Cunard cruise passengers urged to leave these 24 banned items at home

Packing for a cruise holiday is a slightly different beast to packing for an average holiday, as you tend to need more than usual.

Part of the fun of a is all the dressing up you get to do while on board, with many throwing formal evenings or themed nights which come with a recommended dress code.

As such, it can mean packing your best frock, suit and dancing shoes for the occasion, alongside your usual holiday get-up of T-shirt and shorts.

However, passengers should be aware that some cruise lines have weight limits for luggage, and, as with airlines, there are strict limits on what items are allowed.

To ensure safety and security, cruise ships prohibit passengers from taking certain items onboard, either before or after your voyage – and is no exception.

The luxury cruise line, which boasts the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Anne in its fleet, sails to destinations all over the world, including from its home port in Southampton, UK.

But no matter which port you sail from, Cunard expects passengers to abide by its luggage rules and warns those who bring banned items onboard face having them permanently confiscated.

The cruise line said: “The safety and security of our ships is paramount and, as such, you are prohibited from carrying certain items onto our vessels. 

“Security screening of you and your baggage will be conducted each time you board the ship and if you are found in possession of any of these items they may be permanently confiscated. This list is not exhaustive and any other items may be refused at the discretion of either the Port or Ship security staff.”

If you’re sailing with Cunard or planning to in the future, you are not allowed to take any of the following 24 items onboard with you:

• Any illegal drugs. This includes synthetic, designer drugs, and medical marijuana. While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore these are also considered prohibited item

• All firearms including replicas, imitations, and their components

• Air, BB or pellet pistols or rifles

• Any other projectile-weapon i.e. paintball guns

• All ammunition

• All explosives, including imitation explosives and devices

• Fireworks, flares, pyrotechnics

• Sharp-pointed weapons including throwing stars

• Knives with a blade longer than 4 inches / 10.16 cm, any blade length that is prohibited by local laws, and all concealed-bladed weapons such as belt buckle knives, cane and umbrella knives or swords, pen knives, credit card knives, etc.

• Open razors or scissors with a blade longer than 4 inches / 10.16 cm

• Skean Dhus or Kirpans

• Spears or spear guns

• Crossbows, crossbow bolts, and long bow arrows

• Blunt weapons. This includes knuckle dusters, brass knuckles, clubs, coshes, batons, flails or nunchaku

• Items containing incapacitating substances. This includes gas guns, tear gas sprays, mace, phosphorus, acid and other dangerous chemicals that could be used to maim or disable

• Flammable substances and hazardous chemicals

• Any other item made, adapted, or intended for use as an offensive weapon

• Stun devices

• Handcuffs

• Items containing heating elements. This includes immersion heaters, heating blankets, flat irons, water heaters, coffee machines with heating / hot plates, etc.

• Any remotely controlled or autonomously flying devices, toys, or drones

• Self-balancing hoverboards, air wheels, electric bicycles/scooters, or Segways

• Compressed gas tanks, bottles, cylinders including dive tanks, propane tanks, helium-filled balloons, and aerosol cans

• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) ham radios, communication scanners, wide-band receivers, satellite phones, transformers, lasers and laser pointers

Cunard adds: “Passengers are not permitted to bring onboard irons, kettles or appliances with heating elements however hair dryers, straighteners and curling tongs are permitted.

“Please note that local governments and port authorities may have their own guidelines on restricted or prohibited items allowed on board seafaring vessels, and these guidelines may differ to ours above. We advise that guests check the local government guidelines of their country of embarkation to ensure smooth embarkation.”