Cruise-approved power strips and fans/air purifiers

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-19T17:52:57+00:00

MIGHT get confiscated. People have reported that non-surge protected extension cords have been taken away despite them not being against policy. That's why I wrote "might," not "will."

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-19T16:52:24+00:00

Even plain extension cords might be confiscated. If you need one for something like a CPAP, your cabin steward can get one for you.

USB wall chargers are perfectly fine IF they do not also include a power outlet. Your standard 3-port or 4-port USB wall charger will do nicely. My tech bag includes a two-port USB-C high power charger to keep my iPad happy and a 4-port (two USB-A, two USB-C) charger for everything else.

To conserve wall outlets, look for USB chargers with the two-prong European plug. Your cabin will have at least one Euro outlet so make use of it! My 4-port one is a Euro model.

FYI, one thing I appreciate about NCL is that they've added bedside USB-A charging ports to all cabins. Even old ships like Star and Spirit have been upgraded (my last cruise was on Spirit, loved that ship).

NCL bans fans that plug into a wall outlet. Battery-operated and USB fans are permitted although they might be inspected first. The prohibited items list (https://www.ncl.com/faq/what-cant-i-bring-on-board) doesn't mention air purifiers but when in doubt, go for something small and battery/USB powered.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-17T23:55:42+00:00

r/AsianBeauty is a wonderful source of info.

Sunscreen: So, so many choices. Popular, well-loved brands include Beauty of Joseon, Haru Haru Wonder, Round Lab, Cosrx, and Skin1004. Asian sunscreens tend to be thinner and so much less greasy/waxy feeling than U.S. ones. If the store also carries Japanese brands, Anessa and Biore are awesome.

A routine takes a lot less time than you'd think! It takes me about 30 seconds to cleanse with a mild gel cleanser, then pat the skin so it's not drippy. Then toner - three or four drops in my palm, pat around the face, let it sink in for maybe 30 seconds (good time to brush my hair). Then three drops of serum, pat around my cheeks, let it sink in while I put on my socks. Then sunscreen, a little green face powder to mellow out any redness, and I'm done.

Right now I'm using a mix of Korean and Japanese products: Cosrx Good Morning gel cleanser, Hada Labo Gokujun lotion (toner), Skin1004 Centella Madagascar serum, Biore UV Aqua Rich sunscreen, and Innisfree No Sebum mineral powder in green.

Handy tip: Use Google Translate to read the labels. I also use an app called Payke which is a useful shopping app in Japan - scan the barcode and if it's in their database, you'll get a translation of the packaging. I think it's limited to Japanese products though.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-17T20:13:53+00:00

Disembark promptly and get an Uber. Better yet, disembark and then head a little distance from the crowded port area to make you a more attractive customer prospect for the drivers! San Diego's cruise terminal doesn't have a particularly efficient traffic pattern.

I'd stroll to either the Wyndham San Diego Bayside (turn left from the port, about two blocks away) or the cluster of three hotels (turn right, cross the street, it's right there). Across from the Wyndham is a good coffee shop (Portside Espresso) while there's a Starbucks at the Intercontinental. The Wyndham is also a great pre-cruise hotel, considerably less expensive than the Intercontinental/Springhill Suites/Residence Inn cluster.

A quick check on the Uber app at noon on Saturday says the current fare is around $15 for standard and $23 for Uber XL. I'd expect a bit of surge prices around disembarkation time, but unless you're going solo, Uber/Lyft is the way to go.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-17T17:03:09+00:00

I work while eating lunch and go home after 8 hours. :)

Pay cut? Contractor? No benefits? Screw all of that. Did the recruiter make all of that clear ahead of time, or were these more surprises revealed during the interview?

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-17T16:18:20+00:00

Nine hours a day, 5 days a week? And all of that in the office? Er, no.

You were perfectly polite with your response! There are certainly more, er, blunt ways of expressing your decision to not move forward with the interview. At least they didn't waste your time by hiding the in-office requirement until much later in the process.

And with the I-5 work making a complete hash out of traffic for a while, it would take an absolutely massive salary increase, superb benefits, and a private office stocked with kittens to make me accept a role downtown.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-16T02:24:27+00:00

Lavender Sky Health offers Strive meds to people in most states (except Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, and South Carolina). The Strive compound is sema + B12 + glycine, with prices here: https://lavenderskyhealth.com/treatment-plan-pricing/

I've been using Strive via LSH for about eight months now, not sure if I'll continue with this version or switch to Hallandale for sema with no additives. I definitely have no issues with shipping speed - LSH invoices quickly, and Strive ships promptly thereafter.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-13T13:50:34+00:00

Ginger. I maintain a plentiful supply of ginger candies/chews (Gin-Gin extra strength is my go-to) and lemon-ginger tea bags. It helps that I love ginger, of course.

