I travelled with a family of 6, using 3 staterooms. After embarking and waiting a few hours all the luggage had arrived except mine. I didn't bother at the time as I expected it would eventually turn up. However just after 10pm, our stateroom attendant spotted me walking along the corridor and shouted rather loudly that my suitcase was being held due to the alcohol I had inside. I found this to be rather strange as I am tee total and certainly didn't bring any alcohol with me.

Down to deck 2 I go. I am met by a lady wearing a suit and two rather large security guards in uniform who look rather menacing. I see my suitcase there and someone has stuck a large sticker with a picture of a whisky bottle on to my suitcase. I point out my suitcase. The lady says it is not RC policy to allow alcohol on board and I need to let the security men search my case and remove it. I tell her they are mistaken and there is no alcohol inside. She replies that it has been seen on the X_ray. I repeat that they are mistaken and ask if they can please remove the sticker and give me back my suitcase. She says I can only get my suitcase once the security guards have searched it so I smile and tell them to go ahead.

After rummaging around in my case and spoiling my neatly folded clothes, the two guards look at each other blankly. I ask if they are having any luck. Obviously there was no alcohol there. I did try to tell them that. The first guy looks at me and says " OK, you are free to go ". " Oh no I say, it's not OK. It's pretty far from OK, and I don't need your permission to go. I then ask who put the sticker on my case cos I want that person to take it off again. I also ask why they were so sure that there was alcohol inside and how they could make such a mistake. But it's no use asking as they all go silent on me. No one apologises. I tell them that all they have done is embarrass me but the lady tells me it's alright now and asks me not to make a fuss. I tell her to get her boss straight away but she doesn't. I end up taking my case away and carrying it up to my stateroom. Not a great start to the cruise. Read more