One of the most important tasks before setting sail on a cruise is to pack your bags. However, a Texas mother recently learned what happens when you bring certain items in your luggage.
When officials searched her bag, her dream adventure quickly became a nightmare. What did she bring, and how did it turn out?
Today, we’re diving in to look beneath the surface of this incident and what you can do to avoid a similar situation.
Let’s go!
Cruiser with CBD Gets Booted from Cruise Ship
Melinda Van Velduizen was excited about celebrating her 21st wedding anniversary onboard Carnival Cruise Lines.
Like many forms of transportation, passengers must pass through security screening before boarding. That’s precisely where things got chaotic for her and her family.
You see, Van Veldhuizen had packed Sleep Tight CBD gummies, a prohibited item, in her bag.
When Port Miami officials discovered them, they questioned her further. She assumed it would receive a slap on the wrist and board the ship.
However, security and police officers allegedly interrogated her for two and a half hours.
- Upgraded Formula: Sleep Tight gummies now include tension-reducing L-theanine alongside herbs like chamomile, passionflower, and lemon balm, enhancing your journey to deep relaxation and ensuring a transformative night of rest with natural sleep enhancers like 5HTP and melatonin.
- Great Taste: Savor the delightful flavor of Blackberry Lemonade as the last thing before drifting into sweet dreams, making your nighttime routine not just beneficial but also enjoyable.
- Mess-Free Convenience: Our specially designed container and packaging not only extend the shelf-life of the gummies, ensuring they maintain their great taste and effectiveness, but also provide a hassle-free experience.
- Premium Quality: Each batch of Sleep Tight gummies is fortified with premium, third-party tested hemp extract, guaranteeing a high-quality product that meets the standards you’ve come to expect from our best-selling formula.
- Quality & Satisfaction, Guaranteed: Medterra delivers quality you can depend on and ingredients you can trust. If you are not satisfied please contact us for a full refund (when purchased through the official Medterra seller on Amazon).
Eventually, officials informed her that she would not be boarding the ship. Understandably, her husband and son no longer wanted to take the trip without her.
As a result, her family would have to return home and be out nearly $6,000.
Despite what Van Veldhuizen thought, the situation and her frustrations with Carnival Cruise Lines wasn’t over yet.
Capitan Sends Letter Banning Her for Life
Shortly after returning home from the nightmare at Port Miami, Van Veldhuizen received a letter from Carnival Cruise Lines.
The letter, signed by Captain Rocco Lubrano, informed her she was no longer welcome to cruise on any future Carnival Cruise Line sailings. The captain stated the decision resulted from her violating the ship’s rules.
Surprisingly, this wasn’t her first time sailing with Carnival. She has reportedly sailed several times with the famous cruise line. However, little did she know, she may have sailed for the final time with them.
Van Veldhuizen isn’t rolling over and taking the decision. She’s firing back with an internal claim and has threatened to sue the company if it’s left unresolved.
HOT TIP
Read Cruise Luggage Rules You Need to Know so you don’t bring the wrong thing.
Behaviors That Will Get You Kicked Off Ship
Unfortunately, bringing CBD onboard isn’t the only thing that will get you kicked off or banned from a ship.
We’ve compiled several other behaviors you should avoid to help you ensure smooth sailing.
Disruptive Behavior
Some cruise lines are known for being rowdy and wilder, especially once the drinks get flowing. It’s what you’d expect when combining people excited for vacation with a tremendous amount of alcohol.
However, if you or your fellow passengers are overly disruptive, you could get booted off the ship.
While there’s nothing wrong with having a good time, ensure you and your loved ones drink responsibly. Know when to cut off individuals so they can continue to make wise and safe choices onboard.
Officials won’t have much patience for repeat offenders or those who create situations that put other passengers at risk.
Disobeying Safety Procedures
Cruise lines operate under strict maritime rules and regulations. As a result, they often have zero-tolerance policies for guests violating safety procedures.
This means staying out of restricted or closed spaces and following all safety instructions. If you purposely disobey safety procedures, you’ll likely be packing your bags soon.
Theft or Vandalism
Captains and their crew take pride in keeping their vessels looking good. It’s common to see them scrubbing areas to keep them in tip-top shape. As a result, don’t expect them to show grace if they catch you stealing or vandalizing their stuff.
Additionally, the same applies to anything belonging to fellow passengers. Just because someone leaves a tablet, smartphone, or other expensive electronic device behind doesn’t mean it’s free for the taking.
If you decide to take something that belongs to someone else, you could find yourself sitting in the onboard jail. You read that right; many ships have an onboard holding cell.
HOT TIP
It’s not a bad idea to learn about the Cruise Ship Terms Everyone Should Know.
Public Nudity or Indecent Exposure
Public nudity and indecent exposure are mistakes that often occur when someone has had too much to drink or loses their common sense.
Even if you want to avoid tan lines, it’s best to keep all your private parts covered.
If you want to disrobe, find a clothing-optional beach at your next port. This will be the safest way for you to bare it all without having to worry about getting ejected from the cruise.
False Alarms
As we mentioned, cruise lines take passenger safety extremely seriously. However, some passengers seem to get their jollies from creating a false emergency.
Whether by pulling a fire alarm or making up an emergency, you shouldn’t expect the crew to take them lightly.
These types of behaviors will likely get you kicked off the ship. In addition, like Van Veldhuizen, there’s a good chance you won’t be cruising again soon. Depending on the cruise line, you could even face serious legal ramifications.
Harassment or Assault
Just like on land, situations involving harassment or assault get treated seriously. Depending on the circumstances, you could find yourself in over your head with legal troubles.
Those problems can quickly multiply if you injure the other party in the scuffle.
Again, these things happen more frequently when people aren’t thinking clearly. Harassment and assault situations can occur more often on a cruise ship because alcohol is readily available.
Know when you and your loved ones have had their limit. Also, avoid any heated situations involving someone who drinks too much. Engaging with these individuals is only a recipe for a disaster.
Don’t Get Banned from Cruising
Cruising can be a remarkable way to spend your vacation. On the other hand, if you’re not careful, you could land on a cruising blacklist.
Luckily, these are typically specific to each cruise line. However, we wouldn’t encourage you to press your luck to find out. Do your part to be aware of the rules and follow them.
Have you or a loved one ever gotten kicked off a cruise ship? We’d love to hear the story!
Last update on 2024-04-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
