Can you bring cannabis on a cruise? Lines, ports and CBD

It bans all of it. Section 4(g) of Carnival's Ticket Contract bars marijuana, cannabis, any derivative of either and all illegal controlled substances from every Carnival ship, and says the ban holds even in states or other places where they are legal. The same clause gives Carnival the right to search cabins, baggage and personal effects at any location, with or without notice, and says guests and their luggage are screened routinely and at random, including by dogs trained to detect narcotics and contraband, during boarding, at ports of call and on board.

CBD is named. Section 9(c) counts cannabidiol items, including ones labeled as medical marijuana, among the drugs not allowed on board, and says that although some CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal under state and local law, Carnival treats them as prohibited, giving as its reason that they are not legal under U.S. federal law and in all the ports it visits. Carnival writes that it follows federal law, which in its words bars marijuana or cannabis on its ships for any reason.

The consequences are spelled out. A guest who brings marijuana or any illegal controlled substance aboard, against Carnival's policy or the law of the United States, a port or the ship's flag state, will be reported to local or federal authorities and to CBP, and Carnival may refuse boarding or put the guest ashore with no refund and at the guest's own cost to get home (s. 9(c)). Anyone who refuses a search may also be refused boarding or reboarding (s. 4(g)).

Smoking of any kind, vaporizers and electronic cigarettes included, is allowed only in designated outdoor deck areas and designated casino and nightclub spaces; every stateroom and balcony is non-smoking. Carnival may charge up to $500 for each violation of its Tobacco and Marijuana Smoking Policy and put the guest ashore without a refund (s. 9(b), 9(c)).

Both prohibit marijuana in any form. Royal Caribbean Group's Guest Health, Safety and Conduct Policy, updated 17 Sep 2025, applies to Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, and it bans marijuana even in medicinal form or when used for medicinal purposes. A separate clause keeps illegal drugs off the ships and out of the whole vacation: transfers, terminals, ports of call, shore excursions and the company's private destinations. Celebrity's website still posts the policy's 28 Feb 2023 version, with the same marijuana clause.

Royal Caribbean's own list of prohibited items puts illegal drugs, marijuana included, in the group with no exceptions, whatever a guest's medical authorization or the local law says. The list does not mention CBD. Celebrity's packing FAQ goes further, naming marijuana, cannabis and extracts of THC or CBD among the illegal drugs and substances not allowed, and saying illegal drugs found will not be given back.

Under the policy, illegal drugs are confiscated and the company may report the guest to the authorities. Its enforcement list includes handing confiscated items to law enforcement, confining a guest to a stateroom or holding cell, refusing boarding, removing the guest from the ship and barring future cruises, and guests who are put ashore pay their own way home. The fleet is designated non-smoking outside marked smoking areas, and e-cigarettes may be used only inside those areas.

Norwegian Cruise Line's prohibited-items rules say no illegal drugs, medical marijuana named among them, may be brought aboard or used at any point of a Norwegian vacation, including transfers, terminals, shore excursions and its private island. Drugs found are confiscated, and the line may remove the guest from the ship and involve the authorities. Its Guest Ticket Contract, dated Feb 2026, lets Norwegian refuse to carry or remove any guest who possesses illegal drugs, without compensation (s. 5(b)). The rules do not name CBD.

Princess answers the question in its pre-cruise FAQ: marijuana is treated as an illegal drug, and medical marijuana and other CBD products are not allowed on board, during transfers, inside terminals, ashore or on private islands. Princess confiscates what it finds and says its response can include removal from the ship and bringing in law enforcement. Medical marijuana also appears by name on its prohibited-items list.

Holland America's Cruise Contract bars controlled or prohibited substances and lets the line search staterooms, safes, guests and baggage at any location (s. 15). Its prohibited-items page lists medical marijuana, and its Know Before You Go guidance calls marijuana an illegal drug even when prescribed, because U.S. law and the laws of all or most countries its ships visit prohibit it; anyone holding illegal drugs is subject to immediate disembarkation and a report to law enforcement. The same guidance allows one prescription THC drug, which it names. Neither page mentions CBD.

Virgin Voyages' Prohibited Items List, last updated 10 Apr 2026, bans medically prescribed marijuana, synthetic marijuana and CBD products along with all illegal drugs. Its Sailor Conduct Policy, updated 28 Sep 2026, says illegal drugs will be confiscated and that its response may include searching the cabin, belongings and person, removing the guest from the ship and involving the authorities. Disney Cruise Line and MSC Cruises also sail from U.S. ports, among them Port Canaveral, so read either line's own prohibited-items rules before you sail.

