Bringing a pill box for meds?

If I wanted to bring a pill box with me, the kind with 7 compartments for a week, with pills in it that will be just pills no bottles or ID for the pills will the cruise line balk at this? I'll be cruising NCL. I dont want any issues getting on the boat.

If I wanted to bring a pill box with me, the kind with 7 compartments for a week, with pills in it that will be just pills no bottles or ID for the pills will the cruise line balk at this? I'll be cruising NCL. I dont want any issues getting on the boat.

Generally, you need to have the prescription meds in a labeled bottle (the one the meds come in). Or a copy of the prescription from the doctor.

Do some people just use the pill minder? Yes. Do they encounter problems, rarely, but it happens.

Come to think of it I really dont have any prescription meds, I was just going to use it for vitamins and supplements I take and also things like advil and tylenol and such so I dont have a bunch of bottles floating around my luggage

Fot vitamins etc I use small baggies

Tylenol you can get travel size containers so I just keep the bottle & refill it next trip

RX I take the label from the pharmacy as will as the bottle on the way home I usually do not meds left just what is in the daily pill box

it is not so much the ship but customs/immigration that may be troublesome

have not had any issues YET

The ship doesn't care. TSA doesn't care. But Customs in some countries might care. If Customs isn't a concern for your cruise, and you're comfortable identifying each pill correctry without a label of some kind, then go for it.

I prefer a smaller labelled bottle or ziplock that I get from my pharmacist.

I have never had trouble going through customs with my pill box. Though there is only 1 med and some extra of another just in case. I suggest taking only what you need in the original bottle, and put it in the box when you get there.

Thinking about taking what I need for the cruise and coming off the ship with none left. No issues then

Lipitor, vitamins, etc., no one cares (and it's trivial to differentiate between Lipitor and a controlled substance). If you have any controlled substances I agree that you should have an original prescription bottle.

Also bear in mind that some substances that are over-the-counter at home are very illegal in other countries. For example Sudafed is illegal in Japan and could subject you to arrest.

We also take extras in the event that we don't make it home as planned.

Regarding prescriptions.... If you are a US citizen on a simple closed loop cruise, the pill box will probably be fine.

If you are a US citizen traveling to International ports where you will be leaving the ship in foreign land, or flying to foreign land to catch the ship, you would be wise to bring your prescription meds in their RX containers with RX label and the printout from the pharmacy. You can bring the 7 day box with you for convenience, but you don't want to be the one who is tagged for drugs.

Good to remember also that some medications that are OTC in the US are prescription in some other countries, and vice/versa.

If I wanted to bring a pill box with me, the kind with 7 compartments for a week, with pills in it that will be just pills no bottles or ID for the pills will the cruise line balk at this? I'll be cruising NCL. I dont want any issues getting on the boat.

I bring a 7 day pillbox on every cruise and have never had a problem.

The only countries who seem to be stricter were Australia and New Zealand.

No problem...that's how most folks carry their meds!

No problem...that's how most folks carry their meds!

How on earth would you know how "most folks" carry their meds? Conducted a poll lately, have you?

The ship doesn't care. TSA doesn't care. But Customs in some countries might care.

There have been reports here of (over) zealous TSA agents dumping pills onto counters and going through them. Disgusting and violating. Yes Customs cares and is definitely another matter, but please don't say TSA doesn't care.

As mentioned the ship does not care.

While the TSA recommends brining items in original bottles we have never had an issue not doing this.

Keith

If I had a pill with codeine or other controlled drug, I'd take it in the bottle with the original label. My regular meds don't have anything like that and I take them in a couple of little pill boxes. One either three compartments so I can have them sorted to make it easier and one slightly bigger to refill the other from.

The mail order pharmacy on my medical plan usually uses big bottles even if it is mostly empty so I wouldn't want to pack those.

I've taken more than a dozen business trips a year for decades & never had a problem with that.

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I wont be taking any flights to get to port. It will be a closed loop cruise from NYC and back. Thanks for the info everyone

There have been reports here of (over) zealous TSA agents dumping pills onto counters and going through them. Disgusting and violating. Yes Customs cares and is definitely another matter, but please don't say TSA doesn't care.

TSA doesn't care. What you are bringing up is an over zealous screener in violation of the protocols that were supposed to be taught in training. If a screener begins to show interest in medications, the appropriate pax response is a loud "stop!" Followed by "please get a supervisor."

What CPT Trips said.

DH and I both take several meds each day. I put them in ziploc bags and then keep them in the bags while on the cruise. No need to worry about enough pills for the cruise. We put them in our carry-on.

If I had a pill with codeine or other controlled drug, I'd take it in the bottle with the original label. My regular meds don't have anything like that and I take them in a couple of little pill boxes. One either three compartments so I can have them sorted to make it easier and one slightly bigger to refill the other from.

 

The mail order pharmacy on my medical plan usually uses big bottles even if it is mostly empty so I wouldn't want to pack those.

 

I've taken more than a dozen business trips a year for decades & never had a problem with that.

 

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While those pills which might contain a "controlled drug" are fine in bottles with original labels, the "regular meds" which you keep in pill boxes do not self-identify as NOT containing "controlled drugs" ---- so, if it makes sense to you to keep some in original bottles, it would make the same sense to keep all in original bottles.

TSA has no interest in your pill container, they say so right on their web site. A customs agent may have some interest but has no way of knowing what is in any pill container. The info on the original container only tells what originally came in it, not what is in there now. People often make up stories about how their great aunts pills were all mixed up by TSA, never true. The last story on CC was how TSA did this to her mother in London traveling to Ireland, yea TSA in the UK, really!

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, the "regular meds" which you keep in pill boxes do not self-identify as NOT containing "controlled drugs"

The authorities who matter are the local police here in USA. All 50 states require ALL PRESCRIPTIONS to be carried in the container they were delivered in and the label be in a legible state. Not saying this is enforced 100% of the time, but it's possible