My First Trip to the Naughty Room!

For the last 15 or so cruises we have carried, on the outside pocket of one of our suitcases , a ziplock bag with cable ties and a pair of wire snips to snip the cable ties when we reach our destination. We cable tie our suitcases while traveling to make them a little more secure….we are under no illusion that any suitcase at any time can be opened, no matter the lock, but the cable ties help with zipper failures, and the random person opening bags to vandalize or steal someone…and it helps us feel better.

On our last cruise in May on the Brilliance, I get a notice that I am to go to Security because there is a problem with my luggage. I am confident I have nothing “illegal” in the bag. I get there and they tell me I have a pair of pliers in my bag and to please remove them. I tell them I don’t have pliers in the bag…they insist I do. We start looking around and sure enough these little wire snips in my outer pocket, about 5” long, with the snip part less than an inch long, are what they are concerned about. They keep calling them pliers. They take them and tell me I can retrieve them at the end of the cruise.

I can’t imagine why you can’t take a pair of pliers (or wire snips) on a ship. What could I possibly do with them that would put the ship or someone on the ship in danger?? Can anyone shed some light on why the ship cares about pliers?

The funny part is in the exact same piece of luggage I had a large pair of scissors, with blades probably 4- 6 inches long! Apparently scissors are OK, but small “pliers” are not. I am confused. It’s also interesting that we have checked our luggage in many, many times with the exact same pair of snips without any notice before…..is there a new concern or policy in effect about “pliers”?

my thinking is that the balcony dividers could likely be unlocked with a pair of pliers. the have a triangle or square male shaft that could be turned with pliers:rolleyes::D

just a guess ,of course

dave

I find that a big fingernail/toenail clippers can do the trick on snipping those plastic cable ties. I am not sure if anyone has had issues with bringing those onboard.

Pat

You never know. We have a pair of nail clippers in the outer pocket for the same exact reason. So far, no one has ever said anything about that so you may want to go buy a larger nail clipper instead of the snips.

A similar situation where I was in an airport in Maine. TSA said I couldn't have this little (less than 2") nail clipper / knife (that wouldn't even cut butter), nail file type thing that I always have in my carry on. I had taken this on every flight (and at that time I was doing some traveling on business) without issue. They said I couldn't take so I had to throw it away or I could "mail it to myself" which is extremely easy to do in an airport security line:rolleyes:. To this day, I still think the TSA agent liked it and wanted me to throw it away (which I did) so he could keep it.

I also have this little table-top camera tripod that I bought for my digital camera but the only thing is that it's shape almost like a gun - the holder for it is that shape - if I bring it I put it in my outside pocket on my carryone so it's readily available to pull out & let them examine it.

Pat

Maybe maintenance just needed a pair of pliers that week.

The thing is - it's their ship and you are their guest. If they wanted to ban something far more innocuous like white pants or t-shirts with the word Carnival on it, they can.

Banning a pair of wire cutters which can cause damage to their property in the hands of a vandal doesn't seem to me like it's all that unreasonable.

Sometimes I feel they (security on ships, in airports, etc.) are very arbitrary with how they apply the rules. We flew to Orlando a couple years ago and the TSA agent took my husband's key chain and did the "mail it or throw it out" thing. I thought he was going to blow a gasket as the agent took the key chain off the key ring and was swinging it around his finger while my husband put his shoes back on. The agent told him it was a weapon...seriously?! Thank goodness we did park and fly, and we were very early, so he could take it back to our vehicle (a friend made the key chain for him so he did not want to throw it away).

The ball "weapon" portion is about an inch in size. Keeping with his smarty pants sense of humor my husband, who is a large police officer and looks the part, told the TSA guy that HE was the weapon. The whole time I was just imagining the strip search that was going to take place when he went through security on the way back in from the car...but we made it on the plane with no further action :D

The thing is - it's their ship and you are their guest. If they wanted to ban something far more innocuous like white pants or t-shirts with the word Carnival on it, they can.

 

Banning a pair of wire cutters which can cause damage to their property in the hands of a vandal doesn't seem to me like it's all that unreasonable.

I can't take my Holland America sweatshirt?

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I can't take my Holland America sweatshirt?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Forget it, I'm not going then. Wait, will my Cruise Care insurance cover canceling for this reason??? :p

I find that a big fingernail/toenail clippers can do the trick on snipping those plastic cable ties. I am not sure if anyone has had issues with bringing those onboard.

 

Pat

We bring nail clippers every cruise. No problems ... yet.

We also bring scissors. They could be used to cut the ties. No need for the snips.

Are all over the place, one does this and one does that. Our only encounter with the ships security, was about two travel tools, one, a swiss army knife that has traveled the world, cruise and land base trips, and never been a concern, the other was a smaller tool with a, yes, a pliers in it plus a shorter knife. They took the swiss army knife and gave us back the smaller tool.

One never knows what will be looked at on the next trip, but I still wonder how rum runners work so well? Just think what could be brought aboard in those things.

The 1st reason that you were called down was you locked/zip tied RCI out of your bag! I bet if you read some of the small lettering in the contract says you can't lock/zip tie the bags. Those pliers were there excuse. I am surprised that they didn't say squat on the scissors. Were the scissors mostly plastic or in plastic sleeve? You must not have been flying, because you can't zip tie/lock a bag. TSA will have a major hissy fit.

The 1st reason that you were called down was you locked/zip tied RCI out of your bag! I bet if you read some of the small lettering in the contract says you can't lock/zip tie the bags. Those pliers were there excuse. I am surprised that they didn't say squat on the scissors. Were the scissors mostly plastic or in plastic sleeve? You must not have been flying, because you can't zip tie/lock a bag. TSA will have a major hissy fit.

