Cruise Lines JUST Banned These 6 Much-Loved Items!!

Cruise Lines JUST Banned These 6 Much-Loved Items!!

I’m upset as one item I’ve taken on every cruise I’ve done to date has just been banned. But I’m not the only one devastated about new cruise line bans, as three people contacted me about a less-publicised ban making cruising more costly for them. While I saw another recent ban got one cruiser banned for life when she unwittingly broke it.

So, I’m here to tell you about six items cruise lines have recently banned that could change the way you cruise. Forever.

Before I talk about the one that’s upset me most, here’s two that have been discussed a lot online.

Making More Connections

Many cruisers are annoyed that Royal Caribbean have banned multi-plug outlets, those that allow you to plug in several devices at once, adding them to the already banned surge protector extension cords and power strips.

All cruise lines ban any extension cord with a surge protector feature as, unlike at home, they are not compatible and could affect the electrical system on ships and cause a fire in your cabin.

After some confusion, they have clarified that we can still bring a multi-port plug or extension that only takes USB or USB-C cords. But if it has even one socket to plug in a regular electrical plug, then it is not allowed.

So basically, anything allowing multiple plugs is no longer allowed, certainly on Royal Caribbean.

Getting Fruity

Cruise groups, forums and blogs were all chuckling when Carnival’s brand Ambassador John Heald reported that the infamous upside-down pineapple door decorations were no longer permitted on Carnival ships and would be removed.

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.

It got murkier as he later deleted the post, but it seems it is banned as a door decoration.

I’ve never quite understood the hit-and-miss nature of advertising using that on regular cruises, when there are entire ship charters dedicated to swingers run by groups like such as Bliss Cruises which seems a surer thing.

Before I talk about the less well publicised ban those three contacted me about, here is the recent one that’s upset me the most.

Making Sounds

That is the ban on Bluetooth speakers, including white noise machines and other types of audio equipment, by Carnival.

They have said that if any passenger tries to bring them on board at embarkation or at a port, they’ll be confiscated, and if cruisers buy a Bluetooth speaker in the on-board shops, they will be held until the end of the cruise.

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

Though I am sure it has really been done as it is annoying and intrusive having people playing loud music at the pools, around the deck, on their balconies and in their cabins.

This ban has affected friends that use white noise machines to help sleep as they are Bluetooth speakers.

The ban at time of recording is just on Carnival Cruise Line and I hope it does not spread across lines, as I always take Bluetooth speakers with me to listen to music and podcasts in my cabin, always aware of the volume of course.

Before I get to the ban that upset those three people I spoke about at the start, I want to talk about a rather unusual ban – but one I had to tell a passenger on my last cruise about as they were planning to bring one on their next cruise!

Making Better Connections

Probably one of the more hi-tech bans recently is the ban on bringing your own personal Starlink dish and device.

It can be expensive buying Wi-Fi on board. So, a Carnival Miracle guest and YouTuber called Richard Shillington, of the “No Pants Profits” channel, brought his own Starlink mini dish on board his cruise.

He made a video showing how he used it on the ship and posted it using it. But as soon as the cruise line saw the video and that he had his own Starlink dish on board, they confiscated it.

So now most cruise lines in their prohibited list call out the ban on personal Starlink devices.

Cruise lines also ban setting up personal Wi-Fi hotspots, and the equipment which allows you to set one up, although I have met several people who do.

While this ban is inconvenient, it pales into insignificance compared to the next ban that have and will have a bigger effect on some people’s ability to cruise at all.

Being Mobile

This seems to be mostly focused on UK-based lines such as P&O and Fred Olsen, and they are banning guests from bringing a wheelchair unless they have booked an accessible room.

In the past, people using wheelchairs on these lines could often book a regular cabin, particularly if they used a foldable one and only used infrequently.

However, some lines have changed their approach arguing to meet the SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) rules they now need to restrict the number of passengers who use wheelchairs and so require assistance to get to the Muster Station in an emergency, which is usually on a different deck to their cabin.

Lines have crew allocated to assist anyone with mobility issues using a wheelchair, and they say that too many people were not declaring their mobility restrictions and wheelchair usage meaning they did not have enough crew capacity in an emergency.

Several cruise lines I checked are saying they’ve changed their policy and now restrict the number of people that use mobility aids, specifically wheelchairs, per sailing.

And if people arrive without having declared they are bringing and use a wheelchair and haven’t booked an accessible room, they could be denied boarding at their own cost at check-in.

For some lines the number of people in wheelchairs they can cope with is the same number as accessible cabins, they now ban people from travelling with a wheelchair without booking an accessible cabin.

All three people that contacted me are now finding that the cost of their cruises has gone up as accessible cabins are at a premium to what they used to book.

But do check if this affects you as the policy differs line by line and is likely to keep changing.

Getting High

One item that has been added very clearly to the banned list recently is products containing CBD.

All cruise lines ban illegal drugs or recreational drugs, and they have added CBD gummies and products containing CBD (Cannabidiol) even though, from what I’ve read, this is not a compound that has psycho-activity, so does not make people “high” like cannabis does, and has more medicinal and therapeutic effects.

For example, Carnival says on their website, and I quote, “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.”

As Melinda Erin Van Veldhuizen discovered to her huge cost trying to board a Carnival cruise with her family in Port Miami in Florida to celebrate her wedding anniversary.

CBD Gummies were spotted in her bag, and she was denied boarding with no refund, and was also banned for life for cruising on Carnival. So, bear that in mind, products with CBD are a no go.

If you want to find out the full list of what is banned on your next cruise, search the name of the cruise line and the words “prohibited items” and you will get the latest full list.