Cruise ship passengers warned as six ‘much-loved’ items are banned

Avid have been left devastated by recent rule changes on several cruise lines, which could forever change how people cruise. 

One costly ban is so unpublicised that one passenger has been banned for life after unwittingly breaking the new rules. 

Many cruisers have been annoyed that has banned multi-plug outlets, which allow you to plug in multiple devices at once. 

This comes after the line already banned surge protector extension cords and power strips. 

Royal Caribbean clarified that passengers can still bring a multi-port plug or extension that only takes USB or USB-C cords. However, if it has a socket for a regular electrical plug, it is no longer allowed.

A UK-based ban on lines such as and Fred Olsen now prohibits guests from bringing a onboard unless they have booked an accessible room – a move that may affect some passengers’ ability to cruise at all. 

This ban is said to have been introduced to comply with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) rules, which restrict the number of passengers who use wheelchairs and require assistance to get to the Muster Station in an emergency. 

Cruise lines must have crew allocated to assist those with mobility difficulties and have said that too many passengers were not declaring their mobility restrictions meaning that the ship did not have enough crew capacity in an emergency. If passengers arrive without having declared they are bringing or use a wheelchair and have not booked an accessible room, they could now be denied boarding at their own cost. 

Products containing CBD (Cannabidiol) have also recently been added to the banned list. All cruise lines ban illegal or recreational drugs and they have recently added CBD gummies and other products even though they are often used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. 

“While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they’re not legal in all the ports you visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items,” wrote on their website. 

This largely unknown rule change came at a huge cost to mother-of-two Melinda Erin Van Veldhuizen. She was stopped at security at Port Miami for carrying CBD sleep gummies and denied boarding with no refund, leaving her out-of-pocket $10,000 (£8,120). She also received . 

Personal dishes and devices – which allow people to maintain a strong WiFi connection without having to purchase expensive onboard WiFi packages – have also recently been banned by Carnival after a recent guest and posted a video showing other passengers how to use it onboard. 

Richard Shillington, from the channel, brought his own Starlink mini dish on board his cruise and shared his tips online. However, as soon as the line saw the video they confiscated the device and added it to the list of banned items. Several other cruise lines have since followed suit.

A particularly frustrating ban is Carnival’s recent ban on , including white noise machines – often relied upon by poor sleepers and young children – and other audio equipment. 

The line has said that any passenger who attempts to bring them on board at embarkation or a port will have the device confiscated. Any bought at the onboard shops – which are still selling such products – will be held until the end of the cruise. 

Carnival has claimed the ban is for safety reasons so that public announcements can be heard and guests must now use headphones when listening to music or watching shows in public spaces. 

In a more amusing turn of events, Carnival Cruise’s brand ambassador, John Heald, replied to a Facebook comment that the were no longer permitted on board the line’s ships and would be removed from any cabin door. 

“For those who don’t know, an upside-down pineapple has become a bit of cruise folklore and is reportedly used to advertise you’re into the ‘swingers’ lifestyle and inviting interested parties to connect,” explained Gary Bembridge, who runs the YouTube channel, . 

Mr Heald later deleted the post, but it still seems that Carnival is now cracking down on the infamous door decoration.