Taking a Cake Knife

[Coolcruise02]

Our daughter is getting married on the Caribbean Princess and I am taking the cake knife we used for our wedding almost 30 years ago. I will be packing it in our checked luggage to fly, but I'm not sure what to do at the pier.

 

How should I pack it to get on the ship. Should I put it in my carry-on luggage to take thru hand screening or put it in the luggage I leave with the porters? I always lock the luggage I leave at the pier, but I'm wondering if security might have to open my suitcase to check out the cake knife. If I carry it thru the hand screening they could check it right there.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks :)

[Irishjayne]

I would leave it in your checked luggage. I would wrap a note around it stating why you have it in your luggage just in case they were to open your bag. I would include a cell phone number on the note so they can contact you. I put notes in our golf bags when we travel as they always open and check them.

[ladysail2]

Why would you take it out of your checked bags at the pier? If you're afraid of theft, I can understand that. (although I highly doubt anyone would take it)

I'm sure the x-ray at the port will pick it up...but at least the screeners at the ship can look at it and determine that it's a wedding cake knife and nothing to be afraid of.

I took an Ulu knife through the screener at a port (in Alaska)..and was just warned to be very careful because it's sharp...they didn't take it away from me.

IMHO...I'm sure you have nothing to be concerned with.

Have a great wedding and cruise!

[koolforkatz]

If it was me, I'd pack it in my luggage. There's always the risk that if you carry it in your handheld luggage, they could either confiscate it or make you mail it back home to yourself. Maybe not, but I wouldn't want to take the chance.

[ladysail2]

If it was me, I'd pack it in my luggage. There's always the risk that if you carry it in your handheld luggage, they could either confiscate it or make you mail it back home to yourself. Maybe not, but I wouldn't want to take the chance.

 

For sure the knife will have to go into checked baggage for the flight....but I think the OP said that she wanted to remove the knife at the port and put it into her hand luggage to board the ship.

[Coolcruise02]

For sure the knife will have to go into checked baggage for the flight....but I think the OP said that she wanted to remove the knife at the port and put it into her hand luggage to board the ship.

My only concern was that I lock my luggage at the pier, and if Princess security wanted to open my bag and check out the knife my bag would be locked.

I think I will just leave it in my checked luggage and hand it off to the porters at the pier, and hope for the best.

[Iamthesea]

It's been three years ago, but I took a paring knife on board in my carry-on bag. No questions.

 

I have read threads where diving knives have been confiscated and never returned. I would bet that your knife will be taken away, but like the idea of attaching a note and phone number.

 

If the knife means so much to you, I believe I'd leave it home and have a private cake-cutting ceremony once the bride returns home.

[Spikesgirl]

and one of our members was stopped at Beijing airport because he had a small knife in his hip pack. He had flown from Canada to the US to Bangkok, gotten on and and off the ship numerous times and it was never spotted. He turned it over to the security people at the airport and then picked it back up when we returned to Beijing. The moral here, I think your knife will be safe in your luggage. It's pretty safe to assume that you aren't going to try and take the ship over with it...although that could be pretty funny when you think about it... If you have a little box, then pack it, mark the box with your cabin number in case they want to contact you and go enjoy your daughter's wedding (congratulations!)

 

Sail Safe,

 

Charlie

[FigsGrandPa]

My only concern was that I lock my luggage at the pier, and if Princess security wanted to open my bag and check out the knife my bag would be locked.

I think I will just leave it in my checked luggage and hand it off to the porters at the pier, and hope for the best.

 

I believe that if the cruise line wants to see something in a locked bag, they will hold the bag and notify the passenger to come down to the storage area with the key.

[deubank]

I think everyone's ideas of keeping it in your checked luggage and putting a note on it is a perfect idea, but just to make certain, why don't you give Princess a call and ask them directly. I would imagine you have a Princess agent who's been dealing specifically with the details of your daughter's wedding who would be happy to get you an "official" answer to your question. Have a wonderful cruise and congrats to your family on this special occasion!

[sjbdtz]

Ummm...there are knives ALL OVER the ship.... knives are an issue in an airplane, not on a cruiseship.

 

Don't sweat it.

[smoothdancer]

If your daughter is getting married on the ship, does she have a wedding planner?... Seems to me you cant be the first person who wants to bring a cake knife on board. Why not ask the planner how to handle it?

 

BYW... How nice that you still have your cake knife, and will now be used by your daughter.

[MaryPoppinz]

I've seen this question come up in a different context on the scuba/snorkel board. You might want to either surf around that board for suggestions about taking a knife on a trip or post a question there.

[mandyg24]

I had the same question so I called Both The Wedding Experience and Prinicess. Knives are not allowed on the cruiseship.

[Lynda90]

Why chance losing it? I'd leave it home and use a knife that Princess provides. They may even include one in the wedding package.

[West Coast]

We took our own wedding knife onboard a few months ago. We boarded the Dawn Princess in Vancouver and I carried it on in my carrry-on luggage - nothing was said and to be honest, I didn't think twice about carrying it on. Note, regardless if you take one on yourself, Princess does provide a beautiful Lenox silver knife when they present your wedding cake.

 

Bon Voyage and Congrats on the Wedding :)

[Coolcruise02]

Thanks everyone for all your advice. I think I will leave it in my checked bag with a note. If they want to hold it until the wedding that is fine with me. I know it is not a big deal but she is also using my original cake topper and I would like her to use our engraved knife also. :)

[FredS]

I would not worry about Princess secruity checking on your knife. I always pack my pocket knife and a multi-tool which has knife blades, in my luggage. Princess has not done anything about them. They are always there. The knife issue is only when flying. As has been said there are knives all over the ship, like steak knives at dinner tables.

[nashcruisers]

I would call and hope for the best.

 

I got married in Alaska in '02, we were aboard NCL Star but had done all the wedding stuff myself. Had boxed champagne glasses and cake knife that match with ribbons that matched our colors, had no problem with them on airline in checked luggage, had the TSA slip that the suitcase had been opened, no problem getting on the ship in checked luggage, and yes they were still in one piece but when we tried taking them off the ship in Juneau that was a different story. After security calling 3 people about them we ended up having to leave them with security for us to pick up when we returned. At our CC meeting the cruise director was there and knew we were getting married the next day, tried calling him but he was unavailable but when we got back to our cabin that night there was a bottle of bubbly and a small wedding cake with a note from him.:D

[skarletohara]

If it was me, I'd pack it in my luggage. There's always the risk that if you carry it in your handheld luggage, they could either confiscate it or make you mail it back home to yourself. Maybe not, but I wouldn't want to take the chance.

 

 

They confiscated my husband's swiss army knife thing a couple years

ago at the Port of L.A. i told him to leave it in the glove compartment

.. he didn't listen, but they also offered to give it back

to us after the completion of the cruise. Wanted us to fill out a form

with our info and said they'd be glad to hold it for us to retrieve later,

but because we wanted to get on board, we just forfeited the knife.

[nets33]

Another option is to use zip ties to "lock" your luggage instead of locks. You can feel comfortable that you have locked your luggage and will clearly know if someone has had to open your bag. And if Princess does need to access your bags they can easily cut the zip ties.