Rx and OTC Meds

[happycamper47]

Not for air travel, but it is required for border crossing :

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1160?language=en_US#:~:text=If your medications or devices,medication entering the United States.

It says "should be" not "must be"... In all the times I've crossed the Canadian border by RV or car, including 3 DCL cruises on the bus out of Seattle, it has never been an issue. Our RV was given a random search twice, all they cared about was dog food, chicken and eggs...

 

[o&smom]

Not for air travel, but it is required for border crossing :

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1160?language=en_US#:~:text=If your medications or devices,medication entering the United States.

That is only for prescription drugs, which makes sense. Prescription needed for those. Nothing about vitamins or supplements.

 

[lanejudy]

It's obviously not Federally Mandated.

There are at least 3 Federal agencies with varying rules about entering the US. In addition to the TSA (which is flying/airports) are CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Nothing about vitamins or supplements.

Vitamins and supplements in the US are largely unregulated. As long as the base ingredient isn’t banned the product is probably fine. Someone above mentioned herbs and that may depend on the form — fresh or dried herbs are considered plant or agriculture and could be restricted (same reason you can’t take fresh fruit off the ship or why you can buy flowers onboard but not bring them off). Herbal supplements in pill form are probably not a problem as long as the base ingredient isn’t banned.


Enforcement likely varies. Just pointing out there are rules outside of DCL’s control and travelers should make their own informed decisions.

 

[happycamper47]

There are at least 3 Federal agencies with varying rules about entering the US. In addition to the TSA (which is flying/airports) are CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

If mandated or law it would be enforced equally across all branches of Govt. There is a difference between departmental rules and laws.

 

[lanejudy]

If mandated or law it would be enforced equally across all branches of Govt. There is a difference between departmental rules and laws.

I’m not sure your point unless it’s just to argue.

 

[scrappinginontario]

The word in my FB group is that, per DCL, they are now strictly requiring ALL meds, from prescription to vitamins to Pepto, be carried in ORIGINAL marked containers and brought on the ship in your carry-on. Anything not in original containers will be CONFISCATED! So, for those of us who take a lot of meds and use a pill sorter, or buy our vitamins at Costco, we're getting a little screwed. Many seasoned cruisers have never done this before, and I couldn't personally find anything on the DCL website. What has been the recent experience of others lately?

I used a weekly pill organizer last month with no problems at all.

One slot carried Advil, another Tylenol, etc. I also keep a small container of various mixed meds in my backpack which went on and off the ship numerous times without problem.

 

[SleepyDeb]

We are Seniors. Between my husband and I, if we brought everything in original bottles, we’d need an extra roller board bag. Most of our medication’s come from mail away and are in large bottles. If they destroyed our meds, my husband would have a seizure within a few days and I’d be having a variety of issues that would probably land me in the hospital.

We’ve taken DCL with pill organizers before with no issue. We’re going again in 3 mos. If DCL doesn’t want to risk a lot of very very sick people on their ships, they would need to communicate this change in implementing a policy very clearly directly to the passengers, not third hand through a message board that people may or may not see.

Disney is not stupid. They don’t want a ton of medical emergencies on their ships. This leads me to the conclusion that this may be official policy (although I have never read that before, despite looking many times) but they’re not changing the way they implement it. This leads me to the conclusion that this may be official policy, but they’re not changing the way they implement it.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Normally the quantity of a medication will be flagged not a travel pill container. Although I have the pharmacy print duplicate labels. It's never been necessary but a rather precaution.

 

[dioxide45]

The word in my FB group is that, per DCL, they are now strictly requiring ALL meds, from prescription to vitamins to Pepto, be carried in ORIGINAL marked containers and brought on the ship in your carry-on. Anything not in original containers will be CONFISCATED! So, for those of us who take a lot of meds and use a pill sorter, or buy our vitamins at Costco, we're getting a little screwed. Many seasoned cruisers have never done this before, and I couldn't personally find anything on the DCL website. What has been the recent experience of others lately?

