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Packing for a cruise
Packing for a cruise

What Should You Not Bring On a Cruise?

Are you going on a cruise? If yes? Here are the things that are prohibited onboard!

By Cruise Booking Team

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Cruising is undoubtedly one of the best methods to explore new cruise destinations, especially if you like beaches. However, while on a cruise, you might feel like bringing a lot of items onboard that might not be necessary or banned by the cruise lines. Although the list of prohibited items may vary as per a cruise line, there are also a few general items that you must refrain from. 

List of Items that You Shouldn’t Bring on a Cruise

1. Alcohol

In most cases, if you bring any liquor or beer on a cruise, those will be confiscated during embarkation. However, a few cruise lines, such as Princess, Carnival, Disney, Celebrity, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean, allow passengers above the age of 21 or older on sailings for North America to bring a maximum of 750 ml of wine to consume onboard.

On the other hand, MSC prohibits alcohol (including wine) onboard, and NCL allows unlimited bottles for a maximum of 1,500 ml and charges a per-bottle corkage fee. This fee applies even if you do not consume alcohol. Additionally, most luxury cruise lines don't allow you to bring beers onboard. 

2. Restraints and weapons

Arms, brass knuckles, handcuffs, and martial arts equipment, including flails, belt buckle knives, throwing stars, etc., are prohibited onboard. Swiss army knives are not banned on most cruises, but Carnival cruises allow knives with blades less than 4 inches long. According to the TSA, you must carry utility tools only in the checked luggage.

As a replacement, you can carry a multi-tool containing tweezers, a nail file, and small scissors, which are included in a toiletry kit. Also, you can carry duct tape if you want to fix broken things.  

3. Household appliances

In most cases, household appliances such as irons and coffeemakers are generally not allowed onboard. Apart from these, it is better to avoid candles, travel steamers, incense, electrical extension cords, and hot plates. This is primarily due to the risk of fire in the sea. Also, a few ships of Holland America and Carnival have self-service launderettes, but cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, don’t allow the same. 

4. Toys that can cause trouble

If you are bored onboard, you might be tempted to bring out your footwear with heels for fun on the cruise. However, it is better not to do it. This is because these kinds of toys can cause trouble for your fellow cruisers. Also, you can avoid other types of toys, including kites, boats, or drones, as these might be confiscated.

Instead of those, you can carry board games or small video games if you are traveling with kids. However, in most cases, these are not required, as most cruises have gaming areas for both toddlers and teenagers. However, if you are seeking adventure, there are a rock-climbing wall, water slide, zip line, ropes course, skydiving, ice skating rink, and bowling areas onboard. 

5. Home cooked foods

While you are preparing for your cruise, you might be tempted to pack food items. In this regard, you can carry chips, crisps, granola bars, and candies. However, homemade foods are not allowed on most cruises. Besides this, you can't also bring perishable foods, fish or meat.

Besides This, A Few Other Items that You Must Avoid Include –

  • Metal detectors
  • Helium balloons
  • Hookahs & water hookah pipes.
  • Fireworks
  • Kayaks and surfboards
  • Baby monitors
  • CBC products and marijuana
  • HAM radios
  • CBD oil / CBD products
  • Dangerous chemicals, including bleach and paint.

However, you can contact your cruise line if you need any specific information or queries regarding the things that are prohibited onboard.

Related: What Things Are Allowed or Not Allowed on a Ship?

Conclusion

The prohibited substances are more or less similar for most cruises but can differ per cruise line and destination. For instance, for itineraries visiting the US Virgin Islands, you must avoid sunscreens containing octocrylene, oxybenzone, and octinoxate, as these can harm reef ecosystems. 

Tags: cruise lines
Header Image by photobyphotoboy at Depositphotos

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