Cruise Line Security

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oldsalt

Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Messages
42
Hello everyone,
I'm a newly re-registered long time reader of this forum with a question for any of you knifeKnuts out there who have taken a cruise recently. My Wife and I are going on our first ever cruise in February and I would like to know what if anything the cruise lines allow in the way of EDC. Are they locked down as tight as the air ports? Or can someone bring a reasonable EDC knife on board. I have tried to get information from the cruise line, but they are very VERY vague about their security measures. Maybe with reason. However I plan on doing some diving in the islands and would like to carry a Spyderco Delia as a dive knife as well as a SAK and a SOG multi-tool. I have already been informed via our travel agent that "dive knives" are not allowed. However, she was obviously a sheeple (Like, "Why in the world would anyone want to bring a "bowie knife" with them??" even though I tried to explain I know I didn't get through to her and I even doubt she ever talked to anyone with the cruise line.) So, my question is, can anyone out there give me an answer on whether or not the knives listed above would be allowed? Seems logical to me that anything you could check through in luggage could be carried on board as you would have access to it once on board, not like the airlines. I do know that they are screening with metal detectors on boarding.
Thanks for any info.
Oldsalt.
 
I got my EDC onto a carnival cruise no problem in my luggage... The only thing they seemed to care about was people buying butterflys in mexico and bringing them home.

I would say to call the cruise line though, they've probably heard this before.
 
Thanks for the reply Ascoe,
We are going on Royal Caribbean but I suspect they are pretty much the same on their policies. What EDC did you take with you? I had thought about looking around for some local knives while on the trip, is it just the butterflys that they don't like? What about standard folders or fixed blades. I was thinking that if I found and bought anything I really liked I would mail it home if I couldn't get it back aboard ship. Did you see anything you liked while on your trip?
Oldsalt
 
oldsalt said:
....We are going on Royal Caribbean....
Click to expand...
I have a good friend who was a cruise director with RCCL for about 18 years. Want me to see if he has any contacts at the head office who can give you an honest answer?
 
We went on Norwegian. My SAK and Spyderco Endura went on in my carry-on and one pocketed and trayed with my other metal bits at boarding. No problem. They were confiscated returning from a shore excursion. Metal detectors. There were some interesting blades in there to keep mine company. Returned the day we disembarked. Believe me they got a very solid nasty-gram about it. I was pissed. :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Thanks Cockroachfarm, that would be great. This what I like about this forum, lots of help when you need it.
Merek, sorry to hear about the confiscation, but glad you got them back. Was it the ship or shore security that took them? I had not thought about that aspect of it. I would think if you originally boarded with them and carried them off in port, aside from local authorities you would have problems with the ship personel on re-boarding.
Oldsalt
 
oldsalt said:
Thanks for the reply Ascoe,
We are going on Royal Caribbean but I suspect they are pretty much the same on their policies. What EDC did you take with you? I had thought about looking around for some local knives while on the trip, is it just the butterflys that they don't like? What about standard folders or fixed blades. I was thinking that if I found and bought anything I really liked I would mail it home if I couldn't get it back aboard ship. Did you see anything you liked while on your trip?
Oldsalt
Click to expand...
Benchmade 530s, a 3.25 inch "tactical" spearpoint folder.. very thin.
No employees ever saw it though.

It was my only decent knife at the time, and yeah, Mexico had some interesting knives. I wasn't as 'into it' at the time, but i did notice a lot of balis and other cheap knives.
 
I've been on Princess and Celebrity and neither hand any substantial security in terms of searching bags. Think about this: the ship opens for boarding at 2:00pm and sails at 5:00pm. Two thousand passengers will arrive in those three hours. Each will have baggage for two weeks... and cruise ship passengers don't travel light. There will be something like six thousand suitcases to be inspected in three hours. That's doable, but the passengers also expect their bags to be in their cabin when they get to their cabin. The line has like fifteen minutes from the time you check in until that bag has to be in your cabin. You can imagine how much inspecting they do. None.

As for carry aboard. I always have. Nobody's said a thing. Of course, I do it discretely.

I've seen gentlemen on formal nights in kilts with the traditional Scotish knife (I won't even try to spell it much less pronounce it) on their legs in full view.

Certainly, take a multitool along with you. I take one whenever I travel and I almost never fail to need it for something. I fixed a shower curtain on Dawn Princess with my Leatherman once.
 
Gollnick said:
I've seen gentlemen on formal nights in kilts with the traditional Scotish knife (I won't even try to spell it much less pronounce it)
Click to expand...

Gollnick,

It's sgian dubh, pronounced "SKEE-un doo."

maximus otter
 
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