Cruise Approved Power Strips and Cabin Outlets: What Each Line Allows

A “cruise approved” power strip is one without surge protection. It is not an official rating: no cruise line tests or approves products, and the label only means the seller believes it meets the most common rule, which bans surge protectors. Carnival and Princess allow non-surge power strips. Royal Caribbean bans every power strip, extension cord and multi-plug outlet, surge-protected or not, and Celebrity bans extension cords and multi-plug adapters.

The reason people want one is simple. A typical cruise cabin has just one US outlet and one European outlet at the desk, and two people with phones, watches, a tablet, a camera and a CPAP machine quickly run out of sockets. Below is what cabins actually have, why surge protectors are off limits, each major line’s rule and what to pack instead.

What outlets a cruise cabin has

Most ships built for the North American market supply both 110-volt and 220-volt power in cabins. The usual setup is one North American three-prong outlet and one European round-pin outlet at the desk, plus a socket in the bathroom that is only for electric shavers.

Two practical points follow. First, the European outlet is useful only if your plug fits it and the device handles 220 volts. Most phone, laptop and camera chargers are labeled “100-240V” and work on either outlet with a simple plug adapter; a device labeled 110 or 120 volts only must stay on the US outlet. Second, the bathroom socket is for shavers and toothbrushes, not hair tools. Most cabins come with a hair dryer, so leave yours at home unless you really need it.

Newer and recently refurbished ships usually have more outlets and USB ports than older ones, and suites have more than inside cabins. If outlets matter a lot to you, the deck plans and cabin descriptions for your specific ship are the place to check, along with the advice on which cruise cabin to book.

Why surge protectors are banned on ships

The lines’ own pages mostly just say “for safety reasons”. The clearest official explanation comes from the US Coast Guard. In 2013 it issued Marine Safety Alert 03-13, warning that surge protectors bought for use ashore “may be a fire risk onboard vessels”.

The alert explains that shore-type surge protectors are designed around the way buildings ashore are wired, and a ship’s electrical system is set up differently. When a ground fault occurred on a US-flag container ship, shore-type surge protectors overheated and caused two cabin fires. The alert applies to vessels in general, not cruise ships specifically, but it matches what the cruise lines ban.

This is also why the rule targets surge protection, not the number of outlets. A plain power strip has no surge circuit, so Carnival and Princess allow it. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity go further and ban multi-plug devices altogether, without giving a specific reason.

Power strip and extension cord rules by line

These are the rules on each line’s own pages as of October 2026. Some pages contradict themselves, which is noted below the table.

Royal Caribbean. Its prohibited items policy bans electrical items not designed for personal grooming, naming extension cords, power strips and multi-plug outlets. Device and USB chargers marked with a recognized US or European conformity certification are allowed. This is the strictest of the big lines, and a strip labeled “cruise approved” is still banned here.

Carnival. The prohibited items list puts power strips, multi-outlet adapters and extension cords without surge protection among the items generally permitted, adding that they may be removed if deemed unsafe. Carnival’s CPAP page states plainly that surge protectors are prohibited.

Princess. The pre-cruise FAQ lists electrical devices with surge protectors, including multi-plug outlets and power strips, as prohibited, and says non-surge versions are allowed with caution after inspection and testing by the onboard electrical department. The same page also says extension cords and surge-protected strips are “generally not permitted” and, in a footnote, that surge-protected extension cords are allowed. Read it as: no surge protection, expect an inspection.

Celebrity. The prepare to sail FAQ lists electrical extension cords as prohibited, and Celebrity’s pre-boarding guide adds multi-plug adapters. It does not name power strips separately, but a strip is both of those things, so plan on leaving it at home.

Norwegian. NCL’s prohibited items page does not mention power strips, surge protectors or extension cords. It bans transformers and anything with a heating element. Its accessible cruising page asks CPAP users to bring an extension cord that does not include a surge protector, which is the best guide to how the ship views them.

MSC. MSC’s accessibility and medical page says guests are not permitted to bring their own extension cords for safety reasons, and its general FAQ limits cabin appliances to shavers, hair dryers, battery chargers and computers. It does not mention power strips by name.

The packing list on what is banned beyond electronics, from irons to candles, is in the cruise packing guide.

What a “cruise approved” power strip actually is

Search for cruise power strips and you will find dozens of products labeled “cruise approved” or “cruise ship safe”. The products usually have these features:

• No surge protection circuit, which is the feature that matters
• Two to four AC outlets plus several USB-A or USB-C ports
• A short cord, or none at all, so the unit plugs straight into the wall
• Sometimes a flat or swivel plug so it fits the desk outlet

That makes them legal on Carnival and, after inspection, on Princess. It does not make them legal on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity, and the label carries no weight with security on any line. If a product description says “surge protector” anywhere, or it has a surge indicator light, it is not allowed on the lines that ban surge protection, whatever the box says.

Look for a product that carries a recognized safety mark from a testing laboratory, avoid cheap unmarked strips, and keep the total load low. A strip is for chargers, not for a hair straightener and a kettle at the same time. Kettles, coffee makers with hot plates and irons are banned on most lines anyway.

What to bring instead

The option that works on every line is a wall-plug USB charger with several ports, the kind that plugs directly into the outlet with no cord. With a four- or five-port charger in the US outlet, two people can charge phones, watches and earbuds overnight. Royal Caribbean’s rule expressly allows USB chargers with a US or European certification mark.

Other things that help:

• A European plug adapter. A simple round-pin adapter (Type C) lets you use the 220-volt outlet for dual-voltage chargers. MSC says guests can request adapters from its Information Office, but bringing your own avoids the wait.
• Longer charging cables. The desk outlet is often far from the bed. A 6- to 10-foot USB cable reaches the nightstand without an extension cord.
• A power bank. Useful in port and as a second charging point in the cabin. If you fly to the port, airline rules require it in your carry-on.
• Your cabin’s USB ports. Many newer ships have USB ports at the bed or desk. Carnival says most of its ships have 5-volt USB-A ports in cabins, enough for a phone but slow for a tablet or laptop.

Devices with heavy power needs, such as laptops, are best charged one at a time from the US outlet. If you rely on your phone at sea, the guide to cruise ship Wi-Fi covers what internet packages cost.

CPAP machines and medical devices

CPAP and BiPAP users have the best case for extra cords, and every major line has a process for them. Notify the line well before sailing, usually through its accessibility or special needs form.

Pack the CPAP in your hand luggage on embarkation day; Carnival requires it to be carried on. If you depend on another powered medical device, such as an oxygen concentrator or a mobility scooter charger, contact the line’s accessibility team before booking, because those come with their own approval steps.

What happens if security finds a banned power strip

Luggage is screened at the terminal before it is delivered to your cabin, and a power strip is easy to spot. Lines state that banned items can be removed, and Carnival says even permitted strips may be removed if deemed unsafe. Royal Caribbean also notes that items not on its list can still be refused. Either way, expect to lose the use of it for the cruise.

The easiest way to avoid that is to check your line’s current page a few weeks before sailing, since these lists change, and pack a wall-plug USB charger plus a plug adapter. For everything else that makes the first day smoother, see the first cruise tips and, for the last morning, the cruise disembarkation tips, which include a reminder to check the outlets for forgotten chargers.