Taking candles on board - what will happen?

[Curly_Sue]

Hi everyone!

I hope you can advise me.  So I will be in the USA for a week before my Carnival cruise departs from Miami. I absolutely LOVE the store Bath & Body works (we don’t have any here in the UK) and I intend to purchase a few candles to bring back to the UK as gifts.

My question is; I understand candles are “prohibited” on my cruise and I totally understand why.  I have no intention of lighting any of the candles and surely it will be obvious that I have purchased them as gifts (because how many candles could one person need on a short cruise lol).  Will the candles be taken from me and destroyed?  Or will they be taken and retuned to me at some point?  I don’t want to flout any of the rules but I also don’t want to lose my candles.  I looked at luggage storage options to perhaps leave the candles somewhere while I go on the cruise but there are no storage facilities near the port and options further away will work out pretty expensive (travel costs to the facility + daily storage rate) seeing as its only to store a bunch of candles.  I don’t have time to go shopping after the cruise so it’s important I buy the candles before embarkation. Please share your experiences with this sort of thing and/or any suggestions.

As a sidenote, I also wondered if they will be strict regarding luggage weight? On the website it says they “suggest” you restrict baggage to under 23kgs, but is this limit actually enforced?

Thanks for your help on this!

[champagne123]

When people bring items that are prohibited on board, they are confiscated by the cruise line and held until the final day.  You may pick up your items the last day of your cruise. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

You shouldn't have any problems on getting your candles back at the end of the cruise.

 

You might ask the shop where you are buying them if they could ship them home to you in the UK.

[Curly_Sue]

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated.  The wording on the Carnival website regarding candles is worrying and unclear.  It says "we reserve the right to confiscate and dispose" of certain items.  So theres no chance they will dispose of my candles?

[champagne123]

Just my opinion, but I would think the "dispose" part would be something like drugs or weapons.  My son, (many years ago and unbeknownst to me,)  tried to sneak a bottle of tequila on board.  They confiscated it, but returned it to him on the final day.  Wish I could give you a definite answer, as I know this is important to you.  Hopefully someone will come along and have a definite answer.  

[txflood33]

26 minutes ago, Curly_Sue said:

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated.  The wording on the Carnival website regarding candles is worrying and unclear.  It says "we reserve the right to confiscate and dispose" of certain items.  So theres no chance they will dispose of my candles?

 

Only Carnival will be able to give you a definite answer on this. To know for sure, I would recommend you call them and let them know of your intentions...they may be able to assist you if they know in advance.

[spookwife]

25 minutes ago, Curly_Sue said:

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated.  The wording on the Carnival website regarding candles is worrying and unclear.  It says "we reserve the right to confiscate and dispose" of certain items.  So theres no chance they will dispose of my candles?

 

 

no there is 'no' chance.   the people at the security checkpoints are not cruise line employees.. they are local TSA employees and at any time they can  choose to  dispose of any item.  

 

I have seen them trash( in front of the passenger) anything from an open bottle of water, to booze or knives.  

 

 

[Essiesmom]

The suggested weight for luggage is to save the backs of the stevedores/crew who have to heave them onto the luggage bins and carts.  EM

[evandbob]

1 hour ago, spookwife said:

 

 

no there is 'no' chance.   the people at the security checkpoints are not cruise line employees.. they are local TSA employees and at any time they can  choose to  dispose of any item.  

 

I have seen them trash( in front of the passenger) anything from an open bottle of water, to booze or knives.  

 

 

The cruise line security employees are from private security firms, not the TSA.  They certainly wear different uniforms and are "trained" differently.  There may be some hired by the private firms who are moonlighting from a TSA job, just like other law enforcement employee picking up a part time job.

 

To the OP, have the store ship your candles.

[Curly_Sue]

Thanks for the feedback but shipping from USA to UK for weighty candles would be too expensive.  I would have considered ordering them online if this was an option.  I also called Carnival and they just seemed to read from a script stating they may or may not dispose of prohibited items, really not helpful, surely they should apply a blanket policy instead of being ambiguous about this.  I'm hoping others can share thier experiences of having items confiscated and returned (or not).  I have no issue with my items being taken from me but i need to know for certain if i will get them back or not.

[jwcruise1]

How close is the store to the port? Maybe you could speak to the store manager or assistant and ask them to box up your candles and hold them for you till after the cruise? They may not be able or willing to but my thoughts are always "If you don't ask the answer is automatically no"

Edited October 24, 2018 by jwcruise1
inserted a word

[Grandma Dazzles]

Can you purchase the candles after the cruise.  If you are going directly to the airport have your cab stop and run in the store and purchase.  Most malls in the US have a Bath and Body Works - wouldn't be hard to find and plan ahead of time.  

