Carnival Passenger Banned for Life Due to Prohibited Item

[Kennywood]

One woman will never again be permitted on a Carnival cruise because of a prohibited item she attempted to bring onboard a recent sailing.



A woman has been banned for life from sailing aboard any Carnival Cruise Line ship for packing CBD gummies along in her carry-on bag for an August 2023 cruise from Miami, Florida.

Despite the controlled substance being conditionally legal in Florida, all major cruise lines prohibit such items, as is clearly stated on Carnival’s prohibited items list.

Banned for Life for Legal Substance​

Melinda Van Veldhuizen, a loyal member of Carnival Cruise Line’s Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program who receives priority boarding as a perk for her many sailings with the cruise line, will never again set sail on any Fun Ship.

Van Veldhuizen has been banned for life for attempting to bring along CBD gummies on a cruise aboard Carnival Horizon in August 2023. The gummies, which Van Veldhuizen claims to use as an occasional sleep aid, were in her backpack. When going through security at check-in for her cruise, security spotted the item and took her to a secure area at PortMiami for further questioning.

The gummies were legally purchased online, and while CBD is conditionally legal in Florida – items must have less than .3% THC to be legal – Van Veldhuizen’s gummies were only at .01%, well below the legal threshold.

Carnival Cruise Line, however, bans all CBD products, regardless of the regulations, laws, or restrictions from homeports in different states.

These types of items are the very first listed item on Carnival Cruise Line’s list of prohibited items.

“Any illegal narcotics/drugs including synthetic, designer drugs, Cannabidiol (CBD) and medical marijuana [are prohibited],” the list states. “While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items.”
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has addressed this issue several times on his popular Facebook page in response to guest comments and concerns.

“In line with the strict rules of United States Customs and Border Protection marijuana, medical marijuana and its oil based forms are not allowed to be brought onto the ships,” Heald has said in reference to various products. “It is illegal to do so.”

The incident happened aboard Carnival Horizon‘s August 5 sailing, an 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise.

What a Ban Means​

Van Veldhuizen was notified of her lifetime ban via a letter from the cruise line.

“This letter will confirm your discussion with Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Horizon personnel where you were informed that you will be disembarked from the vessel and not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future,” the letter explained.

“This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival.”


While the language of the letter is quite generalized and Van Veldhuizen’s specific violation was not mentioned, the intent of the letter is clear that she will not be permitted onboard any Carnival cruises in the future.

“Your attempt to book a future cruise will result in cancellation and a possible loss of deposit monies,” the letter continued.
The letter does not specify whether or not the lifetime ban includes other cruise lines in the Carnival Corporation family, such as Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, or other cruise lines owned by Carnival.

If Van Veldhuizen were to consider sailing on other Carnival Corporation lines, it would be prudent to carefully consult with a travel agent and contact the cruise line for confirmation before proceeding with a booking.

All cruise travelers should regularly review the prohibited items list for their cruise line prior to sailing, as such lists are frequently updated with new items added that could lead to embarkation delays, fines, or outright bans.

Source: https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-passenger-banned-for-life-due-to-prohibited-item/115872

 

[tony67]

I assume lots of folks are not happy with this - but you are travailing outside the country - would you bring them on a plane to another country?

People may not think about a cruise that way, and she probably would not have taken them off the ship, but the ship is in their waters.

Unfortunately sounds like they made an example of this person, even someone with high status was not cut any slack.

I may not agree with it, and I am someone who has zero interest in the product, but i can't argue with it either.

Thanks for posting it - its a good warning for others.

I wonder - do they warn people before boarding and give them a chance to throw it away? (EDIT - I guess so from the photo)

 

[soniam]

Seems a bit harsh. It would be like DCL banning someone for life for carrying on a surge protector. It’s banned, but they usually just confiscate it. Unless she was unruly, they should have just confiscated them and threw them out, like DCL does when you carry-on banned food.

