Galveston is screening wine openers

[Danica Babaz]

I just wanted others to be aware of the wine opener requirements that are now being strictly enforced in Galveston. 

 

I left on the Breeze out of Galveston on January 30th.  When going through security, they pulled my luggage to the side to inspect the wine opener I had packed.  The screener said that openers that have the small 1" cutter are not allowed and he was going to confiscate my opener.  I told him I've boarded with that opener for the past 8 years and have never been questioned.  He went on to say it was a long standing policy but is only now being strictly enforced and security had a big meeting that very morning about acceptable wine openers.  He was cool about the whole thing and eventually discreetly placed the opener back in my luggage with the instructions to keep it hidden in the room and not to board with it again. 

 

I'm not sure if other ports will also be enforcing this weapons policy too, but I wanted to share the Galveston experience.  So off to Amazon I go to look for an opener without the "knife".  

 

[Joebucks]

I cruised out of Miami last month. I always bring a small haircutting scissor, the ones that come with a hair clipper set. It was also confiscated. 

[mz-s]

It's a good time for all of us to think about the things that we usually take on cruises. My wife always cruises with cuticle scissors, would they be allowed? etc. As you said being able to board with something and actually having it allowed are two different matters. Thank you for the reminder.

[jsglow]

So just to clarify. Was this item in your carry-on luggage? Did the screener say anything about luggage checked with the porters?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

But, once onboard they'll arm you in the steakhouse with a nice big knife.

 

I've always felt this was an asinine policy. They need to get over the fact that this is NOT an airplane. It amazes me the places where security is practiced, and where it is not. I've taken Amtrak a few times (Auto Train). Not only do they not use any type of x-ray, or screening process at all, they've never even checked my ID to see if I'm who I said I was !

 

Once at check-in (Carnival) they saw something in our carry on. Low and behold it was the plastic handle corkscrew from our prior Carnival sailing (wine/fruit basket in or cabin). They said we could not board with it, and confiscated it. Once onboard, guess what? We were welcomed to our cabin with another wine/fruit basket, complete with corkscrew.

 

Ugh...

 

Tom

[hillbillycruisers]

I have cruised out of Galveston 11 times, and have always carried on my small scissors with me, with no issues with security...until our Vista cruise last November. They confiscated my small scissors, telling me they were " a possible weapon ". So...in early January, we cruised on the Dream out of Galveston...and guess what? Same scissors, and they allowed me to bring them. ??? And...in November, I had 18 cans of soda in my carry-on, they didn't bother to even look at them. In January...same carry-on...same number of cans of soda...security took me to the side, and made me show them every can. They also wanted to visually check my c-pap. I've carried on my c-pap on our last 7 cruises...all out of Galveston...and not once have they wanted to check it. All this tells me is that they are very inconsistent about their security procedures. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 minutes ago, hillbillycruisers said:

I have cruised out of Galveston 11 times, and have always carried on my small scissors with me, with no issues with security...until our Vista cruise last November. They confiscated my small scissors, telling me they were " a possible weapon ". So...in early January, we cruised on the Dream out of Galveston...and guess what? Same scissors, and they allowed me to bring them. ??? And...in November, I had 18 cans of soda in my carry-on, they didn't bother to even look at them. In January...same carry-on...same number of cans of soda...security took me to the side, and made me show them every can. They also wanted to visually check my c-pap. I've carried on my c-pap on our last 7 cruises...all out of Galveston...and not once have they wanted to check it. All this tells me is that they are very inconsistent about their security procedures. 

 

You never know which line to get into, to avoid the gung-ho screeners. For some of them, it's a job. For others, it's an adventure !  😄 

Tom

[mz-s]

Past performance does not guarantee future results. That is investment advice but it applies in many aspects of life...

[sparks1093]

The thing to remember is that security is not affiliated with Carnival. They might be responding to feedback from the cruise line, but it's also possible they are being overzealous with enforcing the rules.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

16 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

The thing to remember is that security is not affiliated with Carnival. They might be responding to feedback from the cruise line, but it's also possible they are being overzealous with enforcing the rules.

 

Sometimes I wonder if they post bounties, or "production goals" for their screening.

