Excited to go on your next cruise? If youโve dreamed of yourย embarkation dayย for months now, youโve probably given some thought as to what youโllย pack. Maybe youโve made aย packingย list, even, or sat out yourย luggageย expectantly.
However, make sure youโre not breaking anyย cruise shipย rules by bringing along the wrong items andย devices. If youโre wondering โwhat can you not bring on a cruise,โ hereโs everything you need to know.
In This Article:
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 donโt follow this rule, the drone will be confiscated. (But even if Royal Caribbean allows it, that doesnโt mean your ports of call necessarily will, so check local laws before bringing your drone on your cruise!)
Other similar electronic toys that you canโt bring include hoverboards and segways.
Various household electronics are prohibited, too. Basically, anything that has heating elements in it is prohibited because itโs 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 canโt 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 canโt 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, doesnโt 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
No, you canโt bring any weapons onto the cruise ship, and how cruise ships define โweaponsโ 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 โweaponโ per se are prohibited, such asย scissorsย and open razors. (Donโt 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 canโt 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 couldnโt fly with it as an airline passenger, you probably canโt 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
If itโs illegal on land, itโs illegal on your cruise ship. This one should be pretty straightforward, clear cut, and self-explanatory. Donโt 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 canโt bring on aย cruise ship, including bicycles, wheeled shoes and scooters. Scooters are allowed if theyโre 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 itโs in port.
Water Sport Items
You might think of cruising and think โfun in the sun,โ but donโt 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 canโt 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 canโt bring anything thatโs not in a can or carton (so no water bottles!), and you canโt 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 canโt bring any alcohol whatsoever on board.
Whatever drinks you bring aboard, you canโt 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
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 canโt bring anything homemade.
Read Also: Can You Bring Food On a Cruise and How Much?
You also canโt bring anything onboard that youโre 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, youโll be asked to toss it).ย
You also canโt 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 arenโt 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
Lastly, there are just some items that you canโt 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 canโt bring โem.
Likewise, if you want to surprise a fellow cruiser with celebratory flowers, youโll need to order them through the cruise line’s celebrations department (if thatโs 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 decorationโs โflammable nature.โ
Lastly, if youโre 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?
In some cases, theย cruise shipโs 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, itโs worth noting that even if an item isnโt 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 youโre 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.