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Wait…What? Things You Can Get Confiscated on a Cruise 🚢

 

You've packed your clothes. Your swimsuit is ready. Your sunscreen is tucked away. You remembered your passport, medications and phone charger.

Then you get to the cruise terminal and discover that something in your suitcase isn't allowed onboard.

Wait…what?

Cruise ships have rules about what guests can bring onboard, and some of the prohibited items might surprise you. We're not just talking about weapons or obviously dangerous items. Things like irons, candles, certain electrical devices and even some everyday household items can cause a problem.

And there's an important distinction:

Being confiscated doesn't always mean you're never getting the item back.

Some items may be held until the end of your cruise. Others may be discarded or, in more serious cases, turned over to authorities.

Here's what you should know before you start packing.

🚢 Why Do Cruise Ships Have So Many Restrictions?

The short answer is safety.

A cruise ship is essentially a floating city with thousands of people living in a relatively small space. Fire safety is a major concern, which is why many cruise lines restrict items that generate heat, create an open flame or could otherwise create a fire hazard.

There are also security concerns, electrical safety issues, alcohol regulations and laws that can affect what you're allowed to bring onboard.

The tricky part?

Cruise lines don't all have identical rules.

Something you've taken on one cruise may not be allowed on another cruise line. Rules can also change, so it's always worth checking the current prohibited-items list for your specific cruise before you pack.

🔥 Things That Can Create a Fire Hazard

Some of the most commonly restricted items are things you probably think of as completely ordinary.

Irons and clothing steamers

Many cruise lines prohibit personal irons and clothing steamers.

That might seem inconvenient if you're someone who likes wrinkle-free clothes, but there's a reason. Heating appliances can create a fire hazard, particularly when they're left unattended.

Royal Caribbean, for example, specifically lists coffee makers, clothing irons, steamers and hot plates among items that generate heat and are prohibited. Princess also prohibits items with heating elements, including clothing irons and certain coffee machines.

Pack instead: wrinkle-release spray or clothes that don't mind spending a few hours in a suitcase.

Candles and incense

Planning to make your cabin feel cozy with a candle?

Leave it at home.

Candles and incense are commonly prohibited because they create an open-flame fire risk. Virgin Voyages, for example, specifically lists candles and incense among its prohibited items.

Your cabin may have an ocean view, but unfortunately that doesn't make it a candlelit suite. 😉

Hot plates and heating appliances

Hot plates, immersion heaters and similar heating devices can also be prohibited.

Some cruise lines also restrict personal coffee makers, kettles and other appliances that heat up.

If your morning coffee is non-negotiable, check what your cruise line provides before packing your favorite countertop appliance.

🔌 Wait…What About Extension Cords and Power Strips?

This is where you really cannot rely on what happened on your last cruise.

Cruise lines have different policies.

Some prohibit extension cords and power strips. Others allow certain types. Some allow them but require inspection or approval.

For example:

• Carnival allows power strips, multi-plug adapters and extension cords without surge protection, when used with proper caution.
• Royal Caribbean prohibits electrical extension cords, including power boards and surge-protected power boards.
• Celebrity lists electrical extension cords as prohibited.
• Princess prohibits electrical devices with surge protection, including power strips and extension cords, unless specifically pre-approved.
• Holland America allows extension cords without surge protection when used with proper caution, while its prohibited-items policy restricts electrical devices with surge protection.
• Virgin Voyages says extension cords and multi-plug power strips are subject to inspection and approval by the ship's electrician.

So, yes, the multi-plug adapter you've successfully brought on previous cruises may be perfectly fine on one cruise line and a problem on another.

And then there's the CPAP exception.

Medical equipment can have different procedures.

Carnival specifically allows CPAP, BiPAP, concentrator and nebulizer users to bring the necessary equipment, and its current guidance says extension cords are allowed for these medical devices while surge protectors are prohibited.