[Curly_Sue]

4 minutes ago, jwcruise1 said:

How close is the store to the port? Maybe you could speak to the store manager or assistant and ask them to box up your candles and hold them for you till after the cruise? They may not be able or willing to but my thoughts are always "If you don't ask the answer is automatically no"

I'll be buying them in another state, im visiting LA and Vegas before I hit Miami for the Cruise, this is actually a bit of a once in a lifetime type trip.  This is a good suggestion though.

[sparks1093]

OP, since it's a once in a lifetime trip I would say- go for it. My feeling is if they even do anything at all they will hold them until the end of the trip and you would have to go retrieve them on the last day. It wouldn't be nice to be out the money you spend on the candles if they destroy them but at least you will have tried. 

[Grandma Dazzles]

20 minutes ago, Curly_Sue said:

I'll be buying them in another state, im visiting LA and Vegas before I hit Miami for the Cruise, this is actually a bit of a once in a lifetime type trip.  This is a good suggestion though.

How are you getting them to the cruise?  You asked about baggage weight earlier. Cruise line doesn’t really care about weight of your bags, but airlines are very specific. Candles are heavy. You might want to think about that if you plan to purchase on the West coast and fly to Miami; same with your flight home. It might end up being cheaper to ship the candles than pay excess baggage fees on two different flights 

[SRF]

Might try packing them in a sealed box, and telling them to take them and hold them to the end.

[Curly_Sue]

3 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

How are you getting them to the cruise?  You asked about baggage weight earlier. Cruise line doesn’t really care about weight of your bags, but airlines are very specific. Candles are heavy. You might want to think about that if you plan to purchase on the West coast and fly to Miami; same with your flight home. It might end up being cheaper to ship the candles than pay excess baggage fees on two different flights 

My question regarding the baggage weight was more of a curiosity than a potential issue.  I'm heading out to the states with an almost empty suitcase, im going to pack extremely light so that i can buy lots of nice things 🙂

[LHT28]

if you have some time after your cruise  there is  a B & BW at Bayside  right near the port  you could  just pick some up there  before heading to the airport

depending on you flight times

http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/directory/shops/item/bath-body-works

[Curly_Sue]

21 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

if you have some time after your cruise  there is  a B & BW at Bayside  right near the port  you could  just pick some up there  before heading to the airport

depending on you flight times

http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/directory/shops/item/bath-body-works

I really appreciate your suggestion but having to shop in a manic rush really takes the joy out of it.  I'd like to take my time and sniff all the different fragrances and shop at a leisurely pace.......

[jwcruise1]

Maybe shop before cruise and make note of upc numbers then purchase afterward?

[LHT28]

49 minutes ago, Curly_Sue said:

I really appreciate your suggestion but having to shop in a manic rush really takes the joy out of it.  I'd like to take my time and sniff all the different fragrances and shop at a leisurely pace.......

 

Are you arriving in Miami  the morning of the cruise?

You could if you have time  stop on the way to the ship & buy what you want then

still the problem if  the cruise line will confiscate them  but you may save on some baggage fees from the west coast to MIA

Just a thought

 

enjoy

[cb at sea]

Pack them in your locked, checked bags.  As long as you aren't burning candles, it should be fine.

[Curly_Sue]

Honestly i appreciate all the suggestions but my problem remains what will the ship do about my candle haul 😞

I have no real choice but to make the purchases BEFORE boarding the ship because trying to rush around after i get off with a bunch of lugagge, a fixed deadline (to catch my flight home) and a generally sweaty and anxious demeanor (lol) will not make it practical.  I guess i'll just have to take the chance and hope for the best but if they do take my treasured candles and put them in the trash it will be a horrible start to my cruise, not to mention a waste of time and money.

[dread_pirate]

I would simply let security know you have them (maybe have them bagged up so they're easy to inspect). The port agent will likely take them (you'll never even get them on the ship), give you a claim check, and keep them until disembarkation. After you disembark and go through Customs, there will be a place for you to reclaim the candles. The security teams at the port do this sort of thing all the time for surge protectors, irons, knives, and all sorts of other items that are perfectly legal but cannot be taken onboard.

 

You should have no issue.

[dread_pirate]

2 hours ago, Curly_Sue said:

I really appreciate your suggestion but having to shop in a manic rush really takes the joy out of it.  I'd like to take my time and sniff all the different fragrances and shop at a leisurely pace.......

Another thought - since Bath & Body Works is a chain, ask the manager while you're shopping if you can purchase the candles there, and pay for them, and then pick them up in the Miami store? I know you can do such things at other chains, like Bed Bath & Beyond. Then after the cruise, you just hop out, collect the already-chosen and paid for candles (so no rush), and go to the airport. 

 

Couldn't hurt to ask!