Cruise ship rules and regulations can be hard to get your head around, especially when they vary so much between cruise lines and destinations, reports World of Cruising.
Can you smoke on a cruise ship?
Smoking is generally banned indoors onboard cruise ships, with guests only permitted to smoke in designated outdoor areas.
Smoking rules on a cruise ship very much depend on the cruise line. Some, such as Silversea, offer a wide selection of areas to light up in, while others, such as Regent Seven Seas provide very limited locations, so, it’s worth factoring in how much you like to smoke before you book with a cruise line.
Looking at the major cruise lines, P&O Cruises says: “Smoking is not permitted indoors on any of our P&O Cruises’ ships, including in guest rooms and balconies. This includes the use of any electronic cigarettes, which can only be used in the designated smoking areas. Each ship has designated outdoor smoking areas, which are signposted.”
Royal Caribbean details: “Cigarette, cigar, e-cigarette and pipe smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas. Outdoor areas near restricted areas, food venues, and kids play areas and pools will not allow smoking.”
Marella Cruises explains: “All our ships are non-smoking, which means you can only smoke in designated areas of the open deck. Smoking isn’t permitted on cabin balconies, either. As for e-cigarettes, you can use these in the designated areas on deck.”
Taking food and drink off a cruise ship
Taking food and drink off a cruise ship is generally not permitted, particularly when it comes to fruit and vegetables. Your own pre-packaged snacks may be permitted, however.
The rules around food and drink also depend on where you are in the world and the local laws in place.
For instance, the Caribbean is very strict with food brought into the country and fresh food may be confiscated, while the EU bans travellers from bringing in products of animal origin, such as any food or drink contain meat or dairy.
A spokeswoman for Marella Cruises told World of Cruising: “The types of food you could take off the ship would be driven by the customs requirements of a destination, for example, you can’t take fruit or meat into Barbados.”
“Therefore we don’t recommend that fresh food from our restaurants is taken ashore. Items such as packet chocolate or snacks and bottled water can be bought on the ship and taken ashore if customs allow.”
In short, always check the rules for the country you are visiting and ask your cruise line for advice.
Booze on Cruise
As for taking alcohol on a cruise ship – some lines are quite generous with how much you can bring onboard in your luggage, while others are stricter.
For instance, Royal Caribbean says: “On boarding day, guests may bring onboard two 750 ml bottles of personal wine or champagne per stateroom in their carry-on luggage.”
But MSC Cruises clarifies: “Passengers are not permitted to bring onboard any such drinks for use during the voyage, whether for consumption in their own cabins or otherwise.”
So it’s important to gen up on what your cruise line will permit ahead of stocking up on booze.
Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises explain that passengers must be over 18 on sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand but over 21 on sailings originating in North America.
Some lines are more lenient. For instance, P&O Cruises allows 16 and 17-year-olds to have “modest amounts of beer, cider or wine to drink with a meal in the restaurants when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.”
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Source: World of Cruising
