Hello, cruise fans! Today we are talking about something that’s particularly interesting to women: hair dryers on cruise ships.
For those with long hair, a reliable hair dryer is crucial for quick and effective drying.
That’s why I’ve put together a guide to look at the types of hair dryers available across various cruise lines, evaluate their quality, and clarify whether you can bring your own from home.
Do cruise ships have hair dryers?
The answer is yes, basically all cruise ships have a hair dryer in the cabin.
As you can imagine, however, not all hair dryers are the same. I have been fortunate enough to go on many cruises and thus to try several ones.
I have to say that some, even though small, are very powerful and dry hair very well.
Other times I have come across some hair dryers that were of very poor quality and were little more than toys.
So let’s go right away to see a comparison between many of them.
Hair dryer on Royal Caribbean
Let’s start with Royal Caribbean. Unfortunately, the quality of the hair dryer on this cruise line is quite low.
When I tried it, I found it to be weak and also very uncomfortable, because you have to keep the button pressed continuously to make it work.
It is allowed to bring your own hair dryers onboard, however, I have had a bad experience with that.
Basically, my sister brought her Dyson on Symphony of the Seas and it worked just fine, but when she brought it on Wonder of the Seas it did not work in any outlet in our room. I think the outlets on some Roya Caribbean ships don’t have enough power.
My advice therefore is not to bring your hair dryer from home. It will take you a few extra minutes to dry your hair but remember that you are on vacation, there is no need to rush.
Hair dryer on Norwegian Cruise Line
A hair dryer that I really like is the one on Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
As you can see from the pics above, it is a very large and powerful one, it can reach 1800 W.
Moreover, it is one of the few hair dryers I have found on a cruise where you can adjust the power and heat settings.
What more can I say? You are allowed to bring your own hair dryer on NCL ships, but I wouldn’t recommend it; the one provided in your cabin is already of excellent quality.
Hair dryer on Carnival
Unfortunately, with Carnival, the quality drops again. The hair dryer you find on this cruise line is very similar (perhaps identical) to the one from Royal Caribbean that we discussed earlier.
It’s small, not very powerful (1250-watt), and uncomfortable to use.
As we’ve already seen in the article about hair straighteners and curling irons on cruises, Carnival allows you to bring your own hair dryer from home, but it must be in good condition and comply with safety standards. For example, hair dryers with damaged cords or broken buttons are not allowed.
Would I recommend bringing your own? If you have very long hair, it might be worth considering that.
Hair dryer on MSC Cruises
I like the hair dryer on MSC ships; I’ve tried it several times and found it to be powerful and functional.
It’s by Valera, the same brand as the hair dryer on NCL ships. Compared to that one, this one is slightly smaller but still reaches a good power of 1800 W, even though it’s a travel version.
MSC Cruises also allows you to bring your own hair dryer, if you really want to.
Hair dryer on Princess Cruises
The last company I want to talk about is Princess Cruises. As you can see from the pic, these ships feature a hair dryer from the brand Drybar.
It’s a 1200-watt travel-size version with a foldable handle. I haven’t tried it myself, but I know it’s a fairly premium and expensive travel blow dryer. I’ve seen it in stores for around $100.
According to reviews I’ve received from some cruisers, it’s quiet, fast, and doesn’t leave your hair frizzy afterward. If you have tried it personally, let us know what you think in the comments at the end of the article.
Can you bring a diffuser on a cruise?
Sure, you can bring a diffuser on a cruise. I understand that many of you can’t do without one if you have curly hair.
It’s not among the prohibited items, but make sure to get one that fits the hair dryer you want to use.
I recommend the soft silicone ones that can adapt to all types of hair dryers. This way, you can use it without issues on any cruise ship.
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