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Not Telling Your Cruise Line These 6 Things Could Sink Your Cruise!
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Jun 26, 2024
I was driven to make this after I saw a series of issues blow up on cruise ships after people did not come clean with their cruise line, sometimes intentionally but more often because they hadn’t realised they needed to. The consequences of some were so severe that I’ve seen cruisers banned for life, refused embarkation, or being kicked off their ship during the cruise. In this video I help you to get cruising right by knowing what you should never hide from the cruise line, and why. For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron: --------------------------------------------------- * Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * YouTube Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products: --------------------------------------------------- * T-Shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore * Mugs, notebooks, hoodies etc: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/tipsfortravellers?ref_id=22354 My social media: --------------------------------------------------- * Blog: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com * Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers * Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
View Video Transcript
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I was driven to make this after I saw a series of issues blow up on cruise ships after people
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did not come clean with their cruise line, sometimes intentionally, but more often because
0:10
they hadn't realized they needed to. The consequences of some were so severe that I've seen
0:15
cruisers banned for life, refused to embarkation, or even being kicked off their cruise ship
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during the cruise. Welcome aboard. I'm Gary Bemridge and I'm helping you to get cruising right
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by knowing what you should never hide from the cruise line, but importantly, why
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I want to start with where not telling the cruise line can have the most serious of consequences
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Recently, a Texas woman called Melinda Van Valdhazen was banned for life by carnival
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cruise lines for trying to take CBD gummies on board to help her sleep
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She was going through check-in security at Port Miami when a security guard spotted a bag
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of CBD gummies in her backpack. She had bought them legally online as
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they are allowed in the state that she lives in. So, of course, she assumed she could bring them
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on the cruise because they were legal. Cruise lines, however, have a no tolerance for drugs policy
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which includes any cannabis-related products. So despite being a loyal carnival cruiser
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she was banned for life for contravening that policy. Even if you're sailing out of a state
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where those products are legal, they are illegal on board every single cruise ship. So if you use
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cannabis-related items or in fact any other drugs that are normally considered illegal unless
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for medical reasons you must let the cruise line know in advance and get a medical clearance
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which will normally require a note from your doctor so you can avoid her fate
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Cruise lines also have strict rules around pregnancy as i saw play out in an unfortunate way recently
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for an australian gold coast resident Kaylee farrington now she was really excitedly
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checking in for a carnival luminosa cruise in Brisbane but she was
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was denied boarding as during check-in the line realized and discovered that she was 26 weeks pregnant
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but she had not thought to tell them in advance. To make matters worse, they refused to refund
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her her trip because she had broken the conditions of carriage so she lost all the money
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Most cruise lines only accept passengers that are less than 24 weeks into pregnancy with your
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expected due date certified by a doctor or midwife in writing before they will let you travel
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even if you're not showing and don't look pregnant, do not hide it from the cruise lines
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because they will also usually allow you no penalty cancellations if you find you will actually
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be over that time for any future cruise that you've got booked, so come clean
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Staying quiet to cruise is also a really bad idea because if anything happens
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if you have complications, you go into labour, cruise ship medical facilities are not equipped
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to help you and definitely not a premature baby. To illustrate this just as I was working on this a pregnant woman had to be medevacked by helicopter from a Disney cruise ship because she was having some problems with her pregnancy and the ship was really far away from port so that was a traumatic experience in itself
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By the way, river cruise lines often allow pregnant women to travel beyond the 24 weeks because they're closer to land-based medical facilities
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Another thing I get asked about often and encourage people to not hide from the cruise line is if they hope or are planning to leave the cruise at a port other than the final disembarkation
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port. For example, just this week, someone wanting to do a reposition cruise on Holland
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America New Statendam, which is going to go from Europe via Iceland, Greenland, Canada and onto New York
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told me they plan to simply leave in Canada because it was closer to home. I've also seen
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people talking about jumping off in a particular Caribbean island partway through a cruise
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because they want to stay and have a land-based resort stay. Sometimes it is possible to leave a cruise ship
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before the end of a scheduled sailing. However, it all hinges on the regional and country rules
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and the cruise line must make sure that you are cleared by the relevant immigration authorities to do that
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Now, if they're working with immigration, perhaps, because they're embarking and disembarking
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crew, it could be a little bit easier because they've already arranged everything to be in place
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they've covered any cost of having immigration agents involved, and they are therefore available to clear any passenger that wants to leave early
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But it is crucial to not hide this from the line and just get off
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It could create major problems for you and also the cruise line
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Another thing to not hide from the line is illness. When we check in for a cruise, we normally fill out some sort of medical declaration
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And some cruise lines get us to do that nowadays before we get on, you know, even get to the port on their app or perhaps online
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Now, the two critical things that they're screening for are passages who've had or been in contact with anyone who's had COVID-reviewed
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or secondly, if anyone is suffering from any sort of gastro issues like vomiting or stomach
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upsets. Don't hide these from the cruise line because you are getting on board a cruise ship
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which of course is full of many many people and these things can spread
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Now in most cases what happens these days is you will be screened by the medical team
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and you're usually allowed to board but they may ask you to stay in your cabin for the first
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few days. You basically check that you've got the all clear. I see every now and then cruise ship, you're usually to stay
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ships having outbreaks of things particularly neurovirus quite soon after major embarkation days which suggests of course that someone has brought it on so
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just be honest now while I know of course that some passengers do not agree
