Security Question(s)

[ShotsnCruises]

My husband and I will be going on our first SS cruise next February. My husband is retired law-enforcement, and very security conscious. I have looked throughout the entire SS website, and I can find nothing that speaks specifically to what is or isn't allowed on board, getting on and off the ship, metal detectors, xray of baggage, etc.

My only experience has been on RC and Celebrity, which lay out very specific "what not to pack" details in the literature.

Can someone speak to how Silver Sea handles security?

 

Also, the non-luxury lines are very picky about not bringing purchased liquor back to your Suite. Is this the same on SS? We prefer to bring some of our favorite rums back home to enjoy throughout the year, and I have always loathed the other lines taking it until the end of the cruise.

Thank you

[dougburns]

They do have metal detectors active at the gangway when you board, but there is no problem bringing booze bought ashore on board. Just use good judgement with what you bring with you; no weapons, etc. Have a great cruise.

[Randyk47]

Silversea doesn't check bags for alcohol or wine. It's an all-inclusive cruise so technically the more you bring on at your own expense and potentially consume on the ship the less they have to provide. At many ports, at least in the Med over the past four years, they rarely were even running their on-ship x-ray machines. Now some ports in the Med have shoreside security in their cruise terminals and run your bags through a machine and have you walk through a metal detector but even that is not or at least was not consistent. Obviously the world situation is changing and maybe they're being a bit more watchful but it's certainly never been like we were used to going through on the larger mass market lines.

[ShotsnCruises]

Thank you for the replies. Has anyone ever had a problem bringing a small pocket knife (Swiss Army) on board? I don't think my husband could live without his!

[Randyk47]

Thank you for the replies. Has anyone ever had a problem bringing a small pocket knife (Swiss Army) on board? I don't think my husband could live without his!

 

I haven't heard about that exact situation in Silversea but I have on Holland America and many times it was taken away until the end of the cruise. I hate to be the one to suggest how to get around security, goes against my military background, but personally I'd just put it in my checked luggage as they pay a bit less attention to that.

[Emtbsam]

We have never had a problem bringing a small pocket knife on board, but our checked luggage has been flagged by security three times twice because I had a large pair of scissors, and one time I had a kitchen knife (a long story). The luggage was not delivered to the cabin but held in the security area. I had to go down there, open it up in the presence of the Security Officer, show him what I had and explain why. This past trip, I put the scissors in my carry on bag and there was no problem.

 

As others have said, security varies greatly from port to port. On our recent trip, we had to put handbags and cameras through security as we were exiting the terminal! That was a first.

[Suite Travels]

Put the small pocket knife in your checked luggage and you should be fine. I take mine and put it in my checked luggage.

[Wellseasoned]

I always carry a pocket knife and have never had a problem with it boarding the Silversea ships. In the port terminals I usually put it through the metal detector but have never had it questioned. For airline flights, of course, it is in checked luggage.

[Catlover54]

We always have a couple of quality pocket knives and multi-tools with us in CHECKED airline luggage ( having learned the hard way, e.g., we had one we had bought in Switzerland and forgotten about confiscated by an airline from a carry-on, along with a half-eaten lamb chop in a ziplock, because the bone looked kind of sharp).

4 cruises on SS, no problem with pocket knives, same on several other luxury lines ( though the ones we bring do not look "scary" and are not switchblades). It just would make no sense to confiscate pocket knives from pax when the ship is full of crew from all over the world, some from countries known for terrorist attacks, working in the kitchens with supersharp knives already accessible on board.

 

However, no guns of any kind are allowed, not even air guns, even if someone is LEO, much less if someone is a mere civilian marksman with a concealed carry permit. And though we had xrays of luggage at initial boarding, some of the smaller ports, e.g., in the Med, were lax in re-xraying pax they already knew by photo, so in theory that might be a way for terrorists to infiltrate a ship with evil items, and terrorists and pirates presumably know ships are gun-free zones, potential sitting ducks for attacks. I wish there were a bit more security screening on all reboarding, or, even better , discreet armed private security on board, and exceptions for LEO,in this day and age, but so far, stats are not showing a big risk to die of a terrorist attack on a cruise ship. I met a couple last year who told us about a cruise they had been on on SS when pirates were more active where they had to black out their windows as they passed through pirate lanes at night off the coast of Africa, but that is about it ( so far).

 

New Zealand and Australia were very fixated on looking for food you might be bringing off, so xrays were common looking for food, even had sniffing dogs in some places.

 

 

We have brought some locally purchased alcohol on board, and from home, very nice to buy locally and drink on board, or bring your favorite.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Catlover54

[spinnaker2]

Some of the posts are a little troubling and give me pause.

 

I know that cruise lines now see themselves in the cross hairs of certain radical groups and are providing the crew with specific training. I was told by one crew member, they know how to deal with Pirates but the other groups who have no value for human life are different.

 

I would hope that the cruise lines are NOT lax about security and that they are being vigilant about what is brought aboard by pax and the crew as well.

 

Maybe I am being a Pollyanna thinking it might make a difference in monitoring what comes aboard and with whom.

[RachelG]

Thank you for the replies. Has anyone ever had a problem bringing a small pocket knife (Swiss Army) on board? I don't think my husband could live without his!

My husband always Brings a knife and has never had any problem with it. He does put it in his checked baggage for airline travel.

[Joc123]

Sorry, but why would anyone need need a knife on holiday?

[MrsWaldo]

Sorry, but why would anyone need need a knife on holiday?

 

To peel a peach....

 

Much better than the propeller blade of a model airplane😳

[Keith1010]

One comment about security which I covered in my review from January.

