Irons, no, vodka, no. Knives? Sometimes. Welcome to the wild world of cruising contraband.
Cruising sometimes feels like your are entering a self-contained world with its own rules, like unlimited dessert bars and cocktails before noon. We know once outside territorial waters the laws no longer apply, but sometimes life on board a ship can feel like the wild west.
Take packing. It’s a little confusing. But trying to take banned items on board wastes both money and precious luggage space.
Basically anything you’d get arrested for carrying into a bank is definitely off-limits on a cruise ship: guns, knives, explosives, hoverboards. But the confusion around Royal Caribbean’s updated prohibited items list last week proves that there’s quite a bit of confusion about what not to pack.
While the line has long listed electrical extension cords, including power strips or surge-protected strips, they’ve now also banned all “multi-plug outlets”.
Power strips and extension cords are a risk to cruise ships because if they overload, they can easily cause electrical damage or start a fire. All items with open flames or heating elements are strictly prohibited, however, curling irons (weirdly) and hair dryers are permitted.
Fire is the top threat to cruise ships as it can spread quickly in a confined space, which would obviously be a living nightmare and not worth the risk.
There is, however, a loophole for medical devices. If you’ve got a CPAP machine and need multiple outlets, call ahead, and they’ll sort you out with whatever you need. They’re incredibly accommodating when it comes to medical gear—probably because nobody wants a lawsuit over a lack of life-supporting equipment.
The baby monitor debate
Baby monitors on cruises are also a huge point of contention at the moment thanks to Matt and Abby Howard.
The influencers showed their combined 13 million social media followers a parenting hack that included leaving their two small children in their cabin with iPhones in place of monitors.
While they aren’t banned on any major cruise lines, they almost never work properly anyway – even the ones that are Wi-Fi-based. Something about the steel walls, endless metal, and radio waves—basically, it’s like trying to get a signal on the moon.
There’s also a school of thought that traditional baby monitors that use radio waves can be an issue with the cruise ship’s communications and systems but this has been largely debased.
What not to pack on a cruise, ever
Clothing irons are a no-go on most cruise lines (fire hazard, again), but Disney and Carnival throw you a bone with ironing rooms open to all.
When it comes to things like vapes, larger batteries and vape kits may be refused however due to a potential fire risk, so sticking to smaller disposable or pod vapes is a safer bet. Most major cruise providers will allow e-cigarettes and e-liquids but candles, hookahs and water pipes are banned. Anything with a heating element that doesn’t make your hair look good will be confiscated, kettles, coffee machines, baby bottle warmers.
A lot of other banned items are just common sense: straight razors, drugs, scooters and segways, guns or anything that looks like a gun, handcuffs. Knives are a no generally, but there are some questionable exceptions.
Dive knives may be checked in and out by the owner for dive excursions during the cruise, and Alaskan Ulu knives which have been purchased legally during ports of call are then permitted onboard.
Wait, what?
Weirdly, alcohol is half-banned. Most cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, let you bring one bottle of wine per adult, but beer and spirits is forbidden. Any booze you buy on board or in port is stored for you and given back on the last day.
Finally, a rule that feels unfair to some says that while you can’t bring an iron, gun, or surge protector, you can bring a musical instrument. However if there are any complaints, the instrument is going into the ship security’s vault until disembarkation.
Our advice is check the list, pack light, and don’t think you’re above the rules—because the cruise lines have seen it all.
