The other side of the Freedom/tobacco story

[MommaOf3Princesses]

For real - everyone is fussing at the OP for not telling the "entire story," but I don't blame her. She was protecting her husband's dignity. Very admirable, in my opinion.

 

In all honesty then she shouldnt have went crying on the CC boards. Now they look even worse and all credibility pretty much gone! Be honest and up front from the start or dont say anything at all!!!

[BecciBoo]

I have a right to pack any way I feel. I have a right to smoke any legal substance I chose (I don't smoke).

 

That's my bottom line and I don't smoke either, never did.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

She hesitated to answer what her husband was going to smoke it with...she finally responded "with a pipe like Popeye used"....I don't ever remember Popeye using a "chamber-type pipe"

 

Do a search on Google for chamber-type pipe...this is what the results look like:

 

 

The Popeye I used to watch on Sat. morning on KTLA would not be caught dead with a pipe lke this, he was no Fancy-Man!!!:D

[Peewee1414]

It was in a baggie, then in the can.

I have hidden my jewelry in an empty cold cream jar on trips before, should that have kept me from cruising? I don't see any difference. A legal item not mentioned in the contract in a legal container not mentioned in the contract and a lot of people who won't admit they were dead wrong and made a lot of assumptions which were groundless. The law of the land in this country is still "Innocent until proven guilty" but the price for being guilty was paid in full by this couple. That's how I see it. I bet they win their suite.

 

Sorry to jump in, but if I saw hidden jewellery in a false bottom can , I could understand it, its precious maybe sentimental and also expensive and you want to keep it safe, but why legal tobacco? if its legal he could have walked on with the stuff in his pocket

[LittleMissMagic]

I know those! They are made by the same company that markets the Cuban Cigar Runners!

 

Don't forget the Chiuaua Runners for people that want to sneak their pets onboard.! ;)

 

Eric

 

Too funny!

[RnBluvher]

I'm far from a cruise expert having only been on soon to be my third but here is my 2c...

Was it stupid to hide it? Absolutely. Should they have been allowed to board after the test was negative AND offering to dispose of it? Absolutely. How many confiscated items has a cruise line taken (rum runners, rum walkers, rum joggers, irons, heating pads, microwaves) and NOT kicked anyone off the ship? Just sayin...

[johneeo]

I am 100% sure she knew about it. She wouldn't have asked him...huh...what's that other can of hairspray?

 

I have been 100% supportive of the couple.

 

Hey, you want to bring tobacco on a cruise in a dive bag or any other container, that is your right to do so.

 

But, a man taking hairspray on a cruise?:eek: That is a violation. Real men do not use hairspray.

[reallyitsmema]

Because she didn't know what to do and wanted help?

No one here was ever going to be able to help here without the whole story. Even with all the facts, her best option would have been to seek legal counsel. Hopefully, she has done that, finally.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

 

Popeye's Pipe was more like THIS!!:D

[sredish]

And a "hookah" IS a pipe sredfish...a water pipe. He did not have a hookah. The variety of tobacco was named "Hookah summer something" there was no hookah involved. The pipe did not test positive either evidently.:rolleyes:[/size][/font]

 

I already corrected my mistake on my original post about ten minutes ago. My fingers were flying faster than my brain. And it isn't sredfish. ;)

[nicolen1101]

Just a thought - since the OP seems to be entirely innocent, except by association, perhaps she should fight to get them to refund HER HALF of the cruise fare?

 

No she had the option of still going without him, but chose not to. Can't blame her for not wanting to cruise alone for her anniversary. But that arguments gone.

[foxgoodrich]

Interesting....I have one of those cans and have often packed it to keep jewelry in when I travel. I usually don't pack anything in it when I put it in the luggage since I carry my jewelry in my purse or carry-on initially. I wonder if this makes me 'high risk'.....

Judy

[DaveG99]

If someone wanted to bring an illegal substance to smoke on board it would be very easy. All you would have to do is roll some very nice looking joints and put them in your cigarette pack. Or fill the cigarettes with the stuff or the easiest of all is to just put it in your pockets. They dont search your pockets when returning to the ship. I doubt the guy had intentions to use a false bottom shaving cream can to smuggle stuff onto the ship from the ports. Why would you bring a can of anything off the ship in the first place.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

 

I wonder if they'd let THIS GUY on board??:D

[LittleMissMagic]

No she had the option of still going without him, but chose not to. Can't blame her for not wanting to cruise alone for her anniversary. But that arguments gone.

 

Oh, I must've missed that part. It wasn't in the article, and I didn't read entirely through that ridiculous thread.

 

The article states - "But because they were denied boarding for breaching the guest conduct policy, Royal Caribbean's Martinez says they will not receive a refund for the cruise, on which the couple say they spent almost $3,000."

 

Her husband was denied boarding for breaking the guest conduct policy. Not Mary. She should be refunded.

[reallyitsmema]

If someone wanted to bring an illegal substance to smoke on board it would be very easy. All you would have to do is roll some very nice looking joints and put them in your cigarette pack. Or fill the cigarettes with the stuff or the easiest of all is to just put it in your pockets. They dont search your pockets when returning to the ship. I doubt the guy had intentions to use a false bottom shaving cream can to smuggle stuff onto the ship from the ports. Why would you bring a can of anything off the ship in the first place.

