Clients who want to party hearty -- and perhaps sneak some cannabis or another illegal substance into their cabin -- should be advised, "don't even think about it."
Many countries take a tough stance against even very small quantities of controlled substances. Cruisers who say, "Oh I won't take it ashore so it's okay," should know the facts.
Bermuda is particularly aggressive, with authorities even boarding ships and searching some cabins while cruisers are ashore.
In the latest news, two Americans, Edwin Berg and Stephen Caron, separately faced a Bermuda judge this week after pleading guilty for possession of a controlled drug; both passengers were guests on a Norwegian Dawn cruise.
They were ordered to pay $1,000 in fines or face 100 days in jail.According to the Royal Gazette, an island newspaper, Bermuda customs officials uncovered 13 grams of cannabis in Berg's cabin and five grams of cannabis in Caron's cabin.
Agents may read the story here: http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20130514/NEWS02/705139942
If larger quantities of any controlled substance are found, the fines can be hefty. In one recent case, the fine was $10,000. In another, a man convicted of cocaine possession was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
So, the moral of the story for clients is... "just don't."