bringing vitamins onboard

[Viv0828]

To the advocates of keeping pills in original containers: what would prevent a person from taking an empty container and filling it with something else? I doubt the person checking pill bottles in your bags has a pharmacy degree???

 

 

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[MCAT48]

Anyway! I myself enjoy the gummy vitamins, especially the ones in the blue bottle.

[MCAT48]

To the advocates of keeping pills in original containers: what would prevent a person from taking an empty container and filling it with something else? I doubt the person checking pill bottles in your bags has a pharmacy degree???

 

 

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Most pharmacy labels have a description of what the pill should look like color and markings. :)

 

Not to mention the wonders of google.

Edited April 2, 2014 by MCAT48

[bbryan5]

what would prevent a person from taking an empty container and filling it with something else?

 

Technically, nothing. However, which is more likely to draw attention? A ziplock full of pills, or pills in an appropriate bottle? I highly doubt anyone would open the pill bottle to ensure the correct pills are inside, however pills in a ziplock can drew unnecessary attention and hassle..

[RJ2002]

Technically, nothing. However, which is more likely to draw attention? A ziplock full of pills, or pills in an appropriate bottle? I highly doubt anyone would open the pill bottle to ensure the correct pills are inside, however pills in a ziplock can drew unnecessary attention and hassle..

 

There you go again, being reasonable. :D

[GeezerCouple]

To the advocates of keeping pills in original containers: what would prevent a person from taking an empty container and filling it with something else? I doubt the person checking pill bottles in your bags has a pharmacy degree???

 

 

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Without a doubt, this has been done, and without a doubt the border authorities at all (or just about all) countries are well aware of this.

 

The goal here is to make it as easy as possible for the border authorities to figure out if what you are carrying with you is "okay or not", from their perspective (which may be different from that of the home country).

 

The labels these days often (always?) have a physical description of the medication, such as shape, color, and markings, in the case of pills.

 

If they aren't sure, they usually have the right to confiscate (or alternatively, turn you away, etc......)

 

GeezerCouple

[bbryan5]

There you go again, being reasonable

 

LOL! I gott break that habit! :D

[SissasMomE]

Anyway! I myself enjoy the gummy vitamins, especially the ones in the blue bottle.

 

I prefer Flintstones myself :D

[Miicah]

I also take chewable gummy vitamins, but they come in huge containers and I rather not have to take 90 or 160 vitamins when I only need a fraction of them for a cruise. And I can't ask the pharmacist for a smaller dosage/container because they're not drugs... is it really a huge issue to just put them in plastic bags or will I have to sacrifice some space for the original packaging.

[Out to sea!]

Where does it say you have to keep vitamins in original containers?

What authorities are going to have problems with.

Don't just make stuff up to scare people.

 

 

Nothing says you have to keep non-prescription drugs in their original container. Most have said it is smart to do so that security doesn't have to suspect anything. It's all about risk management. If you like taking unneeded risks, do what you want with your vitamins. But to the OP, it is better to keep them in the original container.

[punkincc]

I also take chewable gummy vitamins, but they come in huge containers and I rather not have to take 90 or 160 vitamins when I only need a fraction of them for a cruise. And I can't ask the pharmacist for a smaller dosage/container because they're not drugs... is it really a huge issue to just put them in plastic bags or will I have to sacrifice some space for the original packaging.

 

Is it a huge issue to put 7 gummie vitamins in a snack size zip lock and put it in your checked luggage??

 

Let's see. The worst possible thing that could happen is that security for some reason will open your luggage, and toss the gummies out. Can you survive 7 days without a vitamin you probably don't need anyway if the worst possible happens? You will not be thrown in the brig. Will you be carrying anything in your checked luggage that might alert someone when it is scanned, like booze and cause them to open the bag to begin with?

 

It does not sound like a huge issue to me! The only reason they would be tossed to begin with is that they would be mistaken for candy rather than because they were suspected to be medication. Both DH and myself carry our RX meds in those plastic day of the week containers, all sorted out, no labels. I carry them in my handbag when we fly and when boarding the ship. No one has ever given them a second glance in all the times we have flown and boarded ships.

