Carnival Cruise Line passengers arrested for drug smuggling

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Carnival Cruise Line passengers arrested for drug smuggling originally appeared on TravelHost.
No matter where you're traveling on a cruise, it's essential to read up both on local laws in your cruise ports of call and your cruise line's rules and restrictions.
Even though marijuana is legal in some states and parts of the world, cruise lines sailing from the U.S. like Carnival follow U.S. federal law, which strictly prohibits possession of marijuana and other illegal substances. This means that marijuana, cannabis, and cannabis derivatives such as Cannabidiol (CBD) products used for medicinal purposes are prohibited on board cruise ships.In some ports that Carnival and other cruise lines visit, these substances are illegal, too, and attempting to bring them into certain cruise destinations can come with severe penalties.
A group of passengers who recently sailed on one Carnival Cruise Line ship are now learning exactly how harsh those penalties can be after they were found in possession of multiple packages containing drugs. Authorities believe they intended to smuggle those drugs into the cruise destination.Bermuda police arrest four Carnival cruise passengers for drugs
Four Carnival Cruise Line passengers have been arrested and detained by authorities in Bermuda after they were found in possession of illegal drugs on board a ship sailing a Bermuda cruise from the U.S. The passengers are accused of trying to smuggle drugs onto the island.
'Four U.S. cruise ship passengers were arrested upon arrival in Bermuda after Carnival Cruise Lines security detained them for possession of a significant quantity of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, believed intended for distribution on the island,' Bermuda Police Service said in a July 22 announcement.Items seized from the Carnival cruise passengers included:
Multiple compressed cannabis packages
One package containing carfentanyl
Vape pens
Suspected THC gummies
'Carfentanyl is about 100 times stronger than fentanyl and was originally used to sedate large animals like elephants. Even tiny amounts can be deadly. This seizure may have prevented a potential tragedy,' Acting Detective Superintendent Derricka Burns said in a statement.
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Cruise passengers face harsh drug penalties in Bermuda
The Bermuda Police Service works with cruise lines and other partners to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country and enforce its strict local drug laws. The U.S. State Department cautions cruise travelers about this in the Bermuda international travel information it provides on its website.
'Bermuda Customs routinely boards visiting cruise ships with drug sniffing dogs and will arrest persons found to have any illegal drugs in their cabin. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Bermuda are severe, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and/or heavy fines. Having a prescription for marijuana or any other drug currently illegal in Bermuda will not protect you from arrest or prosecution for possession of that illegal drug,' the State Department warns.Earlier this year, a Royal Caribbean passenger was fined $2,500 for bringing cannabis and cocaine into Bermuda. In that case, the passenger did not realize cannabis was illegal in Bermuda and mistakenly brought it in for personal use. She likely would have faced harsher penalties had she not been cooperative and immediately admitted the offense.
Along with issuing her a hefty fine, the judge delivered a stern warning to always do your research when traveling to another country.
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This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.