7 Royal Caribbean Items Security Takes at the Pier

Royal Caribbean publishes what its pier security takes. This companion walks the rules behind the video using the line’s own prohibited items, alcohol, and food and drink pages, all re-checked on Sep. 29, 2026. The official list is on Royal Caribbean’s prohibited items page.

Watch the video above for the full rundown and its ranking of the seven. The seven items below follow the questions the video answers. Pack against the written rules, not the item you got away with last time.

How screening works

Royal Caribbean says it screens all luggage you bring onboard, like an airport. If a bag holds something prohibited, or something that looks prohibited, the bag goes to a screening location and Security inspects it.

That is why a checked bag can show up late or not at all on day one. Security can also remove items when you are not there, per the Guest Health, Safety, and Conduct Policy.

Your carry-on is where the drink allowances live. Royal Caribbean’s food and drink FAQ calls non-alcoholic drinks carry-on items on boarding day. Royal Caribbean Blog reports the embarkation-day wine bottle must be carried on as well. Do not pack either in a checked bag.

1. Power strips, extension cords, and multi-plug outlets

Extension cords, power strips, and multi-plug outlets are prohibited. The exception is device and USB chargers marked with a recognized U.S. or European conformity certification.

The July 2026 update helps you. Royal Caribbean Blog reported on July 28, 2026 that the Royal Caribbean app now says “a single electrical plug (110v/220v) with up to four USB outlets (B/C) is acceptable if it has a recognized International Safety Certification on the plug.”

In plain terms: one wall plug, no extra AC outlets, four USB ports or fewer, and a safety mark on the plug. Anything with AC sockets or a surge strip stays banned. The four-port wording is app guidance. The public prohibited items page only says certified USB chargers are allowed.

2. Clothing irons and garment steamers

These are in the no-exceptions group. The Guest Conduct Policy lists irons and steamers next to kettles, hot plates, candles, and incense as fire hazards.

There is no small-travel-steamer exception. Leave it home.

3. Beer, seltzer, liquor, and the extra wine

Beer, seltzer, and hard liquor are not allowed. Each guest of drinking age may bring one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne on embarkation day. Boxed wine and other containers are prohibited.

Open that bottle in a bar, restaurant, or other public area and Royal Caribbean charges a $15 corkage fee per bottle. Extra bottles you carry on, and bottles you buy onboard or in port, are stored by the ship and returned on the last day. On back-to-back sailings you get one bottle per sailing, delivered one at a time, so bring booking paperwork for the later sailings.

4. The 13th can of soda

Non-alcoholic drinks are capped at 12 standard 17 oz. cans, bottles, or cartons per stateroom. That is per cabin, not per person. Four people sharing a room still get 12 total.

Milk and distilled water for infant, medical, or dietary use are permitted. Royal Caribbean also allows non-perishable prepackaged food in limited quantities, with no number published.

5. Hair dryers

Curling irons and flat irons are allowed for personal use. The prohibited items page says hair dryers “may be prohibited onboard depending on their specifications,” and points out there is one in your stateroom.

Royal Caribbean does not publish a wattage cutoff. The older Guest Conduct Policy still says hair dryers are allowed. If you do not need your own, use the one in the cabin.

6. Radios, baby monitors, and transmitting gear

HAM radios, baby monitors, cybersecurity devices, and electronic-crime equipment are prohibited. Walkie-talkies are allowed with four limits: 10 miles maximum range, 5 watts maximum output, internal voice communication only, and no external antenna.

Check the box of a long-range family radio set before you pack it. Baby bottle warmers, sanitizers, and cleaners need a case-by-case review. Email Special_needs@rccl.com before you sail.

7. Pepper spray, mace, and self-defense items

Mace, pepper spray, and other disabling chemicals are prohibited. So are martial arts and self-defense items. Knives, scissors, and tools are prohibited too, including tools and screwdrivers over 7 inches. The exceptions are grooming items such as nail files and facial-hair scissors with blades under 4 inches.

Firearms and weapons are a harder line. Royal Caribbean does not store weapons on the ship or the pier.

The catch-all sentence

The bottom of the prohibited items page says items “not expressly listed, or items subject to an exception, review, or use restriction, may still be prohibited if deemed unsafe or inappropriate for onboard operations.” Questionable items go to the Chief Security Officer and the Staff Captain.

So an item missing from the list is not approval. Security makes the final call at the pier.

What happens to confiscated items

Most things come back. Security gives you a Prohibited Items Receipt. You pick the item up on debarkation day from a designated area that varies by port. Keep the receipt from day one.

Royal Caribbean’s own wording points to things that do not come back:

• Illegal drugs, including marijuana. They are confiscated and may be reported or turned over to law enforcement, even with a medical card.
• Weapons. No storage on the ship or pier. Declared firearms can be disposed of before boarding.
• Alcohol hidden in other containers. Security will dispose of water bottles, soda bottles, or mouthwash containers holding alcohol.

Watch the video for the three it names. Two more limits apply. Guests under the drinking age do not get alcohol back. Anything not claimed within 15 calendar days is forfeited.

Royal Caribbean’s two drink pages disagree on sealed beer and liquor. The alcohol FAQ says it is returned at the end of the voyage if still sealed. The food and drink FAQ says it “will not be returned.” Do not count on getting it back.

Where loyalty points come in

Crown & Anchor status does not appear anywhere in the prohibited items rules. The risk is in the Guest Health, Safety, and Conduct Policy. Enforcement options there include temporarily or permanently suspending loyalty benefits and demoting loyalty tier status, plus denial of boarding.

The alcohol FAQ adds that trying to hide alcohol at security or luggage checkpoints can get you removed or refused boarding at your own expense. A declared steamer gets a receipt. A rum-filled mouthwash bottle is a conduct problem. For what your tier is worth, see Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor tiers.

What you should do

Reread the prohibited items page the week you sail. Royal Caribbean updates it often. Swap any power strip for a certified single-plug USB cube with four ports or fewer. Leave the steamer, beer, and pepper spray at home. Carry on the one wine bottle and up to 12 drinks per cabin. If Security holds something, keep the receipt and collect it on debarkation day.