Not for a cruise. Every line in this guide that addresses medical marijuana bans it: Royal Caribbean Group in medicinal form, Norwegian and Princess by name, Holland America even with a prescription, Virgin Voyages when medically prescribed, and Carnival when a cannabis product is labeled as medical marijuana. A state card does not change a private carrier's rules.

The federal change is narrow. Since 28 Apr 2026, a DEA final rule has placed just two groups in Schedule III (marijuana in FDA-approved drug products, and marijuana covered by a state license that lets a business manufacture, distribute or dispense it for medical purposes, which a patient's registry card is not). All other marijuana stays in Schedule I, and the rule added both groups to the non-narcotic Schedule III substances that need a permit to be imported or exported (FR 2026-08176; 21 CFR 1312.30). DEA wrote that the rescheduling meets the country's treaty duties only if every import and export of a marijuana product still requires that permit.

Federal statutes follow the schedules. Section 955 of Title 21 reaches Schedule I and II drugs and narcotic drugs in Schedules III and IV aboard vessels arriving in or leaving the country, so its text covers adult-use cannabis but not state-licensed medical marijuana, which the rule lists as non-narcotic Schedule III. Importing a non-narcotic Schedule III drug is lawful only for medical, scientific or other legitimate uses and under the permit, notification or declaration DEA prescribes (21 U.S.C. 952(b)). CBP's traveler page says a medication that is also a controlled substance has to satisfy DEA's rules as well as FDA's, and DEA's standing exemption for travelers with a Schedule II to V drug lawfully obtained for their own medical use requires the original dispensed container and a declaration to a customs officer (21 CFR 1301.26). The April rule does not say whether that exemption covers state-licensed marijuana.

A wider change is not final. DEA set a hearing on its proposal to move all marijuana to Schedule III to begin on 29 Jun 2026 (FR 2026-08177), and the Federal Register showed no final rule on it as of 3 Nov 2026. Until one takes effect, adult-use cannabis stays in Schedule I.

Federal law reaches the ship as it leaves or arrives at a U.S. port. It is unlawful for any person to bring or possess on board a vessel arriving in or departing from the United States a Schedule I or II controlled substance, or a narcotic in Schedule III or IV, unless it is cargo entered in the manifest or part of the vessel's official supplies (21 U.S.C. 955). Possessing a controlled substance is a federal crime anywhere in the country unless it was obtained from a practitioner directly or through a valid prescription or order, or federal law otherwise allows it, and a first conviction carries up to 1 year of imprisonment, a fine of at least $1,000, or both (21 U.S.C. 844).

Federal law gives the Coast Guard power to make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures and arrests on the high seas and in waters under U.S. jurisdiction to prevent and suppress violations of federal law, and its officers may board and search any vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction (14 U.S.C. 522).

At the pier, CBP says marijuana is a controlled substance under federal law even where a U.S. state or Canada allows it, that federal law prohibits importing and exporting it, and that bringing marijuana to a U.S. port of entry can end in seizure, a fine or arrest and can count against a visitor's admission (CBP, page last modified 23 Aug 2023, before the April 2026 rule). CBP began matching photos of debarking cruise passengers to their passport or visa records at San Francisco in 2022 and Boston in 2023, and U.S. travelers may ask for a manual document check instead (CBP, 11 Oct 2022 and 10 Apr 2023).

CBP also inspects travelers on the way out, its Baltimore office says (2 Apr 2018). On 28 Jul 2021 that office seized THC vape oil, edibles and plant material from a traveler arriving at BWI from Montego Bay, issued a $500 Zero Tolerance penalty without criminal charges, and urged travelers to leave THC products behind on vacation (CBP, 16 Aug 2021).

Not on Carnival, Celebrity, Princess or Virgin Voyages, which name CBD in their own rules. Carnival counts cannabidiol items among prohibited drugs (s. 9(c)), Celebrity's packing FAQ bars extracts of THC or CBD, Princess says CBD products are not allowed, and Virgin Voyages bans CBD products outright. Royal Caribbean's, Norwegian's and Holland America's lists name marijuana and illegal drugs without mentioning CBD, but Royal Caribbean leaves every item to its security team's sole discretion, and Holland America may bar any item it judges detrimental to safety or comfort.

