are we taking to many electric applianes and gizmos along on our cruise

[flynrph]

Digital film is cheap.

 

and reusable!:D

[98Charlie]

We take a short power strip with us, but not because we have many electrical appliances.

 

I have shorter hair and have found every hair dryer on every ship so far to have adequate power for my needs.

 

Don't need a coffee maker in the morning. We call room service for a pot of coffee and two danish every morning. Doesn't matter if coffee is terrific. Just seems like a luxury to us we can well afford with a tip included. Sure beats life at home when the alarm clock goes off and we have to decide which one of us is going to get out of bed and start the coffee pot.:D

 

I do use a curling iron and we do need to regenerize camera batteries at times and it's nice to know we can do both at the same time.

 

When we're close to a port where our cell phones will work we also regenerate cell phones so we can talk to our family while in port. The small power strip comes in handy then as well.

 

Dianne

[derf5585]

I just stumbled upon this thread and for those who need to bring a blender, there are these:

 

Also this

The Totally Portable Gas Powered Blender!

from

http://www.gasblender.com/

[98Charlie]

Digital film is cheap.

 

 

Cheap is as cheap does. Still like my 35mm Cannon over our digital. Take pics on both cameras but my Cannon shots are usually better in definition.

 

So we don't have the latest state of the art digital, but the film camera still takes better shots when DH and I are using the two cameras. we get our film developed at Sam's Club. Triple prints of a 24-roll film for under $5. Good pics, can't beat the price.

 

to each his own on digital. I'll still take my 35mm everywhere I go until the buzzards come home to roost.

 

Dianne

[SingerEsq]

I have my photo processing software (PS2) on the laptop so that I can work on that as time permits, too.

 

I print and distribute photgraphs to those in our group so they have something to take home with them besides those awful ship's photos.

 

Hey, 10X, maybe you'll know ... I'm looking for a good software program to "print" my pics to CD or DVD with music. My niece has iLife (Mac) and was able to build a great program around our Alaska cruise with it. I'm still a lowly PC user and bought MS Digital Image Suite (only $45). The program is easy enough to use, but by the time you burn to CD, the picture quality is terrible and even the digital music background sounds like an old scratched up LP. Picasa (free from Google) burns great quality CDs, but you can't include music. Any suggestions?

 

Also, a couple of the photographers on the Island Princess were very good. We actually have several shots that are worthy of framing. But we got to know the photographers (15 day cruise) and by the second week, they knew they could kind of try a few things with us that they might otherwise not do for the masses. We had strangers coming up to us telling us to make sure we checked out the picture boards.

[zackiedawg]

I would consider myself low on the must-have electronic gizmo list...but after reading from some others here, I guess I'm mid- to upper-pack!

 

I bring 3 cameras, all of which require recharging. 1 cellphone requiring recharging. 1 portable CD burner for backing up digital photos, which I mostly use plugged into AC power, but also can be charged to run on battery pack. And an electric shaver.

 

I've never felt the need for a power strip or extension...it is easy enough to just stagger the charging schedule for the digital camera batteries, the cell phone only needs a recharge after 5 or 6 days as long as I charge it before I leave, and the electric shaver plug in in the bathroom which always has its own grounded plug. The CD burner only needs to be used in the evenings after I've filled up a few memory cards taking pictures.

 

I've been on a decent number of cruises, enough to consider myself a veteran...and I absolutely love music and movies. But I just can't get my concentration level on either of those two things when I'm on a cruise - I fill any and all spare time sitting on an open deck or on my verandah with a book, listening to the ocean going by and glancing up at the occasional passing ship or distant land. I need to reserve a fat chunk of luggage space for books - I'll burn through 4-6 books on a 7-day cruise - 8-10 on a 10-day cruise. Since I read alot, I am usually a hardcover reader - I can't wait until the paperbacks come around. And I read alot of non-fiction, which tend to be fatter, longer books.

 

I do rely on batteries for a few things - such as a booklight, so I can read late at night without bothering my cruisemate (whoever it happens to be that cruise - I cruise with friends and relatives), and a travel alarm clock in case the one in the cabin is unreliable or not loud enough (I need a marching band passing through the cabin to wake up).

