Bring of sand back from islands

We were stopped at the airport. They checked it for whatever and gave it back

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Sand is inert. It is not soil. I have mailed it all over the world, identified as sand for customs. It has never been rejected.

I cut that information directly from https://www.cbp.gov/travel/clearing-cbp/bringing-agricultural-products-united-states

CD told us not to last cruise.

Our trip last October to Hawaii, came through customs in Maui and the gal grabbed my baggie with a couple of pieces of sea glass in it and tossed it in the trash. I said it wasn't shells or sand but sea glass. She asked what sea glass was, so I told her. She said it was "bad luck" and that I could not have it. So, apparently what you are for sure allowed or not allowed is sometimes not crystal clear... and subject to local superstition..lol. (Next island, it came back with me tucked in my swim top =]...and no lightning has struck me....yet...=P...)

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I say no, not because it's against the law, not because you might get caught, but because its the right thing to do.

No sand and technically no shells unless bought in store due to bugs.

Keith

It might be urban legend but we heard in Hawaii that many people mail back black sand, lava rocks,etc after they had some bad karma at home

home

We try to take pictures and leave footprints on our travels .

It might be urban legend but we heard in Hawaii that many people mail back black sand, lava rocks,etc after they had some bad karma at home

home

We try to take pictures and leave footprints on our travels .

LOL, I bring more than that back onto the ship inadvertently in my swimsuit and in my shoes.

KroozFoolz, You shouldn't be rolling in the sand! :):) Go into the water!!!:D

We also bring back some sand, but we don't save it, usually goes down the shower drain. I grew up on the East coast of FL, just South of Patrick AFB. So Sand is not in my list of things to bring back from a cruise, or trip of any kind?

But I do have a can of "Canned Sunshine (Sand)", a gift from my mother years ago, on one my trips.

Hope to see you soon a cruise! W:)

My 7 year old filled an empty plastic soda bottle with sand in Mexico a few weeks ago and wanted to bring it home. I warned her that it might not be allowed back on the ship (because I sincerely don't know the "rules", but did remember people pontificating about it here on CC in the past), and not to be disappointed if it was taken away. We put it in our backpack and carried it back on board with no problem at all.

I cruised NCL last Jan and took a ziplock bag from each port no problem at all. Done it in the past on CCL.

Reminds me of the Brady Bunch Hawaii episode where Bobby finds the "cursed" tiki idol, it gets passed around the family, and everyone has bad luck.

hysterical!

My 7 year old filled an empty plastic soda bottle with sand in Mexico a few weeks ago and wanted to bring it home. I warned her that it might not be allowed back on the ship (because I sincerely don't know the "rules", but did remember people pontificating about it here on CC in the past), and not to be disappointed if it was taken away. We put it in our backpack and carried it back on board with no problem at all.

To bad you didn't take that opportunity to teach your child about environmental protection and responsibilities 😒

What ever happened to

Take only pictures

Leave only footprints

It is sand not cocaine. Nobody cares. Just be discreet. They can't say " If everyone brought back a pill bottle of sand, eventually there would be none left." Because that would be a huge lie.

To bad you didn't take that opportunity to teach your child about environmental protection and responsibilities 😒

It is sand not cocaine. Nobody cares. Just be discreet. They can't say " If everyone brought back a pill bottle of sand, eventually there would be none left." Because that would be a huge lie.

Sure, CBP is clueless and just make up silly rules to inconvenience people.

I suspect 140,000+ gallons of sand going missing every year would be noticed. This is roughly the amount of sand that would disappear if each cruise passenger brought back a small pill bottle (22 cc) of sand.

Believe it or not, there are those who care about the environment.

I care.

Worldwide consumption of sand for things like glass, electronics, and construction is over 40 billion tons. About 30 billion tons of that is for construction alone. China & India combine to account for two-thirds of the world’s concrete production. Meanwhile, you (and others in this thread) are here lecturing a very tiny percentage of vacationers for taking a baggie or bottle of sand once in a while. Hope you’re enjoying your roads, driveways, the foundations of your homes, glass, electronics, etc. etc. etc. ;)

So it's okay to ignore laws when one wants to?

Sure, CBP is clueless and just make up silly rules to inconvenience people.

 

I suspect 140,000+ gallons of sand going missing every year would be noticed. This is roughly the amount of sand that would disappear if each cruise passenger brought back a small pill bottle (22 cc) of sand.

 

Believe it or not, there are those who care about the environment.

 

I care.

