This was our second time on Celebrity and 3rd time to Bermuda. We were humiliated. Bermuda authorities came on board and asked to search our cabin for drugs. It was so called a random search - the only people "randomly" searched were passengers/crew members of certain ethnicity.

They had me, my husband and my daughter leave the cabin so they could search for drugs. My 12 year old daughter was traumatized by this event. They had no reasonable cause to search our cabin and Celebrity never informed the passengers that this was a possibility.

We will never travel with Celebrity again nor will we go to Bermuda. We later learned by one of Celebrity's crew members that Bermuda has been having a problem with drugs and as such the red flag goes up when people from Dominican Republic, Columbia or Jamaica visit Bermuda. My husband has a Dominican passport. We consider this racial profiling and we believe that Celebrity should not have allowed any such search without asking if they had a reasonable cause. Celebrity never showed any empathy to our situation when we complained of our humiliation and acted as if we were "a bother".

From this review.

Anybody ever heard of a similar incident?

Magistrate tells NJ man to enjoy himself, but 'don't bring drugs' here
An American caught with cocaine and cannabis in his cruise-ship cabin has been handed $5,125 in fines. Kevin Broadwater, 47, was collared during a drugs bust on the Zenith cruise ship after it docked in Hamilton on Monday.
Crown Counsel Anthony Blackman told Magistrate's Court yesterday Police visited the ship, which had sailed from New Jersey, along with a dog which alerted them to the defendant's cabin.
When the cabin was searched, the officers discovered 5.72 grams of cocaine, and 11.28 grams of cannabis with an estimated total value of $1175. Broadwater – who told the court he is a salesman of collectable dolls – was in the cabin when the Police arrived. Edward King said of his client: "He says he's not a habitual drug abuser but this was his anniversary trip and he thought that he would experiment so that he could better enjoy his anniversary with his wife."
Broadwater, of Carol Street, Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to importing cocaine into Bermuda and importing cannabis to the Island. He also admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possessing a plastic straw for the misuse of a controlled drug but pleaded not guilty to possessing cannabis, and the prosecution offered no evidence on this count.
Senior magistrate Archibald Warner told Broadwater that he was considering fining him $500,000 to which the defendant replied: "I cannot pay that. I apologise for not realising there was no tolerant law in this country."
Magistrate Warner warned Broadwater: "We want you tourists to come and enjoy yourselves but don't bring drugs into this country – that's a lesson that must be learned.""

From The Royal Gazette.

1920's Prohibition in the USA was a dangerous farce that expanded organized crime from local rackets to international proportions.

wanna stop drug use: medicalize it on the hard stuff, regulate marijuana under alcohol statutes.
www.norml.org

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
The authorities can do what they want when a ship enters their ports. If one has nothing to hide why worry. It's like a search at the airport.
Curbing the drug problems in Bermuda is a big thing for them.
I wouldn't hold anything against Celebrity as they where cooperating with the port authority. IMHO!!
F4

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People belonging to a minority can be very 'etchy' (if this is the word)/nervous about being treated in an unpleasant way only because they are a minority. From this text I read there were no other indications that drugs could be in their cabin. People belonging to the majority don't feel this, and so sometimes social problems and frictions can begin.

It is all a very difficult and complex problem.

I do think the "Celebrity" people, after all belonging to a line that calls itself "premium" should have been more sensitive to this, and in their reaction to these passengers. "Premium" lies not only in the softness of the cushions or the beefsteaks, but also in the approach to sensitive problems.

Bottom line is; once a ship is in a nation's waters and ports, it is governed by the laws of that nation.;; if their authorities decide to search a ship, then that's the way it is !!! It matters none at all whether this is a Celebrity ship, Carnival, Costa's or even Donald Trump's yatch; If the authorities choose to search, they will search .
Two options: 1/ go with the flow or 2/ fight it off and allow the episode to have a negative effect on your life.
The cruise company has absolutely no bearing on this issue.
AND, as another poster correctly said, if one has nothing to hide, then,what's the problem ???
To look for a perpspective that is not there in a random search is simply '' sweating the small stuff'' at one's own expense....

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Originally posted by 911BOSS:
Think what Arabs must be going through everytime they walk out of their houses in Europe or USA.

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Unfortunately a few fanatic religious addicted clerics and and some gullible followers spoil it for the mainstream Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

Law Enforcement authorities spend too much time going after casual users and ignore violent crime and more serious offences. It is like a bully going after the smallest kid in the class.

Murderers are let out on the streets where non violent drug offenders are doing serious time.

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desirod7 wrote:
...Law Enforcement authorities spend too much time going after casual users and ignore violent crime and more serious offences. It is like a bully going after the smallest kid in the class...

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That’s true, but if the authorities didn’t police at all it would be far worse...look at the example that Pascal gave. If the Italian police (Polizia and also the Carabinieri) or the Guardia di Finanza (the Customs and Tax police) didn’t do their job at borders people would be using international entry points smuggling all sorts of things. Unfortunately these guys patrolling have a hard time, they are continuously under pressure and stress. They could be dead tomorrow shot by some common criminal or terrorist. Best thing is to cooperate and let things go and pray that your friends and fellow passengers are clean.

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...Anyone who believes they can stop illegal drug flow is living in a fool's paradise.

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It is not convenient to stop illegal drugs as there is too much money involved and as long as there is greed it won’t stop. That’s the nature of man.

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But what surprises me is:

"They had me, my husband and my daughter leave the cabin so they could search for drugs."

Luggage can be searched at UK airports without the owner being present.. so there are exceptions. I think searches that are drug related come under a set of rules specifically for that purpose too?

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Originally posted by PamM:

Luggage can be searched at UK airports without the owner being present.. so there are exceptions. I think searches that are drug related come under a set of rules specifically for that purpose too?

Pam

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Originally posted by PamM:
It's only in the US luggage is supposed to be unlocked. Here we lock it [unless travelling to the US]. BA state on their website they will try and only search in your presence, but there is the right to search in one's absence if you are not available.

Pam

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