Have you ever had anything confiscated? (Fess Up!)

[Girls Scout Leader]

I know many people that think it's a game to swipe the towels ( and anything else that's not nailed down) from resorts. But since your luggage is in the Cruise Line's hands beginning at 11 pm the night before disembarkment, do they search the luggage for stolen items, or illegal stuuf through customs? Does anyone want to fess up and admit something that was confiscated at the end?

[wovenwonder]

:(
I would hope that especially with all the 'families' on board that this would not be a problem on DCL.

[atigeg]

We just got off the Wonder and according to Cruise Director Rick's disembarkation talk. They do not search your luggage when they take it off the ship. Customs does do random searches (in front of you, since you have to remove your locks)after you pick up you luggage and pass the custom's agents. (unless they do this in a back room we have never seen a search) He (Rick) said that DCL does get back items including towels and dishes. But the number one item is the salt and pepper shakers you get on your tray with room service (very small non refillable clear platic). Remember NO food, fruit, plants can be taken off the ship. There is a $100 fine per item. The exception being unopened package food (crackers, cookies, candy).

[mrsltg]

I've been on several cruises and I remember vividly one cruise director saying, "If one of the dogs from customs stops in front of your bag, pray it's to lift his leg". Each cruise that I have been on has had the dogs walking the terminals through the luggage. I'm not sure if they have them doing this before anyone is off the ship, but I do know for sure that they are not looking for towels and other "hot" items. But please, don't take stuff like that... it just raises prices that much more!

Erin :D

[LarryGadget]

How about Cubans?:rolleyes:

[grandmalinda]

What, no food? I had planned on bringing back some of those delicious cookies I hear about. Can those dogs smell chocolate?

[LenDVC92]

The Agriculture dept. uses dogs to sniff for fruit, etc., and Customs has dogs that sniff for illegal drugs and other contraband.

At his disembarkation talk on the Magic last Friday Cruise Director Jim made a comment about "towel sniffing dogs". At the time I thought is was a joke, but now I'm not so sure.

[rcostello1]

Unless I've been crusing on another DCL...are there any towels someone would *want* to take? I don't find them to be oh-so-wonderful to want or need to have them. Not even the WDW concierge rooms meet my level for towel-snatching.

However, my dog does *love* the little blue airline blankets <g>

[3cheers4DIS]

this might sound really silly, but after reading this thread I'm not sure if you can bring rum cakes back from the Caymans? I was thinking of bringing these back as gifts for friends.

[Samsma]

You can bring back the rum cake, and I would recommend filling a suitcase, as long as it is not opened.

[3cheers4DIS]

thanks samsma

why can't you open the case....is it so you don't eat all the cakes yourself?:)

[skuba]

Ooooh---rum cakes. They are sooooo good. Just so you know, they do ship them very easily also. Grand Cayman is one of our favorite destinations and I am always buying the rum cakes thru the mail. They can be very bulky to bring home.

You can bring them back obviously unopen. I would count on buying a few extra to eat. Once you taste them, you won't be able to resist. They have two sized---I am talking only Tortuga. Never bought the others. Large and small with 3 flavors I believe. I believe they are original, coffee and chocolate--but I am not sure of the latter flavor.

One more FYI on Cayman, they do take American money but they give back Cayman money. There may be exceptions, but I wouldn't trust it. I even believe cashing in American Express travelers checks will get you Cayman money. Just to help you plan out your wallets.


DG

[grandmalinda]

I know all about those dogs! I was returning from South Africa and at the Chicago airport, was picking up my luggage to fly to Calif. A specialty in So. Africa is Biltong (beef jerky). There are Biltong stores everywhere. I thought a nifty souvenir would be to bring back ostrich and kudu (antelope). I had it stuffed alll throughout my luggage. Definitely not allowed. As I was walking along with my bags, this little beagle with a green jacket came over and went crazy over my bags. I knew I was in trouble! The officer asked was if I had any fruit. FRUIT?????, I exclaimed. I looked so guilty. No, no FRUIT!. :rolleyes: Whew. No inspection.

[MarkRG]

The only confiscation happened on the way onboard, as my parents, who didn't know any better when we took them cruising for the first time, pre 9/11, tried to bring a miniature ornamental sword from Japan in Epcot with. :rolleyes: Customs held it till we got back and then returned it to them, no hassle, other than one of them had to come down and open the luggage for them to confiscate it, before they'd release the bag.

The rule with food coming back, it must be in an unopened container, no half eaten boxes of cookies, no opened bottles of liquor(which there is limit on how manyof those, I believe) as you could possibly bring foreign pests back from other countries that way. All this is covered onboard in the talks done by the cruise director at the beginning and ending of the cruise. Don't panic or anything, nothing nasty.

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Something they <i>don't</i> mention in the disembarkation talk... <i><b>you are not allowed to take photos in the Customs Area!!!</b></i> I'm lucky I didn't have my camera confiscated.

