Leave those power strips, surge protectors, and multi-outlets at home.
Royal Caribbean cruisers might be surprised to see additions to the items prohibited onboard.
Royal Caribbean updated its prohibited items list. While you won't be surprised to see things like guns, drugs, or knives on the list, the cruise line also restricts some unexpected items.
Cruise ships have different requirements than planes and other forms of travel, so paying attention to each cruise line's policies is key.
Packing a banned item on your next cruise could result in it being confiscated, wasting your money and luggage space.
The cruise line posts banned items on its website, but not every traveler reads them carefully or follows the list to the letter.
To prevent issues on embarkation day, Royal Caribbean has further updated and expanded the list of prohibited items.
Now the cruise line bans an item many cruisers bring along to get extra space for their electronics to charge.
Multi-plug outlets are now forbidden
Previously, the website listed electrical extension cords, including power strips or surge-protected strips, as banned items.
They've now added "multi-plug outlets" to the list, "Extension Cords and Multi-Plug Outlets/ Power Strips" is what the website lists as prohibited.
Read more: 15 things you don't need to bring on a cruise
The line doesn't exactly specify what constitutes a "multi-plug outlet", and it stands to reason multi-plug USB adaptors are still permissible.
Many cruise ship staterooms, especially on older vessels, tend to lack enough outlets to charge every device, especially for families traveling together.
Our team recommends this USB hub as a good alternative. (Contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use)
Cruisers may find that the new rule limits their ability to charge and use electronics like phones, tablets, e-readers, electric shavers, hair dryers, and cameras.
Why are power strips prohibited?
Power strips and extension cords are a risk to cruise ships because if they overload, they could cause electrical damage or start a fire.
These items are listed on the new list in a section titled "flammable items."
"All items with open flames or heating elements are strictly prohibited, with the exception of hair curling irons and hair dryers which are permitted onboard," the section states.
Fire is the top threat to cruise ships as it can spread quickly in a confined space.
These items include:
- Candles
- Clothing Irons
- Travel Steamer
- Hot Plates
- Incense & Burners
- Tea Cup Immersion Heaters
- Aerosols (except for personal care toiletries)
- Fuels, including cooking fuels and any flammable liquids
- Gasoline
- Gas Torches
- Lighter Fluid
- Flares
- Flammable Paints
- Turpentine & Paint Thinner
- Realistic Replicas of Incendiaries
- Hookahs & Water Hookah Pipes
- Car batteries
- Hoverboards
Updates to the website list more examples of banned items
Royal Caribbean also expanded its banned list to include expanded examples of prohibited items.
The sharp objects section, for instance, now mentions not just knives and scissors, but also box cutters, ice picks, meat cleavers, utility knives, razor blades (shaving safety razors are still allowed), sabers, swords, and fencing foils.
Recreational diving knives are also still allowed but must be held in the custody of the Chief Security Officer.
Read more: 9 things you can bring on a plane, but not a cruise ship
A note also explains that personal grooming items like nail scissors and clippers are permitted onboard.
Prohibited chemicals include chlorine, spray paint, bleach, tear gas, transformers, spillable batteries, small compressed gas cartridges, and fire extinguishers.
Despite the high-risk fire presents on a cruise ship, you don't need to bring your own fire extinguisher onboard!
Updates to the website also added a new section, "tools," listing items from commonplace supplies like hammers, drills, saws, wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers, to surprisingly obscure items, like cattle prods, axes, and hatchets.
The cruise line especially wants to be sure that guests don't bring any dangerous items.
Any types of firearms or weapons are prohibited, such as rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, replicas of guns, BB guns, paintball guns, flare guns, ammunition, spear guns, pellet guns, and starter pistols.
The website doesn't mention toys or unrealistic replicas, like Nerf guns.
Royal Caribbean also doesn't want guests bringing explosives such as fireworks, dynamite, hand grenades, or gunpowder.
The list also prohibits self-defense items, including:
- Billy Clubs
- Black Jacks
- Brass Knuckles
- Kubatons
- Mace / Pepper Spray
- Martial Arts Weapons
- Night Sticks
- Nunchakus
- Stun Guns / Shocking Devices
- Throwing Stars
- Handcuffs
- Bows & Arrows
