge protector, that is a fire hazard due to the way electricity works on a cruise ship. Second, because if it is too low of a gauge of wire and you try to pull too much power over it, that will cause heat and once again, that is a fire hazard.

 

Some cruise lines specify extension cords/power strips are not allowed as long as they don't have surge protection, as that is the primary concern. So when you see something advertised as cruise approved, what is really being said is that the product doesn't have a surge protector, thus meeting the requirements of lines than specify no surge protector. You are meant to think it is allowed on all cruise lines, but that is not what it is actually saying. It means it is approved for the cruise lines that allow those sorts of extension cords/power strips. Royal isn't one of them.

 

However, Royal's official rules are not strictly enforced. Security VERY seldomly will confiscate electrical stuff when the bags come on board. So ultimately, it's all based on your room steward. If they got and follow their exact training, any extension cord/power strip, even those advertised as "Cruise Approved," will be confiscated. Others may not know or care. Others may be swayed by something saying/showing as "Cruise Approved." It's impossible to know what yours will do until you are on board, though most seem to do nothing. This is why you get such a wide variety of feedback and responses. People buy stuff that says "Cruise approved" and have stewards not take it away, so they believe it's allowed, when in fact it isn't, the rules just aren't often enforced. While others will say theirs was confiscated, because they ran into someone who does enforce the official rules.

Edited August 2, 2022 by Tolkmit

[njkruzer]

Royal's rule is no extension cord or surge protector.  What posters, including myself, are bringing on board don't violate those rules.

[slyster]

10 minutes ago, Tolkmit said:

 

There is no such thing as an extension cord/power strip that is approved for Royal Caribbean.

 

There are two reasons cruise lines don't allow extension cords/power strips. First, because if it has a surge protector, that is a fire hazard due to the way electricity works on a cruise ship. Second, because if it is too low of a gauge of wire and you try to pull too much power over it, that will cause heat and once again, that is a fire hazard.

 

Some cruise lines specify extension cords/power strips are not allowed as long as they don't have surge protection, as that is the primary concern. So when you see something advertised as cruise approved, what is really being said is that the product doesn't have a surge protector, thus meeting the requirements of lines than specify no surge protector. You are meant to think it is allowed on all cruise lines, but that is not what it is actually saying. It means it is approved for the cruise lines that allow those sorts of extension cords/power strips. Royal isn't one of them.

 

However, Royal's official rules are not strictly enforced. Security VERY seldomly will confiscate electrical stuff when the bags come on board. So ultimately, it's all based on your room steward. If they got and follow their exact training, any extension cord/power strip, even those advertised as "Cruise Approved," will be confiscated. Others may not know or care. Others may be swayed by something saying/showing as "Cruise Approved." It's impossible to know what yours will do until you are on board, though most seem to do nothing. This is why you get such a wide variety of feedback and responses. People buy stuff that says "Cruise approved" and have stewards not take it away, so they believe it's allowed, when in fact it isn't, the rules just aren't often enforced. While others will say theirs was confiscated, because they ran into someone who does enforce the official rules.

 

I see what you are saying.  I am thinking as long as something is not a surge protector or an extension cord/power strip, it should be allowed by the cruise ship when boarding. The FAQ does say extension cord, power board or surge protected board.  What is the difference between a surge protected power board and a power board?  A non surge protected board? LOL!

 

 

FAQ:

 

Can I bring an extension cord/power board onboard?

 

 

Guests cannot bring electrical extension cords, including power boards or surge protected power boards.

[robmtx]

7 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Royal's rule is no extension cord or surge protector.  What posters, including myself, are bringing on board don't violate those rules.

And what I bring onboard does violate the rule...so don't be a "me"!

[Tolkmit]

40 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Royal's rule is no extension cord or surge protector.  What posters, including myself, are bringing on board don't violate those rules.

 

No, Royal says no extension cords or "power boards." Anything that changes one outlet into more than one outlet is a power board, and against the official rules.

[slyster]

So after all that, we are not allowed to bring anything to add as an extra charge or plug in device.  

