What not to bring on a cruise, and what gets taken at security
Published by CruiseDayGuide · Updated September 22, 2026 · sources checked September 22, 2026
Irons, garment steamers, candles, pepper spray, mace, stun guns and every form of CBD are prohibited on all four major lines, so those go home whoever you sail. Almost everything else — power strips, coolers, drones, how much water you may carry — is decided line by line, and the four lines genuinely disagree.
Where a cell below says an item is not named, that means we did not find it on the page we read, not that it is allowed: all four lines reserve the right to confiscate anything security judges unsafe.
The list of things you cannot bring on a cruise ship is shorter than people fear and stranger than people expect. What happens at the terminal is that a bag goes through the scanner, an officer opens it, and out comes a clothes steamer, a surge-protected power strip, a box of tea lights, a case of bottled water or a bag of CBD gummies from a legal dispensary at home.
Every one of those is prohibited on at least one major line, and none of them on all four in the same way. Carnival will let you carry a power strip and will hold your drone for you. Royal Caribbean will take the power strip. Norwegian will not carry the drone at all and will send you back to your car with the water. Princess measures your cooler. This page compares the four lines' own published lists, item by item.
What to bring instead
Each of these replaces something on this page's prohibited list. They are the substitutes this page names, not additions to them.
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- Wrinkle release sprayInstead of the iron or steamer, which is the item most often taken at the pier.Check price on Amazon
- Night lightInstead of candles and tea lights, which every line on this page bans as a fire risk.Check price on Amazon
- Insulated tumblerInstead of the case of bottled water Norwegian sends back to your car — carried aboard empty and filled on board.Check price on Amazon
Pick an item to pull its rules to the top of the page — everything else folds away rather than disappearing.
Prohibited items, line by line
Each column below reflects only what that line publishes on its own prohibited items or beverage pages, read on the dates in the sources. Where a line does not address an item, the cell says so rather than filling the gap with a neighbor's rule. Read your own line's page before you pack.
| Option | Royal Caribbean | Carnival | Norwegian | Princess | What that means for your bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing irons and garment steamers | Royal CaribbeanProhibited outright, in the no-exceptions category alongside weapons and open flames | CarnivalProhibited as a heating element. Valet laundry fleetwide, plus self-service irons on most ships other than Carnival Firenze, Luminosa and Venezia | NorwegianProhibited both as a heating element and by name, under what to leave at home | PrincessProhibited. Clothing irons are listed among items containing a heating element, under safety hazards | What that means for your bagNo line lets you press clothes in the cabin. Pack wrinkle release spray and fabrics that tolerate rolling |
| Power strips, extension cords and multi-plug adaptors | Royal CaribbeanProhibited, including non-surge versions. Only device and USB chargers carrying a recognized US or European conformity mark are excepted | CarnivalAllowed without surge protectors, along with multi-plug box outlets and adaptors, when used with proper caution | NorwegianNot named on the published prohibited items list. Heating elements and large batteries are banned; grooming devices are allowed with caution | PrincessSurge-protected versions are listed as a safety hazard. Versions without surge protection are allowed after inspection by the onboard electrical department | What that means for your bagThe biggest per-line gap on this page. A cruise-approved non-surge strip is normal on Carnival and reviewable on Princess, and taken on Royal Caribbean |
| Candles and incense | Royal CaribbeanCovered by the fire and flammable hazards ban: fireworks, sparklers, flammable materials and items with open flames | CarnivalCandles and incense are listed by name as prohibited items | NorwegianCandles and incense burners are listed by name as prohibited items | PrincessCandles, incense and strike-anywhere matches are listed under items posing a safety hazard | What that means for your bagUniversal, and the same logic explains Norwegian's separate ban on paper door decorations |
| Pepper spray, mace and stun guns | Royal CaribbeanProhibited. Self-defense items and disabling chemicals, including mace and pepper spray, are banned outright | CarnivalProhibited. Mace and tear gas sprays are listed as chemical weapons, and stun guns and Tasers as electronic weapons | NorwegianProhibited. Pepper spray and mace are banned as incapacitating substances, and Tasers and stun guns as stun devices | PrincessProhibited. Pepper and mace cartridges are banned as incapacitating substances, along with stun guns, Tasers and any other electroshock device | What that means for your bagBanned on all four lines. Take the pepper spray off your keychain before you leave home, or security keeps it |
