Cut-throat razors, carpet knives, toy guns and pink furry handcuffs – it’s amazing what some people pack to take on a cruise. The items in this picture have all been confiscated from passengers boarding ships in Southampton.
While the handcuffs may have been intended for a little harmless fun – and I hope the neighbours in the next cabin would not have been disturbed – what would have been the purpose of a Stanley knife? To take home a section of carpet as a souvenir, or to slice a picture out of its frame on the wall? And who thinks they have to take their own kitchen knife to peel an apple or an orange?
While security for boarding ships does not appear as thorough as when travelling through an airport, Southampton port’s operations and security manager, Glen Gardner, says: ” Cruise lines and the travel industry make it very clear that no knives, firearms replicas or items that could be used in a threatening situation are allowed.”
CruiseSouthampton.com, who uncovered the haul on a recent visit to the port, point out that cruise passengers travelling through the city’s airport face similar restrictions, and also have to be aware of the limits on liquids. Don’t get caught out – as I have in the past – trying to take duty free booze from the ship through an airport in your hand luggage.
I am not as certain as Mr Gardner appears to be that cruise lines provide as much information as they could on what is allowed and what’s not. If you’re in any doubt, full details of banned goods and restricted items are listed on HM Customs’ website.
About the Author: John Honeywell
John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.
These rules are pretty stupid – there are hundreds of sharp “steak knives on board a ship and plenty of bottles which can be broken to make a sharp weapon – yet they stop people taking hair and needlework scissors on board!
A load of “jobsworths” who don’t have to answer for their decisions!
The UK customs site quoted above makes NO MENTION of restrictions of this type. It is all about items which can’t be brought INTO UK such as “offensive weapons including swords with a curved blade exceeding 50cms in length”. How can a fruit knife be considered an “offensive weapon”?
This is just another example of our overpaid public servants acting irrationally and just doing something to be seen to be doing something and thus being seen to justify their existence!
Mr Gardner would be better employed concentrating on real threats instead of cracking down on harmless activities when any real terrorist would easily get round such limitations!