Federal hemp law narrows in November and December 2026. From 12 Nov 2026, hemp stops covering products that hold a cannabinoid the plant cannot produce naturally, and after 11 Dec 2026 it also excludes products holding plant cannabinoids that were synthesized or manufactured outside the plant, any final product whose innermost container carries more than 0.4 mg, combined, of total THC and THC-like cannabinoids, and plant material above 0.3 percent total THC counting THCA (section 781 of Pub. L. 119-37, limited until 11 Dec by section 2019 of Pub. L. 119-103). A product outside that definition is no longer federal hemp; our delta-8 guide explains where CBD oils, hemp gummies and delta-8 land at each step.

Abroad, CBD gets no special pass. Canada's border agency says carrying cannabis across the border in any form, including oils containing THC or CBD, without a Health Canada permit or exemption is a serious criminal offense, whatever the amount and whether or not the traveler holds a medical document (CBSA, modified 26 Mar 2021).

Nicotine e-cigarettes only, and only in designated smoking areas. Carnival, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian, Holland America and Virgin Voyages all limit e-cigarettes to marked smoking areas, and none of the five treats a cabin or balcony as a smoking area: Carnival, Holland America and Virgin Voyages say so for e-cigarettes or vaping, and Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian ban smoking in staterooms and on balconies. Holland America charges a $250 cleaning fee for each breach of its smoking policy (s. 5), Carnival up to $500 a violation (s. 9(b)), and Virgin Voyages $500 for smoking or vaping outside a designated area, which it treats as a material breach of the ticket contract that can lead to disembarkation.

THC vape oil is a cannabis derivative, so Carnival's contract bans it outright, and the other lines' marijuana bans reach it as well. In 2021, CBP's Baltimore office seized THC vape oil from a traveler returning from Jamaica.

Mexico adds its own rule ashore. Royal Caribbean lists vapes and e-cigarettes as items that may not be taken ashore in Mexico, under local law, and warns that breaking a port's law can mean fines or imprisonment there. Mexico's General Health Law, as amended on 15 Jan 2026, bans importing, selling, distributing and commercially transporting e-cigarettes and vapes nationwide, and exempts using and possessing them when not tied to those activities (Ley General de Salud, art. 282 Quater).

In Southern California, Long Beach, San Pedro and San Diego all have cruise terminals. The City of Long Beach leases its cruise terminal to Carnival, which owns and runs it and bases three ships there for Baja, Mexican Riviera and Hawaii sailings. The Port of Los Angeles has the Los Angeles World Cruise Center at Berth 93 in San Pedro, operated by Ports America, and the Port of San Diego has the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal and Broadway Pier.

California's regulator limits adult use to private property, rules out public places, forbids smoking cannabis where tobacco is off limits, and, since federal law still prohibits cannabis, says it may not cross state lines (DCC). A terminal is also covered by the lines' own bans: Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian and Princess extend their drug rules to terminals and transfers. CBP processes cruise passengers who debark at the Port of San Francisco (11 Oct 2022). Our Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco guides cover where cannabis use is allowed in each city.

In Washington, the Port of Seattle runs two cruise terminals, Bell Street at Pier 66 and Smith Cove at Pier 91. Under RCW 69.50.445, a person who opens a package of cannabis, or consumes it, in public view or in any public place commits a class 3 civil infraction; the liquor code's definition of a public place, which that statute borrows, takes in streets, public buildings, and public conveyances with their depots and waiting rooms that are open to unrestricted public use (RCW 66.04.010).

Cruises from New York City leave from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and passengers clear a security checkpoint into a restricted area before boarding (Cruise NYC). New York's Office of Cannabis Management bars using cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is not allowed, and says it is against the law to bring cannabis of any kind across the state's border or the national border, medical cannabis included (OCM). Our New York City and Brooklyn guides list licensed stores.

If you sail from New Jersey, state law forbids anyone to smoke, vape or aerosolize cannabis in a public place, which it defines to take in streets, sidewalks, parking lots and public transportation facilities, and that holds even where tobacco may be smoked (N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10a, with the definition in 24:6I-33). The state's Cannabis Regulatory Commission adds that taking cannabis over a state line remains illegal (CRC).

Massachusetts sets a civil penalty capped at $100 for using marijuana in public or smoking it anywhere tobacco is barred (G.L. c. 94G, s. 13(c)), and CBP processes cruise passengers who debark at the Port of Boston (10 Apr 2023). Maryland treats smoking cannabis in public as a civil matter, with the fine capped at $50 for a first finding and $150 for any later one (Criminal Law 5-601(c)(4)). The Maryland Port Administration's Cruise Maryland Terminal in Baltimore admits only ticketed passengers to the passenger building, says all luggage is subject to x-ray screening, and refers passengers to their cruise line for the full list of prohibited items.

