Things To Leave Behind When Packing For Your Next Cruise

Anything That Can Be Used As A Weapon

You might ask why anyone would bring a weapon onboard a cruise ship. You have to understand that when safety is a concern, even items that you won’t normally use as a weapon but has the potential to be one, is prohibited.

Here are some items that are considered dangerous and should not be brought onboard a cruise ship:

a. Firearms and weapons both blunt and sharp (e.g. knives, swords, nunchakus, ice pick, big scissors)
Note: Some cruise lines allow blades shorter than 4 inches in length. If you’re planning to bring your Swiss Army Knife onboard, be sure to check your cruise line’s policy on knives.
b. Martial arts and self defense gears (e.g. handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks, stun devices)
c. Explosives
d. Toys (e.g. air guns, BB guns, pellet pistols, paint guns, even lighters that look like guns)

Potential Fire and Electrical Hazards

For obvious reasons, fire safety is a grave concern and the number one safety priority of any cruise line anywhere. Electrical fires are among the top of the list as well. You really don’t want to get stuck in a blazing inferno out in the middle of the ocean. They have elaborate measures to prevent and contain fires, but with thousands of passengers on board, they have to keep things safe even before people board their cruise.

For this reason, here are some items that will not be allowed on your cruise:

a. Flammable liquids and explosives
b. Torch lighters (regular lighters are generally okay, but please check your cruise policy to be sure)
c. Candles and incense (sorry, in-room candlelight dinner is not allowed except for LED candles)
d. Compressed gas tanks (e.g. aerosols, dive tanks,propane tanks)
e. Electrical devices and small appliances (e.g. coffee maker, hair dryers, clothes iron, travel steamers, hot plates with the exception of curling irons and hair straighteners)
f. Extension cords with surge protection

Communication Radio Equipments

When onboard a cruise ship, it sounds like a great idea to be able to use walkie-talkies to communicate with your cruise groupies. However, because of certain international regulations and standards governing radio frequencies that can possibly interfere with the ship’s communication frequency, it is generally advised to check with your cruise line’s policy before you cruise.

The following equipment are generally not allowed on a cruise ship:

a. HAM Radios
b. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)
c. Communication scanners
d. Wide band receivers
e. Baby monitors

Note:
Some cruise lines sell or rent out two way radios to help you communicate with your family. These radios operate at a certain frequency that would not cause any interference with the ship’s communication. Because of the ships metallic structure, these radios might not work optimally on some parts of the ship. Please refer to your cruise line’s policy on communication radios to be certain.

Tips:
Using a cellphone can bring about enormous roaming charges. You can also add an internet package to avail of your ship’s onboard WiFi. For a small fee, some ships offer apps with a chat feature you can use without paying for the internet package. Click here to check out Disney’s complimentary navigator app.

Food and Beverages

To keep things in check and prevent contaminated foods and beverages from getting on board, cruise ships impose strict policies on what you can or cannot bring on your cruise.

Depending on the cruise line, only food items that are prepackaged by the manufacturer are allowed on board in limited quantities. That means homemade cookies or brownies from home are not permitted. When it comes to beverages, some cruise lines allow you to bring limited bottles of wine or champagne to your stateroom. Please click here to read Royal Caribbean’s updated policy on additional beverage items you can bring to your cruise.

Note:
If you brought your personal wine on board, consuming it in public areas will incur a corkage fee per bottle. These are meant to be consumed only if you’re inside your stateroom.

Illegal Drugs

When traveling whether by land, air or sea, if you are caught in possession of illegal drugs, no doubt you will be prosecuted with the full extent of the law. That means hefty fines, jail time, or both.

All cruise ships have a zero tolerance for illegal substances. They would normally use drug-sniffing dogs to sniff out anything suspicious. Forget about smuggling illegal drugs on board your cruise. It’s not worth it. Even using a hookah is not allowed on the ship.

How about your prescription of medical marijuana? Would you be allowed to bring them on board? No, you can’t. Even if medical marijuana is legal in the state you live in, it is still deemed illegal according to Federal Law. In addition, it is still considered an illegal substance on almost all foreign ports.

Dangerous Chemicals

All flammable, corrosive, and hazardous chemicals are not allowed on a cruise ship for obvious safety reasons. Some exceptions are in place for certain chemicals as long as you’re bringing in limited quantities as allowed by the cruise line. Be sure to check with your cruise line’s chemical policy before you bring these chemicals on board.

Even though I can’t fathom why anyone would bring them while cruising, here are some examples of chemicals that are not allowed on the cruise:

a. Paint and paint thinner (repainting your stateroom?)
b. Gasoline, kerosene and other flammable chemicals (sounds suspicious, right?)
c. Bleach (cleaning your toilet?)

General Safety Hazards

Anything that can bring harm to a fellow cruise passenger or cause you to fall overboard a cruise ship is not allowed on a cruise. Some have restrictions on their usage but can be safely stored inside your stateroom and cannot be used on onboard.

Here are some potential safety hazards that are not allowed on your cruise:

a. Hoverboards and segways
b. Remote controlled flying toys, kites and drone cameras
c. Roller blades and skates
d. Boats and canoes
e. Inflatable kiddie pools
f. Big bulky coolers

Here are some items that are allowed only for port use and needs to be safely stored in the stateroom when onboard:

a. Snorkeling gear
b. Sports Equipment (e.g. tennis racket, golf clubs, fishing rods, baseball bats, bicycles)

Conclusion:

These are the items that are generally prohibited when boarding your next cruise. However, cruise line policies do differ on some of the items on this list. Be sure to check online for more details on what you can or cannot bring to your cruise.

Note:
For those flying in to get to their embarkation port, you have to watch for airline restrictions as well.

Please check out our other cruising articles that can help you learn more about cruising:
a. 25 Things You’ll Want To Know Before Cruising Royal Caribbean
b. 18 Hidden Costs That Bumps Up Your Cruising Budget

For your reference, we have provided links to your cruise line’s prohibited items list and FAQs below. Have fun on your upcoming cruise!

a. Carnival
b. Celebrity
c. Costa
d. Disney
e. Holland America
f. MSC Cruises
g. Norwegian
h. Oceania
i. Princess
j. Royal Caribbean