You’re a week away from your cruise, your suitcase is out and it’s already starting to fill up. It’s finally here!
You have all the necessities you would normally take on vacation, but you’ve never been on a cruise before. Did you know that there are certain items that you cannot bring with you?
There are some amazing things that make up the list of items you should leave at home when packing for a cruise, and there are really three different reasons: safety, public nuisance, and space savings.
Security
The following articles are prohibited on cruises for safety reasons, often due to the risk of fire. Anything that can cause a spark or have an open flame is dangerous in a closed ship like a ship, where a fire would be disastrous. These items will be confiscated if taken to the terminal:
- Candles, incense, coffee makers, ironing boards, travel steamers and hotplates. (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, ironing boards, stoves, candles, incense, and any other items that may pose a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exceptions to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners. Normal matches and lighters are allowed on board. However, “torch lighters” and novelty lighters that look like guns are not allowed on board. Torch lighters emit a powerful concentrated flame and are therefore prohibited.
- Hoverboards
- Flammable and explosive liquids, including lighter liquids and fireworks.
- Hookah pipes and water.
- HAM radios
- Baby monitors
- Electric extension cords
- Hazardous chemicals such as bleach and paint.
If you need special accommodation, send an email to Royal Caribbean at [email protected]; Please include in the email the names of the guests, the reservation number, the name of the ship and the date of departure. You can inform RC about dietary or special room needs, such as additional plugs for a CPAP machine.
We must also consider personal safety. We are used to banning or limiting the following items in large groups of people to prevent someone from getting hurt, and the same applies on a cruise.
- Firearms and ammunition, including realistic replicas.
- Sharp objects, including all knives and scissors. (Note: Personal cleaning items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with a blade length of less than 4 inches are allowed.)
- Martial arts, self-defense and sports equipment, including handcuffs, pepper spray and night sticks.
There are different laws from one port to another on what drugs and chemicals are allowed, so Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have to limit what cruises can carry with them.
- Drugs and illegal substances
- CBD Oil / CBD Products
Public nuisance
While Royal Caribbean does a fantastic job of controlling crowds, you’ll still go on a boat with a lot of other people, so it’s important to keep that in mind when choosing what to take with you. Most items on this list are not prohibited, but they could cause conflict or are simply rude. It’s a good idea to leave them at home.
Walkie Talkies
You’ll still find them on many downloadable packing lists, but with technology updates like the chat feature in the Royal app and Internet service, you won’t need Walkies to communicate.
Most of the time, however, they don’t work very well because of distance and interference. I’ve come across a few people trying to use them, and most are a strong static. Imagine being in an elevator with someone yelling at a handheld radio! Not a pleasant experience for a neighbor.
If you do not use the phone to communicate, take a blackboard or post it and leave notes in the room, or simply set check-in times.
Pool floats
I love to float in a cool pool on a hot day as much as the next person. But this unicorn float occupies a lot of real estate and the pools are the right size for people, not for inflatables.
At 5’0 ”, I’m able to hit bottom in almost every RC pool I’ve been to (at least on tiptoe), so you can still wade and take your Pina Colada all afternoon. Don’t worry, this doesn’t apply to kids who need arm floats, and life jackets on board are also offered for your little ones.
Adult toys
No, not this kind of toys.
I’m talking about Drones, Comets, Heelys, Hoverboards, etc. These can be confiscated for security reasons, but they also fall into the category of nuisance. No one wants to walk down the promenade just to be hit by a hoverboard!
And I know we’ve all seen magnificent images of drones from boats and beaches, but remember that these vendors have special permission from Royal to take these photos. Without a Royal license, you will not board this drone.
Space savers
Finally, there are a few things I want to mention simply because they save space in the suitcase. You can find them on an online packing list, or you can get used to taking them on holiday to land. But, these are all things you don’t need to take with you on a cruise.
Beach towels
But wait, are we going to the pool and the beach and we don’t need towels? How will we dry? Royal Caribbean has towel stations around the pool area so you can grab as many towels as you need.
Also, when you get off the boat for excursions, there are always staff members waiting to check your towels! Leave these bulky towels at home!
Food and snacks
I’ll make an exception in advance for parents with young children – go ahead and pack those little buffets your baby loves! However, for the rest of us, there is more than enough food on board. We don’t need to bring anything to eat.
The first two cruises I did, I packed a box of granola bars, just in case … and both times they went home with me completely unopened. I’ve found that there’s something for everyone on the boat, no matter how humorous you are.
Royal Caribbean will also cater for special requests in the event of food allergies or dietary restrictions. I have put the information at the end of this post.
Yeti Mugs / Personal Water Bottles
This is really a personal preference, but I have found it to be a good one if you really need to save space.
Everything you drink on board will already come in a cup or bottle, so you should pour it into your Yeti anyway. If you get the unlimited or refreshing beverage package, you will receive a cup of Freestyle coke with an RFID chip for the machines; your Yeti will not work with these machines.
Books
If you want to see me fight while packing, come visit me when it’s time to choose my holiday reading. Every time, I’m agonizing over whether I should take my tablet, when I really want to make paper copies. They are so much prettier for taking pictures! In the end, though, the tablet always wins. Books are heavy, and no matter how much I love them, they have to stay home.
Download Overdrive and check out some e-readings from your library. Also, most tablets are at least semi-waterproof now, so if you drop it in the hot tub for a second, it won’t be completely destroyed. (Don’t ask me how I know …)
Your suggestions
Who is so good at packing that you can only go down to continue? What do you cut from your cruise packing list that most of us consider necessary? We would love to hear your packing tips! Share with us in the comments!
