Passengers might be surprised to learn that nearly every cruise ship has a brig, or small jail onboard.

Although it’s unlikely guests will be locked away in the brig, it could happen if passengers break some of the ship’s rules.

In extreme cases, guests could be removed from the ship at the next port and handed over to local police.

Passengers could also be banned from the cruise line or be reported to local authorities back home.

Express.co.uk spoke to Yasmin Pekel, cruise expert and owner of Blue Cruise, to find out how passengers could find themselves in trouble.

Contraband

Yasmin said: “Always look into the rules and local laws of your cruise ship and the countries you’ll be visiting on your trip.

“While some items might be obviously illegal, such as drugs, weapons and fake documents, some countries have banned certain foods. A quick Google should help you to assess any contraband and keep you out of trouble.”

Australia has particularly tough laws on food and fresh items and one cruise passenger recently found themselves in trouble for breaking the rules. The guest was slapped with a £1,800 fine for attempting to bring several banned items, including a straw hat, into the country.

Guests could also land themselves in trouble for trying to take fresh fruit or sandwiches from the ship’s buffet. The ship’s crew should be able to help guests with the rules.

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Inappropriate behaviour

Yasmin said: “Cruise ships are meant to be a place where all guests can safely enjoy themselves and relax.

“As such, inappropriate behaviour such as disobeying staff, harassing other guests, and smoking in non-smoking areas could lead to consequences. These could be as minor as a warning, but repeated actions could lead to a fine, or worse, your removal accompanied by a ban from the cruise line.”

Cruise ships will usually have designated smoking areas and guests aren’t allowed to smoke on their own balconies.

This is because a cigarette could be a fire hazard or irritate other guests as they try to enjoy their balcony.

Drinking too much

Yasmin added: “Always remember to drink plenty of water when drinking, especially if you are on top deck in the sun all day.

“Any guests that are belligerent or need medical attention due to overdoing their drinking are likely to be reprimanded, especially if their behaviour impacts or upsets other guests.” Although some cruise ships allow guests to drink a lot, passengers should be careful of how much they drink.

As well as irritating other guests, passengers could put themselves at risk of injury, including falling overboard.

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