Heads up for Southampton departures

We've cruised a lot, as you can tell from my profile, but we were "greeted" with a new experience when we boarded in Southampton this month. The baggage screening process identified my Leatherman multi-tool in my suitcase. I've carried this tool since day 1, but I was not allowed to board with it. In fact, we were already on-board and got a call from guest relations to return to shore to see security. Bottom line: you cannot bring any tool on-board with a locking blade. Period. They won't even let it be held by ship security and returned at the end of the cruise. I had to either pay to have it sent back to Florida or it would be discarded (yeah, right). $56 later I'm expecting it tomorrow. Oh well, it was a pricey lesson for me, so I thought I'd warn others who may regularly carry such tools in their baggage. Joe

Carrying a knife with a locking blade is illegal in the UK.

Among items not allowed on board (presumably at any port):

Flick knives, gravity knives, daggers, folding pocket knives, switchblades or lock knives, regardless of blade size

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/before-you-sail/not_allowed

Carrying a knife with a locking blade is illegal in the UK.

Yes, illegal in the UK.

A little while back, another US CC member asked on here whether there'd be a problem buying a ceremonial sword in Norway - he was told it was a banned item in the UK, & to avoid confiscation he should have the shop send it to his home address.

I'd guess that luggage security for your boarding would be down to Celebrity personnel, and - in theory at least - all knives are banned on Celebrity.

http://www.celebritycruisesexclusives.com/before-your-cruise/packing/

It seems you've just been lucky to date. ;)

If this was a round trip to Southampton, had ship's security returned it to you at the end of the cruise you'd have broken the law again by bringing it back into the country.

One you're just going to have to chalk up to experience.

JB :)

Did I ever get schooled on UK law pertaining to my Leatherman!! Thanks. We've been in and out of Heathrow and Southampton more than a few times, and I've always carried my TOOL in my luggage. I guess I've just been lucky, and I'll do it no longer, of course. I had no idea the the UK had such a law concerning locking blades, and I've now read many sources and the law about this. On the multi-tool it's a safety feature, and as a former Scoutmaster I've used all the tools... the blade probably the least. So, playing devil's advocate here, is a greater than 3 inch flat blade screwdriver with a blade that is always locked open, illegal, too? It can be just as sharp. Or if you're measuring blade width instead of shaft length, what about a 4 inch sheet rock tool for spreading joint compound? I feel sorry for my friends across the pond for this questionable point of law. Equating a Leatherman with a weapon is just wrong.

FYI- many people on Cruise Critic have turned off a feature that allows them to see "signatures", which is where you have all your cruises listed. So, many people can't see your long list of cruises.

Hmm. I have a Leatherman mini -- that I put in my checked baggage with no problems at Southampton.

Did I ever get schooled on UK law pertaining to my Leatherman!! Thanks. We've been in and out of Heathrow and Southampton more than a few times, and I've always carried my TOOL in my luggage. I guess I've just been lucky, and I'll do it no longer, of course. I had no idea the the UK had such a law concerning locking blades, and I've now read many sources and the law about this. On the multi-tool it's a safety feature, and as a former Scoutmaster I've used all the tools... the blade probably the least. So, playing devil's advocate here, is a greater than 3 inch flat blade screwdriver with a blade that is always locked open, illegal, too? It can be just as sharp. Or if you're measuring blade width instead of shaft length, what about a 4 inch sheet rock tool for spreading joint compound? I feel sorry for my friends across the pond for this questionable point of law. Equating a Leatherman with a weapon is just wrong.

Of course a great many items can be used as a weapon, and those in the security business have to use sensible judgement - which in most cases they do.

Your Leatherman can be a lethal weapon, as can a simple screwdriver or box-cutter (Stanley knife). A screwdriver along with wrenches & such in the trunk of my car is a tool. As is a box-cutter in a decorator's toolbag, or a carving knife in the kitchen or your Leatherman in the Everglades. None of us intend any harm, none of us will be bothered by the authorities.

But if the police find any of those things in the door-pocket of a carful of teenagers, late at night, somewhere they've no reason to be, especially if you add in criminal records, evidence of drug-taking & other suspicious circumstances, in the UK they'd likely be charged with carrying an offensive weapon or "going equipped".

Regardless of whether it's a banned item - though carrying a banned item avoids any arguments about whether it's being carried for good reason.https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives

I suspect the same would be true of banned items in Florida.

Presumably you don't take either your luggage or your Leatherman to public events like sports, concerts, nightclubs, & other places where searches are becoming more prevalent. Taking even a box-cutter or screwdriver to such places in the UK would lead to its forfeiture and possibly a prosecution for carrying an offensive weapon. Quite right too IMHO.

Like I said, the law has to be applied with sensible judgement.

Although you could have been arrested at the cruise port & the Leatherman destroyed, common-sense dictated that wouldn't happen in those circumstances.

Likewise when I inadvertently packed a "waiter's friend" bottle-opener on my hand luggage instead of my checked luggage when I flew home from the States, it was confiscated but I wasn't quizzed or penalised.

We in the UK are overwhelmingly in favour of tight controls on guns, knives, tazers, pepper-sprays etc.

We used to have the massacres that are still too-frequent in the US.

JB :)

 

We in the UK are overwhelmingly in favour of tight controls on guns, knives, tazers, pepper-sprays etc.

We used to have the massacres that are still too-frequent in the US.

 

JB :)

Well, if we had those same controls 240 years ago, we'd be driving on the left side of the road today!!

Yes, illegal in the UK.

A little while back, another US CC member asked on here whether there'd be a problem buying a ceremonial sword in Norway - he was told it was a banned item in the UK, & to avoid confiscation he should have the shop send it to his home address.

