If you don't want to miss the boat, leave this cruise contraband at home
12 Surprising Items Not to Pack for Your Next Cruise—They Might Be Banned
Published on Mar. 11, 2025
We’ve seen the social videos and heard of cruisers getting banned from ships for inappropriate behavior, including drunkenness, destroying property, fighting with other passengers and even getting too friendly with some of the crew. Disputing onboard charges on your credit card and getting a chargeback after the fact can also get you banned from a cruise line. But did you know you could get banned for life for trying to bring prohibited items—even innocently—on the ship?
Sure, you want to feel at home while at sea, especially if you’re on an extended voyage. However, certain items that are safe to use at home or in a hotel room are not allowed on board a cruise ship. Every cruise line has its “red line” for items that are not allowed. At a minimum, some items will be confiscated, while others may have you permanently banned—especially if they’re illegal. Read on to find which ones will get you in hot water.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.
Why do cruises ban certain items?
“Cruise lines not only have to follow the laws from the countries where they homeport but also the various countries and ports they visit,” explains cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron, aka The Cruise Guy. “Cruise lines also have their individual codes of conduct and lists of banned items. [Before you embark], it’s important for cruise passengers to review their contracts of carriage to ensure nothing they’re bringing will be in violation of the rules or laws.”
Typically, items are banned for safety reasons—though those reasons may not seem obvious at first.
What items are banned on cruises?
As mentioned above, it’s best to check directly with each cruise line before your voyage, as the type of items, the regulations surrounding them and the penalties for trying to bring them on the ship may be different.
There are also different regulations around items such as sporting equipment, as well as restrictions about clothing. For example, Royal Caribbean advises leaving your military garb at home if your itinerary includes Barbados, as camouflage and military-type apparel are illegal in the country. If the authorities see you, they can confiscate your clothing (which could be very embarrassing) and potentially charge you for the violation.
We’ve compiled a list of general guidelines regarding prohibited items based on online information from large cruise lines like Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruise Line.
Door decorations
Most cruise lines allow passengers to have door decor, with the exception of Norwegian. The line says it’s a cruise hazard since the materials may be flammable. Carnival recently banned upside-down pineapples, a symbol of people interested in “swinging,” citing the line’s commitment to a family-friendly environment.
Bluetooth speakers
Carnival Cruise Line recently banned Bluetooth speakers on all sailings for “safety reasons,” according to the cruise line, as they may potentially interfere with passengers’ ability to hear the safety announcements. Currently, they are the only cruise line to ban them.
HAM radios, transmitting devices, baby monitors and Starlink devices
Any of these items could interfere with the ship’s onboard communications systems, so they are not permitted. Using a personal Starlink device may have cybersecurity and operational security concerns. Passengers can use two-way radios or walkie-talkies while on board most ships, except for Norwegian.
Drones
Cruise lines also have different regulations around drones. Drones are banned for use on ships, as they can be annoying when flying over the pool decks while passengers are sipping drinks and soaking up the sun. They can also be dangerous if not operated properly. However, you may be able to bring them on board the ship—but only to use while in port—and the cruise lines have different rules around how they are stored on their ships.
If you’re sailing with Celebrity Cruises, for example, you are permitted to bring a drone on board as long as it’s secured in your stateroom—and not used until you’re off the ship in port. Meanwhile, Carnival requires guests to declare their drones when embarking, and they must leave them with the Chief Security Officer until they arrive in port. Norwegian and Princess ban drones outright.
Surge-protected power strips
Everyone wants to stay charged and connected while at sea, especially to share photos and videos of your vacation, but you cannot use surge-protected power strips on most cruise lines. Approved devices must be consumer-type USB chargers and stamped with U.S./Europe conformity markings (110V and 220V) showing compliance with electrical safety standards.
Some cruise lines also forbid extension cords, so check with your cruise line before packing one.
Alcohol
Many cruise lines prohibit passengers from bringing alcohol on board the ship, especially hard liquor and beer. Some lines permit a bottle or two of wine or Champagne but may charge you a corkage fee to open it—even if you plan to consume it in your stateroom.
