I was driven to make this after I saw a series of
issues blow up on cruise ships after people did not come clean with their cruise line, sometimes
intentionally but more often because they hadn’t realised they needed to. The consequences of some
were so severe that I’ve seen cruisers banned for life, refused embarkation, or being
kicked off their ship during the cruise. Welcome aboard. I'm Gary Bembridge,
helping you to get cruising right by knowing what you should never
hide from the cruise line, and why. I want to start with where not telling the cruise
line can have the most serious of consequences. Recently a Texas woman called Melinda
Van Veldhuizen was banned for life by Carnival Cruise Lines for trying to take
CBD gummies on board to help her sleep. She was going through check-in security at
Port Miami when a security guard spotted a bag of CBD gummies in her backpack.
She'd bought them legally online as they are allowed in the State she lives in,
so assumed she could bring them on the cruise. Cruise lines have a no tolerance for drugs policy, which includes any cannabis related products.
So, despite being a loyal Carnival cruiser, she was banned for life for contravening
the policy. Even if you're sailing out a state where those products are legal,
they are illegal on board a cruise ship. So, if you use any cannabis related items
or other drugs considered illegal unless for medical reasons, you must let the
cruise line know in advance and get their medical clearance with a note
from your doctor to avoid her fate. Cruise lines also have strict rules around
pregnancy, as I saw play out in an unfortunate way recently for an Australian Gold
Coast resident, Kaylee Farrington. She excitedly was checking in for a
Carnival Luminosa cruise in Brisbane, but she was denied boarding as during check-in
the line discovered she was 26 weeks pregnant, but she had not thought to tell them in advance. To make matters worse, they refused to refund her
trip as she had broken the conditions of carriage. Most cruise lines only accept passengers that
are less than 24 weeks into pregnancy, with your expected due date certified by a doctor or midwife
in writing before they will let you travel. Even if you are not showing
and do not look pregnant, do not hide it from the lines who will
usually allow no penalty cancellations if you find you will be over that time
for a future cruise you have booked. Staying quiet to cruise is a bad idea as if
anything happens, you have complications, or go to labour, cruise ship medical facilities
are not equipped to help you or a premature baby. To illustrate this, just as I was working on
this a pregnant woman had to be medevacked from a Disney cruise ship as she was having
problems, and the ship was very far from a port. Although river cruise lines often allow
pregnant women to travel beyond the 24 weeks because they're closer to
land-based medical facilities. Another thing I get asked about often
and encourage people to not hide from the cruise line is if they hope, or are planning, to leave the cruise at a port other
than the final disembarkation port. For example, just this week, someone
wanting to do a repositioning cruise on Holland America Nieuw Statendam from Europe
via Iceland, Greenland, and Canada to New York, told me they planned to simply leave in
Canada as it was closer to home. I've also seen people talking about jumping off in a
particular Caribbean Island to stay in a resort. Sometimes it is possible to leave a cruise ship
before the end of the scheduled sailing. However, it all hinges on the regional and country rules, and the cruise line must make sure that you are
cleared by the relevant immigration authorities. If they are working with immigration
perhaps to embark and disembark crew, it may be a little bit easier because they've
already made the arrangements and covering any cost of having immigration agents
available to also clear any passenger that wants to leave early. But it's
crucial to not hide this from the line and just get off. It could create
major problems for you and the line. Another thing not to hide from the line
is illness. When we check in for a cruise, we normally fill out some
sort of medical declaration, and some cruise lines get us to do that before
we get to the port on their App or online. The two critical things that they're
screening for are for passengers who have had or been in contact with
anyone who's had Covid recently, or if anyone is suffering from any sort of
gastro issues like vomiting or stomach upsets. Don’t hide these from the cruise line
because you're getting onboard a cruise ship which is full of many people, and
they can spread. In most cases you will be screened by the Medical Team and
allowed to board, but they may ask you to stay in your cabin for the first
few days to check you get the all clear. I see every now and then cruise ships
having outbreaks soon after a major embarkation day, particularly of Norovirus
which suggests someone has brought it on. Now while I know some passengers will not
agree with me on that declaration issue, there are three conditions that are crucial
to not hide from the cruise line before you go because I have seen and heard of passengers
being refused boarding without any compensation. The first of these is around mobility and