 

I'd guess that luggage security for your boarding would be down to Celebrity personnel, and - in theory at least - all knives are banned on Celebrity.

http://www.celebritycruisesexclusives.com/before-your-cruise/packing/

It seems you've just been lucky to date. ;)

 

If this was a round trip to Southampton, had ship's security returned it to you at the end of the cruise you'd have broken the law again by bringing it back into the country.

 

One you're just going to have to chalk up to experience.

 

JB :)

Southampton luggage screening for Checked and hand luggage is done by the port...

They don't like knives etc. but don't care about Booze.

Thanks. I knew but had never considered the ramifications.

Ah, yes, equating "tool" to work. Actually, your comment makes good sense if one uses tools and works. I'm retired, so no work tools. As a former Scoutmaster (4 Eagle Scout sons) I adhere to the Scout motto "Be Prepared." I've used my Leatherman to fix things when traveling. Suitcase handles. Loose screws. Others I don't remember right now. So that's my answer. BTW, I found the solution for the locking blade issue: my old, original Leatherman that I probably bought in the late '80s. Who throws away tools? Grin. It has no locking blades, and the knife blade is shorter than 3 inches. Voila!

I think part of the problem is that many of you don't know what a "Leatherman Tool" is. Think of it as a fancy "Swiss Army Knife". They can be relativity small and they have more "functions" then the army knife. Just as jaxjww said he used it to fix things just like you would with a Swiss Army knife. My DH has both a small tool and a larger one but he doesn't take it on trips except here in the USA and by car. In fact, I have a small army knife in my purse all the time :D. It's "helped" me out a number of times. Here's a link to the tool:http://www.swissknifeshop.com/shop/leatherman/multi-tools?gclid=CjwKEAjwg6W6BRDn6v__7vzN9QkSJAC9l9C3YB9m6wl9z_R19MVAwsT8URalEP4FlFGTTpKTOLLOtRoCeOrw_wcB

Just my two cents....

<<<Karen>>>

We have them here as well, but just like a Swiss Army knife with a blade over 3 inches a Leatherman with one over 3 inches would be banned. The fact it had a locking blade is even worse.

We have them here as well, but just like a Swiss Army knife with a blade over 3 inches a Leatherman with one over 3 inches would be banned. The fact it had a locking blade is even worse.

I thought you might have them but some of the posters sounded like they thought it was some sort of "large" commercial tool. It's hard to know every country's laws and I guess the OP brought the large version rather then the older smaller one. My Swiss Army Knife only has about a 2 inch blade and it doesn't lock so it could get through. But....it will be staying home. We are cruising out of Southampton next week.

<<<Karen>>>

This is my Leatherman Micra that goes in my checked baggage. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JCN0FG/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1/177-0061846-2637708?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=08F0NESAVDH053HCR3RW&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1944687582&pf_rd_i=B00004UDW4

This is my Leatherman Micra that goes in my checked baggage. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JCN0FG/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1/177-0061846-2637708?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=08F0NESAVDH053HCR3RW&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1944687582&pf_rd_i=B00004UDW4

That's okay the Micra is sold in the UK, it may not meet the terms and conditions of the cruise line though. Technically they could still stop it boarding the ship, if they do or not is another thing.

I don't get it...I don't know anyone who carries a knife on holiday....maybe it's just a European thing. ;)

Carrying a small tool, being prepared to make little fixes, it's a scouting thing.

carries his Swiss Army knife with his car keys, always on him. He always offers it to me when something needs to get cut. It has come in quite handy.

We have taken dive knives on a cruise vacation, and it was kind of comical. When my husband would check back onto the ship- the machine would start ringing- to remind staff to see if he had the knife with him, so they could re secure it. After the damn dinging at every stop- we never bothered taking it again.

Bernadette

The Micra is much like my original 1980s Leatherman - no locking blades. I'm glad I found mine in the back of my drawer! I originally posted this "Southampton forbids" item to alert fellow travelers about the locking blade issue. I am grateful to the UK travelers who schooled me on UK law forbidding locking blades of any kind (ignoring the "needed for work" aspect). After 34 cruises since 2006 I thought I knew traveling, but there's always something new. I use Cruise Critic to learn about destinations and attractions. My wife watches the Boards and Roll Calls. I think it's a sad result that my original post devolved into "if you Americans had fewer guns and knives there'd be fewer mass murders." Good Grief! How did the Leatherman post ever induce this? As someone smarter than me has said, "you can't fix stupid." I'll apply that to this sort of post. There are enough inflammatory views in the news without injecting such statements into Cruise Critic boards.

Actually the OP is from the US

correct tring....i actually meant, maybe it's just an European thing NOT to wear knives on holiday :D

Oh my gosh! I had no idea one could turn off the signatures with the list of cruises members have been on. It will make my reading time so much faster from now on!

Oh my gosh! I had no idea one could turn off the signatures with the list of cruises members have been on. It will make my reading time so much faster from now on!

Yes, scrolling through posts is much faster with signatures disabled - this option is available under user CP.

Thanks for the heads up, OP. I'm from the UK and I carry a Leatherman Micra in my handbag. Wish I'd taken it on last year's cruise when I needed to cut the stems of some flowers. I do tend to leave it at home when I'm flying as I worry about it being confiscated. Didn't think it would be a problem in checked luggage at Southampton.

My husband also likes to bring his multi-tool on vacations. He has used the screw driver and the scissors on various occasions. Our May 20th British Isles cruise out of Southampton is the first cruise where he was required to remove it from his checked luggage. We've been able to bring it on flights and other cruise ports no problem as long as it was in checked luggage.

Now we know for future reference not to bring a multi-tool (with a locking knife attachment) to the UK.

FTR-the people at the cruise port were very apologetic about confiscating the multi-tool and were very kind in the way they treated my husband. Kindness and professionalism go a long way in this kind of situation.

-Laurie