Guests Are Not Happy About This Useful Item Being Banned On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Look, there are lots of things you can't bring on a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship, and they all make sense. Firearms? No. Car batteries? Also no. You'll never need a knife, hatchet, or cattle prod, and the cruise staff will happily provide you with a coffeemaker and fire extinguisher, so there's never a reason to bring your own. Yes, one or two items on this list may be surprising, like travel steamers and heating pads, but you can probably live without these items for a few nights. As for the one type of food you're banned from bringing on a cruise, you'll have more than enough to eat without it.

But what's the deal with multi-plug outlets? Many prospective passengers were alarmed to hear that Royal Caribbean changed its policies in 2024, and while extension cords and power strips were already prohibited, the cruise line also added multi-plug outlets to its list of banned items. These helpful tools, which are nearly always allowed in airports and planes, hotels and Airbnbs, probably won't get past the Royal Caribbean security checkpoint. The ban also includes surge protectors, which are widely considered a great alternative to this popular tech gadget that is less useful than people realize.

While Royal Caribbean doesn't specify why, the expected reason for the change is the risk of fire. The more electrical sockets you bring aboard, the more possible it is to overload the system and spark a fire. Cruise ship cabins have at least one electrical outlet — and every one is a potential liability.

Before you panic, you should know what is permitted aboard: You can bring regular power cords for (permitted) household items, such as laptops, medical equipment, and battery chargers for large cameras. You can also bring a USB adapter with several ports, as the ban doesn't extend to these smaller cords. This should cover most of the electronics that a passenger would think to bring. Because it's unlikely that your ship will get struck by lightning or experience a devastating electrical surge, there's really no reason to bring a power strip. Meanwhile, many cabins are small enough to render most extension cords unnecessary. Every ship has standard North American (110 volt) and European (220/230 volt) sockets. The only issue you might have is if your room (especially on older ships) has only one outlet and you need to plug in multiple items at the same time, like CPAP machines. In that case, users can fill out Royal Caribbean's Special Needs form to request additional accommodation.  

Royal Caribbean's new policy is fairly bold, but it's easy to imagine that other cruise companies will follow suit. No combination of devices is worth setting the ship on fire, and cruise ships are designed to provide most of a passenger's needs, plus a great many luxuries on top of that. Instead of juicing up a bunch of gadgets, focus on rest, a crucial element that can make or break an entire trip. It's great to have Bluetooth earphones and waterproof cameras at the ready, but when it comes to cruising, the best thing you can do is just unplug.