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with me on that particular declaration issue there are three conditions that
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are crucial to not hide from the cruise line before you go because I've
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definitely seen and heard of passengers being refused boarding without any compensation first of these is around mobility and other
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related impairment issues It important if you have mobility issues to first make sure that you discussed with the cruise line at booking so that you chosen a suitable cabin that going to meet your issues and your needs fully including for example you might need a cabin that a wheelchair mobility scooter can get through the door and fit in
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Also, it's really important by declaring all your issues. The cruise line will assess whether you can travel solo if that was your plan, or you have to travel with someone who could assist you
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The crew will not assist you. At most, they'll assist you at the gangway to get on and off
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They won't assist you at excursions, getting around the ship. Of course, they will in an emergency
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They will also, the cruise line confirm which equipment they will and will not provide
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and who their part is to deliver any equipment that you need to order and hire
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For example, providers like mobility at sea. If you leave it until check-in, you could be refused embarkation at your own cost
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if the line decides that you're not capable. All the lines have a special needs team that will work with you before the cruise, so it's
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important to fess up. If you have severe hearing issues, many cruise lines can also help you if they know in advance
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For example, QNOD has hearing loops to use with guest services and in the theater
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They will install visual alert system, so if there's any issues or an important emergency
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announcement, then you are visually alerted that these are taking place. They will also provide a transcript of the songs or the dialogue in shows, and you can even get
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written commentary about the sites and excursions if you've told them in advance
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If you have really poor eyesight or are blind, they will also not let you travel solo
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For example, my mother was registered as blind so she could only cruise with us
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With advance notice, the cruise lines will also provide things like large green information
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they may even provide Braille in terms of the programs and the documents. Next, if you need any sort of medical equipment, you again need to let the line know
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Basically to see whether first of you're allowed to cruise, and secondly, whether you're going to
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need to bring some or all of it yourself. For example, at the time I'm making this
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I'm due to board a Cunard cruise very soon, and I noted that in their documents, they stress
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that people who need oxygen, provided through oxygen tanks, or are going through any form
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of dialysis, cannot cruise on Cunard. And again, you would be refused at embarkation
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Most cruise lines will allow you to bring CPAP machines on board, but you again need to notify them in advance to check voltage, do you need extension cords, and importantly if they will provide distilled water
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QNard, for example, I noted saying that they will not provide distilled water
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Also importantly, of course, if you have kids that have any special needs or behavioral issues or on the autism spectrum, you need to let the cruise line know in advance
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Don't hide it. You need to tell them because they can then ensure that they have the right programs for your kids
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to join the kids clubs. If for example, Royal Caribbean make much of the fact that they offer
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autism-friendly options for kids, like films and toys, and they have some staff that are specially trained I saw that when I was on board recently Before I discuss the next issue if you enjoy my content and tips why not consider becoming a YouTube channel member
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or Patreon Patreon? It costs them just $2 a month and you'll get exclusive bonus content
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like on cruise and channel behind the scene videos, group cruise priority bookings
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or visit patreon.com slash tips for travelers to find out more. Now, back to the things not to hide from your cruise line
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It always amazes me when I'm getting off a cruise, like my recent Symphony of the Seas
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Caribbean one, at the massive table piled high with all sorts of items that people have tried
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to bring on board that are not allowed and they get spotted in the baggage screening and confiscated
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Cruise lines have really strict rules around what you can and cannot bring with a list of
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bad items on their website. However, by talking to the line in advance, there are also
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some cases when you can actually agree exceptions if you just come clean. Now the most common
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items that people try and bring on board often without realizing that it's an issue are items
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with naked flames, so things like candles and incense burners or people bring aboard equipment
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with heating element like travel irons, although some of them will allow curling iron, so it's
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important to check what you can and can't bring. Of course, you can't bring on board dangerous
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items like weapons, replica weapons or anything that looks or could be used as a weapon
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like a baseball bat. But now if you're going to need some equipment that could look like a weapon
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because you're going to do some sport or whatever in port, if you come clean, discuss it in advance
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I've heard of cases where the cruise lines will agree for you to bring them, you hand them to security
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you'll hold them and they hand them over and collect them after a port visit
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So link to that, one thing that I've discovered you should not try and bring is a drone
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Drones are banned on most cruise lines, although some like Carnival and Royal Caribbean
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do allow you to bring them on board. It's a carnival, for example has security store your drone who will hand it to you and collect it when you go in
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and out of port. Royal Caribbean, certainly at the time recording, allows you to keep it in your cabin
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Now in the past, I've been successful by talking to the cruise line up front and telling them
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I want to bring a drone before a cruise. These cruise lines have banned them, but they've let me bring
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it on board. So for example, I went on a seaborn Mediterranean cruise and they agreed that I could
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bring it on the basis that I left with the security team who gave it to me as I was a
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left in a port and I returned it when I returned it back on a port. However, I do find
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increasingly that cruise lines are saying no and without clearing up front they will
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confiscate it and they will not hand it back until the end of the cruise. Is there
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anything else that you wish you told the cruise line up front because it has had
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unintended consequences? If so, leave a note in the comments so I and other
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people can find out about it. But before you do that, watch this video where I talk
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about some other offbeat and unusual cruise tips, starting with one my mum swore by and why
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See you over there
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