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Aug 04, 2023

The clever reason to bring a European power adapter on your cruise ship

Purchasing a European power adapter for your next cruise should be on your to-do list. While newer cruise ships are equipped with more outlets and USB ports, older ships tend to have fewer plugs. This

Purchasing a European power adapter for your next cruise should be on your to-do list.

While newer cruise ships are equipped with more outlets and USB ports, older ships tend to have fewer plugs. This can be frustrating to learn when you board the ship and are unprepared.

I recently cruised onboard Navigator of the Seas, a Voyager Class ship that was launched in 2002, and my interior stateroom only had two American outlets. Had I packed a European power adapter, I could have made use of the European plug to increase the total number of outlets in the room to three.

In comparison, I sailed onboard Symphony of the Seas earlier this year, and my cabin came with one American outlet beside of the bed, as well as three on the vanity. There were also two USB ports and a European plug.

Related: I stayed in a $1,400 stateroom on Symphony of the Seas — see what my room on this cruise ship looked like

Moving forward, I am always going to make sure that I have a European power adapter on any cruise ship I sail on just to make sure that I am prepared for any charging situation.

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For less than $10, you can purchase a six-pack of European adapters. So long as you do not lose them, they can be reused on future vacations, too.

While you might not need all six on your cruise, they are good to have on hand in the event you do take a European vacation, as you will need adapters for all plugs, rather than just a single one. By already having them tucked in a drawer at home, that is one less thing you will have to worry about getting!

Most cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, prohibit passengers from bringing surge protected power strips onboard. If you are caught with one, it will be confiscated and returned after you disembark. What a disappointment that would be if you were banking on using your power strip during your cruise!

If you do not have an option that will work, you will have to purchase one, and they are more expensive than European power adapters.

European power adapters are also small and lightweight, making them a better option for travel, especially when thinking about putting items in your cruise carry-on. The lighter the bag, the better!

Sometimes, the last place you want to be on a cruise is your stateroom! If, however, you find that your phone or laptop has died, you might have to camp out there for awhile while it recharges.

Throughout the ship, you are going to find more European plugs than American, meaning that you can still experience the overall atmosphere of the cruise while charging your device.

On a recent cruise, I sat in the Solarium to do some work until my laptop died, which happened quicker than usual due to the heat.

Since I did not have a power adapter, I was forced to sit in my cabin while it recharged. If I had brought a European adapter, I could have found somewhere to continue working in the public areas of the ship.

Many cruise ship cabins are able to accommodate three and four guests. With only two American outlets, though, this could pose an issue when it comes to charging phones at night.

In this case, you need to be able to access a third plug. Debating who is able to use the plugs is not how you want to spend your time together.

Even if you only have two people in your cabin, between phones, smart watches, laptops, ear buds, and more, you never know when you will have to decide between changing one device over another, especially on the last night of your cruise when you have to travel the next day!

Since streamers are prohibited onboard, a must-have for me on any cruise is wrinkle release spray. I have some dresses that, no matter how I try and pack them, are prone to wrinkling while in my suitcase.

A small travel-sized bottle is perfect for traveling, as it does not take up much space in bag. It helps to get out the bigger wrinkles, so I do not feel like I am wearing something I pulled out of my hamper!

And speaking of charging devices, I like to pack a portable charger. While I might not need to use it on sea days, it is reassuring to be able to throw a charger in my day bag before disembarking in port.

The one I have been obsessed with is on the larger and more expensive side, but I love that I do not have to recharge it after every use! It is great to leave plugged in on a sea while I am not using the cabin's outlets or need the charger handy. Plus, you are also able to charge more than one device at once, which is helpful if you are traveling with friends or family.

Since older ships do not have outlets beside of the bed, it is helpful to bring longer cables if you are someone who likes to use their phone at night or keep it close by to use as an alarm in the morning. I recommend a braided one, as they tend to last longer than standard Apple-issued cords because they are more durable.

Related: 40 essential things to bring on a cruise

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