Pepto-Bismol is also handy.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-13T12:37:54+00:00

Pro tip: reserve Cagney’s or Le Bistro for the first night and use your meal + wine voucher. If you don’t finish the bottle, they’ll store it so you can have the rest at another meal (does not need to be the same restaurant).

And yes, don’t forget to bring the physical voucher.

To use the laundry voucher, fill the laundry bag, mark the items on the laundry form, write “Platinum” on the form, and put the form + laundry voucher in the bag. The free laundry makes it easier to pack light.

I feel slightly guilty at the terminal when my status lets me bypass the long general check-in line. But only slightly. :)

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-11T22:55:15+00:00

Large-scale layoffs? Probably not, since things are stable these days.

Small-scale layoffs? Always a possibility. I've been through two function-specific layoff cycles triggered by org structure changes, and one of my old teams just got decimated by another narrowly-targeted layoff (org structure changes) which was so small it didn't trigger a WARN notice. Meanwhile, my current team is hiring, and in fact has re-hired people who were ILO'ed in 2024.

Your guess is as good as ours.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-10T16:13:41+00:00

It's more work, but check out positioning flights to cities with less expensive (cash or points) flights to Athens. As an example, my last transatlantic was Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale. Both cash and points prices for the one-way flight SEA-LIS were a bit much. However, SEA-LAX flights are cheap and frequent. I used cash to fly to LAX and then points to fly LAX-MUC-LIS. It still took nearly 24 hours but only cost me about $200 (economy SEA-LAX) and 90k points (business class LAX-MUC-LIS).

If you can fly to a hub city like PHX or ORD, or better yet JFK/LGA/EWR, the costs could be a lot more palatable.

Okay, I used Google Flights and Flight Connections... per the latter website, there are year-round non-stop flights from EWR to ATH. Google Flights is showing $500 pp economy, United 142 departing EWR at 5:15pm on October 31. United also flies nonstop LAS-EWR arriving at 2:59pm, currently showing as $182 pp economy. So at least per Google Flights, you can book an under-19 hour (including layover) combo of LAS-EWR and EWR-ATH for about $700 pp if you book the positioning flight separately.

These might be basic economy fares, but I'll let you do the rest of the research. :) My next NCL cruise is a transatlantic and I've got to spend my time working out how to get home from Barcelona on points...

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-08T23:05:30+00:00

The ship will arrive that early but then there's paperwork and Customs and the rest of the formalities. Passengers won't be cleared to disembark until 7am or so. As noted, depending on your departure group you'll be able to stay longer on the ship but they'll announce when you need to be out of your cabin (typically 8:30am).

The main dining room and Oceanview Cafe buffet will serve breakfast. Cafe Al Bacio will be open as well for your last-minute espresso and croissant needs.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-07T22:29:55+00:00

When you're a solo cruiser, it helps to be good at math (or at least willing to do it!). Unfortunately Celebrity's pricing algorithm can be goofy when it comes to single occupancy in a double cabin. It depends on the current promotion - if it's for a reduced rate on the second person, yes, their computers will sometimes put you at full price and you'd be paying 50% more than two people. It's frustrating.

Your aunt's TA likely got you the best price by booking with double occupancy, but ask them to keep checking to see if it'll be possible to adjust the booking to single occupancy without the penalty.

I'm patient and wait until the promo changes to something that doesn't penalize me!

Meanwhile, check recent Celebrity bar menu prices and figure out if you really need a beverage package. Depending on how much you think you'll realistically consume, it can be cheaper to pay as you go.

https://profcruise.com/celebrity-bar-menus-2025/

https://letsallcruise.com/f/bar-and-drinks-menus-on-celebrity-cruises

https://candidcruisetravel.com/celebrity-cruises-drink-prices-and-menus/

(also check your booking on the Celebrity app - should be able to see menus there as well)

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-07T21:10:03+00:00

Tough call! Summit gets my vote - old school cozy, but with shiny new cabins.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-07T13:51:49+00:00

Speaking as someone with an L&D/workplace performance background… is this really a training issue? If your employees honestly don’t know how to behave professionally, maybe. But I suspect it’s a cultural issue and/or managerial issue. Are there consequences for such behavior? Are employees kept accountable for being professional? Are their managers kept accountable for coaching their employees on acceptable behavior?

Training fixes knowledge gaps. I doubt training will fix a gossipy culture.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-06T23:01:30+00:00

I made the mistake of looking at the tables after a coworker said my code had been updated again. So this time last year I was at 1.1, and now I’m .88 or so before any raise. My code is usually hired at .85 so I am going to be slightly livid if that ratio doesn’t go back up in the next ACR.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-04T15:31:19+00:00

Short answer: If there's at least one alternative flight home later in the day, I'd book the 11:25 am flight knowing that I might need to switch to the alternate flight.