other impairment issues. It's important if you have mobility issues to first make sure that
you've discussed with the cruise line at booking, so you chose a suitable cabin that meets
your issues and needs fully. Including if you require one that a wheelchair
or mobility scooter will fit in it. Also, by declaring all your issues,
the cruise line will assess whether you can travel solo if that was your
plan or must travel with someone who can assist you. The crew at most will
only assist you at the gangway to get on and off. They won't assist you with
excursions, nor getting around the ship. They will also confirm which equipment they
will and will not provide, and who their partner is to deliver equipment you may need
to order to the ship, such as Mobility at Sea. If you leave it until you check in, you can be refused embarkation at your
own cost if the line decides you are not capable. The lines have a “special needs”
team that you can work with before the cruise, If you have severe hearing issues, many
cruise lines can help if they know in advance. For example, Cunard has hearing
loops, to use with guest services and in the theatre. They will install visual alert
systems so that if there's any issues or any important emergency announcements then you are
visually alerted that these are taking place. They will provide a transcript of
the songs or the dialogue in shows and even written commentary about the
sites on excursions if pre-advised. If you have very poor sight or are blind, they will not let you travel solo. For
example, my mother was registered as blind, so she could only cruise with us. With
advance notice, cruise lines will usually provide things large print information
or even braille programs and documents. Next, if you need any sort of medical equipment
let the line know in advance to see if you are allowed to cruise and secondly,
whether you need to bring it yourself. For example, at the time of making
this I am boarding a Cunard cruise soon and I noted that in their documents
they stress that people who need oxygen provided through oxygen tanks or are going
through any form of dialysis cannot cruise. Most cruise lines will allow you to bring a
CPAP machine onboard, but you need to notify them advance to check voltage, need for
extension cords, and importantly if they will provide distilled water. Cunard, I
noted, for example, say they will not. Also, importantly, if you have kids that
have any special needs or behavioural issues, or are on the autism spectrum, you
need to let the line know in advance so they can ensure they have the right
programs for them to join the Kids Clubs. For example, Royal Caribbean that I was on
recently, offer autism-friendly options for kids, like films, and toys, and they have
some staff that are specially trained. Before I discuss the next issue,
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patreon.com/tipsfortravellers to find out more. Now back to the things not to hide from the line. It always amazes me when I'm getting off a cruise,
like my recent Symphony of the Seas Caribbean one, at the massive table piled high with all
sorts of items that people have tried to bring on board that are not allowed and
got spotted in the baggage screening. Cruise lines have strict rules
around what you can and can't bring, with a list of banned items
on their website. However, by talking to the line in advance there are
some cases where you can agree exceptions. The most common items that
people try and bring onboard, often without realising that it's an issue, are
items with naked flames, like candles or incense, and equipment with a heating element, like travel
irons, although many do allow curling irons. Of course, you can't bring on board
dangerous items like weapons, replica weapons or anything that looks or could
be used as a weapon, like a baseball bat. But if you need some equipment
for plans you have in port, discuss in advance and I have heard cases
where they agreed for them to be handed to Security to hold who then hand them
over and collect after a port visit. So, linked to that one thing you should not try
and bring is a drone. Drones are banned on most cruise lines. Although some like Carnival
and Royal Caribbean do allow you to bring them onboard and Carnival has Security store
them who will hand them to you and collect when in port, but Royal Caribbean (at time of
recording) allows you to keep them in your cabin. In the past I have been successful in negotiating
before a cruise with the cruise lines that ban them to let me bring a drone onboard. So, for
example, I went on a Seabourn Mediterranean cruise, and they agreed that I could bring it
on the basis that I left it with the security team, and they would give it to me to take
into a port, and hand it back on return. However, I find increasingly cruise lines
are saying no, and without clearing it up front they confiscate it and won’t hand
it back until the end of the cruise. Is there anything else that you wish you'd
told the cruise line up front because it's had unintended consequences? If so, leave a
note in the comments so I and other people can find out about that? But before you do that,
watch this video where I talk about some other offbeat and unusual cruise tips, starting with
one my Mum swore by and why. See you over there.