Other cruise lines may have their own medical-equipment procedures or provide an approved extension cord.

Don't assume that because you were allowed to bring something on one cruise, it will automatically be allowed on your next one.

And don't assume the opposite, either.

If you're traveling with a CPAP or other medical equipment, check your cruise line's current medical-equipment requirements before you sail.

If you're cruising with mobility considerations or other accessibility needs, my Cruising With Limited Mobility: What to Expect Onboard & Ashore guide covers additional things to think about before you sail.

🍷 Alcohol: There Are Rules, and Then There Are REALLY Bad Ideas

Alcohol is one of the areas that causes a lot of confusion because cruise lines may allow certain amounts under specific circumstances.

For example, Royal Caribbean allows one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per drinking-age guest on embarkation day. NCL also allows wine or champagne under its stated conditions. Virgin Voyages allows two 750 ml bottles of wine per cabin in carry-on luggage on embarkation day.

Other cruise lines have different allowances.

The key is:

Follow the cruise line's alcohol policy exactly.

What If You Buy Alcohol During Your Cruise?

That bottle you bought in port doesn't necessarily get to spend the afternoon hanging out in your cabin.

Cruise lines commonly collect alcohol purchased onboard or ashore and store it until the end of the cruise.

For example, Carnival retains alcohol purchased onboard or in port until the end of the voyage. NCL says alcohol purchased in port or onboard is safely stored and made available for pickup on the final night or morning of debarkation. Royal Caribbean similarly says alcohol purchased onboard or in port is stored and returned on the final day.

So if the cruise line takes the bottle you purchased in port, that doesn't necessarily mean you've lost it.

It may simply be taking a little vacation of its own in the ship's storage area.

If you're trying to figure out how alcohol fits into your cruise budget, my Are Cruise Drink Packages Worth It? An Honest Guide for Cruisers guide can help you decide whether a drink package makes sense for you.

But What About Sneaking Alcohol Onboard?

This is where the joke stops being funny.

Trying to sneak prohibited alcohol onboard in a water bottle, mouthwash container or another disguised container can lead to much more serious consequences than simply losing the bottle.

Cruise lines have the right to inspect luggage, and the consequences for violating their alcohol or security policies can include confiscation, denial of boarding or removal from the ship, depending on the cruise line and circumstances.

Carnival's current terms, for example, state that prohibited alcohol can be confiscated and discarded, while guests who violate its policies may be denied boarding or disembarked without a refund.

It isn't worth risking your cruise over a bottle of liquor.

If your cruise line allows you to bring a certain amount of alcohol, follow its rules.

If it doesn't, leave it at home.

🚢 Other Items That Can Get You Stopped at Security

The complete prohibited-items lists are longer than most people realize.

Across the cruise lines, commonly restricted categories include:

• Weapons and ammunition
• Firearms and replicas
• Certain knives and sharp objects
• Pepper spray and other self-defense items
• Fireworks and explosives
• Flammable liquids and materials
• Certain chemicals
• Hookahs and water hookah pipes
• Certain batteries
• Some types of radios
• Drones or drone equipment, depending on the cruise line
• Certain food items
• Some electrical appliances
• Certain power strips and extension cords
• Alcohol outside the cruise line's allowed policy

These categories show up repeatedly in current cruise-line prohibited-item policies.

And this is where things get interesting.

Drones are a great example.

Cruise lines don't all handle drones the same way.

One cruise line may prohibit them entirely. Another may allow you to bring one onboard but prohibit you from operating it while you're on the ship.

So don't assume:

"It's legal to own, so I can bring it on the cruise."

Cruise ship policies are their own thing.

🍽️ What About Food?

Food rules can also be surprisingly complicated.

Some cruise lines allow certain commercially packaged foods, while others have restrictions on fresh foods, perishable foods, homemade foods or anything requiring refrigeration.

Celebrity, for example, specifically lists potentially hazardous food and food requiring refrigeration among its prohibited items.

