Is confiscated contraband electrical equipment returned at end of voyage?

[frankp01]

We'll be returning from our next Cunard voyage on a 3-day train trip. The particular train cabin we have reserved has its power outlet in a particularly inconvenient spot. To rectify that, I'm planning on taking along a five- or six-foot extension cord. We won't need, or use, that cord onboard the QV. But I don't know if explaining that, at boarding, is sufficient. If it's confiscated, I'd like to know that it'll get returned at disembarkation. On a previous trip, we had a friend who had bought a kitchen knife at a port call. That was confiscated when she boarded but was returned when she disembarked. I'm hoping the same would apply here, but would like some additional confirmation from any others who might have had this experience.

 

As a workaround, I've considered mailing the cord ahead to the hotel where we'll be disembarking. But I don't know if a hotel will want to hold a package for four weeks. I know they'll "hold for arrival" for a few weeks, but 4 may be pushing the envelope. I guess I could ask a neighbor to mail it, a few weeks after we sail, so it wouldn't be at the hotel quite so long.

 

Any insights?

[si_boy]

We have taken onboard QV twice this year a power adapter that converts a single uk outlet to 2 outlets. The reason for taking is that the placement of the sockets onboard on the wall by the desk do not allow larger phone adapters to be plugged in.
We never had any problems with these and they were not confiscated. I suspect when it is x-ray scanned it just looks like a normal charger. 
A quick search on the web and there are USA equivalents.

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, frankp01 said:

We'll be returning from our next Cunard voyage on a 3-day train trip. The particular train cabin we have reserved has its power outlet in a particularly inconvenient spot. To rectify that, I'm planning on taking along a five- or six-foot extension cord. We won't need, or use, that cord onboard the QV. But I don't know if explaining that, at boarding, is sufficient. If it's confiscated, I'd like to know that it'll get returned at disembarkation. On a previous trip, we had a friend who had bought a kitchen knife at a port call. That was confiscated when she boarded but was returned when she disembarked. I'm hoping the same would apply here, but would like some additional confirmation from any others who might have had this experience.

 

As a workaround, I've considered mailing the cord ahead to the hotel where we'll be disembarking. But I don't know if a hotel will want to hold a package for four weeks. I know they'll "hold for arrival" for a few weeks, but 4 may be pushing the envelope. I guess I could ask a neighbor to mail it, a few weeks after we sail, so it wouldn't be at the hotel quite so long.

 

Any insights?

The new train station in NYC has a number of shops that may sell such cords. There is a drug store and they seem to sell every thing but drugs these days. Look up the list of shops on the Amtrak site under Moynihan station. You will find a list and a map of where they are located.

[frankp01]

4 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Look up the list of shops on the Amtrak site under Moynihan station.

I'm very familiar with Moynihan. But that's where we're starting the sailing! We're ending up in San Francisco and returning by train. But you do have a valid point. We'll have a few days in San Francisco where we could buy the cord.

 

44 minutes ago, si_boy said:

We have taken onboard QV twice this year a power adapter that converts a single uk outlet to 2 outlets.

I have the same adapters! I use them on the power outlets on either side of the bed (on the QM2). That way I can plug in the bedside lamp and my laptop (since I often work from bed). Those adapters are so small that I'm sure they don't raise much attention on the xray image. A 6-foot coil of wiring might stand out, however.

[charlesspinney]

Watch out for surg protect plugs.  They took ours along with a pair of scissor (much smaller than the knife selection at Verandas).  They gave us a tag to present to security when leaving the ship.  We were in a hurry and didn't take time to leave the long disembarkation line to claim them.

[frankp01]

2 minutes ago, charlesspinney said:

Watch out for surg protect plugs.

I'm aware of that. Anything electrical I carry is completely non-surge protected.

