If in doubt, leave it at home.
 

For as long as I have been a forum member, there has been discussion about what you can and cannot bring aboard in your checked luggage. I am now officially an expert in the field and can tell you that EVERYTHING is seen by somebody.

They see your power strips, they see your mouthwash bottles filled with vodka, they see your boxes of wine. They see and recognize everything. If they don't recognize it, they pull your bag and call you to find out what it is.

"They" are Homeland Security. The luggage scanning is not a Carnival plot to eliminate liquor-smuggling. These agents are trained to look for weapons, drugs, and other items. I am pretty sure Carnival security personnel is right there with them as they scan. So, if your mouthwash bottle or power-strip made it through, it was not your skillful packing. It was probably because the Carnival security person had something better to do with their time when your bag went through.

No, I was not caught smuggling liquor, but something totally innocent, which you can read about on my blog entry today.

We all get very annoyed by recent security measures we are subject to. I look at it differently now and feel very safe knowing that at every plane or ship, someone is looking for that "needle in the haystack."

We just returned from our 4th cruise on Carnival Triumph, from New Orleans. The embarkation and debarkation there gets better each time we sail from there. This time, it was 20 minutes from the car to the bar! (being a platinum member does help too.)

I'll try and post a few comments and observations from this cruise soon.

Thanks for the info.

"This time, it was 20 minutes from the car to the bar! (being a platinum member does help too.)"

Priceless! :D

Trey,

I read your blog from your Facebook link. No doubt that was one of those moments where you could have been feeling the effects of several drinks one minute, and be stone sober seconds later. Or as we said in the Navy nuclear power program - 'his pucker factor was approaching unity'.:)

I would have to agree with that!

I think my "pucker factor" would have approached unity and I wasn't even in the Navy.:D

Glad all turned out alright with the ordeal. Take away lesson: Leave your bullets at home!:)

Wow! What an ordeal! (I found your blog by looking at your Cruise Reviews forum profile.) I am glad all worked out in the end. You are absolutely correct about the reasons for these scans.

While I know this is not the case here, this is why I am more concerned about someone planting something in my luggage than having someone take something from it.

Thanks for your post, and for your excellent advice.

Trey, you beat my all time record of 25 minutes from the car to the bar. Of course I walked to the Aft Lido Bar though. LOL!

Notice the clock in the picture.:D

http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg

Hey Dwayne...Does that can say "Diet Coke" or "Coors Lite?"

Brad

Definitely a Coors Light! I don't usually have a libation that early in the day, unless it's a Bloody Mary during the special. But after driving all evening and night to Tampa - I was ready for one!:D

Probably why my eyes look glazed over. As bad as I hate flying, I think I hate 10 and 75 worse! :cool:

I understand what you mean...on Friday nights, I-75 routinely transforms into the world's largest parking lot!!!

Either way, there is nothing wrong with starting off your cruise on a good note like that! I am just surprised the bartender was ready that early on embarkation day.

Take care,

Brad