Alaskan cruise

[smithers599]

Very specific question:
IF you, personally, have been on an Alaskan cruise recently, were there metal detectors or wands or patdowns to prevent carrying weapons aboard?
Thank you.

 

[pneuby]

Whaddya wanna bet that any such ship will traverse through Canadian waters at some point?
Just sayin....

 

[tunnug]

My sons in-laws just got back from an Alaskan cruise with Viking, I'll ask them about that.

 

[h8pvmnt]

We went in 2007 on Norwegian and there were metal detectors at the security check points prior to boarding. They were also used when we came back from day excursions when re-boarding. All Alaskan Cruise lines have to dock in Canada at least once because no cruise ships except those that service the Hawaiian islands are registered in the US. Since not registered in the US they must stop at a foreign port. Passports are required for an Alaskan Cruise due to the Canadian Port. When we went the ship docked in Prince Rupert. A place not even worth disembarking for. It would be better to fly to Alaska take your gun and rent a car. Go see what you want. The cruises are a waste of money in my opinion.

 

[MarkItZero]

No, but I've been on several Caribbean cruises and I wouldn't try it.

 

[QuietM4]

Domestic and international cruise ships have TSA security just like airports, same rules and procedures, with the added prohibition on any type of alcohol...because the cruise ship want to sell it to you instead.

 

[Crippledtrigger]

Cruise security for boarding is just like an Airport. TSA and all depending on Transit routes

 

[smithers599]

We went in 2007 on Norwegian and there were metal detectors at the security check points prior to boarding. They were also used when we came back from day excursions when re-boarding. All Alaskan Cruise lines have to dock in Canada at least once because no cruise ships except those that service the Hawaiian islands are registered in the US. Since not registered in the US they must stop at a foreign port. Passports are required for an Alaskan Cruise due to the Canadian Port. When we went the ship docked in Prince Rupert. A place not even worth disembarking for. It would be better to fly to Alaska take your gun and rent a car. Go see what you want. The cruises are a waste of money in my opinion.

Thank you. That is the information I needed. Not the answer I wanted, but certainly what I needed.
What about pocketknives?

 

[OH-MAN]

Been on two.
Yeah the buffet lines can be rough but I never needed a pistola.
If you do get to a Canadian port they will not be amused. Now the Dicktater trudope is trying to ban all pistols!
With tsa type checkpoints I bet any knives will be removed for your own protection. " You'll stab your eye out kid"
Great views up there.

 

[aroyobob]

Thank you. That is the information I needed. Not the answer I wanted, but certainly what I needed.
What about pocketknives?

Depends on how up tight the security staff is. Most cruise lines have a "prohibited" list like this one:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/20190826-Prohibited-Item-List.pdf

check out the list for the company you are with.

I had a Swiss Army knife confiscated going through the security at the shore terminal to board (Venice -> Athens,) (as other have said, x-rays for the luggage and metal detectors for you,) and returned at the end of the cruise.

 

[smithers599]

Just looked at the list of verboten items.
- Guns
- Pepper spray
- Stun guns
- Knives with blade longer than four inches

Well OK then. The blade on my Spyderco EDC knife measures 3.75 inches.
We'll see how that goes.
One friend recommended taking a knife from the restaurant before getting off the boat each time, then ditching it in a trash barrel before getting back on.

 

[tunnug]

My sons in-laws just got back from an Alaskan cruise with Viking, I'll ask them about that.

Turns out it wasn't a cruise, they flew to Alaska and did their own thing with rental cars.

 

[jrleen]

Late responce i know. Norwegian earlier this year alaska no problems and currently on a carnival ireland-scotland trip and no problem.... I just walk through scanner w/o saying anything.

 

[smithers599]

Back from the cruise now. I carried a knife with a 3.75" blade the first two days. When coming back on the ship, I threw it into the bowl with other stuff, and nobody said anything. On the third day, the highly trained security specialist told me I could have the knife on the ship, but I could not take it ashore, "for the safety," and if he saw it again, he would confiscate it. IOW, he was making up s__. So, after that, before I got off the ship, I took a steak knife from the cafeteria, and carried it in my pocket (using a folded brochure wrapped around the blade as a makeshift sheath). Before getting back on the ship, I dumped the knife in a trash can. Got a different knife every day.

 

[blasternaz]

And so your legend continues! Never be unarmed!

 

[smithers599]

I don't consider myself to be "armed" with only a knife. I have a mental picture of that victim in the Buffalo supermarket shooting, lying on the ground bleeding, waiting for medical attention, holding a knife in his hands. Fat lot of good his knife did him.
Rather, I think of it as being "unarmed with a knife."

 

[campinginaz]

Just looked at the list of verboten items.
- Guns
- Pepper spray
- Stun guns
- Knives with blade longer than four inches

Well OK then. The blade on my Spyderco EDC knife measures 3.75 inches.
We'll see how that goes.
One friend recommended taking a knife from the restaurant before getting off the boat each time, then ditching it in a trash barrel before getting back on.

I know this thread it a little old but I just did an Alaskan cruise and I carried a pocket knife with less than a 4 inch blade and not once did they say anything. Even when returning to the ship and going through metal detectors and having to empty my pockets etc.