All cruise lines have rules. And some of them are stranger than you might realize. We spoke to some cruise ship workers who had some interesting things to tell us about what’s allowed & not allowed on board. Here are fourteen things banned from cruise ships for odd reasons. Any of these surprised you?
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Drones
You’d think the main issue with drones is privacy. Nope. The big problem comes from these gadgets going too close to the ship’s radar dome. They could get tangled inside & repairing something like this takes hours, which cruise ships don’t want to deal with. Would you? Many of them have banned drones.
Hammocks
Balcony posts seem perfect for stringing up a hammock. But maybe not a moving ship. One of them swinging loose mid-ride could make it act like a giant pendulum, and that’s enough to knock drinks over three balconies down. No wonder lots of cruise ships say it’s strictly lounge chairs only.
Kites
Windy days on deck sound like prime kite weather. That was, until a string winds itself right into an exhaust stack, which is exactly what happened during one sailing. It shorted some wiring. As a result, the cruise ships banned all kites entirely, no matter how much the kids wanted to fly them.
Portable Wi-Fi routers and networking gear
You can’t exactly bring your own little hotspot to avoid the ship’s internet fees. A few cruise ships have banned them completely. Why? Because they affect the ship’s sonar & radar. And they won’t just take the router, as they’ll hide it away until you’re back on dry land. You’ll have to survive on ship Wi-Fi. Even if it’s slow.
Bluetooth speakers
It doesn’t matter that you’re planning to blast your playlist by the pool. Speakers, big or small, wireless, are out on a few cruise ships. The crew says it’s so everyone can hear announcements. It also stops the decks from turning into private DJ areas. As such, you should pack your headphones instead, unless you want your speaker locked away.
CBD products
Oddly enough, CBD isn’t always a problem because of the law on land. It’s usually the ports that you visit. Some places treat it like a controlled substance & ships don’t want to risk customs issues. But that’s not all. Apparently, a few seagulls once became a little too curious after smelling someone’s CBD balm on deck. Yikes.
Laser pointers
Anyone who’s seen a green laser beam cut across a dark night at sea knows why they’re banned. Most passengers with them aim theirs at the water. However, they often bounce off something shiny on the hull & shoot up into the sky, which causes all sorts of issues. It’s especially bad for planes.
Curtains, drapes, room dividers
In one case, someone decided to turn their cabin into a cozy nook. They put a big sheet across the middle. Yet the lamp behind it got too hot & left the whole hallway smelling like burnt fabric. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. But that was the end of personal room dividers. Fire safety always beats interior design. Always.
Scanners and satellite phones
Scanners & satellite phones sound harmless. And they usually are, until they start picking up things they shouldn’t. One beacon somehow locked onto a marine wildlife tracking signal for whales. This put the ship’s system on high alert. That’s why many cruise ships treat them like contraband & keep them away from passengers completely.
Helium balloons
A single helium balloon escaping into a vent is enough for cruise ships to ban them. Balloons like this don’t simply vanish. Instead, they may clog the duct so badly that an entire floor’s air conditioning stops. Ouch. Bringing one to the check-in desk will lead to security “holding” the balloon for you.
Inflatable kiddie pools
The trouble with inflatable kiddie pools isn’t necessarily kids splashing around. Nope, in one case, it was an overenthusiastic parent who filled one during a rainstorm. All that extra water overflowed & found its way into the machinery below. Inflatable pools are now a banned item before you even board.
Hookahs
One guest balanced their hookah on the balcony ledge to save space. Then came an unexpected wave. As you might expect, this led to a shattered glass base rolling on the deck, and the clean-up isn’t exactly fun. Hookahs (real & electric) are banned. Why would you want one on a cruise anyway?
Remote-controlled toys
Remote-controlled toys should be okay. In theory, at least. Yet one of these made it over the railing on one cruise ship & landed right in the captain’s coffee mug. That’s certainly not someone you want to annoy. As a result, your RC toys must stay in storage until you’re off the ship.
Handcuffs
Cruise ships don’t care if you have metal or plastic handcuffs. They don’t care if they’re covered in pink fuzz, either. Handcuffs don’t make it past the security checkpoint because the crew has had to deal with passengers snapping them onto cabin handles. Some of them clipped them around stair railings. This caused a major scene. Who wants to deal with that?
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