What I find with many FB groups or forums is that one person has one experience with one security officer or representative and now that is the rule for all. Generally while these rules are in place, they are never applied evenly for everyone and in many cases they are completely ignored. Every report from a random person on the internet has to be treated accordingly.

 

[lvmymcky]

Was on the Wonder (Wednesday-Sunday), I take 4 prescription meds and were all in my pill sorter. I did just take enough to cover the duration of the cruise and so by the time the cruise ended my pill sorter was empty.

 

[Bee2u]

No issues two weeks ago. I have a travel pill organizer, about the size of two decks of cards, for things like vitamins, melatonin, probiotics, and ibuprofen. It was in my carry-on luggage.

Same here. We sailed Apr. 8 - 15. I had my prescription pills and some vitamins in my pill organizer (in my backpack) and nobody even took a second glance.

 

[soniam]

Are they digging stuff out of checked luggage or just carry-on? It would really suck to have to bring glass bottles, some big enough to hold 180 large pills, for 3 or more vitamins! Yes, I take a lot of vitamins. I have some vitamin deficiencies that cannot be met through food intake alone.

 

[Flcruising]

The word in my FB group is that, per DCL, they are now strictly requiring ALL meds, from prescription to vitamins to Pepto, be carried in ORIGINAL marked containers and brought on the ship in your carry-on. Anything not in original containers will be CONFISCATED!

CONFISCATED... you mean Disney is allowing people to go on their ships without medication? Think about that. They would be more likely to deny the person boarding. not simply confiscate their medicine. They wouldn't keep medication then allow them to board and risk medical issues and emergencies in the middle of the ocean. I don't believe a lot of stuff people say on Facebook. Do you ?
Never seen this enforced on cruises out of FL.
No issues or even second looks out of port Canaveral 2 weeks ago.

 

[OpieDoodle]

I always worried about this so when we sail I make sure all prescriptions are in their original bottles. I travel with a small old tylenol bottle that I fill with tylenol, ibuprophen, benedryl, pepto pils, heartburn pills, allergy meds, etc. No probably not the safest or most ideal but my thoughts are for a cruise I likely only would need a couple of each and I won't be carrying 6+ bottles for things I *might* need. Worst case they confiscate it and if I end up needing it I know all of that is something I can get on board.

Basically, anything I can live without I throw in one bottle. The life or death essentials stay in their original packaging. That's what works for us

 

[tvguy]

Wonder if this is related to what cruise vloggers have been reporting regarding cruises to Mexico? Apparently some/all/many drugs that require a prescription in the U.S. did not require one in Mexico until recently. Actually, I guess you need a Doctor's note now in Mexico. Some passengers are mad that the cruise lines didn't warn them they couldn't buy drugs in Mexico anymore at will. Not like the cruise line controls that.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Some passengers are mad that the cruise lines didn't warn them they couldn't buy drugs in Mexico anymore at will.

Not really something that I'd expect a cruise line to monitor or notify passengers about.

 

[lanejudy]

Not really something that I'd expect a cruise line to monitor or notify passengers about.

I think that's the point, though. There are laws (technically maybe "regulations" but regulations from a federal agency are considered as laws) regarding transportation/importation of both prescription and non-prescription medications/supplements/etc. even for personal use. Those are not cruiseline rules. The cruiseline isn't expected to enforce anything, but the cruiseline does have the rule as someone posted previously, and that rule is due to the underlying US laws.

As to whether US law enforcement -- mainly Customs & Border Patrol but possibly others -- even bother checking mundane cruise passengers for such items is where YMMV. Most often, probably not. But if you happen to be debarking a cruise at a point when they've decided to check and enforce, well that's on the passenger.

Apparently some/all/many drugs that require a prescription in the U.S. did not require one in Mexico until recently.

I'm not familiar with the vloggers but this is a real issue. Many products only available by prescription in the US are non-prescription (and usually much cheaper) in Mexico (and many other countries). It is not legal to buy and bring into the US even for personal use in small amounts.