| Drones | Royal CaribbeanNot named on the prohibited items policy as published | CarnivalAllowed on board, but held in the custody of the Chief Security Officer and checked out for port use only, never at Carnival's private destinations | NorwegianProhibited. Any remotely controlled or autonomously flying device, toy or drone | PrincessProhibited, including any remote-controlled aerial device, except when approved in advance by Fleet Security for a company-sponsored event | What that means for your bagThe rule that varies most. Carnival will store one for you; Norwegian and Princess will not carry it at all |
| CBD, cannabis and marijuana | Royal CaribbeanIllegal drugs and substances including marijuana are prohibited regardless of medical authorisation or local legality | CarnivalMarijuana, cannabis and derivatives including CBD are prohibited, with the note that they are not legal under US federal law or in the ports Carnival visits | NorwegianAll products containing CBD, oils, candies and gummies, or any product containing THC, plus marijuana prescribed for medical purposes | PrincessAll illegal drugs including medical marijuana, plus synthetic cannabis, betel nuts and kava | What that means for your bagA gummy bought legally at home is a prohibited item on all four, and three of them name CBD explicitly |
| Outside non-alcoholic drinks | Royal CaribbeanUp to 12 standard 17 oz cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom, carried on at boarding. Milk and distilled water for infant, medical or dietary use are also permitted | CarnivalUp to 12 cans or cartons per person, each 12 ounces or smaller, in cans or cartons only rather than bottles | NorwegianNone. All beverages including water, soda and juice are barred as carry-on or checked, except sealed purified or distilled water for medical devices or infant formula | PrincessAddressed through the cooler rule: a cooler of about 12 by 12 by 12 inches, described as holding 6 to 12 cans of non-alcoholic drinks | What that means for your bagNever assume a case of water is fine. Norwegian will direct you back to your vehicle with it, or dispose of it |
| Wine, beer and spirits | Royal CaribbeanOne sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per guest of drinking age on boarding day. No beer, no hard liquor | CarnivalOne 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per adult 21 or older. Hard liquor and beer are prohibited, as are fortified wines over 15 percent ABV | NorwegianSealed wine allowed with a corkage fee of $15 for 750 ml and $30 for a 1.5 liter magnum, waived with a beverage package. No box wine, no beer, no liquor | PrincessOne 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per voyage with no corkage fee if drunk in your cabin; further bottles incur a US$20 fee wherever you drink them. No liquor, spirits or beer | What that means for your bagWine is the exception on every line. What differs is the fee, the count, and whether extra bottles are welcome at all |
| Coolers | Royal CaribbeanNot named in the published prohibited items policy | CarnivalSmall personal coolers no larger than 12 by 12 by 12 inches are permitted as carry-on for small quantities of non-alcoholic drinks or medication | NorwegianNot named, but with outside beverages barred there is little a cooler may lawfully carry aboard | PrincessAbout 12 by 12 by 12 inches only. Larger ones go back to your vehicle or are destroyed, unless they hold baby formula, special dietary food or medication | What that means for your bagA soft 12-inch cooler is the largest that travels reliably, and only on the lines that permit drinks in the first place |
| Knives, scissors and razors | Royal CaribbeanBlades under 4 inches for grooming only; hardware tools and screwdrivers over 7 inches prohibited. Dive knives held by Security for organized excursions | CarnivalKnives, scissors and open razors are all prohibited. Dive knives are held by Guest Services, and large quilting scissors are sometimes permitted with prior notification | NorwegianKnives with a blade longer than 4 inches, open razors, swords, spears and spear guns are prohibited | PrincessBlades over 2.5 inches prohibited, and scissors with blades longer than 4 inches. Shaving safety razors are allowed | What that means for your bagPrincess draws the line at 2.5 inches and Carnival bans scissors outright, so a pocketknife that cleared one ship may not clear the next |
Every cell reflects the wording published by that line on its own prohibited items, beverage or packing page, read on the dates listed in the sources below. Where a cell says an item is not named, that means we did not find it on the page we read, not that the item is guaranteed to be allowed: all four lines reserve the right to confiscate anything security judges unsafe, and Royal Caribbean states that any questionable item is decided by the Chief Security Officer and the Staff Captain. Policies also change without notice, so treat this as a comparison to plan around and your own line's current page as the authority.
The item most often taken at the pier is an iron
A ship is a steel box full of people who cannot leave, fire is the casualty that frightens crews most, and a forgotten iron on a bedspread is a fire. That is why all four lines prohibit clothing irons and their relative the handheld garment steamer, and why the iron is the item most often taken at the pier.
Plan around the rule rather than testing it. Between the substitutes below and the ship's own laundry, a week of clothes stays presentable without one.
- Wrinkle release spray, a shower-steamed bathroom, and clothing chosen because it survives being rolled.
- The ship's laundry, which will press a shirt for a fee on any of these lines.
