Carnival has recently stepped up its efforts to keep all cannabis products off its cruise ships, adding drug-sniffing dogs in its departure terminals and on its ships.
The cruise line has a zero-tolerance policy, which includes not just smokeable marijuana but also edibles, CBD products and anything else that's a derivative of cannabis.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line forced to make beverage package change
Those rules do not change when cruise ships leave from ports where recreational marijuana has been legalized. All the major cruise lines follow U.S. federal law when it comes to cannabis.
That means that even people who have valid prescriptions for marijuana from a doctor cannot bring pot and derivatives on board. That's because federal law trumps local law and the penalty for violating the rules can include a fine and/or being kicked off the ship without a refund.
This has always been the policy for all sailings out of the U.S., but anyone who has a nose and has been on a Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) or Royal Caribbean (RCL) ship knows that until recently enforcement has been lax.
That's no longer the case, and while Carnival has been the most vocal about the steps it's taking to keep cannabis off its ships, Royal Caribbean has also stepped up enforcement.
If, however, you like to legally partake, it is possible to do so on some cruises.
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You can smoke pot on a cruise, but not on a cruise ship
While cruise ships sailing from American ports follow U.S. federal laws in most cases, passengers are not governed by the cruise line when they are in port.
So while Carnival and Royal Caribbean, as well as the other major cruise lines, use 21 as their drinking age even when traveling to countries where 18-year-olds can legally consume alcohol, those passengers can drink in port.
An 18-year-old can legally drink alcohol in the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic — two common cruise stops. Some countries that cruise ships call on even have 16 as the legal drinking age.
In the case where a port allows passengers under 21 to drink, the cruise line has no say in the matter. If a passenger created a disturbance when boarding, they might be detained, or even not be allowed back on the ship, but an 18-, 19- or 20-year-old won't face any consequences for smelling of alcohol or even being drunk.
The same logic and rules apply to cannabis.
Some cruise ports have legal cannabis
A limited number of cruise ports are in states, cities and countries with legal recreational cannabis. For a cruise passenger to partake, they need to find a destination that offers not just legal possession of marijuana, CBD and other cannabis-related products but also legal consumption.
In some places that offer legal recreational cannabis, it's not legal to smoke in public. So to stay on the right side of the law, it's important to know whether consumption lounges are available. That's because in some markets the only legal place to smoke is a private residence, which cruise passengers will likely not have access to.
Edibles, however, are more discreet, but it's very important to know the specific local laws to avoid fines or even jail time.
"Many places that are visited by cruise ships are relaxing restrictions on the drug. For example, it is legal in California, Washington, Alaska, New York, Massachusetts, and other coastal states. Canada as a whole also has legal marijuana," Cruzely reported.
In many of those ports, consumption lounges that cater to cruise passengers have been set up. It's your responsibility as a visitor to know the local rules.
Cruise passengers must also consume or properly dispose of any cannabis products they purchase before they get back on their ships. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and every other cruise line scan any bags you bring back on and make you go through a security gate.
Getting caught with cannabis can prompt your cruise line to bar you from reboarding, leaving you stranded and responsible for finding your way home.
