RX Medicine on Board

Does prescription medicine have to be in the medicine bottle with your name on it, or can it be in a medicine holder?

The ship doesn't care. However, airport security might, particularly if leaving the country or arriving in a foreign country.

I agree with Cruiser Bruce.

To be on the safe side I would take them in the rx bottles if traveling by airplane and outside the country.

Keith

It's better to keep meds in their prescription bottles. Even if you're not flying, when your cruise ends you still have to clear customs and immigration upon disembarkation, and those officials have the right to inspect your belongings including any medications you may have in your possession.

Don't lose sleep over traveling with meds. In the unlikely event that customs stops you and does a luggage search, a couple of extra pills really won't make the experience any worse than it already will be.

I have been taking my pills in one of those small pill containers with the days of the week for several years now on cruises.....36 of them...and have never had any trouble so the answer is no, you do not have to take all the original bottles although many people do for their own peace of mind.

However if I traveled with a narcotic prescription I would in that case take the bottle.

The ship doesn't care. However, airport security might, particularly if leaving the country or arriving in a foreign country.

Nope. "Airport security" AKA TSA is not in charge of anything but securing the skies. They have NO--ZIP--ZERO--NADA law enforcement powers.

If you are carrying large bottles with hundreds of pills they might take notice and alert law enforcement, but they themselves can not do a single thing to prevent you from boarding the plane.

The issue with drugs in an improperly marked container is with Customs both in any country you may enter as well as the US upon return. They are the ONLY law enforcement organization you'll encounter during your travels who would care about your pills, provided they were in quantities obviously for personal use.

As I said, if the x-ray machine picks up a bottle with 1000 pills, you are very likely going to end up speaking to the police about it, because TSA will alert them. TSA themselves have no authority to do anything else in regard to this matter.

Like just about everything you will get lots of opinions on this.

Having flown just about all over the world, I would just take your pills in their original RX bottles.

Keith

Like just about everything you will get lots of opinions on this.

 

Having flown just about all over the world, I would just take your pills in their original RX bottles.

 

Keith

Agree. I won't even take aspirin that isn't in the original container.

There is no U.S. law saying medications have to be in their original bottles.

You will definitely want to keep any prescription medicine in its original container if it is more than 100ml liquid. I would keep all my prescription medicine in its original container, although you never know how a TSA employee will react to a bottle of nitroglycerin pills.

I cruise. I know lots of people who cruise. I do not know anyone at all who takes their meds in the original bottles. Another "old wives tale".

DON

I have been taking my pills in one of those small pill containers with the days of the week for several years now on cruises.....36 of them...and have never had any trouble so the answer is no, you do not have to take all the original bottles although many people do for their own peace of mind.

However if I traveled with a narcotic prescription I would in that case take the bottle.

This!! We take up to 3 weeks worth and never have been questioned on any of our 20+ cruises and air travel.

I cruise. I know lots of people who cruise. I do not know anyone at all who takes their meds in the original bottles. Another "old wives tale".

 

DON

Apparently you just don't know enough people.

There is no U.S. law saying medications have to be in their original bottles.

And unless they are doing a Mississippi River cruise, they are leaving the US. Other countries have different rules.

I pack my meds in little medicine zip lock bags separated by days. I keep them all in a large ziplock bag and have never had a problem.

Fortunately, I have never had my bags examined going through customs.

I cruise. I know lots of people who cruise. I do not know anyone at all who takes their meds in the original bottles. Another "old wives tale".

 

DON

How do you do? My name is Sail. Nice to meet you. :)

I am one of those you are just now meeting who has been on over 90 cruises and always have Rx in origin pharmacy bottles clearly marked with my name, the medication, prescribing doctor's name and all the rest of the info normally provided on pharmacy Rx bottles.

No one cares HOW you bring your meds.....as long as you don't have a 3 month supply of narcotics, they absolutely DO NOT CARE.

We always carry all prescription medications in their original bottles.

Since 9/11, three times our medical bag has been checked -- actually took out the bottles and read the labels. The worse check we had was when we cruised one month after 9/11 and the man opened all DH's medicine bottles and dumped them on a table -- like he was looking for something special. Then he just scooped up the pills and dumped them in the bottles -- everything was mixed up and their was hair and fuzz in the containers. The table was not at the regular TSA check-in but at a table by the gate of US Airways. The man did have a TSA badge and we were randomly selected. Needless to say once we got to San Diego, we made a call to US Airways and also wrote a letter.

We always carry all prescription medications in their original bottles.

Since 9/11, three times our medical bag has been checked -- actually took out the bottles and read the labels. The worse check we had was when we cruised one month after 9/11 and the man opened all DH's medicine bottles and dumped them on a table -- like he was looking for something special. Then he just scooped up the pills and dumped them in the bottles -- everything was mixed up and their was hair and fuzz in the containers. The table was not at the regular TSA check-in but at a table by the gate of US Airways. The man did have a TSA badge and we were randomly selected. Needless to say once we got to San Diego, we made a call to US Airways and also wrote a letter.

Did you get a meaningful response?

And unless they are doing a Mississippi River cruise, they are leaving the US. Other countries have different rules.

However, if your cruise starts and ends in a US port, your pills are not going through customs at the various ports of call.

I have only been on Caribbean cruises. We use the day of the week pill containers and have never had an issue with immigration/customs, TSA, airport security, ship security, etc. The few pills per day that most of us probably take and relative few pills compared to those who are transporting pills for illegal reasons.

I have not ever taken my prescription bottles EXCEPT for a narcotic. The rest go into my days of the week containers. Unless it suddenly becomes required taking up to 15 bottles of meds on a trip is a bit crazy. I do however have my pharmacy print out my prescriptions ( which includes a physical description of the pill), dosage, date filled and my doctors information.

I have never even been questioned about them. This is NOT to say it can't or won't happen but that this far it has been a non-issue.

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This!! We take up to 3 weeks worth and never have been questioned on any of our 20+ cruises and air travel.

I break the speed limit on a daily basis but have never gotten a speeding ticket. Does this mean I'm guaranteed not to get a ticket tomorrow?

And unless they are doing a Mississippi River cruise, they are leaving the US. Other countries have different rules.

With few exceptions, most of us do not have face to face contact with other than US Customs officials when we have all our luggage with us on cruises that begin and end in the US. Just my hunch, but that is likely the case for most cruises taken by CC posters.

And unless they are doing a Mississippi River cruise, they are leaving the US. Other countries have different rules.

So then, instead of responding to me, help the op. Tell them exactly what the laws are in other countries. My post was only about this country.