What Can You Not Bring on a Cruise?

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Excited to go on your next cruise? If youโ€™ve dreamed of yourย embarkation dayย for months now, youโ€™ve probably given some thought as to what youโ€™llย pack. Maybe youโ€™ve made aย packingย list, even, or sat out yourย luggageย expectantly.

However, make sure youโ€™re not breaking anyย cruise shipย rules by bringing along the wrong items andย devices. If youโ€™re wondering โ€˜what can you not bring on a cruise,โ€™ hereโ€™s everything you need to know.

Electronics

One of the big ones in this category? Drones. People really want to take their drones on cruises, and for good reason. You could get some super-cool shots of the ship sailing and of ports you visit, via your remote-controlled drones.  

Unfortunately, manyย cruise shipsย do not allow for you to bring drones aboard, as is the case withย Carnival Cruise Line. Royal Caribbean, meanwhile,ย doesย allow you to bring a drone on your cruise, but you can only use it on land, and away from the port.

If you donโ€™t follow this rule, the drone will be confiscated. (But even if Royal Caribbean allows it, that doesnโ€™t mean your ports of call necessarily will, so check local laws before bringing your drone on your cruise!)

Other similar electronic toys that you canโ€™t bring include hoverboards and segways.

Various household electronics are prohibited, too. Basically, anything that has heating elements in it is prohibited because itโ€™s a fire risk. Think irons, clothes steamers, immersion heaters, heating blankets, water heaters, coffee machines or coffee makers, hot plates, toasters, heating pads and humidifiers. 

The exemptions include personal grooming products like flat irons, curling irons and hair dryers. If you’re worried about being able to iron all the wrinkles from your favorite sundress, no worries; most cruise ships have laundry facilities that are outfitted with ironing boards and irons.

If you want to bring a baby bottle sanitizer, warmer or cleaner, you may need to get someone from the cruise staff’s accessibility team to approve that for you. 

You also canโ€™t bring boom boxes or large radios, or routers or similar internet-related equipment. Laser pointers and satellite phones are also prohibited. If you bring a small radio or speaker, you canโ€™t use it outside of your stateroom. You usually have to wear headphones or earbuds anytime you’re listening to media outside of your stateroom, to avoid disturbing the peace. 

Do note Royal Caribbean does not allow Samsung Galaxy Note 7 cell phones aboard its ships, nor electrical extension cords and HAM radios (or even baby monitors!), but Carnival allows for these under certain circumstances. Norwegian Cruise Line, meanwhile, doesnโ€™t allow for walkie-talkies. 

Surge-protectedย power stripsย are generally not allowed across the board, regardless of cruise line. Recently, though, Royal Caribbean specifically added multi-plugย outlets to its list of prohibited items, but this is in reference to multi-plugย outlets with AC outlets rather than USB ports.ย 

Weapons

Norwegian Jade Cruise Ship in Port
Norwegian Jade Cruise Ship in Port (Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze)

No, you canโ€™t bring any weapons onto the cruise ship, and how cruise ships define โ€œweaponsโ€ is quite broad. 

In addition to prohibiting firearms, cruise ships also prohibit imitation firearms and firearm replicas, as well as firearm components. Other weapons not allowed include spears and spear guns, crossbows and other archery components, blunt weapons like clubs and batons; throwing stars; brass knuckles; air and BB rifles; tasers; mace; gas guns; and even paintball guns.

Knivesย are not allowed, for the most part, and even small sharp objects that you might not think of as a โ€œweaponโ€ per se are prohibited, such asย scissorsย and open razors. (Donโ€™t worry; you can bring personal grooming items still, like fingernail clippers andย shavers). Norwegian Cruise Line specifies that it prohibitsย knivesย with blades longer than 4 inches.

Along with all these weapons that are not allowed on your cruise ship, you also canโ€™t bring any ammunition. Tools that could be used as weapons are also prohibited, such as axes, hammers, or saws, as are restraining devices, such as handcuffs or binding materials. 

Basically, if you couldnโ€™t fly with it as an airline passenger, you probably canโ€™t cruise with it. 

Explosives

Similarly, explosives are not allowed on cruise ships either. This encompasses flares and fireworks, too, as well as any other pyrotechnics.

Other items that could be considered fire hazards or in danger of exploding, like gasoline or propane tanks, are also prohibited, as the last thing you want is an explosion or fire in the middle of the ocean. The same goes for large batteries and compressed gas tanks or cylinders โ€” and even candles and incense!  

The exemption is personal grooming products that come in aerosol cans, like hairspray. You can sometimes bring dive tanks, but may need to check them in with the cruise line for holding, and then check them out before your shore excursion. 

Illegal Items

CPA Director of Public Safety & Security Cory Dibble monitors Port security cameras
Photo Credit: Canaveral Port Authority / Shutterstock

If itโ€™s illegal on land, itโ€™s illegal on your cruise ship. This one should be pretty straightforward, clear cut, and self-explanatory. Donโ€™t bring any illegal narcotics or drugs onto your cruise ship, including synthetic or designer drugs.

While not illegal in many places,ย medical marijuanaย andย cannabisย are also prohibited on some ships, like those in theย Carnival Cruise Lineย fleet, as are hookahs and kava.

