Passenger Removed and Arrested After Sailing with Prohibited Item
The last thing anyone wants is for their cruise to come to an abrupt end that includes being led off the ship in handcuffs.
Unfortunately for one cruiser, this was their reality on a Royal Caribbean cruise they took in 2017. This ex-passenger took to Reddit to share their story — detailing the unfortunate events that eventually led to their arrest.
“A small amount of weed was in my stateroom and found by the steward,” said the poster. “I was held in a stateroom with a security guard until reaching Nassau, where I was escorted off the boat by Bahamian police.”
The incident unfolded when the passenger decided to purchase a drink package mid-sailing — only to be denied because something was wrong with their cruise card.
After being told to speak with guest services to resolve the issue, security came and confronted the guest about what they had found in the cabin.
The passenger initially decided to deny the accusation — despite having the prohibited substance on their person in their shoulder bag.
Then, two security guards escorted them to their cabin where they searched for the contraband previously found and reported by the room steward.
“I continued to deny it was mine, claiming I was with a lot of people with rooms all over and that any of the teens with us could have been in my room,” the poster confessed.
After failing to find the substance in the cabin, the security guards requested to search the bag the passenger was holding — and of course, that’s where it was hiding.
The head of security was called to the room for questioning — which led to the individual being placed in the brig, or cruise jail. The day after they were banned from the cruise line, and two Bahamian police officers escorted them off of the ship.
Royal Caribbean’s policy clearly states that all illegal drugs and illegal substances are strictly prohibited on all of their cruise ships, including marijuana. This passenger did directly violate this policy — so a ban and a subsequent arrest was not unwarranted.
Policies and Unruly Passengers
Cruise lines are no stranger to passengers not respecting their policies, which are all available online and can be accessed at any time.
A cruise passenger before the age of smartphones might have been able to play dumb about not knowing the policies — but they are quite literally accessible everywhere in 2025 and are usually listed on the cruise contract that is agreed to upon booking.
Depending on the violation, the guest may also be fined or warned rather than removed from the ship and handed over to the authorities.
But while it is not a common occurrence, as more than 31 million people cruise every year and few ever cross this line, there have been several notable recent arrests of cruise passengers.
Most recently on February 26, 2025, Royal Caribbean had a passenger get arrested in Aruba for attempting to board Oasis of the Seas with a revolver in their possession — something also prohibited by the cruise line and clearly written out on their website.
He was found to be in possession of the weapon during a routine screening process, and was subsequently removed from the ship by local authorities and then arrested.
In January 2025, a Florida deputy was barred from boarding Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas after trying to smuggle narcotic pills onboard.
He did so by hiding them in a bag of Skittles and intended to sell them to other passengers — but his plans were thwarted by the Miami-Dade Police Force, and he was quickly fired from his job for good measure.
Read Also: 14 Cruise Etiquette Rules You Need to Know About
One day prior to that arrest, a cruise passenger was arrested in the Port of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, on fraud charges.
The Brasília resident used fake credit cards to make extravagant purchases, gamble, and place bets in the ship’s casino — something he quickly got caught for after trying to register one too many fake cards.
Clearly, cruise lines do not play games when it comes to illegal activities. If you are thinking you will be the one to get away with it, think again — as a ban and an arrest could be in your future.
Passenger Removed and Arrested After Sailing with Prohibited Item