*ETA* Outlet question answered, new question - Is anyone on the board sailing Princess from Seattle on 7/25? Would be cool to hook up if any SF'ers happen to be aboard.



We are booked for an Alaska cruise in July. I’m trying to get info on availability of bedside outlets to plug in my CPAP.

I’ve seen comments in reviews that there are only 2 outlets available in the stateroom and they are near the little desk. Pictures of the stateroom show nightstands on either side of the bed with lamps on them. This would lead me to believe there is an outlet somewhere on the wall by the bed.

Wondering if anyone has been on a Princess Royal class ship that could confirm or refute if there are outlets for those lamps.


Seems extension cords are forbidden on many ships so I am trying to figure out my options.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,

There are outlets near the bed but you can always call the cruise lines and confirm that.

Many cruise ships restrict extension cords. If there isn't an outlet near the bed, you can request that they provide one.

Best to call them - they might allow cords within certain restrictions.

I’ve seen discussions on CPAP FB groups that these cruise lines will issue you a special extension cord for your CPAP machine, you have to notify them.

Please inquire directly for the specific ship of your cruise. Different ships are different. It is not like a Boeing 787 with defined specs for the cabin.

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Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
Please inquire directly for the specific ship of your cruise. Different ships are different.

Various cabins on the ship can also be different too, so provide that information when calling the cruise line. It also depends on the age of the ship.

On the ships we've been on recently, there has been at least one European 2-prong outlet, one US outlet and up to 2 USB outlets (for power) on each side of the bed.

You can request both an extension cord and distilled water be provided for your CPAP. I did exactly that on Caribbean Princess in Alaska, no problem whatsoever.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

Seems extension cords are forbidden on many ships so I am trying to figure out my options.

I believe that the extensions that are banned, are those with surge protectors.

I have seen many listings, Amazon for example, for extensions without surge protection, that state that they are approved for cruise ships.

I have no idea why surge protectors would be a problem; maybe one of our electrician members can tell us.

Took a second to google, which I'm sure you have done, and it isn't clearly stated by Princess but there is a 110 typically by the desk, and a 220 under the bed for the lamp. You can use that but you need a euro style plug that converts it so your CPAP at 110 can plug in.

Lots of posts from people saying you should let them know and they will supply you with the correct extension cord so you don't need to buy one and carry onboard. Same for the distilled water, by letting them know they will put it in your room

Several says you contact the line, and may have to complete an accommodation form for the cpap.

If you have tablets, phones, and other devices that need to charge you might want to get the 220/110 EU style converter plug for the plug under the bed, leaving the 110 for charging at night is a consistent post as well.

If it's Discovery Princess, "she made week-long inaugural voyage in March 2022 from her debut homeport of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera and moved to Seattle during her maiden summer deployment to cruise the Inside Passage." (Wikipedia)

So, new ship, as most of the Royal-class are. You'll most likely have USB ports for power.

The above is from Crystal Endeavour in 2021 (now Silver Endeavour). She launched in 2021 and we were on her third voyage. This was on each side of the bed; Euro AC power, US AC power and USB power.

You could also go to https://boards.cruisecritic.com/ and ask your question but be sure to identify the ship you booked.

My recollection is there wasn't an outlet near the bed. However, the steward scrounged up an extension cord and I was able to utilize my CPAP with no issues. This was several years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

Seems extension cords are forbidden on many ships so I am trying to figure out my options.

I believe that the extensions that are banned, are those with surge protectors.

I have no idea why surge protectors would be a problem; maybe one of our electrician members can tell us.

Per Grok it has to do with the fact that ship electrical systems are designed differently than shore systems with regard to neutral and grounding and therefore the way that surge protectors handle current spikes can actually cause safety issues up to and including fires on a ships system.
Here's the main technical reason, based on U.S. Coast Guard investigations and marine electrical standards:

Household wiring (land-based): Uses a "hot" live wire, a neutral wire (which returns current), and a ground wire. Surge protectors work by clamping excess voltage and diverting surges to ground. Their internal circuit breakers or components typically disconnect only the hot wire during a fault.
Cruise ship cabin outlets: Many ships use an isolated or "floating" neutral/ground system (often with isolation transformers or ungrounded distribution for safety and to prevent corrosion/ground loops). In this setup, both wires in the outlet can effectively carry current relative to the ship's hull (which serves as the overall ground reference). There's no true "neutral" like on land—both legs are "hot" to ground.

When a surge protector or its internal components (like Metal Oxide Varistors or MOVs) encounter a fault—such as a ground fault elsewhere on the ship creating voltage imbalance—it can:

Fail to properly disconnect both legs of the circuit.
Cause excessive current flow through the device.
Lead to overheating, thermal runaway, melting insulation, or outright fire.

Not the same cruise line as you're going on, but last Sept we took a cruise on Azmara (Greece btw, it was awsome). I let them know ahead of time that I was bringing a CPAP and when we checked into the room they had an extension cord taped to the floor and a daily supply of distilled water.

quote:

My recollection is there wasn't an outlet near the bed.

Older ship?

This is from the Princess Cruise Line website and a picture of an interior cabin on the Royal Princess (first of its class):

The circles highlight the power panels on each side of the bed. The lighting in the picture tends to wash it out.

Enchanted Princess had outlets. My wife uses a CPAP.

What ship? The Mrs. and I went in Oct. for a Princess Alaska cruise

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

quote:

My recollection is there wasn't an outlet near the bed.

Older ship?

This is from the Princess Cruise Line website and a picture of an interior cabin on the Royal Princess (first of its class):

The circles highlight the power panels on each side of the bed. The lighting in the picture tends to wash it out.

Like I said, it was several years ago. That ship probably got blown apart on some beach in India since I was a passenger.

We were on the Caribbean Princess last May for an Alaska cruise. I seem to remember my wife’s cpap cord run behind the head of the mattress since she sleeps on the right, so that means the outlet was on the left side in the area of the night stand or on the wall above the counter top. FYI, there is another outlet in the bathroom if you run out of outlets in the room.

Figure out the boat and room number go to youtube and search for a video review of the room, you would be surprised at how many videos there are like this

quote:

FYI, there is another outlet in the bathroom if you run out of outlets in the room.

If you are referencing the outlet for shavers, be sure to ask your cabin attendant if it can be used for other purposes. On the cruise lines I have been on, most were not powered sufficiently for other than electric shavers.

You'd need a very long extension cord if you did, anyway (to bring power out to the bedstand or desk, depending on cabin layout), and one might get their feet wrapped up in it using the toilet in the middle of the night, especially in some rough seas.