 

[DCLMP]

Why ban the person for life? A lot of people use this substance for medical purposes. Seems pretty ridiculous with the amount of alcohol they allow people to consume onboard they'd be worried about gummies.

 

[starlite_]

As much as I don't think the gummies themselves are bad. If the rules state that it's forbidden to bring them then it's forbidden and the person should have followed the rules.

We don't know if the company could get in trouble in international ports for example. It's not hard to follow the rules, same as on planes.

 

[lanejudy]

There is almost always more to the story than what hits the news. This line jumps at me and makes me wonder if she pitched a fit:

“This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival.”

(bolding is mine)

 

[kanerf]

Could be much worse. A foreign prison could be your destination in some ports-o-call. While we have willy-nilly permitted lots of drugs and derivatives of same in the US, it is not the same in many other countries. Here is a good recent article on the status of CBD:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/coun...rope and,and Russia have similar prohibitions.

 

[Kwami]

Why ban the person for life? A lot of people use this substance for medical purposes. Seems pretty ridiculous with the amount of alcohol they allow people to consume onboard they'd be worried about gummies.

Because federal regulations prohibit adding CBD to any food product if that food product is shipped across state lines or if it's made from any ingredients that are shipped across state lines. Further, CBD is only legal under federal law when it's derived from hemp, which is very difficult to verify. In addition, many foreign ports bad CBD entirely.

So, Carnival, like every other cruise line, bans CBD products in order to protect themselves.

 

[dioxide45]

There is almost always more to the story than what hits the news. This line jumps at me and makes me wonder if she pitched a fit:


(bolding is mine)

I would have to agree. There is more to this than just the CBD. She could may have become irate and/or verbally abusive toward cruise line employees. Had she just turned around and left, she would probably be okay. This is of course all gueses, because the story leaves out a lot of details.

 

[Dug720]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[tvguy]

Why ban the person for life? A lot of people use this substance for medical purposes. Seems pretty ridiculous with the amount of alcohol they allow people to consume onboard they'd be worried about gummies.

But even alcohol rules are based on where the ship is. Most ships close all bars in port because of that. U.S. laws mean nothing outside U.S. borders. And U.S. law varies from state to state. For example, you are still subject to arrest in the U.S. if you bring CBDs or Marijuana in a National Park. I was caught a bit off guard by that in the briefing when we toured Alcatraz National Park and the Grand Canyon.
Remember, in China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and other nations CBD possession the penalty can be DEATH.

 

[dcassetta]

Seems a bit harsh. It would be like DCL banning someone for life for carrying on a surge protector. It’s banned, but they usually just confiscate it. Unless she was unruly, they should have just confiscated them and threw them out, like DCL does when you carry-on banned food.

Surge protectors don't violate federal laws in the US or other countries. Some of the items DCL bans are for their own benefit for safety or wanting to control what guests bring. Surge protectors and some sports equipment could be a danger so are confiscated. But, those items are not against the law in the US or the countries DCL visits.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I assume lots of folks are not happy with this - but you are travailing outside the country - would you bring them on a plane to another country?

People may not think about a cruise that way, and she probably would not have taken them off the ship, but the ship is in their waters.

Because people are dumb, do not the do the research/prep work, forget what it is in their bag, or some combination of the above.

 

[JM_97]

I bet there have been lots of worse things smuggled onto Carnival Cruises. She probably caused a scene, which is what prompted Carnival to ban her for life.

 

[RivShore]

Here come the lawyers...LOL

Seriously though, what is the rest of the story? A lifetime ban after 2.5 hours of interrogation for something you can buy over the counter in just about any drug store or supermarket does seem beyond extreme.



https://nypost.com/2023/11/17/news/...-who-brought-cbd-sleep-tight-gummies-on-ship/

Carnival Cruise Line slaps Texas mom with lifetime ban after she brought CBD 'sleep tight' gummies on ship
Allie Griffin


Carnival Cruise Line banned a Texas mother from its fleet for life after she tried to get onboard one of the company’s ships with a pack of CBD sleep aid gummies in Miami.