- Carnival's self-service launderettes, with ironing boards and irons, on every ship other than Firenze, Luminosa and Venezia.
- A refillable hot-water pouch or a disposable heat compress from a pharmacy, which is what Carnival recommends instead of an electric heating pad.
- Clothing irons, on any of the four lines.
- Handheld garment steamers, caught by the same heating-element rule.
- Immersion heaters, heating blankets, water heaters, coffee machines with hot plates, toasters and humidifiers, named as examples by Carnival and Norwegian.
- Electric heating pads, which Carnival says may not be used on board for safety reasons.
- Royal Caribbean: clothing irons and garment steamers prohibited with no exceptions.
- Norwegian: all heating elements banned, with irons and steamers named on the packing page as well, under what to leave at home.
- Princess: clothing irons listed among heating-element items, under items posing a safety hazard.
- Carnival: irons and clothes steamers banned, but valet laundry is available fleetwide for a fee and self-service ironing on most ships.
Where this comes from
Every clause here is quoted from the line named beside it, read on that line's own prohibited items or packing page on the dates in the sources below.
Power strips are where the lines genuinely disagree
Cabins are notoriously short of outlets, so the internet's standard advice is to pack a cruise-approved non-surge power strip. That advice is correct on some ships and will cost you the strip on others, which makes this the item worth checking before you pack rather than after.
The surge protector is the sticking point, not the strip: it diverts current to ground, and a ship's electrical system is not grounded the way a house is, which is why the device that protects your laptop at home behaves unpredictably at sea.
- Royal Caribbean: extension cords, power strips and multi-plug outlets prohibited alongside baby monitors, with an exception only for device and USB chargers carrying a recognized US or European certification mark, and for two-way radios limited to ten miles of range and five watts of output.
- Carnival: power strips, multi-plug box outlets, adaptors and extension cords allowed provided they have no surge protector and are used with proper caution, with anything judged hazardous removed and returned on debarkation morning.
- Princess: non-surge versions permitted after inspection and testing by the onboard electrical department; surge-protected versions, including small fans and multi-plug adaptors, are listed as a safety hazard, and anything judged hazardous is returned the last day before debark.
- Norwegian: not named on the prohibited list we read, though large batteries and heating elements are banned and small fans are subject to confiscation for inspection and approval.
Where this comes from
Wording is taken from each line's own prohibited items page; the explanation of why surge protection is the sticking point is ours rather than a line's statement.
Drinks: precise limits, and one line that allows none
Beverages produce more confiscations than anything except irons, because the rules are numerically specific and no two lines share a number. One counts per stateroom, one counts per person and rejects bottles, one measures your cooler, and one allows nothing at all.
Alcohol is more uniform. All four lines allow sealed wine or champagne and none allow beer or spirits; what differs is the fee, the count, and whether extra bottles are welcome at all.
- One sealed bottle of wine or champagne, the single alcohol every one of the four lines allows in some form.
- Purified or distilled water in factory-sealed containers for a medical device or for reconstituting infant formula, the one exception Norwegian keeps.
- Beer, on all four lines.
- Hard liquor and spirits, on all four lines.
- Box wine, which Norwegian rules out by name.
- Port, vermouth, sherry and other fortified wines over 15 percent ABV, which Carnival bars even inside its wine allowance.
- Royal Caribbean: 12 standard 17 oz cans, bottles or cartons of non-alcoholic drinks per stateroom, carried on at boarding, plus milk and distilled water for infant, medical or dietary use.
- Carnival: 12 cans or cartons per person, each 12 ounces or smaller, in cans or cartons rather than bottles, plus a personal cooler no larger than 12 by 12 by 12 inches for drinks or medication.
- Princess: a cooler of about 12 by 12 by 12 inches, described as holding six to twelve cans; a larger one goes back to your vehicle or is destroyed unless it holds baby food or formula, kosher or special dietary food, or medication.
- Norwegian: no beverages at all as carry-on or checked luggage, on sailings from July 2016 onward. Guests who bring them are directed to return them to their vehicle, and with no vehicle on site the items are disposed of.
- Royal Caribbean and Carnival: one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne per guest of drinking age, on boarding day.
- Princess: one 750 ml bottle per voyage with no corkage fee if drunk in your cabin, with further bottles welcome at a US$20 fee each.
- Norwegian: corkage on every bottle, $15 for a 750 ml and $30 for a 1.5 liter magnum, waived if you hold a beverage package.
Where this comes from
Quantities, container rules and corkage fees are each quoted from the line named, taken from its own beverage or prohibited items page on the dates in the sources.
