Is a kettle really a health and safety issue?
I have just enquired with Thomson as to the use of kettles in their cabins and been advised that they are not provided and customers cannot take their own as it is a ‘health and safety issue.’ My customer is also not allowed to take her own kettle for the same reason.
I am slightly confused as to how a kettle can be a health and safety issue, I understand that hot water can burn skin but surely cruisers can decide themselves if they are willing to take the risk in order to have a cup of tea.
Thomson are not alone in this Celebrity and Royal Caribbean also do not allow kettles in the cabins but Fred Olsen do. Maybe as Fred Olsen customers are generally slightly older they are more responsible. I can ‘t quite see why some lines provide it whilst others don’t, I assuming it’s a cost issue. But in the grand scheme of things a kettle and a couple of cups is hardly going to break the bank but maybe I’m missing something?
18 Comments on “Is a kettle really a health and safety issue?”
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Cruise & Maritime, P&O have kettles and keep you ‘topped’ up with coffee, tea and biscuits. MSC don’t but then why would they at their ‘bar’ prices and the 15% surcharge for anything purchased. Azamara (balcony) cabin service (or indeed anywhere on the ships) for coffees and soft drinks is free anyway.
Health & Safety – surely it would be better to supply checked/maintained equipment than be subjected to ‘smuggled’ equipment, BUT we can only blame ‘our’ descent into today’s litigious climate.
it is not just kettles but also Travel Irons, why do shop sell these items if we cannot travel with then, i have brought my iron with me on cruises and on the costa cruise a knock on the cabin door and the engineer informed us not to use it as it did not comply with the ships voltage, I showed him the iron in question and that it had duel voltage switch but to no avail
john
independance of the seas have kettles in the cabin tea but no coffee and a bottle of water at $4 30
The reason that I understand is that it is not the voltage it is the power used so that , if many poeple had a “” cuppa” at the same time, it might blow a fuse . Then the loos would not work
Kettles and irons are also considered a fire hazard in that they may be left on accidentally. Fire is considered the greatest hazard to ships and those on board.
On an old ship the electrical wiring may not be up to taking the current load of several kettles/irons simultaneously, and this could lead to overheating and fire in the circuits.
In any case Thomson provide free hot drinks in the Lido area 24 hours per day, so there is just no need for a kettle.
I have taken my own travel kettle and a travel ‘steamer’ in place of an iron, on some of the Cunard Queens. The brochure says words to the effect that you cannot use electrical equipment unless it is thermostatically controlled i.e. it can turn itself off. Kettle with thermostats, and most are, appear to be within the rules. Those water heating elements which some people use instead of a kettle i.e. heats up one cup at a time and lightweight to carry are a ‘no no’. The safety issue of course relates to fire hazards which makes sense.
grand suites and above on adventure of the seas royal carribbean have both kettles and coffee machines also some of there other ships have this and independance of the seas has kettles in all there cabins
Just returned from Brilliant cruise on Splendour of the Seas RC and had my travel kettle on the dressing table and no on said a word.
Must depend on the scanning equipment as they seem to confiscate all on Celebrity EXCEPT hair straighteners which cause problems too …. I think its more money orientated ie pay for pressing, hairdressers but who truly knows. P&O have kettles on Azura and no worries about “everyone” using at once??
I think it’s a ‘British Thing’ to have tea making in your cabin. P&O and other British cruise lines, have it, together with the American lines,Celebrity, & RCL who sail out of Southampton, who cater for the British market.
I go P&O and am v glad of kettle etc in cabin for early morning, late night cuppas – esp. on early excursion days. Also take and use my hair straighteners, without leaving them “on” on the bed and causing a fire, get in and out of the bath/shower without [as yet] breaking my neck. Only H & S issue so far has been stubbing my toe on suitcase not-quite-completely stowed under bed. No lawsuits…..
Surely it is far safer to provide kettles than to have cruisers taking boiling hot cups of tea/coffee back to their cabins from the many cafes on board most cruise ships?
Are you old enough to be in charge of a kettle?
Are you kettle trained?
Answers on a postcard to, 🙂
How can this be a H&S issue for Thomson, and not for Fred Olsen and lots of other cruise lines? Answer: It’s not a H&S issue, it’s a cost issue. Cost of the kettle, cost of energy used, cost of consumables, cost of extra cleaning, cost of extra waste disposal. Yes, there are extra costs, but what price a cup of tea in the cabin? No kettle, no go; Thomson are ‘off’ my list of potential cruise operators in the future.
Thomson do provide kettles in some cabins on the Destiny. Kettles provided by the cruise lines will have had regular safety checks, not the ones brought on by passengers after being bounced around in their suitcases.
I travelled on a Rhine cruise recently and along the way the rep showed us why we are not allowed travel irons in our cabins. A burnt out shell of a hotel caused by a travel iron being left on.
All electrical equiptment should be checked by a qualified electrician but this is not possible on a cruise ship and anyway I personally do not want a fire on board ship. If you want an early morning cup of tea, most cruise ships have an earybird breakfast get up and go there, dont put other peoples lives at risk
On one cruise ship we were not allowed an ironing board and went around creased for 2 weeks but then so did everybody else and who cares anyway
thomson i think use health & safty as excuse i don’t think the wiring is up to taking kettles ect on destiny you can’t even charge a phone as the plug just falls out i see from coments above some cabins have kettles but most don’t ,the so called mini bar 4 cans of soft drinks is in what used to be a fridge but now diconected i have been on about 7 thomson cruisesi dont expect to much but on the hole i like them