[gelo7]

I separate mine out into daily sandwich bags. I have never had a problem.

[Goodnite Gracie]

This happened to me coming back to the US from Turks & Caicos (non-cruise)-the security looked at my prescription medication bottles, opened them, they wrote the med name down on a chart and I had to sign. There was a long list of other peoples meds and signatures. ALWAYS keep in original bottle. It was a little bit of a hassle but not real problem. better safe than sorry!

[blackwing]

Carrying vitamins in the original bottles is impractical for most people. I have a huge 400 pill bottle of Men's One a Day, and an equally huge bottle of Fish Oil pills. I got these from Costco, I'm sure many others get their vitamins there and everyone knows how big the containers are.

 

I took an old prescription bottle, peeled off the label, and put the vitamins in there. No issues at all, and I do this whenever I travel, not just for cruises.

[sailingnut]

I never had a problem and keep them in my 7-day container~~this October going on an 11-day~~so will have to bring along another container with me! They are all prescription drugs and my vitamins!:)

[sixesandeights]

Vitamins are not prescription pills. These in question are GUMMIES. Do you have to sign for a bag of gummy bears? No. This entire discussion is out of control. You will have no issues bring pills, gummies, or anything else on board. NO ONE will see them, look at them, or care. Place in your checked bag and enjoy your trip.

 

Cruise ship inspectors are looking for nothing more then weapons and bottle of liquor. In addition they can not open your bags without you.

 

6&8

[rednose83]

Where does it say you have to keep vitamins in original containers?

What authorities are going to have problems with.

Don't just make stuff up to scare people.

 

 

If you take certain rx meds and put them in a ziploc back (or any other container) you can be charged with intent to sell.

 

I know this because my Mom got pulled over and had one of those pill holder things that hang from your car keys (for Baby Aspirin) and the cop made a huge deal out of verifying that they were actually Baby Aspirin. He said that if it was a controlled substance (Xanax, pain pills, etc) he could have charged her with intent to sell. This was in Miami, right in front of the port.

[RJ2002]

Vitamins are not prescription pills. These in question are GUMMIES. Do you have to sign for a bag of gummy bears? No. This entire discussion is out of control. You will have no issues bring pills, gummies, or anything else on board. NO ONE will see them, look at them, or care. Place in your checked bag and enjoy your trip.

 

Cruise ship inspectors are looking for nothing more then weapons and bottle of liquor. In addition they can not open your bags without you.

 

6&8

 

Agree that cruise ship security are not as concerned about such thing. However, when having to pass through customs personnel, that is when there could be an issue.

[duce95]

Agree that cruise ship security are not as concerned about such thing. However, when having to pass through customs personnel, that is when there could be an issue.

 

 

Keep them in a zip lock in your pocket. You are not frisked down and gummies do not contain metal that will set off metal detectors.

 

 

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[Out to sea!]

I'm not telling anyone what they can or cannot do. I'm simply going to say that in most states, it is illegal under state law to carry prescription drugs outside of their original container. And carrying any type of medication in a zip lock bag could cause the security officer to attempt to determine what exactly the medication is and they are not going to take your word for it. As i said before, it's all about risk management. Everyone is free to do as they choose but if they run afoul of the law or cause a delay in boarding as security tries to figure out what something is, don't go hollering about it. You take the risk, you assume the consequences.

[punkincc]

Vitamins are not prescription pills. These in question are GUMMIES. Do you have to sign for a bag of gummy bears? No. This entire discussion is out of control. You will have no issues bring pills, gummies, or anything else on board. NO ONE will see them, look at them, or care. Place in your checked bag and enjoy your trip.

 

Cruise ship inspectors are looking for nothing more then weapons and bottle of liquor. In addition they can not open your bags without you.

