Thread: Cruise vacation with your straight razor?

For reference, Carnival Cruise simply states "no blades over 4 inches in legnth". I checked in and put in the security tray a folding pocket knife, no one said a thing. I also asked security on the ship and they said they didn't know the policy! I was cautious about getting off the ship with a knife as one must remember you are in other countries and their laws are different.

So, a straight razor should get through security, however, ask yourself the question do you REALLY want to use one while on a boat? I don't care how large the boat, it rocks, rolls, swayy and bumps. I'm pretty sure you don't want your razor sitting on top of your jugular when the ship decides to shake! I would suggest a safety razor of some sort for the week. I also asked in the spa's that most ships have on board if they do straight shaves and they said absolutely not due to the unpredictable ship movement.

All sailors shaved with razors back in the days, and a modern cruiseship are rather steady. Just don't shave if there is a storm

Originally Posted by Einar

All sailors shaved with razors back in the days, and a modern cruiseship are rather steady. Just don't shave if there is a storm

Unless they were bearded

I used one many years ago on cruises when the ships were only 40,000 tons. Now the ships are 100,000 tons and larger. Never had a problem. Even with the upstroke on the neck. Thanks anyway for the concern.

Have fun then, and I'll be watching the "Cut of the Day" forum post to catch updates!

I would treat cruises the same as an airline whenever I travel I use the Mach 3 on my face and the head blade to shave my head

Originally Posted by fcb2001

I would treat cruises the same as an airline whenever I travel I use the Mach 3 on my face and the head blade to shave my head

I disagree. The cruise takes several days to weeks, whereas a flight takes hours and you can put your shaving gear in the normal luggage.

Guess nobody was shaving at that time, I would be worried when I see the SAR choppers circling around!

Never had any problem with my razors at sea or in the air but once the took my pistol in the cockpit,
I was fine with that, gave them the gun and mags... after 20 min of flight they want me to come to the pilots,
they had put a mag in the gun and didn't know how to get it out!

She's doing a pretty good imitation of a destroyer in heavy weather. I think you would be too busy puking your ring bit out to worry about shaving.

Bob

Originally Posted by Pkp1903

For reference, Carnival Cruise simply states "no blades over 4 inches in legnth". I checked in and put in the security tray a folding pocket knife, no one said a thing. I also asked security on the ship and they said they didn't know the policy! I was cautious about getting off the ship with a knife as one must remember you are in other countries and their laws are different.

So, a straight razor should get through security, however, ask yourself the question do you REALLY want to use one while on a boat? I don't care how large the boat, it rocks, rolls, swayy and bumps. I'm pretty sure you don't want your razor sitting on top of your jugular when the ship decides to shake! I would suggest a safety razor of some sort for the week. I also asked in the spa's that most ships have on board if they do straight shaves and they said absolutely not due to the unpredictable ship movement.

The guy who taught me more about straight razors than anybody else, is a merchant seaman and he says it is not a big deal at all. He says he has never put off shaving due to weather, period. I was like, "Really? Even in storms?" and he was like, "What did I just say?" Lol. So don't worry about that. On small boats, yeah, can be a problem. On a 800 foot cruise ship just do it. Brace up against the sink and have at it. But if you are nervous, those single blade BIC disposables with the non-pivoting head give you pretty good control and they shave okay. Me, when I try to shave with cartridges or disposables where the head tilts and pivots and stuff, I get all weirded out. I don't feel like I am controlling the angle any more and now, I feel a real NEED to control it. And the single blade ones don't clog up like my pre-straight favorite, the Mach 3. They probably sell them on the ship.

As for the cruise line confiscating your razor, like others said, they will give it back. But what I would do is get a modified Gold Dollar or a vintage razor from Whipped Dog for cheap. You won't be losing anything precious and irreplaceable even if you do lose it. Keep your good razors at home. Put it this way... just take something that you don't mind losing. Nobody is going to know you are shaving with a junk razor but you will have the satisfaction of shaving the way you like to shave. And your nice razors will still be waiting for you at home. Just be sure to test shave a few times before you go, so you know your expendable straight razor won't expend on you halfway through your cruise!

One trick you could try. Get a note from your doctor saying you have easily irritated skin or you have bad ingrown hairs and you got to shave with a straight razor. It might work if you look like kind of respectable and not like some psycho killer.

Those cruise ships pay absolute crap wages, I am told. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. If your bags are opened and searched, and your straight razor is in its coffin in your shave kit with your strop and mug and brush, very likely the guy won't even know if he should take it or not. And if he does, power of persuasion time. "It's a GROOMING implement! That's what I shave with. That's what my Grandfather shaved with. That's what his Dad shaved with and HIS dad. If I wanted a weapon, I would have a knife. Look, see how easy this thing could close up on your knuckles? Do you want to get in a fight with that?" Some of those guys might be easily put in their place. Some might be stubborn and you would have to take a different approach.

If you carry a DE too, I think you will lose the argument. If you have a DE, then obviously you are okay with shaving with it, and you don't even NEED that dangerous cut throat Sweeney Todd jugular slasher. So maybe don't take a DE.

Of course you could just not shave. Hey, it's a vacation, right?

The reason they won't give you a straight answer is they don't want to be on record saying it is okay cause of the liability, and they don't want you to cancel when they say it is not okay. So they do what my Dad, a lawyer, would tell them to do. Don't say nothing. They want you to just get tired of waiting for an answer, give up and stop bugging them, and buy the stupid ticket already.

Bon Voyage.