Norwegian Cruise Line takes things a step further by not only prohibitingย medical marijuana, but also prohibiting products that contain CBD, such as CBD-infused oils, candies and gummies.ย 

Wheeled Items

There are various wheeled items you canโ€™t bring on aย cruise ship, including bicycles, wheeled shoes and scooters. Scooters are allowed if theyโ€™re used for mobility, but you have to store them in your stateroom.

Roller blades, skates, skateboards and collapsible wagons are allowed, but you have to leave them in your stateroom and only use them when you get off the ship while itโ€™s in port.

Water Sport Items

Symphony of the Seas Pools
Symphony of the Seas Pools (Photo Credit: Solarisys)

You might think of cruising and think โ€œfun in the sun,โ€ but donโ€™t think that means you can bring all your favorite water toys and water sports items along with you. 

Surfboards, boats and canoes are a no-go, as are pool inflatables and inflatable kiddie pools.

You can bring items like beach chairs, beach tents, beach umbrellas, snorkeling gear, fishing rods (with exceptions โ€” Carnival allows for them, Royal Caribbean does not) and boogie boards, but you have to keep them in your room and only use them during port days. 

Drinks

These prohibitions may differ from cruise line to cruise line, but, in general, cruise lines want you to leave your own drinks at home โ€” so you buy more from them! 

Onย Carnival Cruise Line, for example, you canโ€™t bring anyย hard liquorย orย beerย on your cruise. You can, though, bring one 750-milliliter bottle of wine orย Champagneย per every person 18 years of age or older in your party.

Worth Reading: Can I Take a Wine Opener on a Cruise?

For non-alcoholic beverages, you canโ€™t bring anything thatโ€™s not in a can or carton (so no water bottles!), and you canโ€™t bring more than 12 drinks per person, or drinks in large packaging (375 milliliters or larger).

Virgin Voyages has somewhat stricter beverage limitations, only allowing 12, 12-ounce cans or cartons of a beverage per person, and only two 750 milliliter bottles of wine per cabin. In contrast, on an MSC Cruises cruise, you canโ€™t bring any alcohol whatsoever on board.

Whatever drinks you bring aboard, you canโ€™t bring a large cooler to store them in. Coolers must generally be no larger than 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, on Carnival ships. Virgin Voyages ships do not allow ice chests or coolers at all. 

Food

Common Things to Eat on a Ship
Common Things to Eat on a Ship (Photo Credit: Solarisys)

If you want to bring some of your own food with you, on your cruise, you usually can, but it has to be pre-packaged, unopened food. You canโ€™t bring anything homemade.

Read Also: Can You Bring Food On a Cruise and How Much?

You also canโ€™t bring anything onboard that youโ€™re in the process of eating (so, for example, if you grabbed a fast-food lunch before embarkation and are eating a sandwich as you board the ship, youโ€™ll be asked to toss it).ย 

You also canโ€™t bring any fish. If you go on an excursion and catch a fish, you have to ship it home.

Pets

You may love to travel with Fido, but pets arenโ€™t allowed on cruise ships. Only qualified service animals are allowed and, even then, they must be approved by Guest Access Services when you book your cruise, and you will need approval from the Department of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry. 

And the Things You Would Likely Never Expect

Cruise Passengers on Gangway

Lastly, there are just some items that you canโ€™t bring on a cruise ship that you might never expect would be prohibited.

For example, planning on throwing a party during your cruise? Leave the party poppers and helium-filled balloons at home, because you canโ€™t bring โ€˜em. 

Likewise, if you want to surprise a fellow cruiser with celebratory flowers, youโ€™ll need to order them through the cruise line’s celebrations department (if thatโ€™s something the cruise line offers) or have them delivered directly to the ship via a florist, on embarkation day.

Hoping to get a little privacy in your cabin by creating a makeshift wall? Better not do it with curtains, drapes or hanging room dividers, because those aren’t allowed. 

Decorating your cabin door is a particularly fun cruising tradition, with many cruisers decking their stateroom doors out with elaborate displays. However, Norwegian Cruise Line does not allow you to bring any type of door dรฉcor with you, citing these decorationโ€™s โ€œflammable nature.โ€  

Lastly, if youโ€™re an avid seashell collector and love picking up some new shells each time you go to a new beach, you may be disappointed. Some cruise lines, such as Virgin Voyages, will not allow you to bring these items aboard the ship.

What Happens if You Do Bring These Items Aboard Your Cruise?

Cruise Terminal Security
Cruise Terminal Security (Photo Credit: Joni Hanebutt / Shutterstock)

In some cases, theย cruise shipโ€™s security office may allow you to keep the items, but they might just hold on to them and you can only use them during certain times. This is the case onย Carnival Cruise Line, if you bring largeย scissorsย for crafting or recreationalย dive knives.

In other cases, cruise lines reserve the right to confiscate, destroy or turn your items over to other authorities.ย 

Additionally, itโ€™s worth noting that even if an item isnโ€™t included among those listed above, if the cruise ship crew deem it a potential hazard, they have the right to take it and give it back to you at the end of the cruise. Along these lines, if you bring a wrapped gift onboard, it may be subject to search, based on the crew’s whim.

A Small Disclaimer

Do note that the above restrictions are generalized and based on restrictions enforced by Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Virgin Voyages.

Restrictions and prohibitions differ from cruise line to cruise line, as do actions that the cruise line may take if youโ€™re found to be carrying any prohibited items.ย 

For the most up-to-date and most specific information to your cruise possible, be sure to check with your cruise line, ahead of sailing.

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