As long as you don't walk past any friendly dogs who decide to sit down beside you, it might work.:rolleyes:

[BecciBoo]

Oops! My bad sredish:D

[JBert]

1. She didn't tell everyone the whole story, and misconstrued the facts (unless the article is wrong?). The bag was originally inside a dive gear bag according to the other thread.

 

2. They hid a "substance" and a pipe that is often associated with drug use inside a false bottom can.

 

She lost credibility, and they deserve what they got just based upon their stupidity.

 

 

Excuse me while I go prepare my drugs to be inserted in a more secure location for my vacation. joke

[PH8]

Well I agree with this statement. Knowing what I know about Cruise Critic threads, it was really stupid to even mention it.

 

I do think it was poor judgment, but again, they were unfarely penalized.

 

And a "hookah" IS a pipe sredfish...a water pipe. He did not have a hookah. The variety of tobacco was named "Hookah summer something" there was no hookah involved. The pipe did not test positive either evidently.:rolleyes:

Ok,Im no expert on hookah,but if he had hookah tobacco,wouldnt he be smoking it like hookah(using a pipe like below)?? Not sure why you say no hookah was involved:confused:

 

She hesitated to answer what her husband was going to smoke it with...she finally responded "with a pipe like Popeye used"....I don't ever remember Popeye using a "chamber-type pipe"

 

Do a search on Google for chamber-type pipe...this is what the results look like:

 

 

All I say is she lied about one thing.....so I tend not to believe other things she said..

[Paulxyz2004]

I thought we didn´t know the whole story after reading the thread, now some more information is revealed and while we know a bit more now I still think there´s even more information.

 

Doesn´t look good for Hager and DH IMO.

[BecciBoo]

I guess this will get another 100k posts within 3 days again. But at least we can all agree on one thing....it was pretty interesting.

[PH8]

The Popeye I used to watch on Sat. morning on KTLA would not be caught dead with a pipe lke this, he was no Fancy-Man!!!:D

Brutus would beat the crap outta him!:p

[hazeleyez3]

The more I think about it-those that smuggle alcohol on and just think they are going to the naughty room may find themselves waiving the ship goodbye!! :eek:

 

According to the contract, people who smuggle alcohol are subject to discipline. That discipline should include refusal to board.

 

Alcohol

 

For purposes of complying with the minimum drinking age requirements, a guest’s age is established upon boarding at the beginning of the cruise vacation. If a guest celebrates their birthday during the cruise vacation, and thereby becomes of age to consume alcohol, the guest may thereafter ask the Guest Services Manager to modify ship’s records to permit their consumption of alcohol during the remainder of the vacation. The guest will be required to appear at Guest Services to present a valid

government-issued form of identification to permit verification of their age. No guest under age 18 may possess or consume alcohol at any time while onboard. No guest under age 21 may possess or consume alcohol at our private destinations. Any guest who goes ashore and consumes alcohol (whether under the supervision of a parent/guardian or not, is responsible for ensuring they consume responsibly and retain their ability to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations when they return to the ship. Parents/guardians are reminded they are responsible for the actions of their child/young adult at all times while on a Royal Caribbean International cruise vacation. Guests who violate any alcohol policy, including but not limited to underage drinking; providing alcohol to minors or young adults; possessing, concealing or attempting to conceal alcoholic items in their luggage, when boarding or while onboard; engaging in alcohol drinking games; or failing to consume alcohol responsibly, will be considered for discipline under the provisions of this policy.

[CP3o]

I would NOT be questioning her credibility if she included it the first day of posting....... 'we were stupid, we thought loose leave tobacco might look like something else so we put it in hairspray concealed container but it was really halo's xyx bought the week before at abc store.'

 

But, the delay in information and hiding the way it was concealed, makes her credibility suspect. They could have been searching for a tobacco product that it reasonably could have been for their story. Because of these two things, I'd guess it was really a treated tobacco product meant to produce a high. It may be legal in some states and likely the port couldn't test for those synthetic chemicals.

 

So, without proof it's Halo (we can assume it is but I would have been more likely to make that assumption if it were offered quicker), we can guess that it's legal, but could be deemed dangerous. Sort of like guns. I'm not a pot smoker but from what I've read, the imitation pot is much more scary than the real thing. Using it could require serious medical attention.

 

I still think they should have lectured them like crazy and tossed their container (so they couldn't smuggle anything back) and they would have been good pax for RCCL to make some money off of. Second to that, if kick them off, give them their money back so they don't start a PR nightmare. Now they are in the position of needing to prove it wasn't regular tobacco but they don't have the product. I can't picture this happening again but if it does, RCCL should keep a sample.

[LittleMissMagic]

If someone wanted to bring an illegal substance to smoke on board it would be very easy. All you would have to do is roll some very nice looking joints and put them in your cigarette pack. Or fill the cigarettes with the stuff or the easiest of all is to just put it in your pockets. They dont search your pockets when returning to the ship. I doubt the guy had intentions to use a false bottom shaving cream can to smuggle stuff onto the ship from the ports. Why would you bring a can of anything off the ship in the first place.

 

That's a very good point.

 

Different cruiseline, but I know for fact that there were teenagers smoking weed onboard our Carnival cruise. They would get the weed from the islands and bring it onboard with them - in their pockets, totally unnoticed. They dealt in the teen club. I thought it was funny that the people from my roll call were bragging about their children having such a grand time in the teen club. I wanted to ask, 'You do know why they were having a good time, right?'

 

If he really wanted to smuggle something, this was clearly his first time. Next time, take lessons from the kids.