Cruise lines face a unique set of problems that stationary vacation destinations do not: They have to ensure passengers stay safe and follow the local laws in each port they stop in.
When a Royal Caribbean RCL ship docks in Mexico, for example, the company makes multiple announcements about not bringing vapes onshore. That's because electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are now illegal in that country. If you bring one onshore and get caught, which you almost certainly will, you run the risk of being fined or even detained.
Related: Royal Caribbean makes big, possibly controversial dining change
Any cruise line that stops in Mexico has to convey that kind of information — a change in the law — to passengers.
Most port stops have specific rules ranging from what kind of sunscreen you can legally use to whether you must bring your passport with you.
In many ports the area right near the dock has a set of shops that include duty-free stores, restaurants (ranging from local eateries to chains like Senor Frogs and Margaritaville) and others. The cruise lines may offer discounts at some of those stores (usually ones that sell higher-end goods like jewelry) and sometimes offer shopping maps.
That does not mean they control which stores are in the port shopping district, nor do they have any control over the merchandise those shops sell.
At least in some ports, not all the stores sell what they're purporting to sell. In many cases, the knockoffs of luxury brands are obvious, but some scams are harder to spot.
That's why Carnival Cruise Line CCL Brand Ambassador John Heald took to his Facebook page to warn passengers about a scam that has been a popular topic on Facebook groups devoted to both Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises.
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Carnival Cruise Line issues a scam warning
"We apparently have Vanilla Gate going on with reports that some shops in Cozumel are not selling pure Vanilla but watered-down versions of it," Heald wrote.
That post followed numerous pictures on Facebook and other social-media sites of bottles purporting to be Mexican vanilla — a popular item sold in multiple shops in most ports in Mexico — that were filled with water.
In many of those posts people called for the cruise lines to take action against the allegedly offending shops.
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"There are calls for us to 'do something about it' and to 'close the shops down,'" Heald wrote, "I understand that there are a lot of people who love buying vanilla in Cozumel. It is a tradition in the same way people buy massive sombreros and Mexican blankets and Viagra from the pier-side drug store."
Heald addressed those concerns but also made clear that people needed to be careful because Carnival can't take action in these circumstances.
"Seriously, we do not own the shops in Cozumel, we don’t have any control over what they sell and we cannot close them down. Please shop carefully," he added.
Carnival is building a port destination
Carnival is building its own port, Celebration Key, on Grand Bahama island. The port opens in 2025, but the cruise line meantime has been selling cruises with the new port as a stop.
Grand Key will be more like Royal Caribbean's CocoCay private island than a traditional port stop.
"Celebration Key will offer a uniquely Bahamian experience with an abundance of features and amenities, including a one-mile stretch of white-sand beach, shore excursions, numerous recreational and leisure facilities for both families and adults, as well as Bahamian-operated retail, food and beverage options for Carnival guests to enjoy," the cruise line said.
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The port will offer all those facilities right at the dock, so Carnival passengers can walk off the ship and be immersed in the destination.
