Remember when you were a kid – being sent to the principal’s office was the worst feeling in the world. Well – cruise ships have a Principal’s Office of sorts in the form of what some travelers call the “naughty room.”
When your luggage does not arrive in your cabin – it’s most likely waiting for you in the bowels of the ship – in a special “holding cell” where “no-no’s” must be retrieved and confiscated. Yes, Lorraine’s talking about unauthorized items in your checked baggage.
All cruisers are (or should be) aware of their cruise line’s alcohol policy - but did you know there is a whole list of other “forbidden” items? Yup!
These include (but are not limited to) extension cords/power strips, heating pads, irons and steamers, candles or incense, skateboards coffee makers, hotplates, baseball bats, flammable liquids, dangerous chemicals, bleach...and the list goes on!
One of the biggest concerns for cruise ships is the possibility of fire onboard. One frayed cord or forgotten iron can lead to tragedy at sea. I don’t know about you, but Lorraine would prefer not having to don a Mae West and scramble to board a lifeboat in the middle of the night because some idiot’s heating pad shorted out and set their cabin aflame!
And regarding the alcohol policy, it finally makes sense to Lorraine (after all these many years of cruising) that it’s true intent is NOT to sell more drinks - but to (somewhat) control the number of loud obnoxious drunks to save them from themselves. Yep! Studies have shown that contrary to popular opinion, alcohol sales remain about the same even when personal alcohol is allowed. Go figure!
So, the next time you cruise, keep in mind that your checked (and carry-on) baggage is scanned, and things that should not be there are (more often than not) discovered. Oh, sometimes a bottle of unopened mouthwash can set off an alert even as a bottle of booze gets through – but by and large you will get sent to the Principal’s Office eventually.
Take it from Lorraine – it’s not a fun way to spend the first day of your cruise. Been there – done that! LOL!