 

4 minutes ago, charlesspinney said:

didn't take time to leave the long disembarkation line to claim them

Ouch. That's an aspect I hadn't considered. When our friend's kitchen knife was confiscated, she simply retrieved it from one of the security desks at the same disembarkation line everyone else was using.

[charlesspinney]

This was an unusual disembarkation because we were late arriving at Red Hook and the walk off line was huge. 

[frankp01]

22 minutes ago, charlesspinney said:

didn't take time to leave the long disembarkation line to claim them

But you did answer my question, which was, if the cord *is* confiscated we do get it back. We'll have several days in San Francisco, so it doesn't matter if we're delayed disembarking. 

As @Lakesregionsuggested, however, I've also found several hardware stores (ironmongers) not too far from our hotel, so I may decide to just buy it in San Francisco, before boarding the train.

[safarigal]

My husband had his handy dandy multi-tool in one of our suitcases, and it was confiscated after we boarded in Southampton. It was returned to us when we disembarked in Los Angeles, but it took them a while to find it for us. So on the day before you disembark, make sure you remind them to return it to you when you are about to leave the ship.

[charlesspinney]

3 hours ago, frankp01 said:

I'm aware of that. Anything electrical I carry is completely non-surge protected.

 

Ouch. That's an aspect I hadn't considered. When our friend's kitchen knife was confiscated, she simply retrieved it from one of the security desks at the same disembarkation line everyone else was using.

Seems so ridiculous!  Swiss army knives and Leatherman tools are a danger to the ship.

[exlondoner]

11 hours ago, charlesspinney said:

Seems so ridiculous!  Swiss army knives and Leatherman tools are a danger to the ship.

I don’t think Swiss Army knives are much of a danger to the ship. They are a potential danger to the people on board, which is equally serious.

[ace2542]

13 hours ago, charlesspinney said:

Seems so ridiculous!  Swiss army knives and Leatherman tools are a danger to the ship.

Like there aren't knives onboard a person could grab or glasses or bottles they could break and use as weapons?

[new to cuising]

I was allowed a Swiss Army knife on QM2 on 1 November. Was told longest blade should be no more than about 2 inches, and must not be a locking blade. Locking blades of any length were banned. 
I declared knife at check in, it was measured by security and passed through the shoreside scanner on our way to the ship 

[Red Ray]

Why anyone would take Swiss Army knives on a cruise is beyond me - unless they still have those gadgets for taking stones out of horses' hooves and could be used to relieve the pain of the many equines on board...🤦‍♂️

[safarigal]

6 hours ago, Red Ray said:

Why anyone would take Swiss Army knives on a cruise is beyond me - unless they still have those gadgets for taking stones out of horses' hooves and could be used to relieve the pain of the many equines on board...🤦‍♂️

If you are from Southern Africa you have to bring sticks of biltong on board with you, and you need a good knife to slice it. We have been reduced to bringing sliced biltong with us there days, but it's just not the same 😞

 

[Host Hattie]

My husband takes a Swiss army knife but I don't think I have asked him why! The blade length was checked in the terminal on our last cruise and he was allowed to take it on board.

[LibertyBella]

My husband also carries a small Swiss army knife ,and it has come in wonderfully handy when he has to cut the tags off my clothes that I forgot to remove before the cruise!

[Red Ray]

8 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

My husband also carries a small Swiss army knife ,and it has come in wonderfully handy when he has to cut the tags off my clothes that I forgot to remove before the cruise!

There are these new things called scissors which I find work almost as well 😉

[Red Ray]

16 hours ago, safarigal said:

If you are from Southern Africa you have to bring sticks of biltong on board with you, and you need a good knife to slice it. We have been reduced to bringing sliced biltong with us there days, but it's just not the same 😞

 

Well I never realised that Cunard's conditions of boarding for Southern Africans include the compulsory taking on board of biltong. Having sampled it once - just once - I am minded of Dr. Johnson's definition of cucumber - 'it should be thinly sliced, lightly seasoned and then thrown away.'