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The last thing on your mind when on holiday, is getting banned from a cruise line. However this can be a possibility, if you break any of these. Majority of guests which book a cruise are happy to follow the rules and regulations but, there are a number of people who aren’t.

Anyone who is disrespectful, reckless or put any passengers or crew at risk are understandably banned. If you are travelling in a party, you may be at risk too, even if you had nothing to do with the behavior of your family or friends.

Being Drunk –

Most cruise lines offer drinks packages or include drinks in their booking. This can cause people to drink more than what they would do at home, especially by mixing drinks. Other passenger might try to drink more in order to get their money worth, as some drinks packages work out at drinking £40 a day to get your money worth. There are also multiple bars around the ship which serve a range of alcoholic drinks. If you are drunk, and expressing a disorderly conduct, you will be given multiple warnings and then may to disembark at the next port before receiving a cruise line ban.

Disruptive Behaviour

Being disruptive can mean multiple things such as, excessive noise, being drunk, ignoring safety procedures, behaviour which disrupts the operation of the ship, or anything that disturbs other guests. Safety procedures are put in place to allow all guests to have a great time on holiday as well as, provide safety towards all employees onboard too. If any staff believe you have broken a rule or regulation resulting in any of the above, then you will also be given repeated warnings before being disembarked at the next port and receiving a ban from the cruise line.

Physical Altercations

We all can become hot, and flustered when either on your first cruise or somewhere with high temperatures. But engaging in any physical altercations, or verbal arguments, to either other passengers or crew members may result in being banned. Cruise lines have a zero violence policy which you agree to when booking the cruise.

You may of heard about the famous incident on P&O’s Britannia. A guest on board started a mass brawl in the buffet, resulting passengers to use plates and furniture as weapons. Passengers fled in fear and one crew member was left injured after trying to intervene. All passengers involved were disembarked, and it was left for the local authorities to deal with. Your can read the full article on the link provided. ‘Mass brawl’ breaks out on P&O cruise ship Britannia – BBC News

Illegal Substances

Just like in the UK and when flying, there are strict policies in place regarding the use and carry of illegal drugs. Being caught with them in any capacity will result in an immediate disembarkation and ban from the cruise line. Once at port you may be handed over to the local authorities, and could face a prison sentence. When embarking a cruise, your bags are x-rayed to identify any prohibited items. Every port will conduct a thorough search and sometimes may bring a sniffer dog in. When disembarking in Southampton, they bring sniffer dogs in to check bags prior to guest being able to collect them.

People have been banned for bring in large amounts of illegal drugs as well as bring on one packet of CBD gummies. It is important you read the full Terms and Conditions prior to booking and boarding the cruise. Here is an article of two men who tried to smuggle Marijuana onboard a Norwegian Cruise Line. https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/12871-passengers-aboard-norwegian-joy-accused-transporting-marijuana

What to do with your prescription drugs?

Always carry your prescription with you, make sure its in date and with the right patient details. This will allow the crew onboard to make sure it is intended for personal use the correct way. Always read the terms and conditions when booking your cruise and if you have any worries regarding prescriptions, its always best to contact the cruise line prior to embarkation.

Theft

Onboard cruise ships there are lots of high-end shops for passengers to splash heir cash. From designer clothes, to perfume and makeup to jaw dropping jewellery. So stealing anything from the shops as well as from other passengers can result in an immediate ban. Security can be very tight however, onboard P&O there are a lot of crew members in the shops to allow a visual on majority of the guests. It is merely impossible to be in guest areas and not on CCTV (unless in your cabins), such high surveillance is used to protect the crew and everyone’s property. If you decide to steal anything on board, you will be stuck with it until you are able to disembark at the end of your cruise. Two passengers tried to steal 2 statues worth $12,800 from the gallery on board Carnivals Cruise ship. Read more about the article below. Passengers steal $12,800 worth of artwork from Carnival cruise ship | The Independent

Jumping off the ship

Even if you have never cruised before, there is a high chance you have heard of people falling overboard by intoxication or by accident. Those who have been on cruises before know it is pretty impossible to just “fall off”. When deciding to jump off the cruise ship, you are causing a massive disruption to the cruise as well as putting crew members at risk. Cruise lines will have to put in lots of time, money and alternative resources to try to rescue you. It is extremely dangerous and can result in death. A passenger was caught climbing on her balcony to take a photo for social media, she was instantly disembarked at the next port. Whether you are sitting, standing, climbing, jumping, leaning or laying on or over any balconies onboard, you will be immediately banned and disembarked at the next port.

Can you fall off a cruise ship?

NO! It is virtually impossible to fall off of a cruise ship by accident. Every cruise ship has high railings and barriers so which are as tall as 6ft high. They are specifically designed to ensue maximum safety for everyone onboard, and falling off would only be the result of fooling around or climbing the barriers/railings. There are a lot of stories of people who have jumped, here is a recent article of a passenger who jumped off the worlds largest cruise ship. Passenger dies after jumping off world’s largest cruise ship as it set sail from Florida | The Independent

CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) have said ‘Investigations into every overboard incident from the 10-year period beginning in 2009 found them all to be “the result of an intentional or reckless act.” The organization recorded a total of 212 overboard incidents on cruise ships from 2009 to 2019. Of those hundreds that went into the water, only 48 were successfully rescued.’ in 2023, 10 people went overboard off major cruise lines and only 2 were rescued.

Overall the last thing you want to deal with when on holiday is having it cut short, there will always be the odd one or two holiday goers who want to ruin it for others. You have spent all that money, to make a silly decision and be sent home with cruise line ban. Enjoy your holiday, don’t try anything that people have already got caught for. You aren’t special. Follow the safety rules and regulations, they are there for a reason. If you have any questions then always check with the cruise line directly as, every cruise line slightly varies.