Roger and Sue Clark, two 70-year-old cruise passengers from England, were sentenced to
eight years in a Portuguese prison due to some poor cruise packing choices.
They haven’t been the only ones either.
Welcome aboard, I'm Gary Bembridge and I’m going to show how you how to avoid making
packing mistakes with unpleasant outcomes, or at least help you avoid those that can
put a major dampener on your cruise.
Packing illegal drugs is obviously a mistake and forbidden.
However, you may do it without realising, as friends of mine did.
Some passengers have tried to use a cruise to smuggle large quantities of recreational
drugs for profit.
The Clarks I mentioned had cocaine with a street value of almost $1.5 million in their
suitcases on their cruise from the Caribbean to Europe.
As I was preparing this, a 27-year-old passenger on Holland America Zuiderdam was arrested
in French Polynesia with 45 pounds of methamphetamine in his suitcases worth millions of dollars.
While you may not be trying to smuggle large quantities, even recreational drugs for self-use
are banned and lines will hand you over to the local authorities.
All lines I've checked do not allow any CBD products or cannabis marijuana even if it's
legal where you're sailing from or to.
However, it hadn't crossed my mind that some over the counter and prescription drugs that
we freely use in the US, UK, Canada, and so on are illegal in several cruise destinations.
I discovered this on a Queen Mary 2 cruise to Dubai where many of these everyday drugs
are illegal, including anything with codeine.
Even household products like Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets are banned.
Prescription tranquillisers, antidepressants, some sleeping pills are too, things like Xanax,
Valium, Tramadol.
When friends cruised to Japan, they hit issues there.
They found some inhalers, allergy and sinus medications are illegal.
Products with codeine are also prohibited, and even brands like Actifed, Sudafed, and
Vicks inhalers they had packed were illegal.
When packing for your cruise, especially beyond North America and Europe, check if you can
take your prescription or over-the-counter drugs into the country particularly if you're
disembarking there.
With my prescription drugs, I keep them the original packaging, and take a copy of the
prescription or a letter from the doctor.
I also check how many prescription drugs I am allowed to take into the country, as some
restrict that too.
A mistake that could see you refused boarding emerged post covid shutdown.
If you have not packed whatever the current boarding protocol documents, which could be
proof of vaccine, test, insurance and so on, you will be turned away.
While drugs and lack of documents can get you into big trouble, there's many items that,
while won’t get you in as deep trouble, are likely to get you a strong telling off
and be confiscated.
The most common item to be confiscated are extension cords.
Cruise lines do not allow extension cords with surge protectors because of how the electricity
systems work on board.
If you want an extension cord to charge all your devices, do what I do and pack a multi-port
plug adapter like this instead, or make sure it has no surge protector.
Another common item confiscated is anything with heating elements.
The exception on most lines is a hair dryer and curling tongs.
However, anything else you can't bring.
That includes kettles, coffee makers, hot plates, heated blankets, and even baby bottle
sterilisers and warmers, even on Disney.
You must work with your cabin steward when it comes to heating baby bottles.
Fire is the biggest fear at sea, and anything with a naked flame is banned.
Lines even use battery-powered candles in restaurants.
So, leave candles and incense burners at home.
Another common packing mistake is alcohol.
Each Cruise line has their own rule on how much alcohol, and even soft drinks, you can
pack.
They will confiscate any excess, including any you buy in port, and return at end of
the cruise.
For example, on Royal Caribbean, you can’t pack beer or spirits and can bring two bottles
of wine or champagne per cabin.
Norwegian Cruise Line has no limit on numbers of bottles of wine and champagne you can bring.
Anything that can be launched off the ship is also forbidden and will be confiscated.
This includes kites, fireworks, balloons, remote-control planes, and drones.
At time of recording, only Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line allow us to pack
a drone, requiring it to only be used in approved ports.
I've been trying for ages to let more lines let me bring one.
But having had it confiscated a few times I have given up.
Don’t pack actual weapons or ammunition, like guns and knives over four inches long,
but also don’t pack anything that looks like or could be used as a weapon.
If you want to bring sports equipment like a baseball or cricket bat, check if they’re
on the cruise line prohibited list, as often they are confiscated on boarding.
