What the deal on Coolers?

[needabreakcanada]

I have read the rule on them having to be 12" X 12" on the carnival site.

 

Then I read on CC that some take fold down ones that are larger and put them in their luggage.

 

So which is it? If it fold in your luggage it can be any size? Or are you really only limited to the 12 x 12?

 

Thanks,

[mavis2222]

Guess it wont matter then if you can fold it into your luggage.. Guess it matters more when trying to lug a larger cooler through the terminal full of ice and whatnot, So they limit the size. Fold it down, stash it in your checked bag and dont worry. Once on ship, nobody will care.

[willy1094]

I have read posts where people had beach bags (at least that is what they said they were) that were lined with plastic taken away from them because CCL considers them coolers. Just keep it in your checked luggage and you should be OK. Not sure what they would do if they did find it though :confused: All I know from reading posts is that CCL HATES coolers :p

[tikimon]

You will be fine as long as you put it in a checked luggage bag.

 

I have taken a fold down cooler on every cruise that will hold 36 cans just to keep in the cabin filled with fresh ice everyday.

 

I've only had to ask 2 times out of 16 cruises for it to be filled with ice everyday.

 

Ship ice melts very fast.

[sanger727]

I'm staying at a hotel the night before we board the ship and what I'd like to do is take a small cooler (12x12 is fine), put a bottle of champagne in it and fill it with ice from the hotel so we can have it chilled for sail away. Do you think we'll be able to walk that on or will they want the cooler emptied and put in our bag?

[adjburch]

I drink water and I only drink one brand of water. It is not the cruise line brand I take a small soft side cooler and tie it really small in my luggage. Then keep it in the bathroom because it tends to be wet after taking it out and around in port.

 

Remember to pack some large zip lock bags to repack wet things for your trip home so everything in your luggage doesn't get wet or damp. I always pack a small roll of bubble wrap and tape in case I purchase liquor or something breakable!!

[kyrisong1]

We have a soft cooler that we always take in our luggage, it folds down to fit in our larger suitcase, it's much larger than 12x12 and it takes up so little room!!! We love it, the steward keeps it iced up nice and full cause I always give him a 20 at the beginning for asking him to do something not in his job catagory (filling ice buckets is, but coolers hold LOTS of ice so it's a extra for him!!!)

They don't care if it's in your suitcase so you can bring as big as you like!!!

Carole

[spacepotatoes]

I thought the size restriction was so that it could fit through the scanner? If it's being packed in checked luggage, then dimensions don't matter since the cooler itself is not going through the scanner.

 

Or maybe Carnival just hates coolers, I don't know :p

[beachbum53]

I drink water and I only drink one brand of water. It is not the cruise line brand I take a small soft side cooler and tie it really small in my luggage. Then keep it in the bathroom because it tends to be wet after taking it out and around in port.

 

Remember to pack some large zip lock bags to repack wet things for your trip home so everything in your luggage doesn't get wet or damp. I always pack a small roll of bubble wrap and tape in case I purchase liquor or something breakable!!

 

We have a soft cooler that we always take in our luggage, it folds down to fit in our larger suitcase, it's much larger than 12x12 and it takes up so little room!!! We love it, the steward keeps it iced up nice and full cause I always give him a 20 at the beginning for asking him to do something not in his job catagory (filling ice buckets is, but coolers hold LOTS of ice so it's a extra for him!!!)

They don't care if it's in your suitcase so you can bring as big as you like!!!

Carole

 

On our last cruise, I took a couple of extra large zip log bags. Our room steward only put ice in our little cooler twice. Rather than asking him daily for ice, I took the zip lock bags to the Lido deck and got my own ice from the ice dispenser. Keeping the ice in the zip log bags reduced the amount of melted ice in the cooler.

[firefly333]

I thought the size restriction was so that it could fit through the scanner? If it's being packed in checked luggage, then dimensions don't matter since the cooler itself is not going through the scanner.

 

Or maybe Carnival just hates coolers, I don't know :p

 

Nope. Some people on Carnival act like the beverly hillbillies going camping and used to take full coolers .. and think it was ok to slap a luggage tag on them to get delivered.. no consideration for weight etc.

 

Carnival had to stop it.. people just act like they are going camping to me.. and overdo things.. Keep causing rules to be tighter.

[cruzzza]

Nope. Some people on Carnival act like the beverly hillbillies going camping and used to take full coolers .. and think it was ok to slap a luggage tag on them to get delivered.. no consideration for weight etc.

 

Carnival had to stop it.. people just act like they are going camping to me.. and overdo things.. Keep causing rules to be tighter.

 

I've seen that and thought, "Wow!" I can understand a small cooler, but I've seen some very large ones get checked. I didn't know they had stopped that, I don't mind that restriction.

[suezyq50]

My sister took a cooler through the scanner. Had water in it. They took out the tape measured it and it was 1" too tall. They took it away, not to be returned.

