Annoying Princess Searches

[JerryBee]

 

I love Princess but the one annoying thing on our last cruise two years ago were the intrusive searches of purses, shopping bags, and carry-on every time one reboards the ship. Carnival just had a scanner – although that is the only good thing I can say about them. And the Princess searches are not mainly for security but for liquor. Two years ago they allowed wine to be brought on board but I guess that is out now too. One young searcher acted like he had found contraband gold when he found a bottle in our shopping bag that he thought was liquor. Turned out it was a local wine.

 

 

I was wondering if anyone has had any more recent experiences with this. Oh, one other annoying thing had to do with drinks as well. The Captain's Party had free hors d'ouvres but no free drinks. Just what cruisers need - more free food!

[sue d. miller]

I just got off the Star, and I only had to use the scanner xray. The Captain had a party in the Atrium, and there were free drinks passed out by staff on trays with free hors d'ouvres!! :)

[kruisey]

Never search just put my bag throuth scanner and I always carry bottled water....never a problem.

Regarding the Captains Cocktail parties....at my dinner table two persons left to get a couple more free drinks from the Atrium on that nite.

Captain Circle Nite the waiters come round asking what you wont to have to drink.......I could have had a ball...... if it was'nt for the fact I get migraines.

Maybe you were looking in the wrong area for the drinks table Jerrybee???

[sueandkent]

Just off the Diamond and never was searched. Only had to have the bags sent through the scanner on reboarding. We brought back onto the ship a bottle of tequila (that we were bringing home anyway so if they took it we didn't care) in Mazatlan and many of our friends brought lots of alcohol on the ship for consumption during sailing. I thought Princess was really good about this.

Sue

[spongerob]

The only time we've been subjected to physical searches was by local authorities in the port area at Montego Bay, before heading back onto the ship.

[vince_g]

Princess (as well as most cruise lines) has the policy that you can bring wine/champagne onboard at embarkation. Liquor/wine purchased at any port is supposed to be checked, and is returned to you the last night.

[SaylorGirl]

I have had two recent Princess cruises in the last two months, and neither one did anything other than the scanner. I also brought on in plain view bottles of wine and last week in Cozumel I brought back Kaulaua and nothing was ever said. I have had more intrusive searches on RCI.

[CruiseAholic]

I have seen them scan and then look at a bag. I have no problem for any kind of searches if it makes things safer. I seriously doubt that the searches are merely for confiscation of liquor.

[Pam in CA]

I think it depends on the port -- some ports require extensive searches. This is due to the port authority rather than Princess. When we were on our Hawaiian cruise last April/May, at each port where we docked, every single passenger's bag went through a scanner and people were randomly selected for a thorough search. It was very similar to an airport search. Then, there was another scanner when we got on the ship. The first was the port, the second was Princess.