MSC cruise line

[mham2]

If your planning on cruising on MSC and metal detecting , beware they will confiscate your equipment at the port and only return it when you get off the ship at port security.you can take it off the ship at the port but must give back when returning. When the cruise is over it will take an extra hr at port customs to get it back.never had any problems with any other cruise line .

 

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[Jason in Enid]

Thats odd. Like you said, I've never had a problem on any of my Carnival cruises. Guess I wont be branching out to try MSC!

 

[Peyton Manning]

never had a problem on the cruises I have never taken ( don't care much for flying either)

 

[Tom_in_CA]

...., beware they will confiscate your equipment at the port and only return it when you get off the ship at port security....

How is a metal detector different than any other electronic device that people would routinely have with them ? Eg.: laptop computer, medical device, musical instrument, smart phone, etc... And question for you: How did you arrive at the information that they would "confiscate" it? And only let you have it when you get to the beach ?

I'll bet you dollars to donuts that you found out about this by inquiring ahead of time: "Hi. Can I bring my metal detector?". Right ? Then I'll bet that persons boarding those cruises, in decades past, did the same thing. And hence are the reason for this odd rule. The "pressing question" gets passed back and forth between cruise-line lawyers and engineers. Someone decides it will interfere with navigation equipment ? (EVEN THOUGH YOU'D NEVER EVEN TURN IT ON). But gee.... are you/we glad we asked ?

....never had any problems with any other cruise line .

Actually, there's been threads of another cruise line that says "no" to both bringing it, and/or using it. And I'll bet you dollars to donuts here's why: Same as above: Well meaning persons asked. The question gets posed to border consulates. Who couch the question in terms of shipwreck salvor laws, raiding the pyramids, and exporting gold bars. Never mind that metal detectors are not illegal there, and are a common site on the beaches. The cruise-line must answer the 'pressing question' with the "safe answer". It's as if we md'rs can be our own worst enemy.

....never had any problems with any other cruise line .

that merely means you didn't ask the right persons there, with the right combination of words/phrasing. Whatever cruise line you *think* is ok with it, I bet I can fetch a "no". I would just call or email them with the question. With references to "dig", "holes", "take", "remove", "cultural heritage", "interfere with navigation", "indian bones", etc.... Then I would be sure to put a contract in front of them to sign, allowing me (after all, they love to sign notarized contracts). And I bet I can get a "no" from any cruise-line you think is ok.

 

[Peyton Manning]

Tom, are you a lawyer?

 

[Jason in Enid]

How is a metal detector different than any other electronic device that people would routinely have with them ? Eg.: laptop computer, medical device, musical instrument, smart phone, etc... And question for you: How did you arrive at the information that they would "confiscate" it? And only let you have it when you get to the beach ?

I'll bet you dollars to donuts that you found out about this by inquiring ahead of time: "Hi. Can I bring my metal detector?". Right ? Then I'll bet that persons boarding those cruises, in decades past, did the same thing. And hence are the reason for this odd rule. The "pressing question" gets passed back and forth between cruise-line lawyers and engineers. Someone decides it will interfere with navigation equipment ? (EVEN THOUGH YOU'D NEVER EVEN TURN IT ON). But gee.... are you/we glad we asked ?



Actually, there's been threads of another cruise line that says "no" to both bringing it, and/or using it. And I'll bet you dollars to donuts here's why: Same as above: Well meaning persons asked. The question gets posed to border consulates. Who couch the question in terms of shipwreck salvor laws, raiding the pyramids, and exporting gold bars. Never mind that metal detectors are not illegal there, and are a common site on the beaches. The cruise-line must answer the 'pressing question' with the "safe answer". It's as if we md'rs can be our own worst enemy.



that merely means you didn't ask the right persons there, with the right combination of words/phrasing. Whatever cruise line you *think* is ok with it, I bet I can fetch a "no". I would just call or email them with the question. With references to "dig", "holes", "take", "remove", "cultural heritage", "interfere with navigation", "indian bones", etc.... Then I would be sure to put a contract in front of them to sign, allowing me (after all, they love to sign notarized contracts). And I bet I can get a "no" from any cruise-line you think is ok.

Hey Tom, instead being your usual a-hole self, why dont you ask the OP how this situation went down. It sure doesnt sound like the typical "tom" scenario you are proposing the OP did.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hey Tom, instead being your usual a-hole self, why dont you ask the OP how this situation went down. It sure doesnt sound like the typical "tom" scenario you are proposing the OP did.

Ok, sorry. Went off on a rant. Perhaps the O.P. got this "confiscation" info. d/t he saw it printed in their material .

But I still maintain that such a rule probably came into being, by past MD'rs putting this on the "FAQ". And ... like we've seen so many times before: Someone's going to come up with "no's" or strange rules.

Sorry, got a little carried away. I did not mean to imply the O.P. was responsible for this. I stress that it is probably persons decades before.

Oddly, they're not saying it can't be used in their ports of call (on the O.P's particular ship). But ... for the life of me ... I can't figure why they would care if it's broken down in your luggage. It's not a weapon. It's not going to be turned on (no place to detect on a metal ship). It just makes no sense at all. And I just had a gut feeling how odd-ball stuff like this gets into rules.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I have just navigated through all the pertinent pages here. Lists of their rules, etc... Unless I missed it: Nothing there forbidding metal detectors in your luggage :

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Homepage.aspx

But again, even if the O.P. got the info. by asking : It wasn't him, presently, that brought about the nonsensical answer.