Security will confiscate prohibited alcoholic beverages if they discover them in your luggage. While you will get the items back after the cruise, why waste time (and space) trying to sneak them through security when there’s plenty of booze available on the ship?
Candles
There are many basic items that may not seem dangerous at home or in a hotel room but can quickly become a fire hazard on board a ship with thousands of passengers and crew. This list of prohibited items includes candles, incense and burners, oil diffusers, lighter fluid, gasoline, cooking fuels and hookah pipes.
Lysol
Clean freaks, take note. John Heald, a Carnival brand ambassador, recently responded to a passenger’s questions on Facebook about bringing a can of Lysol aboard a ship. “While we do allow deodorant and hair products in aerosol form, we do not allow the flammable aerosols such as the one you mentioned,” he said. Heald suggests passengers bring Lysol wipes as an alternative.
Clothing irons and steamers
Items with heating elements are also prohibited, including clothing irons, travel steamers, hot plates, coffee makers, tea kettles and electric blankets. There are exclusions in this category too. Hair dryers, curling irons and personal shavers are generally permitted, but they can also be hazardous, especially when left plugged in and unattended—and the last thing anyone wants is a fire at sea.
Some cruise lines also prohibit hoverboards due to safety concerns with the lithium-ion batteries.
Tools
Since you’re not likely to be doing any woodworking or home repairs while at sea, you’ll want to leave your hammer, saw, axes, hatchets, drills, wrenches, screwdrivers and other Mr. Fix It items in your toolbox in the garage during your cruise.
Martial arts and self-defense items
We know you don’t want to end up as the star in one of those aforementioned YouTube or TikTok videos, so plan to be on your best behavior on board the ship. These items will also be confiscated if found during security checks: billy clubs, brass knuckles, blackjacks, mace and pepper spray, handcuffs, stun guns, nunchakus, nightsticks, bows and arrows, throwing stars and Kubatons.
Replicas of firearms and weapons
Leave your kid’s BB guns, air guns and paintball guns at home. Cruise lines prohibit passengers from bringing any type of replicas of firearms on board their ships. This also includes flare guns, pellet guns, spear guns and starter pistols. However, Disney does permit some look-alike weapons, such as plastic “pirate” swords, lightsabers and plastic toy replicas of Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer.
How do cruise lines find contraband items?
According to an article in Consumer Rescue, from Aug. 31, 2024, some passengers announce their intentions to sneak all sorts of forbidden items on board on Facebook pages dedicated to cruises, not realizing that they’re probably monitored by representatives of the cruise line. Others even offer tips for sneaky ways to bring the contraband on board. But be forewarned: There are always people who are happy to advise the line in advance of these potentially problematic passengers, who may then be targeted at check-in.
Will I get my items back?
At a minimum, if found, these prohibited items (including your portable Bluetooth speakers), may be confiscated when going through security and not returned to you until you disembark the ship.
And if you deliberately bring prohibited items on board (especially illegal substances and firearms), you risk being banned from boarding the ship for your vacation—and potentially from any future sailings with that particular cruise line.
Will cruise ships really ban you for life?
Celebrity explicitly states on its website that any violation of its policies, including bringing prohibited items on board the ship, may result in suspending or demoting loyalty-tier benefits, denial of boarding or removal from the ship, and even denial of boarding on any future Royal Caribbean Group cruise vacation, which includes all the ships operated by Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Silversea Cruises.
Your best bet is to play it safe and follow your cruise line’s rules surrounding prohibited items and onboard regulations. This will help you avoid disruptions, confiscation of your belongings, the possibility of missing your long-awaited vacation—and even being banned for life from sailing aboard your favorite ships.
About the expert
|
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Gwen Pratesi tapped her experience as a longtime travel writer and frequent cruiser. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Stewart Chiron, The Cruise Guy; interviewed, February 2025
- Consumer Rescue: “These cruise ship passengers got banned forever. Could it happen to you?”
