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Prescription Medications


Lora

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RCCL won't care, if customs got nosey upon returning they may question, but the qty would be so small and the pill minder packing should take care of it.

 

I always use the pill minder but I take a label photo of the originals with me.

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I carry 5 prescriptions with me at all time and have been told by customs that they have to be in the original bottle, dated within the last six months. I tried to carry a pill caddy and customs said it was fine as long as the pills were in the original bottle, DUH, why would I take a caddy if I have to take the bottles.

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I'm not speaking to the rules, but strictly my experiences...

 

Between my wife and I we have a number of meds (OTC stuff 'just in case' for headaches, allergies, etc as well as scripts) and rarely have the original containers.  I've even brought multi-dose vials and a package of needles and syringes through customs in several countries.  No one cared even a little.

 

I've transported pre-workout mix (a white powder) in unmarked containers, and while they've swabbed it for explosives residue, they did nothing more.

 

TSA in particular has said their not in the business of drug enforcement.  Overall, while customs might light to care, I can't imagine they want to get into an argument with someone about them not having their bottles with them, trying to take meds away, and then having someone run into a medical issue that can be pinned on customs or other entities.  Anyone could put anything in a pill bottle anyway.  Now, if you're carrying 500 pills/tablets, probably a bit different.

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WHStoneman, you are SO right about taking your prescription medication with you.  I have a friend who just got back from an NCL cruise.  It's a very long story but due to AIRLINE f-ups, he did not get his luggage before he sailed.  They (airlines) kept telling him, "it (his luggage) will meet you at the next port" and with each and every port stop - nothing.  So he was on this cruise without anything...including his medication.

 

He had to make 2 very expensive (and time-consuming) visits to the ship's physician(s) (who changed, mid-sailing...who knew that a ship's doctor would change mid-cruise ??.  Learned something new) to get prescriptions to be filled in different ports.

 

Now...did he know better ?  YES !  ...but he didn't follow his own "best practices" and paid a dear price.  I'll bet he won't make that mistake again !

 

BTW, he did not get his luggage for more than 2 weeks after he left for his cruise.  God only knows where it had been all that time...but I learned ANOTHER lesson from this - never trust the airlines when they tell you that your luggage will meet you at the next port. 

 

Apparently NCL was extremely gracious to him over all of this even though it was in NO way their fault.  They gave him free laundry service and  some OBC to purchase necessities.  He also said that the Guest Services Manager, with whom he worked ALL week trying to get this solved, was very gracious and actually told the airlines representative "you're lying to my guest !" when they ONCE AGAIN said that the luggage would be at the next port. Of course, it wasn't there, as he had predicted.

 

DO NOT PACK YOUR MEDICATION IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE !

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Raye,

 

If he was flying out of Phoenix, it was sitting in a parking lot at the airport for over 3 hours before several airlines decided to rent trucks and drive it to the closest airport. On the news they talked about many people were cruise passengers going out of San Diego, Los Angeles, etc. and might not see their luggage until halfway through the cruise.

 

I always take my meds with me in a carry on, clearly labeled, in the original bottles.

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This thread make me happy to be living in Asia. While prescription drug laws are here they are not really enforced. The only thing that is very hard here in the Philippines is narcotic drugs, anything else just walk into the Drug Store and tell them the correct name and dosage. Pill bottles with names and information on them are a Western thing we get cards of pills here. Never had a problem but if I travel to very hard line countries like the Middle East or trips to US, I stop in the doctors office and get him to sign off on my supply list.  It has been years now that I always travel with a general supply of meds, much easier to have antibiotics, and other emergency supplies in your bag.   

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We have been on about 12 cruises and always carry our daily meds in a pill tray.  Customs has never questioned it yet but by the time the cruise is over the pill tray is empty. We also carrry a wide spectrum antibiotic and a mild prescription pain killer to use in an emergency but they are in the original labeled bottles.  I think Monorailmedic is correct,  they are looking for the large amounts of drugs someone is trying to sneak in.

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I have 4 medical diseases that cause the need for me to have about 10 different prescriptions. 

 

I always use a pill box/reminder but I always get a letter from my dr listing the prescriptions, doses and instructions of each. 

I make a few copies, keep original with me, leave one in my carry on and one in my actual luggage. (No idea why I do that). 

 

I have traveled across country, outside the mainland US and been on 3 cruises. I have yet to have any issues. 

 

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