 

As for pictures - I guess revealing that I own 3 digital cameras gives a little secret away: I am a photo addict. I also have 3 film SLRs, and a MiniDV camcorder. I will take well over 100 photos on the day I board the ship - and will take between 500-800 per 7-days, depending on if it is somewhere I've been alot. Digital has been wonderful in freeing me up to take all the pictures I want without fear of development and film costs. My digital cameras are all for different purposes - one is a 12x optical zoom (36mm to 420mm) which I can also add a 1.7x telephoto lens to to get 720mm of optical zoom, priceless for distant things, shots from the ship to shore, mountain tops, and animals and birds in trees - one is a very high quality lens (F2.0) with a big sensor for higher quality shots with excellent detail, and a hog of a battery that can go for days of shooting, for those nice, artistic shots and beautiful detail portraits - and the third is an ultra-compact not much bigger than a zippo lighter so I always have a camera on me even when I don't want to carry one around...it fits in pockets unobtrusively, and also has a waterproof case so it can be used in the waves, during a rainstorm, or underwater.

 

The reason some of us take alot of pictures? Well, photography is a hobby - some people have more music than any person ever really needs, some people collect more stamps than anyone really needs...we just take more pictures than anyone really needs. The advantage, of course, is that little gets past us on a cruise that we don't take a picture of. Maybe we'll decide later we don't need that photo. Maybe we take 10 shots of a moving object, then weed out the one that came out the best. Maybe we are bracketing for exposure, so we can post-process two or three shots together for extended dynamic range. The list goes on.

 

By the way...the portable CD burners are great for photogs who want to back up their photos. They are much smaller than a laptop, can burn as many CDs as you want (burn 2 or 3 copies of all your pics, just to be safe), and you can burn CDs for friends you meet on the ship so they can have your pics to take home. They can run on AC or battery too.

[Splinter]

I always take a power strip. I travel with my parents so there are 3 of us. This is what we take:

 

2 iPods (a Shuffle and a Nano...two different chargers required)

2 digital cameras with rechargable batteries (two battery chargers too)

2 cell phones

1 PDA

1 Charger for my mother's power wheelchair

 

The power wheelchair needs to be plugged in all night to charge. I generally recharge my camera batteries every other day...I take lots of photos, and if they are flash your batteries don't last long. I play games on my PDA, plus have my entire address list including phone numbers, frequent flyer numbers, calendar, etc. on it.

 

Never could understand the need for a DVD player and certainly no cooking appliances...I go on vacation so I don't have to cook! I agree if you have thick hair you should consider bringing your own hair dryer...the ones in the cabins are too wimpy. In addition, if you want to do your hair in the cabin while your cabinmate is showering you need to bring your own.

[fnewman]

and reusable!:D

The airplane next to your name looks somewhat familiar; Can you given some infomation on it?

[LARGIN]

SingerEsq.... Go here... http://www.dvdsanta.com/index.html

[10X]

Singer Esq,

 

Here is the best program I've found. It's unbelieveably easy to use. I downloaded the trial version, played with it for about 10 minutes and knew I had to have it. After buying several of these programs, I finally found what I wanted. Scene changes, music, zoom, pan, titles, etc.

 

http://www.photodex.com/products/proshowgold/

 

Keep in mind that a CD will not produce the video quality of a DVD. A Video CD looks a lot like VHS, or worse. Try to stick with DVD if at all possible.

 

Denny (10X)

[happysinglemom]

YES, YOU DO NEED TO BRING A POWER STRIP

 

N0. We certainly never needed one. I brought a hair dryer, curling iron, and cell phone charger - never ever needed more outlets.

[critterchick]

I always take a power strip. I travel with my parents so there are 3 of us. This is what we take:

 

2 iPods (a Shuffle and a Nano...two different chargers required)

2 digital cameras with rechargable batteries (two battery chargers too)

2 cell phones

1 PDA

1 Charger for my mother's power wheelchair

 

 

How about getting an iGo power pack? As other posters have said, everything doesn't need to be recharging simultaneously, and the iGo lets you get "tips" for each of your devices that plug into the charging unit. You swap out the tips for each one. GMoney told me about these, and they're terrific - we can charge the laptop and another device simultaneously, and it cuts down on the number of charging bases we have to bring with us, thereby reducing vanity top clutter.

[flynrph]

Sorry off topic......

The airplane next to your name looks somewhat familiar; Can you given some infomation on it?

But, that's not it's original paint job, and its never been to Georgia for an extend stay for all I know. What were you curious about beside the tail number?:cool:

[teach223]

Someone mentioned on another thread they always bring the plug in air freshners (those which plug into the electrical outlet). My husband is a retired firefighter and he was very upset to think they would be used on a cruise ship. He said he went to numerous house fires started by these freshners. He said someone will often place clothing or other objects against the air freshner and the heat generated will cause the item to catch on fire. He said he had also found fires started by the air freshner itself melting down and causing a fire to start. In his opinion they should be banned. He will not allow one to be in our house and he warns friends who use them about the experiences he has had with them. In fact another firefighter's home burned and the wife knows it started when a basket of clothes was accidently placed against it in the bedroom. This is not intended to anger the fans of plug in air freshners, but this is first hand knowledge based on actual fire investigations and first hand experiences. Perhaps, they are not a wise choice for freshing a cabin.