 

There were a couple of cases where we found security to not be so tight. In one port when we returned they were not using the scanners. In anther port the security officer was busy with someone and we were told we didn't have to put our items on the belt for scanning.

 

Keith

[ShotsnCruises]

Thanks again for all the replies. My husband always carries a Swiss army knife with him, less than an 3 inch blade. It has a screw driver, bottle opener, corkscrew, etc... more like a multi-tool. We know better than to bring it on the plane, but were mainly inquiring as for bring it on and off the ship when in port.

 

I am a bit concerned to hear that the x-ray machines are not always running. Granted, I am cruising in the Caribbean, but security and safety should still be at the top of the list in my opinion.

[Keith1010]

This was only our second Silversea Cruise.

 

First time on Sprit.

 

I didn't notice any issues on our first cruise with respect to the item regarding Security.

 

I was surprised and also included it in my survey which we filled out on the ship.

 

Keith

[les37b]

As others have said, your checked luggage would be the easiest route, but it brings in an interesting if somewhat (potentially) scary story.

 

The days shortly after 9/11, my sister and family were "trapped" in Orlando because of the no fly. They used to visit the airport to find any news on departs. They finally learned of a flight home, but it involved a mad dash to get luggage etc and back to the airport.

 

Now baring in mind we are talking about full heightened security, my brother in law realised while sitting on his aircraft seat, in his rush to get this flight, had managed to get through security and board the plane with a Swiss Army knife in his pocket. How, god only knows. Obviously it wasn't intentional and luckily for the other passengers he had no ill intent. But this is why Im always very submissive of security and no problem with whatever searches they want. (OK.... I just read that back.... I guess there is one search id be less happy about! Haha)

[Portolan]

Look, no guarantees about what or wouldn't happen with security when boarding the ship, but this is totally unlike flying. You will have access to your luggage shortly after boarding so it doesn't change the end state whether you carry your knife on or have it in your luggage.

 

I'm sure there is some upper limit to how large a knife is OK, but once on-board you'll also be given access (at dinner, with fruit in the cabin, etc.) to knives with longer blades than a Swiss Army knife.

 

All that said, I'd put it in your luggage.

[Randyk47]

With the caveat that our very recent cruise was in the Caribbean and not in the Med or other "hot spot" destinations in Europe I can report that in eight stops not once were we asked to put our bags through an x-ray machine. Most ports in the Caribbean don't even have what would pass for a cruise terminal other than a guard at a gate checking for ship ID/room key cards. On the Wind they had the metal detector up and running most of the time but quite frankly it barely beeped and nobody paid any attention to it if it did.

[TLCOhio]

With the caveat that our very recent cruise was in the Caribbean and not in the Med or other "hot spot" destinations in Europe I can report that in eight stops not once were we asked to put our bags through an x-ray machine. Most ports in the Caribbean don't even have what would pass for a cruise terminal other than a guard at a gate checking for ship ID/room key cards. On the Wind they had the metal detector up and running most of the time but quite frankly it barely beeped and nobody paid any attention to it if it did.

 

Agree generally with the above experiences based on our early February South Africa sailing for ten days on the Silver Cloud, plus, as detailed below, for early 2015 doing 26 days with Silversea along the Amazon River and in doing ten different islands in and around the Caribbean.

 

They did, however, have security staff both at the base of the stairs checking cards and then the other staffer at the top to scan your card as you were re-entering the inside of the ship. We walked through a detector, but individual bags/items were not scanned and checked inside. None of the ports where we were visiting would be what I would call "high risk".

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 37,444 views for these postings.

[Randyk47]

Agree generally with the above experiences based on our early February South Africa sailing for ten days on the Silver Cloud, plus, as detailed below, for early 2015 doing 26 days with Silversea along the Amazon River and in doing ten different islands in and around the Caribbean.

 

They did, however, have security staff both at the base of the stairs checking cards and then the other staffer at the top to scan your card as you were re-entering the inside of the ship. We walked through a detector, but individual bags/items were not scanned and checked inside. None of the ports where we were visiting would be what I would call "high risk".

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

I failed to mention the always present and very passive card check at gang way and then the card scan. While I recognize the "security" value I also see at least the card scan as an accountability issue to make sure all passengers, staff, and crew are back on board.

[TLCOhio]

I failed to mention the always present and very passive card check at gang way and then the card scan. While I recognize the "security" value I also see at least the card scan as an accountability issue to make sure all passengers, staff, and crew are back on board.

 

YES, well summarized by Randy. From having done four cruises with Silversea, they seem to "adjust" in a reasonable and practical manner. Getting the proper "balance" is important!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 139,343 views for this posting.

[Mark_K]

As others have said, your checked luggage would be the easiest route, but it brings in an interesting if somewhat (potentially) scary story.

 

 

 

The days shortly after 9/11, my sister and family were "trapped" in Orlando because of the no fly. They used to visit the airport to find any news on departs. They finally learned of a flight home, but it involved a mad dash to get luggage etc and back to the airport.

 

 

 

Now baring in mind we are talking about full heightened security, my brother in law realised while sitting on his aircraft seat, in his rush to get this flight, had managed to get through security and board the plane with a Swiss Army knife in his pocket. How, god only knows. Obviously it wasn't intentional and luckily for the other passengers he had no ill intent. But this is why Im always very submissive of security and no problem with whatever searches they want. (OK.... I just read that back.... I guess there is one search id be less happy about! Haha)

 

Keep in mind that, until they got around to updating policies, knifes with blades under four inches long were legal for carry on.