Just came back from a cruise yesterday. Here's the scoop....
Here's what I brought on the cruise:
- Vape E-cig and vape cart containing high THC that I got from Las Vegas awhile back.
- I emptied 5 capsules of ginkgo biloba and filled them with ground MJ and then put them back in the bottle with the rest of the capsules. Each capsule was compressed and contained enough for one day's worth for two people. This was a backup in case the e-cig didn't work.
- Brought a cheap vape that I had never used before and planned to throw overboard if I used it. Got a Boundless CFC for $29 during the 420 sale. This was also a backup in case the e-cig didn't work.
On-boarding: (Everything was carry-on)
I feel pretty confident that getting things on board is not the concern as long as you use discretion. They aren't going to empty my vitamins to find the 5 ginkgo capsules. E-cigs are legal and mentioned as such in the FAQs. Yes, the FAQs also mention medical MJ is not to be brought on board but they are going to see an E-cig not what's in it. If they asked about the Boundless CFC I would have shown them the ginger root I was planning on vaping in it for sea-sickness.
They put all my bags through the x-ray machine and questioned nothing.
Debarkation: (Here's where it gets interesting)
I've always felt that customs and the dogs were something to worry about at debarkation but this time I decided to chance it. So we carried off all our luggage to avoid the part where they walk the dogs past all the checked luggage before people pick up their bags in the customs building.
I've always brought MJ on-board on my cruises but up until this one I always got rid of everything THE NIGHT BEFORE leaving the ship and going through customs. I already knew that the dogs are often brought on board the day of debarkation before folks have left their rooms. This time I kept the half used e-cig oil cart and the 5 capsules and CFC vape. My thinking was that they won't question the e-cig and cart and I never used the flower or flower vape so I'm going to chance it. This could have been a HUGE MISTAKE.
We were entering the customs building with all our luggage when they started walking the dog along the line we were in! I shifted all the luggage to the side of the line the dog wasn't walking. In other words...the dog was being walked along my right side where the luggage was so I shifted all the luggage to my left side. I know a dog's sense of smell and hearing isn't likely to be thrown off by a few feet to the left but I wasn't going to make it easier. I mention a dog's hearing because a dog can sense the mood of a human by how the person's heart is beating so a dog that can tell a person is nervous may be more alert when coming near that human and their bags.
The dog walked by us without issue and that's when the guy in front of us mentioned they had brought the same dog to his room and some others around 7:00am. The guy told us they knocked on his cabin door and asked everyone to come out into the hall. He said they were doing the same to another cabin and when he asked why they had selected his room he was told it is all random. He also mentioned to me that he didn't think it was as random as they said because he had several felonies on his records. Maybe he was just paranoid.
Debarkation was taking way longer than usual and we were told they had some "issues" that slowed things down. While we were in that line we saw them lead a passenger in hand-cuffs away.
I learned my lesson. Bring it on-board but get rid of everything that's tainted the night before debarkation. I should have thrown away those 5 packed capsules and the e-cig cart. I would have kept the unused vape and e-cig battery since busting me for memories isn't going to happen.
So it's all about the dogs...guess that's why they call it de-BARK-ation