[derf5585]

He said he had also found fires started by the air freshner

 

House Destroyed by Glade Plug-in Air Freshener-Fiction! But Additional Info!

from

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/plug-in-air-fresheners.htm

 

Claim: Glade PlugIns brand air fresheners pose a greater-than-usual fire hazard. Status: False.

from

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/glade.asp

 

it is reasonable to assume that this attribution is another case of False Attribution Syndrome.

from

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/pluginfire.html

[SingerEsq]

Singer Esq,

 

Here is the best program I've found. It's unbelieveably easy to use. I downloaded the trial version, played with it for about 10 minutes and knew I had to have it. After buying several of these programs, I finally found what I wanted. Scene changes, music, zoom, pan, titles, etc.

 

http://www.photodex.com/products/proshowgold/

 

 

Hey, Denny (10X) ... thanks for the link and the tip about DVD v. CDs. I checked out the website and downloaded the trial version. Can't wait to give it a try!

[teach223]

I am not trying to start or continue any controversy about Glade plug in air freshners. In fact, I did not indicate any particular brand of air freshner. I was merely relating to you the first hand knowledge as experienced by my husband while he was a fire chief in our city. He attended the National Firefighting Academy, has a degree in Fire Science, and 32 years of experience. I suggest those who feel they are safe continue to use them in their homes. Just please leave them at home and don't use them on ships.

[fnewman]

Sorry off topic......

 

But, that's not it's original paint job, and its never been to Georgia for an extend stay for all I know. What were you curious about beside the tail number?:cool:

Sorry abou toff-topic, but I had no other contact info. I thought it was a 172, but the picture is so small I wasn't sure. It looked very much like the 182 I once owned, paint job and all.

[flynrph]

Sorry abou toff-topic, but I had no other contact info. I thought it was a 172, but the picture is so small I wasn't sure. It looked very much like the 182 I once owned, paint job and all.

My email is burried in my profile. Takes a little thinking. It's a '78 172N with about 3600TT and 40 SMOH With a Garmin 530 ( yeah, that's right a 530) Mode S and TIS, and Power flow systems headers. What a 172!:D

[m steve]

If Princess served real coffee there would not be a need to bring your own pot. It's their cheapness using syrup that makes the passengers bring those coffee makers. We did after reading about and experiencing Princess coffee.

As for other plug ins we traveled AU/NZ recently and the ship is the last outpost for 110v 60c plugs so the camcorder, cell phone, battery charger and if we had a lap top could get a final charge before disembarking.

[Fuzzzy]

Let's see. We take along our video camera charger, digital camera charger, PDA charger, laptop computer and iPod charger.

 

between the two outlets near the desk, the one in the bathroom. And, if needed, the one behind the TV, we have expereinced adequate plugs for our needs. Not everything needs charged at once.

 

Now, if I have a espresso machine, hot tub, popcorn maker and hedge trimmer, I would need more outlets. :D

[Druke I]

Never had a need for a power strip.

 

I take electric razor which normally holds charge for a couple of weeks - so fine there.

 

Wife, with fine hair, takes her own hair dryer and curling iron - but still no need for power strip.

[flynrph]

hedge trimmer, .:D

 

Ummm, might want to do that at home before the cruise! :p

[sultan_sfo]

I "think" the mini-suites and suites have more and better located outlets than balcony or insides. We definitely needed a multi-outlet -- 2 cell phones, alarm clock, camera, iPod, and DW using the hair dryer. Multi-outlets makes life a lot easier -- none of these items put much of an electrical load. Based on advice on this board about coffee pots etc., I did take an immersion heater to make fresh tea (bags from the Horizon Court) but decided not to use it because of its wattage and risk. I keep drinking a lot of tea to avoid the temptation to eat! /Sultan

[Leafpeeper]

NCL has metal tea kettles that automatically shutoff after boiling. Every day our cabin steward left us hot chocolate packets, teabags, Maxwell House and Sanka coffee packets, and lots of creamers in our fridge. It was so nice to have a cup before heading out to breakfast.

 

We will pack a small plastic tea kettle (automatic shutoff) for our Princess cruise. I may also bring our small Mr. Coffee that has a plastic mug for a pot. I just wish all cruiselines would install pots in cabins just like hotels have. Lots of people like to make their own coffee and tea at various times of the day. We love a cup on our balcony every morning and evening.