Most people assume a cruise will be smooth sailing once they leave the port, but that’s not always the case. Cruise ships can kick you off the cruise once it is underway.
There are obvious reasons a person can be kicked off a cruise, such as committing violence or smuggling drugs online. But what about the not-so-obvious ways? There are quite a few ways to get kicked off a cruise ship that you may not have considered.
Getting Sick
You can get booted from your dream cruise by getting sick once you are on board. A case of the sniffles won’t cause you to get kicked off, but something serious like a stroke or heart attack will.
Perhaps saying you’ll be “kicked off” is too strong of a term because what happens is that they will evacuate you off the ship to get the proper medical care your condition requires.
You Don’t Go to Muster
The muster drill is essential. While you can be tempted to stay at the pool and sip on that cocktail, you shouldn’t skip it. This muster drill has all the important safety and emergency information you need. Even if you’ve heard it before, you should go or risk getting kicked off the ship.
Failure to Show Documents
When you cruise, you must have certain travel documents in order to travel. Passports or visas are needed, and the cruise line lets you know what is required to board the ship. The responsibility lies with you to have the proper paperwork and documentation. Failure to have it may mean you can’t board the boat.
Buy a Minor Alcohol
You may be vacationing with some teens and think there’s no harm in giving them a few drinks, but a lot of harm can come to your vacation that way. Cruise lines do not allow nor tolerate helping an underage person gain access to alcohol. If you are caught, then you and the minor in question will both be kicked off the ship, and your cruise vacation dreams will come to an abrupt end.
Be Reckless or Disorderly
If you get into a fight, don’t comply with rules on board, throw something overboard, or engage in sexual misconduct or other unruly behavior, you can get booted off a cruise ship.
Every cruise line has a code of conduct that passengers are expected to adhere to – it’s on your cruise contract, which is often on your ticket. Everyone must abide by these rules, including kids, teens, and adults. If you misbehave, you can be thrown off and banned from cruising with that cruise line ever again.
Everyone wants to let their hair down and have fun on vacation, but there are limits to what you can and cannot do if you want to stay on board. Familiarize yourself with the rules and stick to them – you can have fun on a cruise without straying from them.
About the Author:
Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all personal injury cases, focusing on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in representing injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and named one of America’s Top 100 High-Stakes Litigators. Mr. Winston is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, and has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2022– an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite,” recognized by Expertise as one of the 20 Best Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys, named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015-2022, and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida for 2015-2017 and 2019-2022.
