Most items banned on cruise ships tend to be banned industrywide, and the prohibitions make sense.
Nobody questions, for example, why Royal Caribbean bans swords, axes and other bladed weapons on board. The same goes for guns of all types.
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Even replica weapons are not allowed, again for obvious reasons. A kid playing with a toy could easily be mistaken for someone brandishing a weapon, especially when you add in that some people might be drinking.
Other cruise-line bans require a little more explanation. A candle seems harmless but on a cruise ship fire might be the biggest possible danger. All forms of flamed items, except for basic lighters, are not allowed on any cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean's rules about this area are clear. The company bans even some items (including irons) that may not seem like a threat.
"All items with open flames or heating elements are strictly prohibited [with] the exception of hair curling irons, straightening irons (flat irons), and hair dryers, which are permitted on board," its website says.
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Not all banned items are obvious.
The banned-item list gets confusing when Royal Caribbean outlaws items that are allowed on its sister cruise lines. Royal Caribbean, for example, recently modified its banned-item list to outlaw all devices that give you more power outlets.
It used to allow power strips and power blocks as long as they did not have surge protection. That rule is common across all cruise lines.
Royal Caribbean, however, recently changed its rules to allow only power blocks that create added USB and USB-C ports, not power outlets. The banned items list now contains this language:
"Electrical Extension Cords — including power strips/surge protected strips and multi-plug outlets. We do allow consumer-type power conversion device USB chargers (multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables)," it shared.
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That's confusing because Celebrity Cruises, which Royal Caribbean owns, allows power blocks that add outlets. Rival cruise lines, including Carnival, Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Disney Cruise Line, allow those as well.
Royal Caribbean has another unexpected ban
Carnival Cruise Line recently banned portable speakers. They used to be allowed but only for use in your cabin.
Too many passengers used them in public places, so they were banned outright. That ban also includes white-noise makers, which some passengers use to help them sleep.
Royal Caribbean makes no mention of speakers on its banned-items page. It does, however, specifically outlaw certain types of communications.
"HAM Radios or other transmitting devices are strictly prohibited due to potential interference with the ship's onboard communication systems," it posted.
That makes sense, but parents might be very surprised about the banned item that's right below HAM Radios.
"Baby monitors are not allowed to be used onboard our vessels as their radio signal could interfere with ship communication and/or navigation systems," the cruise line said.
Parents probably should not be leaving an unattended baby in their cabin in the first place, but if they did, placing a baby monitor would be more a responsible effort than simply leaving the child there. Royal Caribbean does not have a specific policy about leaving children of any age unattended in cabins.
If you bring a baby monitor on board, it will be confiscated and returned at the end of the cruise on the "confiscated items" table in the cruise terminal.
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Families are allowed to keep in touch using a different type of technology.
"Guests are allowed to have two-way radios, more commonly known as walkie-talkies, for onboard personal communications," Royal Caribbean posted. "Basic specifications are as follows: Up to 10-mile coverage range, Up to 5 watts power, Internal Voice, Operated Transmission, No external mounting antenna."
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