We use those zip lock ties all the time when flying and we've never gotten any complaints from the airlines or TSA. They have cut them off a couple of times to open the bag, but they've always left the obligatory note inside.

And yes, I do realize that a determined thief can just cut them off, but my reasoning is that because they are in a hurry, thieves will bypass luggage with any kind of lock or zip lock tie on it and go straight for the bag that has absolutely nothing on it.

Carnival actually took our small fan, it wasn't very big, we use it to circulate the air in the room at night. They said you could stick your finger in it and that was a hazzard. They gave it back at the end of the cruise.

For the last 15 or so cruises we have carried, on the outside pocket of one of our suitcases , a ziplock bag with cable ties and a pair of wire snips to snip the cable ties when we reach our destination. We cable tie our suitcases while traveling to make them a little more secure….we are under no illusion that any suitcase at any time can be opened, no matter the lock, but the cable ties help with zipper failures, and the random person opening bags to vandalize or steal someone…and it helps us feel better.

 

 

On our last cruise in May on the Brilliance, I get a notice that I am to go to Security because there is a problem with my luggage. I am confident I have nothing “illegal” in the bag. I get there and they tell me I have a pair of pliers in my bag and to please remove them. I tell them I don’t have pliers in the bag…they insist I do. We start looking around and sure enough these little wire snips in my outer pocket, about 5” long, with the snip part less than an inch long, are what they are concerned about. They keep calling them pliers. They take them and tell me I can retrieve them at the end of the cruise.

 

 

I can’t imagine why you can’t take a pair of pliers (or wire snips) on a ship. What could I possibly do with them that would put the ship or someone on the ship in danger?? Can anyone shed some light on why the ship cares about pliers?

 

 

The funny part is in the exact same piece of luggage I had a large pair of scissors, with blades probably 4- 6 inches long! Apparently scissors are OK, but small “pliers” are not. I am confused. It’s also interesting that we have checked our luggage in many, many times with the exact same pair of snips without any notice before…..is there a new concern or policy in effect about “pliers”?

Margie, I think RCCL has finally figured you out and are just protecting themselves from you and your nefarious ways.:D Who knows what kind of skulldugery you are truly capable of.:eek:

Margie, I think RCCL has finally figured you out and are just protecting themselves from you and your nefarious ways.:D Who knows what kind of skulldugery you are truly capable of.:eek:

Darn! Now I will have to find a new way to hijack the ship! I'm thinking eye lash curler!

We bring nail clippers every cruise. No problems ... yet.

We also bring scissors. They could be used to cut the ties. No need for the snips.

Wet-

The sharp scissors are perfectly fine. Now those nail clippers could KILL someone onboard if placed in the wrong hands...:eek:

The 1st reason that you were called down was you locked/zip tied RCI out of your bag! I bet if you read some of the small lettering in the contract says you can't lock/zip tie the bags. Those pliers were there excuse. I am surprised that they didn't say squat on the scissors. Were the scissors mostly plastic or in plastic sleeve? You must not have been flying, because you can't zip tie/lock a bag. TSA will have a major hissy fit.

Ummmm, no. First of all, all our bags had cable ties on them, so it would seem silly to hold on to just one of them. Second, there is absolutely no rules about using cable ties to secure your luggage with cable ties while flying. TSA doesn't mind at all and in fact a few times when they have clipped ours ties to search the luggage they have put on a new one with the TSA insignia. Third, the scissors were large sized orange Fiscars, with metal blades, not in a sleeve.

Darn! Now I will have to find a new way to hijack the ship! I'm thinking eye lash curler!

...and Margie, I shall join you with my trusty cuticle trimmer! :D

The 1st reason that you were called down was you locked/zip tied RCI out of your bag! I bet if you read some of the small lettering in the contract says you can't lock/zip tie the bags. Those pliers were there excuse. I am surprised that they didn't say squat on the scissors. Were the scissors mostly plastic or in plastic sleeve? You must not have been flying, because you can't zip tie/lock a bag. TSA will have a major hissy fit.

We use those zip-ties on our bags when flying all the time. Never had an issue. Why would TSA "have a major hissy fit" when it is easier for them to cut the zip-ties off than it is to cut a lock off?

Thanks to all for the suggestions to use toe nail/finger nail clippers. We understand there are alternatives to the wire snips, it's just that in 12 years or so we haven't needed to think about it because our snips have never been a problem.

My question was what could possibly be wrong with bringing a small pair of wire snips or pliers on a ship? If I really had evil intent on my mind I am sure I could find much more dangerous weapons and tools on the ship!!:eek:

Carnival actually took our small fan, it wasn't very big, we use it to circulate the air in the room at night. They said you could stick your finger in it and that was a hazzard. They gave it back at the end of the cruise.

I think that's a bit bizarre when it's your fan you would be choosing to stick your finger in ?!?!?!?!?!?!

See - another reason why RCCL are better - lol

...and Margie, I shall join you with my trusty cuticle trimmer! :D

What a team....leaving a trail of mayhem and distruction in our wake of terror!

Justmekaren915:

Where in the contract does it say...small lettering in the contract says you can't lock/zip tie the bags.

I just looked on our contract for Aug 23 Jewel sailing and can't find it anywhere.

We travel all the time and use zip ties for airlines. They can easily cut them if they need to but we feel it keeps our bags from accidentially coming unzipped, etc.