[mitz18]

5 hours ago, slyster said:

 

Hmmmm, so I went to amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx1Y04C7UJ4OVTZ/1/ref=ask_al_psf_al_hza

 

and in the questions/answers, a few royal caribbean cruisers said there was taken.  Hmmm....did you put it in  your carry on bag or checked bag?  A couple of folks said people at the terminal may not know RC specific policy whereas once its on board, they will know.

 

Last two cruises we saw at least 5 power strips being taken at the screening (detectors).  Not sure what type they were but I did hear one person say "it said cruise line accepted on Amazon" (LOL).  Just as info.....if you take one, make sure it's one you don't mind leaving.

 

[mitz18]

54 minutes ago, slyster said:

So after all that, we are not allowed to bring anything to add as an extra charge or plug in device.  

Under the rules, no.

[Parentcruiser]

Is this allowed:

[AlohaLivin]

We use this and this for our apple device combos 

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P936188/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PSRNHWS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[fsdorado]

The unfortunate reality is that the RC security people on the ship who are screening luggage have the ultimate say in what is and is not allowed to be brought onboard.  There is way too much inconsistency.  Most of the time, as long as what you're bringing does not obviously have some sort of surge protection, they let it go.  That being said, I have seen where an item is confiscated (and returned at the end of the cruise) that clearly has "no surge protection" printed on it.  You can try to argue with the security folks in the naughty room but good luck getting them to change their mind.  Bottom line is bring a non-surge protected adapter and take your chances.  Worst case, it's confiscated and returned at the end of the cruise.

 

 

Frederick

 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

54 minutes ago, Parentcruiser said:

Is this allowed:

We had two on Mariner.  No issues.

 

Pair that with this: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P936188/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

And you have multiple outlets to handle the laptop, then six USB connectors for the Iphone, tablet, & watch.  

[SeattleAl]

8 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

We also use this to take advantage of the European plug on board. Works great.

 

https://www.amazon.com/European-Adapter-TESSAN-International-Adaptor/dp/B07FJWLLDB/ref=sr_1_5?crid=SS1R8F6ZWZOY&keywords=european+plug+adapter&qid=1659449702&sprefix=EUROPEON+PLUG+ADAPTER%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-5

This is a good idea, but just be aware that this is an adapter, not a converter. It will feed 220 volts and will fry anything that is purely 110 volts. Most modern electronics can handle both voltages, just be sure before you plug something into this adapter.

[kdnurs]

21 hours ago, mom2miracles said:

We got these earlier this year, they are cruise approved and work great!

 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B091DW6Q9D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

I tried to order it from Amazon and they said they cannot ship to our address. I tried 2 other addresses of family members and still they cannot ship to us....BUMMER

[robmtx]

22 minutes ago, kdnurs said:

 

I tried to order it from Amazon and they said they cannot ship to our address. I tried 2 other addresses of family members and still they cannot ship to us....BUMMER

 

Are you USA? That link is Canada. Try this

https://www.amazon.com/Extender-TESSAN-Electrical-Splitter-Essentials/dp/B08B3986P8

 

[robmtx]

I like Anker products so picked up one of these during Prime Day last month. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R6TP9YR/

 

I guess we'll hedge our bets and pack two.. one in each luggage!

[kdnurs]

3 hours ago, robmtx said:

 

Are you USA? That link is Canada. Try this

https://www.amazon.com/Extender-TESSAN-Electrical-Splitter-Essentials/dp/B08B3986P8

 

 

YES USA! 😁 and the new link worked!!!! Thanks a bunch 😍

[Tolkmit]

11 hours ago, slyster said:

So after all that, we are not allowed to bring anything to add as an extra charge or plug in device.  

 

The one thing that you are allowed to bring, is a one to one europlug adapter. All, or at least most, cabins have both a US plug and a European plug. An adapter to turn that European plug into a single US plug is not against any of their written rules. And that gets you an extra plug.

 

Again, this is all what their stated rules are. It's uncommon for them to enforce their rules. But It's worth knowing what they are going in, so if you decide to spend money on a "cruise safe" adapter you know it might get confiscated.