 

 

 

So it's okay to ignore laws when one wants to?

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It might be urban legend but we heard in Hawaii that many people mail back black sand, lava rocks,etc after they had some bad karma at home

home

We try to take pictures and leave footprints on our travels .

We were told this on our first trip to Hawaii ... in 1999. I'm sure it began LONG before then and still lives today and will into the future ...

One of the most well-known myths in Hawaii is Pele’s Curse, which — it turns out — is not an ancient myth at all. Pele’s curse says that any visitor who takes rock or sand away from the Hawaii islands will suffer bad luck until the native Hawaiian elements are returned.

We were told this on our first trip to Hawaii ... in 1999. I'm sure it began LONG before then and still lives today and will into the future ...

 

One of the most well-known myths in Hawaii is Pele’s Curse, which — it turns out — is not an ancient myth at all. Pele’s curse says that any visitor who takes rock or sand away from the Hawaii islands will suffer bad luck until the native Hawaiian elements are returned.

This was even talked about when I lived in Hawaii in the late 70s. Don't mess with Madame Pele. :D

What ever happened to

 

Take only pictures

Leave only footprints

This!

Why anyone needs a little jar of sand or a baggie of rocks from some place is beyond me when it is completely legal to simply take photographs....and preserves the spot for everyone else that comes after you. Get yourself a digital frame and they can rotate through all your travels.

Sure, CBP is clueless and just make up silly rules to inconvenience people.

 

I suspect 140,000+ gallons of sand going missing every year would be noticed. This is roughly the amount of sand that would disappear if each cruise passenger brought back a small pill bottle (22 cc) of sand.

 

Believe it or not, there are those who care about the environment.

 

I care.

 

So it's okay to ignore laws when one wants to?

Now let's move on to your "it's the law" argument. Yes, people should abide by the law. But as we all know, laws are broken sometimes. Breaking some have much less consequences than breaking others. I'm willing to bet you've broken a law or two. Haven't we all? Regardless, the person I was replying to (along with several other here) wasn't referring to law. They were referring to, for one, environmental impact. So I simply pointed out the environmental impact the industrial world has compared to the tiny fraction of vacationers many of you are accusing of destroying beaches. Also, the other half of that person's statement was a pathetic attempt to tell others how they should raise their own children. No.

Combine all of the vacationers who actually take a little sand from the beach, add that up over a year's time, and I'll bet anything that that amount still doesn't equal to what an excavator removes in a single bucket. Let alone an entire dredging barge.

White sand, which is what so many of these beaches are, actually comes from parrot fish. It's what they poop out after feeding all day on algae that grows on coral. A single parrot fish poops out over 200 pounds of white sand every year. A 12 oz. bottle of sand weighs less than a pound. The pill bottle you used in your example would weigh less than 1/8th of a pound. Everyone should come down off their high horse and we all can continue to enjoy all of the wonderful parrot fish poop. :)

I'm guilty of bringing sand back with me from a few places. Never been an issue. Usually a couple of teaspoon fulls in a baggie.

First, in regards to your reply to salty dingo, "each cruise passenger" isn't taking sand home. Compared to the total number of cruisers each year, those who take sand are infinitesimal. But thanks for the straw man argument.... :)

Perhaps you missed the post I quoted from salty dingo. I was specifically replying to "...They can't say " If everyone brought back a pill bottle of sand, eventually there would be none left." Because that would be a huge lie."

Well it's not a lie and people can say it.

It is not comforting to see people make up facts about environmental damage. Frankly none of us know the actual impact of people taking sand home. Just because we can go back and see the "same" beautifully sandy beach does not mean that it is the same. I prefer to err on the side of caution. As we are finding out, restoring an environment is much more expensive and difficult that not damaging it in the first place.

If there was no potential harm countries would not have laws and regulations specifically banning the practice. If there was no potential harm countries would allow unrestricted import of small quantities of raw beach sand. They don't.

Funny Story.

Hubby (now) and I married and had 2 kids each. So at our wedding, on a beach, we had

pastor put beach sand in a vase. Followed by a different colored sand for each child and then

hubby n I. Wanted to finish off the vase with Beach sand from Aruba, our Honeymoon.

We put sand in a ziplock baggy. No problem getting on the ship. But Hubby put sand in MY carry on for

airport.

YEP. I got pulled aside, at the airport. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

We explained it was Honeymoon sand for our vase. They opened it, smelled it. And let us continue on. WHEW.

Aruba sand is so very soft and white.

I treasure that sand now. :D