Drones, CBD and the two rules worth checking twice
Two items generate more anxiety than their frequency deserves, and the consequences are not symmetrical. A drone is a storage problem: one line holds it for you, two will not carry it, one does not mention it.
Cannabis is the serious case. All four lines prohibit it, and Norwegian states what follows when an item is determined to be illegal: the appropriate authorities will be informed. A bag of gummies bought legally at home is the worst thing on this page to pack absent-mindedly.
- Book an excursion that provides the aerial footage, or fly nothing — the answer that works on every line.
- Identify a drone at the terminal during check-in on Carnival, the one line that will take custody of it for you.
- CBD in any form — oils, candies and gummies — which Norwegian names item by item.
- Anything containing THC, and marijuana prescribed for medical purposes.
- Medical marijuana, which Royal Caribbean bars regardless of medical authorisation or local legality.
- Synthetic cannabis, betel nuts and kava, which Princess adds to the same list.
- Carnival: a drone is held in the custody of the Chief Security Officer and checked out and back in by the owner for port use only, never at Carnival's private destinations.
- Norwegian: any remotely controlled or autonomously flying device, toy or drone is prohibited outright.
- Princess: drones and any other remote-controlled aerial device are prohibited, the sole exception being company-sponsored events approved in advance by Fleet Security.
- Royal Caribbean: drones are not named in the published prohibited items policy, which is not the same as permission given the line's stated discretion to review any item.
- Carnival: cannabis and derivatives including CBD are prohibited on the grounds that they are not legal under US federal law nor in the ports Carnival visits.
Where this comes from
Drone handling and cannabis wording are quoted from each line's own prohibited items page, read on the dates in the sources below.
The quieter list: speakers, hookahs, wheels and hoverboards
A longer list sits below the headline items, and almost nobody thinks to check it. Carnival publishes the most detailed version, and several entries surprise people every sailing — the little waterproof speaker for the balcony is not coming.
Hoverboards and self-balancing scooters are the entry that appears on every one of these lists, banned for their lithium batteries.
- Carnival: no boom boxes, radios or speakers of any type including Bluetooth, portable and wireless; no hookahs, helium-filled balloons, inflatable kiddie pools, curtains, drapes or hanging room dividers, kava, or footwear with wheels.
- Carnival: earphones are asked for when playing music or video on a personal device in public spaces, and handheld clack fans are not permitted in the nightclub or on any indoor dance floor.
- Princess: no hookah or water hookah pipes, strike-anywhere matches, lasers or laser pointers, baseball bats, hockey sticks, pool cues, ski poles or skateboards, no bicycles including electric ones, and no Heely-style shoes.
- Princess: no tools of trade or hobby, including hammers, drills and saws, and nothing over seven inches such as screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers.
- Norwegian: no metal detectors, kayaks, canoes or rafts, bicycles, portable modems, walkie-talkies or lasers; only small electrical or battery-operated fans, and even those subject to confiscation for inspection; and no paper door decorations, prohibited for flammability.
- Royal Caribbean: smart glasses may be brought aboard but not used in the casino, spa service areas, restrooms, locker rooms, medical facilities, security screening locations, youth facilities, crew areas, during back-of-house tours, or anywhere there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Where this comes from
Each item is attributed to the line that publishes it, from that line's own prohibited items page read on the dates in the sources below.
What actually happens when security finds it
The consequence varies enough to change what you are willing to risk. On Royal Caribbean, and in the specific hazard cases the other lines describe, you may get the item back on the last night. On Carnival and Princess, an item judged prohibited at screening is likely gone.
Nothing here is worth an argument at the terminal on embarkation morning, so leave the questionable item at home or in the car, where it stays yours.
- Norwegian: prohibited items are confiscated and not transported aboard, and when an item is determined to be illegal the appropriate authorities will be informed.
- Norwegian: personal grooming devices such as hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons and shavers are allowed with proper caution, but one judged to pose a hazard on board is removed by ship security and returned the last day of the cruise before debark.
- Carnival: the line reserves the right to confiscate any item deemed dangerous, and says items will be removed and disposed of with no compensation provided.
- Carnival: grooming devices, fans, power strips and adaptors judged hazardous are removed and returned on debarkation morning, as is a musical instrument that draws a noise complaint.
- Princess: prohibited items will not be allowed or stored on board with no exceptions, guests are fully responsible for storing them ashore or disposing of them before embarkation, an oversized cooler is destroyed in the same manner, and alcohol outside the policy is removed and discarded with no refund or replacement.
- Royal Caribbean: certain categories are marked with an asterisk to show they may be retained by Security for the duration of the cruise and returned to the guest upon departure, subject to local regulations and customs requirements.
