The Complete Guide to Plug Sockets on Cruise Ships

Picture the scene: the sun is beaming down, the ocean glittering, waves lapping gently against the side of the luxury cruise ship you have just boarded, ready for the voyage of a lifetime. You’ve packed every bag, checked every box, and now it’s time to luxuriate in your immaculate cabin, with its elegant fittings, tasteful décor, fully stocked mini fridge and…plug sockets that are all wrong for the devices in your suitcase.

With your travel adaptors sat gathering dust at home, surrounded by luggage tags and miscellaneous coins from holidays past, you have the choice between caving and buying an expensive adaptor from the cruise line, or resigning yourself to a suite full of incompatible plug sockets and waving goodbye to the use of your devices for the duration of the trip.

Which plug sockets will my stateroom offer?

Now, you may be thinking, ‘Isn’t there a one-size-fits-all for cruise ship plug socket types?’

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Cruise ship cabins are usually fitted with European sockets (round two-pin socket) and/or US sockets (North American standard flat two-pin socket). River cruise ships tend to come with a 220v European socket as standard, whilst British vessels such as Cunard cruise ships also feature UK plug sockets (rectangular three-pin socket). Most major cruise lines have extra plug sockets with at least two varieties, but it’s always advised to double check with the cruise line which kind of plug adaptor you’ll need before you set off (check out our useful plug socket chart below!)

In addition, newer ships will often also provide USB sockets for ease of charging. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when this was implemented, but it’s been a standard stateroom feature on cruise ships since roughly the mid-2010s, spurred by the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets. There are often just one or two USB sockets per stateroom, so for guests looking to charge multiple devices at once, it may be worth investing in an 'Octopus Cable'. These devices essentially function as a cable splitter, with multiple connectors (for example, those compatible with either a USB-C or Apple’s lightning port) allowing you to charge up to four devices from the same USB socket. Some ultra state-of-the-art cruise ships, owned by contemporary cruise lines such as Explora even have wireless bedside charging - which can be used with all compatible devices - as well as additional USB plug sockets in all staterooms, not just higher-grade cabins. 

Can I bring my own plug socket power strips?

It's important to bear in mind that many ships were manufactured in an era when the average person didn’t have quite so many devices to plug in, and so there may be fewer plug sockets per stateroom than you would expect. There are straightforward ways around this, such as portable chargers, or plug outlet multipliers for additional UK sockets/additional European sockets but be cautious with power-strip style extension cords, as they often have surge protection – prohibited on board most cruise lines due to fire safety concerns. Royal Caribbean cruise ships revealed this year that they will no longer be allowing power strips of any kind, even those without surge protection. So far, no other cruise lines have announced plans to follow suit, but it's something to be aware of when researching plug sockets and adaptors on your chosen cruise ship. 

On that note, most modern appliances (such as laptops, smartphones and tablets) run on a multi-voltage system, but always double check before you go wiring yourself up to the mains. If your appliance is designed to plug into a British socket (230v) you’ll have no problems with a European socket (220v). However, if your appliance is not multi-voltage (many hair styling tools and battery chargers are not) beware of plugging it into a 110v US socket, as you run the risk of blowing your appliance, short-circuiting the plug socket, or even causing a fire. A standard adaptor won’t be effective in this case, and you’ll need to look into a voltage adaptor or transformer, specially designed for US sockets.

Can I plug in medical equipment?

Of course, it’s not just iPhones and hair tools that need plugging in – what about if you have medical equipment - such as a CPAP machine - that you have to bring on board? The first port of call should always be notifying the cruise line themselves, to communicate your needs and find out what their specific policy is, but bringing plug-in medical equipment on board shouldn’t be a problem for most cruise lines. Remember that the cruise line staff are there to help and will be on hand to provide any extension cords or adaptors that you may need.

The main thing to be aware of is that no two cruise lines are alike, so it’s best to double check which plug socket types you'll find aboard, using our handy plug socket guide below.

Plug Sockets Cruise Ships Guide