 

Tom

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Sometimes I wonder if they post bounties, or "production goals" for their screening.

 

Tom

Some companies might actually do that, or at least I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that they do. As you aptly pointed out though this is a silly rule that has no real purpose.

[mz-s]

plenty of ways to shank somebody on a Carnival cruise without needing to use a wine opener

[cmukid87]

I will second the inconsistency.  Each time I have carried any liquid on, can or wine bottle, it was inspected.  Tampa, Miami, Canaveral, and Galveston.  All of them inspected.  Our last trip out of Canaveral nobody even looked at me for walking through with a 12 pack and wine bottle.  Someone I know just cruised out of Miami.  They had put alcohol in their checked bag and it was still in their luggage when they got to their room.  Their wine bottles and soda they carried on?  Nobody asked for anything.

 

[shof515]

This brings back bad memory's i have of security at the NYC terminal when i was sailing on the Magic out of NYC last year. I had two cruises in June and August

 

In June security gave me a very hard time about my small battery operated fan that was in my carry on bag. I had to like dig it out to my bag and show them that yes it runs on batteries and does not need to be plugged in

 

Then in August with the same fan in the same carry on bag, no issues at all and went  thru security quickly. security did not say anything about my fan at all

 

 

it seems like security is inconsistency everywhere just like the airports

 

[jsglow]

On a slightly different note, once last year we had a screener (in New Orleans, I think) absolutely pour over our standard CDC vax card because our initial series of Moderna had been evidenced by a sticker printout produced by the pharmacy computer rather than being hand written (apparently standard Kroger/Smiths protocol 🤨). She wasn't unpleasant but it had to take her something like 5+ minutes to get herself comfortable with our cards. At one point I literally offered to open my LiveWell App to show her my official (and private) full medical records! Um lady, I'm vaxed and here's my card. 

[jsglow]

5 minutes ago, cmukid87 said:

Someone I know just cruised out of Miami.  They had put alcohol in their checked bag and it was still in their luggage when they got to their room.  Their wine bottles and soda they carried on?  Nobody asked for anything.

 

On our very first post pandemic cruise I was clearly 'out of practice' and accidentally put our 2 legal wine bottles in our checked bag. 🤯 Thought for sure I'd have to go to the naughty room. Nope, delivered just fine. I'm sure they either didn't notice/care or there were numerous out of practice cruisers. 

[Anyislandwilldo]

6 hours ago, Joebucks said:

I cruised out of Miami last month. I always bring a small haircutting scissor, the ones that come with a hair clipper set. It was also confiscated. 

Same here, they took my expensive pair of scissors.

[BlerkOne]

Mobile was confiscating all scissors, of any size. They also confiscated a multi-tap outlet because it had an on-off switch. No surge protection which they admitted - just a switch. Anyway I insisted the hold the item until my cruise was over, which they did.

[BlerkOne]

On my recent Dream cruise, they didn't bat an eye at a bottle of wine, a small pair of scissors, or a bottle or two of water in my carry on. I think much of this might be on the screener watching the screen.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

34 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

On my recent Dream cruise, they didn't bat an eye at a bottle of wine, a small pair of scissors, or a bottle or two of water in my carry on. I think much of this might be on the screener watching the screen.

Wait until AI takes over !

[BlerkOne]

5 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Wait until AI takes over !

Will AI also drink the confiscated liquor? I think my screener might have been hungover, if not sleeping.

[ProgRockCruiser]

3 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

But, once onboard they'll arm you in the steakhouse with a nice big knife.

 

I've always felt this was an asinine policy. They need to get over the fact that this is NOT an airplane.

I do wonder what precedents have occurred to require confiscation of wine bottle openers with "knives".  Have there been incidents within cabins or elsewhere on board with a fight getting violent and those types of objects becoming weapons?  Quick, someone ask John Heald!

 

As for the steak knife you get at your meals - or other items you could source from elsewhere on board - maybe because they are not convenient when some sort of fight occurs, they are perceived to be less of a threat?  You don't steal a steak knife in case you get into a fight later, but you might have your wine opener with knife handy, or at least retrievable with a quick trip to the cabin...

 

Sigh, basically, stupid people are stupid.