Travel agent Brittany Hooks (@mmtravels.brittany) posted a viral TikTok highlighting a recent Royal Caribbean cruise rule.
Passengers who think they're going to bring a multi-port charger onto their cruise ship may be disappointed by the news. That's because, Hooks says, the company has banned them. According to her, they present a potential fire hazard. But there are some folks on other social media channels who've expressed confusion as to what types of chargers are allowed.
"All right, this just in from Royal Caribbean Cruises," she began. "As of this week, they are cracking down on multi-charger devices that you're bringing on the cruise ship. The ones that used to be approved for other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean is no longer accepting."
At this point in the video, Hooks holds up an example of a multi-charging device. It's a plug that appears to have multiple outlets, with USB ports packed into it. She continues, "So this is what normally people might bring. You have one port; you have multiple places you can put in USBs, Cs—all those devices. Multiple plugs, not happening."
The TikToker also added that even if the devices are "surge protector approved," Royal Caribbean is still dropping the ban hammer on them. She went on to state what kind of devices are actually approved on Royal Caribbean cruises.
"So they want you to bring a single device charger," she said. "Yes, that might mean you have multiple that you have to bring with you 'cause you need to charge your watch, your phone, your laptop, your iPad, all your kid's devices, too."
Hooks went on to state that this rule only applies to Royal Caribbean journeys.
Furthermore, Hooks states that the reason behind the ban is attributed to a single passenger. "They went a little crazy with their multi-chargers and, as a result, caused a fire in their room," she claimed.
"So if you have already started packing for your cruise coming up soon, be careful and think about this because it could be confiscated," she said.
TheStreet has also reported on Royal Caribbean's rulings when it comes to plug-in devices on its cruise ships. The outlet reports that Royal Caribbean writes on its website that "Extension Cords and Multi-Plug Outlets/ Power Strips" are prohibited from its vessels.
Royal Caribbean offered further clarification of its rules on the company's official X account. According to the company, if a brick has multiple USB ports, then that's fine. It's the additional 3-prong plug outlets that's an issue. The following response from a Royal Caribbean employee further delineates what's allowed and what isn't.
"We do allow blocks that have multiple USB plugs, however, as it has an additional power outlet it wouldn't be permitted."
Furthermore, Royal Caribbean gives a detailed list of banned items on its website. "Electrical Extension Cords - including power strips/surge protected strips and multi-plug outlets. We do allow consumer type power conversion device USB charger (multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables). Note: Devices must be stamped with US/Europe recognized Conformance Marking to demonstrate compliance with Electrical Safety standards."
In an email to the Daily Dot, Royal Caribbean penned the following: "The safety of our guests and crew is our [utmost] priority. For safety reasons, we have a variety of items that are not allowed onboard. Those items can be found here. We encourage guests and travel partners to review this list prior to sailing with us."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Hooks via Instagram direct message for further information.
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