[firefly333]

My sister took a cooler through the scanner. Had water in it. They took out the tape measured it and it was 1" too tall. They took it away, not to be returned.

 

Even if its only 1/2 inch over on just one length, they have been known to confiscate it.

 

They mean it.

[SportsMomof4]

Are you allowed to take a small cooler off the ship with you for excursions?

[tikimon]

Are you allowed to take a small cooler off the ship with you for excursions?

 

Yes you can take the cooler of the ship at the ports

[mavis2222]

I'm staying at a hotel the night before we board the ship and what I'd like to do is take a small cooler (12x12 is fine), put a bottle of champagne in it and fill it with ice from the hotel so we can have it chilled for sail away. Do you think we'll be able to walk that on or will they want the cooler emptied and put in our bag?

 

If you board the ship around noon or so.. And sail away is after 4pm, you will have plenty of time to chill down your drinks.. Champagne.. Just fill your 12x12 cooler from the ice on the Lido buffet as soon as get onboard. Or ask the cabin steward as soon as you see him or her to get you ice. Your drinks will be plenty cold by time sail away starts.

[SportsMomof4]

Yes you can take the cooler of the ship at the ports

 

Thank you!

[cathyz]

I'm staying at a hotel the night before we board the ship and what I'd like to do is take a small cooler (12x12 is fine), put a bottle of champagne in it and fill it with ice from the hotel so we can have it chilled for sail away. Do you think we'll be able to walk that on or will they want the cooler emptied and put in our bag?

I've seen ice taken away at security, so you might want to take the cooler and champagne seperately and get ice once on board.

[hbrote]

I'm staying at a hotel the night before we board the ship and what I'd like to do is take a small cooler (12x12 is fine), put a bottle of champagne in it and fill it with ice from the hotel so we can have it chilled for sail away. Do you think we'll be able to walk that on or will they want the cooler emptied and put in our bag?

 

I always bring champagne on board for sail away. I get the steward to ice it down when I get to the room. I have never had to drink warm champagne.

it really doesn't take long to chill. :D

[needabreakcanada]

Do they say 1 12x12 cooler per cabin or per passenger?

[needabreakcanada]

According to carnival (and they had to look it up as they hadn't been asked this before) the 12 x 12 cooler rule is PER PERSON!

 

Is this right?

 

Thanks

[ediemarie]

just want to be sure........

 

1) if my cooler is within the 12x12 limits i can carry on

2) if it is larger i can pack in my checked bag

3) even if it is larger than the 12x12 i can carry on/off at ports

 

thanks in advance for any help.

[CELTICGIRLCRUISER]

According to carnival (and they had to look it up as they hadn't been asked this before) the 12 x 12 cooler rule is PER PERSON!

 

Is this right?

 

Thanks

 

Yes it is per person.

[bguppies]

just want to be sure........

 

1) if my cooler is within the 12x12 limits i can carry on

2) if it is larger i can pack in my checked bag

3) even if it is larger than the 12x12 i can carry on/off at ports

 

thanks in advance for any help.

 

The whole purpose of the 12x12 rule, is about it being to fit through the security scanner when boarding the ship.

 

That means boarding at the embarkation port AND when you reboard at each individual port.(where you have to pass through scanners and your items on the conveyor.)

 

I saw one lady have to leave her oversized collapsible cooler at the pier in Roatan last year. (I would have just walked back off, dumped all the ice and drinks and fold it up and come back through the line.)

 

We have brought larger coolers on every one of our carnival cruises, but the cooler stays in our cabin for cold drinks in the room. (we have a cooler with wheels and a handle, so it looks like a small rolling carryon.

We just pack it with shoes and towels, then unpack as soon as it arrives and ask the steward to fill it for us. We carry on our sodas and add to the cooler in the room. )

 

Bill

[willy1094]

The whole purpose of the 12x12 rule, is about it being to fit through the security scanner when boarding the ship.

 

That means boarding at the embarkation port AND when you reboard at each individual port.(where you have to pass through scanners and your items on the conveyor.)

 

I saw one lady have to leave her oversized collapsible cooler at the pier in Roatan last year. (I would have just walked back off, dumped all the ice and drinks and fold it up and come back through the line.)

 

We have brought larger coolers on every one of our carnival cruises, but the cooler stays in our cabin for cold drinks in the room. (we have a cooler with wheels and a handle, so it looks like a small rolling carryon.

We just pack it with shoes and towels, then unpack as soon as it arrives and ask the steward to fill it for us. We carry on our sodas and add to the cooler in the room. )

 

Bill

 

I would just be careful using a cooler that looks like luggage as such. There was a member here that Carnival happened to look in the luggage and saw that it was lined (as a cooler would be) and took it. If you do go this route you will probably be ok but make sure you will not miss it if they take it. Or just pack it in your checked luggage. +1 on not trying to use it at the ports and expecting to get back on with it.