Melinda Van Veldhuizen, a 42-year-old mom of two, said she was treated “like a criminal” by cruise employees and police when they found a bag of the CBD “sleep tight” gummies while searching her backpack at PortMiami over the summer, Miami’s ABC News affiliate WPLG reported.

The Dallas-based nurse practitioner told the news station she packed the gummies to help her get some sleep on the August trip she had planned to take with her family to celebrate both her 21st wedding anniversary with her husband and her son’s senior year of high school.

Van Veldhuizen was taken into a separate area after a cruise staffer found the CBD gummies in her bag.

She was then interrogated by Carnival security and police for two and a half hours, she told WPLG.

Melinda Van Veldhuizen is banned from stepping on a Carnival cruise ship for life after bringing CBD gummies with her on board.
Melinda Van Veldhuizen is banned from all Carnival cruise ships for life after bringing CBD gummies with her on board.
WPLG

The mom — who noted that she has never even gotten a parking ticket — was blocked from boarding the ship, and her husband and sons didn’t want to go on the cruise to Aruba, Curaçao and the Dominican Republic without her.

The family had spent roughly $5,586 on their planned vacation, Van Veldhuizen’s attorney Daren Stabinski told the Washington Post.

CBD, a compound commonly derived from hemp that doesn’t cause impairment or a “high,” is different from marijuana, which contains THC — a mind-altering substance, according to the CDC.

Melinda Van Veldhuizen, said she was treated "like a criminal" when police discovered the CBD "sleep tight" gummies in her backpack.
Melinda Van Veldhuizen said she was treated “like a criminal” when police discovered the CBD “sleep tight” gummies in her backpack.

CBD is legal in most of the country after Congress removed hemp — defined as any part of the cannabis sativa plant with no greater than 0.3% of THC — from its list of controlled substances.

Van Veldhuizen’s gummies contained less than 0.01% THC, according to WPLG.

The hemp product, however, is prohibited by Carnival Cruise Lines.
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“While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items,” its website states.

Soon after Van Veldhuizen was forbidden from going on the cruise she paid for, she received a letter from Carnival informing her she was banned from all Carnival ships for life, WPLG reported.

The letter signed by Captain Rocco Lubrano states that she will “not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future.”

“This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival,” Lubrano wrote.

Van Veldhuizen said she has taken more than a dozen Carnival cruises over the years and was freaked out by the letter and the whole experience.

“I thought it was one of those situations where you’re like, ‘Oh shoot, I left a bottle of water in my backpack; you gotta throw it away,’ kind of thing like that happens at TSA,” Van Veldhuizen told the local news station.

The letter from Carnival Cruise is shown in this photo.
The letter signed by Captain Rocco Lubrano states that she will “not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future.”
WPLG

CBD, which is derived from hemp that doesn't cause impairment, is prohibited by Carnival Cruise Lines.
CBD, which is derived from hemp that doesn’t cause impairment, is prohibited by Carnival Cruise Lines.
WPLG

She is pursuing an internal claim with Carnival but has threatened to sue if her situation isn’t resolved “appropriately” and hired Stabinski to assist her, the Washington Post reported.

“Out of all the cases I take, this one was just specifically outrageous,” Stabinski said to WPLG.

Carnival did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.

 

[Kwami]

I'm not really sure what she can sue them for. Good luck with that.

 

[tvguy]

Here come the lawyers...LOL

Seriously though, what is the rest of the story? A lifetime ban after 2.5 hours of interrogation for something you can buy over the counter in just about any drug store or supermarket does seem beyond extreme.

You can't apply U.S. laws in an International environment.
While in some places in the U.S. you can buy CBDs over the counter, and on the flip side, possession of CBDs in some parts of the world is punishable by DEATH.
So a life time ban on one cruise line seems like a pretty fair medium.