 

6&8

 

Thank you for trying to inject some common sense into this discussion! The personnel on the cruise ship are not cops, and they do not work for the DEA, TSA, or any other agency. They are, as you said, primarily looking for a weapon or that big bottle of rum! They could care less about your vitamins and medications.

 

The OP never asked about RX meds, but somehow the discussion went there anyway. As far as I know, it is not illegal to take your medication out of it's original container. What is illegal, is to have in your possession pills that were not prescribed to you. Therefore, if questioned, you need to be able to prove the medication is yours. If anyone is really worried about RX meds in anything other than the original container, they can carry with them the RX information sheets that came with the RXs listing the meds name, your name and prescribing Dr's name and pharmacy#.

[Va. Plumber]

At the risk of offending the "CC Police" which I have done before, this is exactly the problem I have with this site.

 

The OP asked a simple question to start. To be honest, I thought it was a little rdiculous, but it could have been answered in one or two posts at most. This thread has now gone on for three pages with some rather preposterous responses.

 

I fail to see how someone could have problems in a foreign county when the OP is sailing out and into a U.S. port where the Customs people in most cases to nothing more than take a customs declaration and wave you on. I don't usually carry my Gummie Bears on shore excursions anyway. Unless the OP looks like a foreign terrorist the chances of having the luggage checked is slim to none.

 

I always transfer all of my medications needed for a trip both prescriptions and vitamins into one bottle for convenience. Never had a problem. Enough said!

[matj2000]

At the risk of offending the "CC Police" which I have done before, this is exactly the problem I have with this site.

 

The OP asked a simple question to start. To be honest, I thought it was a little rdiculous, but it could have been answered in one or two posts at most. This thread has now gone on for three pages with some rather preposterous responses.

 

I fail to see how someone could have problems in a foreign county when the OP is sailing out and into a U.S. port where the Customs people in most cases to nothing more than take a customs declaration and wave you on. I don't usually carry my Gummie Bears on shore excursions anyway. Unless the OP looks like a foreign terrorist the chances of having the luggage checked is slim to none.

 

I always transfer all of my medications needed for a trip both prescriptions and vitamins into one bottle for convenience. Never had a problem. Enough said!

 

What he said. ^^^^^^

Goes Double for me...

[don't-use-real-name]

I have been on 18 cruises and many more non-cruise trips and nobody has ever gone though my things.

All those people at the port are scanning baggage are not "authorities" in any way.

When did everyone become over-compliant and paranoid, and afraid of just about everything??

 

Well it started with box cutters aka 911 and then a shoe bomber followed by

underwear class explosives. Terrorists have definitely upset the balance of

what was usual conventional ordinary leisure travel without complications.

 

A few years ago I was boarding the Carnival Victory at San Juan and my weapon

of mass destruction was seized.

"A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION - a swiss army knife" !

Fortunately there was kiosk operator in the boarding area that handled such

matters. Give Carnival credit when they refused to let me board with this

WMD they did refer me to this kiosk operator that would take care of my

knife while I was away.

 

The security boarding cruise ships is getting awful close to that of the TSA in

airline travel.

 

Curious as to how the airport TSA would handle a bottle of gummy chewy vitamins ?

[don't-use-real-name]

I'm not telling anyone what they can or cannot do. I'm simply going to say that in most states, it is illegal under state law to carry prescription drugs outside of their original container. And carrying any type of medication in a zip lock bag could cause the security officer to attempt to determine what exactly the medication is and they are not going to take your word for it. As i said before, it's all about risk management. Everyone is free to do as they choose but if they run afoul of the law or cause a delay in boarding as security tries to figure out what something is, don't go hollering about it. You take the risk, you assume the consequences.

 

Good idea to leave the vitamins in their original packaging - it would explain

a lot about the contents and pass muster far easier than any other method.

Just like prescription drugs leave in the pharmacy labeled container for ease

in identify the contents.

Only cavet if traveling by air watch what you CARRY ON for limitations.

Where possible avoid placing critical prescription items in your Checked baggage.

Find a solution to take this into account. But don't be caught without your

meds because of late mishandled lost checked baggage!