Arrive without cannabis. Florida's drug law bars possessing a controlled substance unless it was lawfully obtained from a practitioner or is otherwise authorized. The first-degree misdemeanor tier covers only plant cannabis of 20 grams or less; resin and anything prepared from it fall outside that tier, so THC concentrates and most vape oil count as a third-degree felony at any weight (s. 893.13(6)(a), (b)). Florida's medical law keeps even registered patients from using marijuana in public places or on public transportation, with an exception only for low-THC cannabis in a non-smokable form (s. 381.986(1)(k)5).

PortMiami, Port Canaveral, Port Tampa Bay and JAXPORT all have cruise terminals. Port Canaveral's Tariff No. 16, effective 1 Oct 2026, prohibits anyone from smoking or lighting a match on port wharves or near vessels handling explosives or dangerous cargo (Rule 535), and the port lists Carnival, Celebrity, Disney Cruise Line, MSC, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean among its lines.

Texas Health and Safety Code 481.121 makes it an offense to knowingly possess a usable quantity of marijuana unless the state's controlled substances law authorizes it, and up to two ounces is graded as a Class B misdemeanor. THC vape oil, wax and other concentrates sit in Penalty Group 2 instead, where under 1 gram is already a state jail felony (481.103, 481.116). The Galveston Wharves tariff bars smoking on the port's piers and wharves and in its warehouses, sheds and other structures (Tariff No. 7, effective 1 Jan 2026, Item 504). Our Florida and Texas rules pages explain who may buy cannabis in each state.

Mexico: possessing cannabis without authorization is still an offense under the General Health Law, but the law tells the public prosecutor not to charge a consumer holding no more than 5 g strictly for personal use, away from schools, police stations, prisons and the other places it lists (Ley General de Salud, arts. 475, 477, 478 and 479, as amended to 15 Jan 2026). Canada: the Cannabis Act regulates cannabis at home, but its border agency says taking cannabis in or out of the country in any form without a Health Canada permit or exemption is a serious criminal offense, and anyone entering with cannabis must declare it (CBSA, modified 26 Mar 2021). That applies at any Canadian port where your ship calls.

Bermuda: possession of up to 7 g of cannabis is exempt from criminal sanctions under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1972 as amended in 2017, though the police may seize any amount (s. 6(1), s. 25A, Schedule 8). U.S. Virgin Islands: the territory regulates medical, sacramental and adult-use cannabis through its Office of Cannabis Regulation, and its adult-use law was signed on 18 Jan 2023 (OCR). The islands lie outside the U.S. customs territory, which covers only the states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (19 CFR 101.1), and federal law bars importing a Schedule I drug into the customs territory from a place outside it but within the United States (21 U.S.C. 952(a)).

Alaska: state law lets people 21 or over hold an ounce or less, but using marijuana in public can draw a fine of no more than $100 (AS 17.38.020, 17.38.040). Hawaii: the state's program is medical, and its Department of Health registers patients, including out-of-state patients who hold a valid medical cannabis card from their home state or territory and were certified there for a condition Hawaii recognizes (DOH). Federal possession law applies in every state and territory (21 U.S.C. 844).

Bringing anything back aboard is the risk. Carnival screens guests at ports of call, Royal Caribbean Group extends its ban to ports of call and shore excursions, Princess extends its ban to shore activities, and Norwegian and Princess warn that guests who break a foreign port's drug laws face arrest and prosecution there and may not be allowed back on the ship.

Leave it at home, or finish it where state law allows, before you head to the terminal. Carnival may confiscate, destroy or hand to the authorities any item it considers improperly in a guest's possession (s. 4(f)), Royal Caribbean Group confiscates illegal drugs, and Celebrity says illegal drugs found will not be returned. CBP's Baltimore office tells travelers to leave THC products behind on vacation, and California's and New York's regulators say cannabis may not leave the state.

Buy again on land after the cruise if you want to. In California, adults 21 and older can buy at licensed stores, as can patients 18 and older with a physician's recommendation (DCC), and New York and New Jersey also license adult-use stores. Our Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York and Brooklyn guides list licensed shops, and the rules page for each state names the IDs that work there and where you may use what you buy.

If your trip home is a flight, our flying guide covers TSA and the airports in all 21 states, while the tourist rules guide deals with hotel rooms and using cannabis in public. Do not pack anything for the plane that you could not take on the ship.