Many self-defense items are also banned like pepper spray.
If you're planning to bring on board any kind of party costume, or fancy dress as it’s
called in the UK, be cautious about the accessories you pack.
If you pack handcuffs, truncheon, or a plastic gun to use as part of a policeman outfit,
they will be confiscated.
There are more weird rules and packing mistakes about costumes coming later by the way!
Another area you may fall foul of is if you plan to decorate your cabin door.
Most cruise lines, other than Norwegian Cruise line at time of recording, allow you to do
this if you use anti-flammable decorations, not those just sprayed with anti-flammable
materials.
They must either be magnetic or not require tape to attach.
If your door decorations don’t, they will be confiscated.
Devices to zoom around the ship are also prohibited.
Those trendy electric scooters, Hover boards, electric-powered skateboards and even shoes
with wheels are banned.
Mobility scooters have different requirements by line, so check if yours is allowed.
Some lines allow folding bikes and traditional skateboards, but often have restrictions on
where they can be stored.
Some you leave with security to collect in ports.
When it comes to self-entertainment items, you can bring some of these on board, but
if you misuse them, they are confiscated.
Most lines allow musical instruments.
However, you can only play them within your cabin, not out on your balcony or in public
areas.
And if they get complaints it’s confiscated.
You can pack bring wireless speakers but can only use them in your cabin.
If you use them out on the balcony, or in public areas like the pool, they will be confiscated.
You can’t pack game consoles, like Xbox and Nintendo, to plug into the television.
They will be confiscated when baggage is screened.
Most lines say their televisions have been disabled to not allow them to be plugged in.
While all of these are items likely to get you a telling off and be confiscated, there
are other packing mistakes that may not get you into trouble but will have a downer effect
on your cruise.
As I found.
Not travelling and packing a passport, particularly if you're cruising in the Caribbean out of
the USA where it’s possible, is a big mistake.
This was brought home to almost 4,000 Norwegian Escape guests on their Caribbean cruise out
of Port Canaveral Florida, when the ship grounded leaving Dominican Republic and they had to
disembark to be flown home.
It became a nightmare for those who had not packed a passport, requiring delays while
the US Embassy processed temporary ones.
Don’t make the mistake of packing valuable or sentimental items in your check-in bags.
Cruise lines prefer check-in bags to be unlocked to enable them, if they identify any contraband
or suspicious item, to be checked.
That does mean if you have anything valuable, you're at risk, as they take no responsibility
and will not compensate for lost or damaged items.
I got a message recently from a passenger who was adamant their costly drone had disappeared
from their check-in bag on a Carnival cruise, because (as you heard) they allow them.
He had no recourse with the cruise line who denied it and refused to discuss compensation
When I go on board a cruise, I have everything that is of value to me in my carry-on.
Money, passports, medication, laptop, and my cameras.
Although it’s the topic of a whole video, there are a few clothes packing mistakes I
want to highlight.
First, not paying attention to the dress code and having problems on board.
Like on Cunard where jackets are required even on casual nights.
Second, packing clothes that are not allowed in any country you are cruising to.
Some Caribbean islands, for example, do not allow passengers to wear camouflage clothes.
In others you must cover your shoulders and knees fully to be able to visit some sights.
Thirdly, not bringing the right outfits for theme nights and missing out.
I made the mistake on my last Azamara cruise by not packing white clothes and felt very
left out and stood out as I was the only person not in white on the White Night Party event.
Be very careful before packing any fancy dress party costumes.
Some cruise lines, like P&O Cruises ban these reportedly after a punch-up erupted on one
of their ships over an inappropriate costume.
Risqué costumes and outfits with rude, political, or obscene slogans are banned too.
On all cruise line websites, they have a list of all banned items.
As they differ by line, check the one for your line.
In the notes for this video, I link to the main lines’ lists to help.
Although, the best way of not making a packing mistake is if you have any doubt, leave it
out.
If you want to know more packing tips, watch this video of 21 unusual, but essential things
to pack, including the one thing that I never thought I'd ever use on a cruise but have
found I use every single time.
See you over there.