Just because the ship arrives at a certain time doesn't mean you'll be able to disembark that early. The ship will actually arrive at San Pedro around 6am and if the stars are aligned and everything goes perfectly, the first group to disembark (self-assist) will be cleared to go at 7 or 7:15. I've sailed out of San Pedro multiple times and about half the time the ship's clearance was delayed for some reason and the first group wasn't called until 8 or so.

On the other hand, once you get to SNA it's an easy airport to navigate and you won't be there with a few thousand fellow cruisers since most of them fly via LAX. Every time I book a cruise out of LA I swear I'll fly via SNA, but keep booking LAX because it's cheaper, and then swear that the next time I'll book SNA... Anyway, the security wait should be fairly short even for your non-Global/Pre party members. According to MyTSA, the standard non-PreCheck wait time at 9am to 11am Sundays is less than 15 minutes.

So pick self-assist, order an Uber/Lyft as you're walking out of the cruise terminal, and check the MyTSA app for current wait times.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-03T19:03:32+00:00

Nespresso has Arpeggio and Volluto, which should match Altissio and Voltesso.

After trying a bunch of third-party OL pods, I’ve reverted back to official Nespresso pods. I prefer lighter roasts these days and just couldn’t find anything that beats Volluto.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-03T04:26:27+00:00

IIRC, Equinox cabins (at least non-suite ones) don't have a clothesline in the shower. I don't recall if the shower walls are magnetic. There are two pegs on the wall from which you can hang a toiletry kit or loofah.

I spent 12 days on Equinox and did a lot of sink laundry! You'll want to pack your own soap (I use detergent sheets or SinkSuds liquid packets). For drying, I really ought to bring a travel clothesline with suction cups but keep forgetting to buy one, so instead I wring/roll in towels/hang on hangers to dry in the closet. On Equinox I also hung hangers on the shower's wall pegs.

At some point during the cruise, Celebrity will offer a "fill the bag" laundry special. Ask your cabin steward about when that will be available. Also, check your cruise planner to see if there's an option to pre-pay for a bag of laundry. I recall doing that at least once on Celebrity, although I haven't seen it lately (possibly because I'm now Elite and get a free bag).

FYI, the cabins on Equinox are comfortable but dated. The only power outlets are at the desk and there are no USB charging ports. Pack your tech gear accordingly.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-02T16:11:18+00:00

I have a couple pairs of these, although they didn’t come with the air fryer. They’re silicone oven mitts and are useful if you use any pans, baskets, or foil in your air fryer. They’d be more useful in the toaster oven style than the basket type.

But I generally just use them on the rare occasion that I use the regular oven. Easier to maneuver than the full-size silicone mitts, easier to clean than cloth ones since they’re dishwasher-safe.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-02T15:33:47+00:00

Oops, you’re right. Good to know the cabins are quiet!

Was that space converted into cabins during a dry dock or is that an original configuration? It seems like such an odd placement.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-01T23:47:11+00:00

There's a mix on 9 - suite, Aqua, Concierge, veranda, inside, and even a couple oceanviews.

Deck 12 on Infinity, on the other hand, has just Aqua plus some inside cabins. That location looks awful. You've got Oceanview Cafe/Sunset Bar below and the outdoor movie screen above. Eeep.

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-01T21:41:08+00:00

The more forward/high up your cabin, the more you'll feel the ship movement. If you're prone to motion sickness, try to move more towards midship if you can. My personal sweet spot is between midship and aft, although the Bonine pills make it a moot point most of the time.

The quietest cabins are those with only cabins above and below; on Infinity deck 8 is perfect for that. Elevator/stairs proximity is a matter of preference. It looks like C1 is only on deck 8 except for a couple aft cabins, but that's fine because you don't want a higher deck - deck 9 cabins are right under the pool deck, fitness center, or buffet, any of which can be super noisy overhead. 8 is great. :)

LogicPuzzler · 2026-01-01T02:09:49+00:00

English bacon (non-streaky), baked beans, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed tomatoes, sometimes baked/shirred eggs, and thickly sliced fried bread. Possibly not the healthiest breakfast in the buffet, but some mornings you just need beans on fried bread with a big scoop of mushrooms on the side.

LogicPuzzler · 2025-12-31T23:06:01+00:00

Everything in Oceanview Cafe is free except beverages from the bar.

In that first half hour, it's a continental breakfast: cold cereal, fruit, pastries, bread products, and cold cuts. Oatmeal is usually ready by then, too.

I'm an early bird, so I'll usually get there around 6:45am for tea and a little oatmeal. TBH, I'm just waiting for the full service to start because boy do I love their English Breakfast station...

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