- Royal Caribbean: alcohol bought in port or carried beyond the allowance is stored by the ship and returned on the last day.
Where this comes from
Confiscation, storage and disposal wording is quoted from each line's own page, read on the dates listed in the sources below.
Questions about what is and is not allowed
Can I bring a power strip on a cruise?
It depends on the line, and this is the item worth checking before you pack. Carnival permits power strips, multi-plug box outlets and extension cords provided they have no surge protector. Princess permits non-surge versions after inspection by the onboard electrical department and lists surge-protected ones as a safety hazard. Royal Caribbean prohibits extension cords, power strips and multi-plug outlets, with an exception only for device and USB chargers carrying a recognized US or European certification mark. Norwegian does not name them on its published prohibited items list.
Why are irons and steamers banned on cruise ships?
Because they are heating elements, and fire is the casualty a ship's crew can least afford. Royal Caribbean prohibits clothing irons and garment steamers with no exceptions, Norwegian and Princess ban them as heating elements, and Carnival bans them while pointing guests to valet laundry on every ship and to self-service ironing facilities on most of its fleet other than Carnival Firenze, Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Venezia. Pack wrinkle release spray, hang clothes in a steamy bathroom, and choose fabrics that survive being rolled.
How much water and soda can I bring on a cruise?
Royal Caribbean allows up to 12 standard 17 oz cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom as carry-on on boarding day. Carnival allows up to 12 cans or cartons per person, none larger than 12 ounces, and does not accept bottles. Princess addresses it through its cooler rule, permitting a cooler of about 12 by 12 by 12 inches holding six to twelve cans. Norwegian allows none at all, apart from sealed purified or distilled water for a medical device or infant formula, and will direct you back to your vehicle with anything else.
Are drones allowed on a cruise ship?
Only on some lines, and never freely. Carnival permits a drone aboard but requires it to be identified at check-in, held in the custody of the Chief Security Officer, and checked out for port use only, with use barred at its private destinations. Norwegian prohibits any remotely controlled or autonomously flying device outright, and Princess does the same except for company-sponsored events approved in advance by Fleet Security. Royal Caribbean's published prohibited items policy does not name drones, while reserving the right to review any item.
Can I bring CBD gummies or medical marijuana on a cruise?
No, on any of these four lines, regardless of what is legal where you live. Royal Caribbean prohibits marijuana regardless of medical authorisation or local legality. Carnival prohibits cannabis and derivatives including CBD, noting they are not legal under US federal law or in the ports it visits. Norwegian names CBD oils, candies and gummies and anything containing THC. Princess prohibits medical marijuana along with synthetic cannabis, betel nuts and kava. Norwegian adds that items determined to be illegal are reported to the appropriate authorities.
If security takes something, do I get it back at the end of the cruise?
Sometimes, and it depends on the line and the item. Royal Caribbean marks certain categories as items that may be retained by Security for the duration of the cruise and returned on departure. Norwegian and Carnival both return hazard-flagged electrical devices on the last day or on debarkation morning, but Carnival says outright that prohibited items are removed and disposed of with no compensation. Princess states that prohibited items are not stored on board at all and that an oversized cooler will be destroyed. Leave anything questionable in the car.
Plan the rest of your cruise day
The cruise packing list
What to bring, once you know what you cannot, from cabin gear to the day-one carry-on.
What to wear on a cruise
Dress codes compared by line, including the formal night counts each one publishes.
First-time cruise tips
Embarkation day, security screening, and what the first six hours on board look like.
Where these facts come from
- royalcaribbean.com — What items are prohibited on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship? — checked 2026-09-22
- carnival.com — Carnival Cruise Line Prohibited Items, Exemptions and Other Considerations — checked 2026-09-22
- ncl.com — What can't I bring onboard? — checked 2026-09-22
- princess.com — Pre-cruise FAQs, Prohibited Items — checked 2026-09-22
- ncl.com — Can I bring water or soda on board? — checked 2026-08-09
- ncl.com — What to Pack, including What to Leave at Home — checked 2026-08-09
- royalcaribbean.com — What kind of food or drinks am I allowed to bring onboard? — checked 2026-08-09
- royalcaribbean.com — Am I allowed to bring alcohol onboard a cruise ship? — checked 2026-08-09
- princess.com — Onboard Experience FAQs, Alcohol Policy — checked 2026-09-22
Research sources and cruise line policy wording can change after they are checked. Every fact here carries the date it was read from an official source, so you can judge how fresh it is. A claim that could not be verified is left out rather than repeated. Recheck current official guidance before you pack, plan, or travel.