 

[CASPER-2]

I would write the head office and tell them you are on a forum with 1000s of travelers that detect and if this is their real policy or just the people on your ship - which I have found out in past is what happened on other lines - that that particular ship or people decided to make their own rules - tell them you will be warning others if this is really their policy
- I don't cruise but wrote a few lines for others and found out that it was not the lines policy and they would contact their people to not do this on their own
years ago a few TH'ers had problems - I wrote letters to the companies and told them that I was the president of a world wide detecting assoc.(I lied) with 1000s of travelers and I wrote for a detecting mag (which I did do for 5 yrs) and I would be writing that their line was prohibiting bringing on detectors or other ridiculous rules and got positive feed back that
went in our favor

 

[jeff of pa]

Sign of the Times The Terrorists Won.

allot of Paranoia out there.

of course part of it may be for Your Protection.
If you carry it off at the wrong Port, It is possible it may be Confiscated permanently
with the only thing you get back is a Fine , or 6 months stay in their Jail.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I would write the head office and tell them you are on a forum with 1000s of travelers that detect and if this is their real policy or just the people on your ship - which I have found out in past is what happened on other lines - that that particular ship or people decided to make their own rules - tell them you will be warning others if this is really their policy
- I don't cruise but wrote a few lines for others and found out that it was not the lines policy and they would contact their people to not do this on their own
years ago a few TH'ers had problems - I wrote letters to the companies and told them that I was the president of a world wide detecting assoc.(I lied) with 1000s of travelers and I wrote for a detecting mag (which I did do for 5 yrs) and I would be writing that their line was prohibiting bringing on detectors or other ridiculous rules and got positive feed back that
went in our favor

You're right, many decisions like this are made on-the-spot and have no real bearing against reality or the posted rules, but its someone just trying to do their job and erring on the side of over-caution. It baffeled me years ago when my father-in-law's dive knife (a little 3 or 4 inch blade scuba knife) was confiscated from checked luggage. There was a note inside that it could be picked up at disembarking but had to be surrendered when returning. But then you go to the dining room and there is an even bigger steak knife laying on the table! If it was a matter of security, there are weapons all over that ship, but it makes them feel better as a company to say that its a "prohibited item".

Anyway, dollars to donuts, our OP here packed his detector and got one of these notes in his bag when it arrived at his stateroom that night.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Sign of the Times The Terrorists Won.

allot of Paranoia out there.

of course part of it may be for Your Protection.
If you carry it off at the wrong Port, It is possible it may be Confiscated permanently
with the only thing you get back is a Fine , or stay in their Jail.

No, they dont care about something like that. If that was their fear they would never let anyone off at any port. You should see how drunk and stupid people are when returning back to the ship.

 

[jeff of pa]

lol

Maybe someone of the ship Thought Geiger counter & Runs on Radium

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I would write the head office and tell them you are on a forum with 1000s of travelers that detect....

Casper: At present, it sounds like he gets it when they pull into port, and surrenders it again to security when he gets back on ship. Right ? Which makes no sense at all, since it's no different than scores of other normal electronic devices people commonly have today (computers, etc...).

So if he does what YOU suggest , it would/could probably only go worse: They pass this to their legal dept. Which in turn passes it to a border lawyer legal consulate. In countries with zero laws/rules about detecting @ tourist beaches (detectors = common site on the beach). The border legal consulate in turn passes the "pressing question" to a purist archie. Who immediately couches the question in terms of shipwreck salvor laws, raiding the pyramids, and cultural heritage nonsense.

Thus the cruise line now decides this "pressing question" will be No detectors at all. Not just not-having in your room . Which already made no sense. But now not even in the port (where it had never an issue before this).

Thus ... no. It's this very hornets-nests-swatting (that you suggest) that gets these rules invented . And/or made worse than they actually are.

 

[mham2]

I did send them a comment saying it was a bad policy And I will not be traveling with them in the future and allot of other metal detector people will probably do the same I put up this post for members as a FYI so they would not be surprised when they arrive and the port I was told by port security this was only MSC policy

 

[Rookster]

Security is a really big deal these days. Some people couldn't tell you what a detector even looks like.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... Some people couldn't tell you what a detector even looks like.

Nor would they probably even register or care. But that's not good enough: Go asking them "can I?" As if your particular device was somehow evil, destructive, and dangerous. Such that it needs princely sanction. Mere silence on the issue (as was the case for your laptop) is not good enough. You need express "yes's". Beyond which: We assume it's not allowed. Till given a princely blessing to the contrary.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Nor would they probably even register or care. But that's not good enough: Go asking them "can I?" As if your particular device was somehow evil, destructive, and dangerous. Such that it needs princely sanction. Mere silence on the issue (as was the case for your laptop) is not good enough. You need express "yes's". Beyond which: We assume it's not allowed. Till given a princely blessing to the contrary.

damnit tom, stop it! NOBODY did this so just drop the BS!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

damnit tom, stop it! NOBODY did this so just drop the BS!

I agree with Jason, Tom you are constantly doing this on every single permission thread and it is getting real old.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

... NOBODY did this ...

If nobody ever did, then I stand corrected