Golf clubs "confiscated" - Anyone else had this happen or heard of this?

[roboref]

I received this email from RCCL when I asked about checking clubs with the porters or carrying on myself.

 

Dear Mr. :

 

Thank you for your email.

 

You may bring your golf clubs onboard, however, the clubs must be hand-carried onboard ship during embarkation and off the ship during disembarkation. They will not be accepted as checked baggage to avoid possible inadvertent damage. The clubs must remain in the stateroom for the duration of the cruise except when you want to take them ashore in a port-of-call. We have notified the proper security personnel, so it will not be a problem.

 

Mr. McCall, thank you for choosing Royal Caribbean International.[/color]

[roboref]

2 years later just realized I had not updated my experience at Southampton.

 

The clubs were happily accepted by the porters and showed up at my stateroom with the other luggage. I was kinda holding onto them expecting to drag them on myself. However, the porter asked if I would like him to take then and I said sure. Away they went!

[grand isle joe]

...golf clubs no.....but they did confiscate my polo pony and club....barbarians.................:eek:

[skiiergirl]

2 years later just realized I had not updated my experience at Southampton.

 

The clubs were happily accepted by the porters and showed up at my stateroom with the other luggage. I was kinda holding onto them expecting to drag them on myself. However, the porter asked if I would like him to take then and I said sure. Away they went!

 

Thanks so much!

[NJcruisenewbie]

They were not told it was a policy which the OP found out about at the tail end of thier cruise, ergo they were lied to.

 

It isn't a lie, it's an omission of details and further is really just semantics.

[dorisis]

We've always kept our clubs in our cabin. If this is a security policy, it's a new one.

 

Just another inconvenience of travel caused by trying to keep security onboard.

[stlouistravelers]

They were not told it was a policy which the OP found out about at the tail end of thier cruise, ergo they were lied to.

 

I think that the security people were trying to make it palatable for the passenger and try to make it easier to hold onto your clubs. For what ever reason they felt it better to secure the clubs (past experience, discussions with other operators, etc.). People seem to take bad news if it is policy vs. caution. So if you got to use them when in port and got them back in good condition I say that there is no harm done. Hopefully this did not make the vacation a bad experience. As my wife would say, don't major over the minors unless you want to be held to the same standard. IMHO.

[skiiergirl]

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

 

This is an OLD thread. (It was started 27 months ago.) We have not had this issue occur since that time.

[Dinkachu]

There are a few key words in the list of prohibited items you posted:

 

"The following are examples of items that guests are not allowed to bring onboard. These and other similar items will be confiscated upon being found."

 

As stated, the list is just examples and not a full list of all prohibited items. To me, golf clubs would seem to fall into the "similar items" range of items on the list like Baseball Bats, Hockey Sticks, Cricket Bats.

 

I guess they could have explicitly said to you "we must keep them because they are prohibited", but I don't see that as a big deal. Is there that much difference to you between them keeping the clubs as a courtesy and them keeping the clubs as a necessity? When I was getting back on the ship in Mexico I had a Tequila bottle with me. The guard at the x-ray scanner just said "Put the tequila over there". He didn't say if it was policy or courtesy that they were going to hold my liquor for me for a few days. This thing with the clubs sounds the same to me.

 

We travel with a full set of clubs and have never had them confiscated. We would not mind if they were - more room in the cabin. I think that is the point - it is well known that certain items are confiscated, but golf clubs have routinely been allowed in the cabins fleet wide. I think we are all just curious to know if this is the new norm.

 

Our next cruise will be for our son's graduation from UCF and part of his gift is a new set of clubs for the cruise. If they take them - okay, at least we have a head's up!