[disney6]

On our last cruise we didn't have anything confiscated coming off - just going on. We had just grabbed our dive bag (wanted our own snorkeling gear) and forgot our dive knife was in it. They just sent a note to our cabin saying they had it. We forgot to pick it up on the way off but they were kind enough to send it to my in-laws in FL at no charge (we didn't ask them to send it to Canada - not sure it would have made it through customs!).

[Girls Scout Leader]

Interesting about those swords and diving knives. Is this just post- 911? What about jack knives, etc? Is it becoming more regulated like the airlines?

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I always like to bring snacks with me on the airplane. When I went on the December cruise I took some dried pinapple from NJ with me to Florida. I never ate it and certainly didn't need to eat it on the cruise!

I had it in my carry-on bag as I got off the cruise ship. As I passed the table and the man standing there showing the things that weren't allowed I got nervous. They did say no fruit after all. I stopped, pulled out the still sealed package of dried pinapple and showed it to the man just in case. He told me it was fine and sent me on my way. Better safe than sorry I thought.

[Tluvs2talk]

I am alway's amazed at the food on the table as you go through customs. Why would anyone take a chance on paying a hefty fine for a banana or piece of meat from breakfast. I think some people just want to see id they can get away with something.

[ruvidu]

On our first cruise my wife picked up an apple at our disembarkation breakfast to take with her. She has been in the First Place weight program for about 6 years and they encourage apple and grape eating. She always keeps an apple with her when traveling to keep from having to snack on less healthy foods. When she saw that table and sign she was really taken back. I wish you could have seen her tearing through her carry on bag trying to find that apple so she could put it on the table. I would guess that most first timers have no idea of the rules regarding fruits and veggies leaving the ship until they see that table.
We learned our lesson but still look for that table each time we disembark to see how many others have learned their lesson.

[Diva of Dragons]

LOL Dave!!!!! After our 1st cruise, I wished they warned about the photos too!!! I almost got tackled by a customs guy when I took a pic in the luggage pick up. He didn't take anything from me though. My thought is, if they don't want tourists to take pics of something, don't make it interesting to look at!!:D When we disembarked from our 3rd cruise in Nov., I believe they had signs posted that said no pictures.

[Nick The Cat]

Originally posted by grandmalinda
I know all about those dogs! I was returning from South Africa and at the Chicago airport, was picking up my luggage to fly to Calif. A specialty in So. Africa is Biltong (beef jerky). There are Biltong stores everywhere. I thought a nifty souvenir would be to bring back ostrich and kudu (antelope). I had it stuffed alll throughout my luggage. Definitely not allowed. As I was walking along with my bags, this little beagle with a green jacket came over and went crazy over my bags. I knew I was in trouble! The officer asked was if I had any fruit. FRUIT?????, I exclaimed. I looked so guilty. No, no FRUIT!. :rolleyes: Whew. No inspection.


May I just say that meat is confiscated for good reason and fruit. Talk to any farmer in the UK that was affected by foot and mouth disease last summer and you would know that it is a serious matter. Farms around us still have little or no livestock and I know of at least one farmer whose wife ran a childrens nursery on the farm who has lost his entire dairy herd and had to close down the nursery because of foot and mouth restrictions.
Please do not bring meat or fruit back into the US we don't bring any in with us when we visit.

[Sea Breez]

this will be my 1st DCL cruise ~ with that being said where is it that I can not take pictures? Naturally I will want to take pic of everything especially the terminal. I am assuming that is not what you are speaking of since I have seen other people's pics of the model ship, etc.

I did get in trouble on a RCL cruise for taking a pic inside the terminal (6 days post 9/11) I had no clue I was doing anything worthy of getting attacked by a security guy ~ only kidding but he wasn't pleased with me to say the least.

Back to my original question ~ sorry for the rambling and especially the mention of RCL (chuckle). Where is it that I can not take pictures?

[Valerie3kids]

You can not take pictures in the customs and luggage pick up area when you are disembarking. This is not the same area as the boarding lobby where the miniature ship is etc. We were there in June and I did notice there is sign that now says No Picture Taking in this area. Hope this helps.
Valerie

[RUDisney]

I got stopped in JFK after an international flight because of a food-sniffing dog in baggage pickup. It could smell the remains of food on the kids' toys. Of course, there was no food in the bag, just what sticky fingers had left. These dogs are very good at their job.

[grandmalinda]

Hi, Christine. Yes, I thoroughly agree there are reasons for not bringing in certain plants and food into another country or state. My beef jerky experience was several years ago before the tragic beef experience came to light in your country. Even in San Diego petting zoos, there were signs posted which asked you not to enter if you had traveled out of the country. Since we live in California (my dad was a rancher of lemons, oranges and avocados), we have seen our limit of nasty pests attack our agriculture. Even though my beef jerky was cooked and wrapped, it was still wrong to take it. And illegal.

[Nick The Cat]

Hi
I wasn't meaning to get at you just to warn people. We had become very complacent here in the UK before last year and I think it woke most people up to the fact that nasty things can happen when you import from other countries without restrictions.