Most cruise passengers never come close to getting in trouble.
But every sailing has a few people who decide the rules don’t apply to them—and sometimes their vacation ends a lot earlier than planned.
Travel geeks know there are a lot of ways to get into really big trouble on a plane. Smoking, threatening and other inappropriate behavior are all easy ways to probably expect to have the police waiting for you when you land.
It’s not surprising that cruise lines also have their own “lines in the sand” where, if you go too far, you may find yourself in the brig (that’s cruisespeak for “cruise jail”), in police custody at the next port, and potentially with major fines added to your bill.
Here are some easy ways to get into some big-time trouble on a cruise ship:
Bringing drugs onboard
Although marijuana use is legal in some way, shape or form in many U.S. states, that doesn’t mean it’s allowed on a cruise ship. Major cruise lines generally prohibit marijuana, including medical marijuana, and many also prohibit cannabis-derived products such as CBD, even if they’re legal where you live.
If a drug-sniffing dog discovers you have prohibited drugs or cannabis products with you, you may not be allowed to board the ship. And if they discover you have or are using them while onboard, including edibles or vape products, you could find yourself in serious trouble. Depending on the cruise line, the port and the circumstances, that could mean confiscation, being put off the ship, referral to local authorities or being banned from future sailings.
Getting into a physical altercation
You hear more about fights on the “party” cruises, like Carnival (who, to their credit, is REALLY trying to change that reputation). But any time you have a few thousand people on a ship, especially if liquor might be served, there’s bound to be some physical altercations.
And it doesn’t even have to be a fight – it could be throwing a drink at someone, shoving them, or even just grabbing someone’s arm as the conversation starts getting heated.
Whatever the case, both parties can expect to be detained – typically forced to remain in their cabin with security outside the door – and when the ship gets to the next port, authorities will take over.
Throwing anything off the ship
It doesn’t matter what the item is — a napkin, a cigarette butt, an apple core. Cruise lines take anything going overboard seriously, both for environmental reasons and because objects can create safety and operational issues. Royal Caribbean’s guest policy, for example, says guests are not permitted to discard any item overboard.
Because cruise lines are fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for illegal dumping, it’s taken VERY seriously and cruise lines will do everything they can to identify who did it and recover the cost.
And yes, they WILL see you do it – cruise lines have cameras running 24/7, and they’re everywhere.
Smoking/vaping outside of designated smoking areas
Again, cruise ships have cameras everywhere. And the last thing they want is a repeat of this, which happened because of a cigarette.
Tampering with safety equipment
We’re not just talking about disabling the smoke detector in your room so you can sneak a few puffs. Getting a selfie in a lifeboat, pulling a fire alarm or anything else that involves tampering with the ship’s safety equipment can get you kicked off the ship, fined and possibly arrested.
Stealing
Obviously, stealing is a crime everywhere around the world. But if you take something while on a cruise ship – either something that belongs to the line itself, or you let yourself into someone else’s cabin because the door didn’t close all the way – and you’re caught (because, again, they have cameras everywhere), they’re going to figure out it was “you” in a couple of hours.
That’s grounds for being kicked off the ship at the next port – along with an official report to the local police. Oh, and there’s a good chance you’ll be barred from ever sailing on that line again. And since, like car rental companies, multiple lines are all under the same umbrella, you may actually get banned from several other cruise lines, as well.
Oh, and if any of the above happens to you, don’t expect a refund or a flight home. You’ll be 100% on your own, including having to negotiate any local charges that are brought against you.
Cruise ships may feel like floating resorts, but they’re also highly regulated environments with thousands of passengers and crew members living together in a relatively small space.
That’s why cruise lines tend to have very little patience for behavior that could put other people, the ship, or the itinerary at risk.
The good news? Avoiding trouble is remarkably easy.
Don’t bring drugs. Don’t start fights. Don’t throw things overboard. Don’t mess with safety equipment. Don’t steal. And don’t try to turn your stateroom into a smoking lounge.
Follow those simple rules and your biggest vacation decision will be whether to head to the buffet or the pool next. 😆
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
