To keep both passengers and crew members safe while at sea, each major cruise line has a long list of items that passengers are prohibited from bringing aboard its ships.
As you’d probably expect, firearms, weapons, explosives, and illegal drugs top the lists. Cruise lines also ban any items that could start a fire — candles, flammable substances, and any items that contain a heating element like irons and coffee makers. Hair dryers, styling tools, and personal grooming devices are the only exceptions to this rule.
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Passengers are also prohibited from bringing alcohol on board with one key exception. Most cruise lines allow their passengers to bring at least one bottle of wine or champagne along on their sailing.
This exception stems from a tradition of transatlantic ocean liner voyages when passengers would toast to the beginning of a journey with a glass of champagne.
But while cruise lines’ prohibited items lists mostly cover the same types of items and make similar exceptions, each one has a few differences.
So, if you’ve only sailed on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, for example, and decide to try out Norwegian Cruise Line, it’s important to be aware of certain items that Norwegian bans that other lines may allow.
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Norwegian Cruise Line bans a few common travel items that other lines allow.
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Norwegian Cruise Line bans walkie talkies, fans
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line both strictly prohibit HAM radios or other transmitting devices because they could potentially interfere with the ship’s onboard communication systems.
But while Royal Caribbean makes an exception for walkie talkies — two-radios that some cruisers like to use for personal onboard communications — Norwegian Cruise Line specifically spells out that walkie talkies of any kind are not allowed on board its ships.
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Norwegian Cruise Line also specifies that Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), satellite phones, transformers, lasers, and laser pointers, and any form of radio/telephone signal jamming equipment are not permitted. The cruise line also bans any type of multi-functional device developed for interaction with access control systems onboard the ship.
In addition to walkie talkies, fans are another item that Norwegian Cruise Line bans that some passengers like to bring on Royal Caribbean cruises. Norwegian does, however, make an exception for small electrical or battery-operated fans, but advises passengers that these fans are subject to confiscation by the ship’s security team for inspection and approval.
Norwegian Cruise Line prohibits door decorations
Decorating cruise ship cabin doors is a fun tradition that many cruisers enjoy participating in when sailing on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, and other cruise lines.
Cruise passengers get very creative with door decorations, often using magnets to highlight things they’re celebrating on the cruise or add flair with a theme for their vacation. Along with adding a little extra fun and personality to the voyage, cabin door decorations can help make it easier for passengers to find their staterooms in a long hallway of doors that all look the same.
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While door decorations seem like harmless cruise fun, they can pose a fire hazard in some cases. Because of this, Carnival Cruise Line offers door decoration guidelines for its passengers, which stipulate that decorations must be made of fire-retardant materials.
Norwegian Cruise Line, however, decided to take things a step further and add all door decorations to its prohibited items list.
“For everyone’s safety, Norwegian Cruise Line does not allow any type of door decorations, including paper or magnetic ones, due to their flammable nature. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with our safety policy,” the cruise line states on its website.
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