And there's another wrinkle:

The rules of the country you're visiting may matter too.

Something you can legally bring onto the ship isn't necessarily something you can legally take off the ship in another country.

If you're not sure, ask before you pack it.

🧳 So What Happens When They Take Something?

This is an important distinction because "confiscated" doesn't always mean "gone forever."

There are several different possibilities.

1. It's held until the end of the cruise.

Some prohibited items are removed from your luggage and stored securely.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, for example, provide a Prohibited Items Receipt when an item is confiscated during luggage screening. That receipt explains how to retrieve the item on the final day of the voyage.

2. It's returned at debarkation.

If the item is eligible for return, you'll generally be given instructions about where and when to pick it up.

For Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, the pickup location is designated by the ship and port, and you'll need the receipt to retrieve the item.

Keep that receipt somewhere safe.

Your suitcase isn't the only thing you're trying to find on the last morning of your cruise.

3. It's discarded.

Some items aren't returned.

For example, Carnival states that prohibited alcoholic beverages outside its specific exceptions are confiscated and discarded. Celebrity also notes that certain prohibited items, including alcoholic beverages and dangerous materials, will not be returned.

4. It becomes a much bigger problem.

Weapons, illegal drugs, explosives and other serious security concerns can involve authorities rather than simply being placed in a storage room until Saturday morning.

That's a very different situation from accidentally packing your clothing steamer.

🚢 The Rules Can Be Different From Cruise to Cruise

This might be the most important thing to remember:

Don't rely on what you packed on your last cruise.

Cruise lines have different prohibited-item policies, and those policies can change.

For example:

• A power strip allowed on one cruise line may be prohibited on another.
• A drone allowed onboard one ship may be prohibited on another.
• A medical-equipment accommodation may require advance arrangements.
• Alcohol allowances vary by cruise line.
• The process for retrieving a held item can differ.

Before you leave home, check your cruise line's current prohibited-items and alcohol policies.

It's a lot easier to leave something on your kitchen counter than it is to explain to cruise security why you really, really need your mini waffle maker.

🧳 Before You Zip That Suitcase…

Take one last look at what you're packing.

Ask yourself:

• Does it heat up?
• Does it have an open flame?
• Could it be considered a weapon?
• Does it contain alcohol?
• Does it plug into the wall?
• Could it create a fire or electrical hazard?
• Is it something the cruise line specifically prohibits?

If you're unsure, check before you go.

Because finding out at the cruise terminal that your suitcase contains a prohibited item is a pretty lousy way to start vacation.

 

Final Thoughts: A Little Checking Goes a Long Way

 

Cruise packing doesn't have to feel like a game of “Will Security Take This?”

 

Most of the restrictions make sense once you know the reason behind them, and many are simply there to keep thousands of people safe while they're sharing a ship.

 

The tricky part is that cruise lines don't all play by exactly the same rules. An item you've brought on one cruise may not be allowed on the next one, and policies can change.

 

So before you zip that suitcase, take a few minutes to check your cruise line's current prohibited-items list. And if you're traveling with medical equipment, don't hesitate to ask about the specific requirements for your equipment.

 

A little checking at home is much easier than sorting out a prohibited item at the cruise terminal.

 

Pack smart. Know the rules. Then get on that ship and enjoy your vacation. 🚢

 

 

One Last Reminder

 

This article is intended as a helpful overview, not a replacement for your cruise line's official policies.

 

Cruise lines can change their prohibited-item, alcohol and security policies, and individual ships or ports may have additional requirements.

 

Always check the current rules for the cruise line you're sailing before you pack.

 

And if you're traveling with medical equipment such as a CPAP, check the cruise line's medical-equipment requirements ahead of time rather than assuming the standard luggage rules apply.

 

A few minutes of checking at home can save you a whole lot of explaining at the terminal.

 

That's a much better way to start your cruise. 🚢