'Burst into tears': Don't make this 'stupid' mistake when boarding a cruise ship
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You may not realise that getting on a cruise ship has a similar level of security to boarding a plane.
Travellers must put your bags through X-ray machines, show their passport and make sure they meet all the biosecurity rules.
Though (thankfully), unlike on international flights you can bring some liquids such as wine.
READ MORE: One thing you should 'absolutely not' do if you're heading on a cruise
A ship at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal. Getty
However, it's easy to forget this when you're not at an airport, but a cruise terminal.
And I found out the hard way in Sydney.
I was boarding a ship for a party and despite not actually setting sail, everyone had to go through the same process.
However, what I did got me pulled over for a telling off by the ABF.
READ MORE: Cruise ship worker reveals parts of the ship guests don't get to see
You see, I'd just interviewed a very rude celebrity back on the quayside.
They're sneered at my questions, laughed at me as I tried to recover and generally had just been really mean.
So, I was a little rattled.
And I also wanted to tell my colleague what just happened.
So there I was, walking and texting and paying very little attention as I wandered through security to get on the ship.
I may even have called my husband.
Passengers boarding a cruise ship have to go through security. Getty
And the officers were not happy.
I was ordered to get off my phone, which I did.
And I started paying attention as I put my stuff through the X-ray machine.
But as I went to collect it, I was pulled over.
The officer took great delight in telling me he could actually refuse me entry to the ship.
But this time, he said he would let me go.
I shuffled off, burst into tears and waited for my husband, who was already on board, to come and find me.
I felt stupid, because there's no way I'd have behaved like that at an airport.
So the next time you board a cruise ship, do take it all seriously.
Cruise ships at Port Miami cruise terminal. Getty
I've also made a dumb packing mistake on a cruise too.
If you're not familiar with cruises, while you can take on small bags yourself, larger suitcases are generally handed to crew as you check in at the port.
They are then all loaded on and delivered to your cabin in a few hours. Obviously with thousands of passengers to cater for, it can take some time.
But on previous cruises, I've never had to wait long.
However, this time, that was not the case. As the minutes ticked by, our luggage failed to appear.
To add to the stress, we were due to attend the ship's christening ceremony, and we only had the travel clothes we'd boarded in.
READ MORE: How to cruise to Antarctica - without spending tens of thousands of dollars
That 'touch of aqua' on the dress code was not going to happen, because my glittery jumpsuit was nowhere to be seen.
I just had to go in my travel clothes.
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