Can You Bring Your MMJ Card on a Cruise from Florida? 2025 Rules

If you live in Florida and are a medical marijuana patient, it is important to understand all the rules and guidelines of using and carrying Cannabis. There are many patients who have to travel for work and have to carry their prescribed Cannabis products with them. Many want to know if they can take their prescribed Cannabis with them to a cruise ship.

You must remember that the State of Florida stipulates that you take your valid Medical Marijuana Card with you when carrying Marijuana. However, the rules can be confusing even if you have a legitimate prescription and a state-issued MMJ card. This article explores the 2025 regulation for travelers, especially for patients planning a cruise trip.

State Law vs. Federal Law

Florida allows qualified patients to possess and use medical cannabis under the state’s Medical Marijuana Use law. That’s fine when you’re at home. The issue begins the moment you step onto a cruise ship.

Cruise ports, such as Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, and Port Miami, operate under federal oversight. So even though Florida has legalized medical use, federal law still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance. The second your luggage passes a federal checkpoint, your state MMJ card loses its authority.

Many people assume what’s legal at home follows them on board, but it doesn’t. You must understand the laws to stay compliant with them.

What do the Cruise lines say about medical Marijuana?

All the big cruise companies sailing from Florida all have the same rule: no cannabis of any kind, medicinal or recreational.

Royal Caribbean: Their guest policy bans “marijuana, including medical marijuana and all CBD products.” Even oils or gummies that are labeled “hemp-derived” are treated the same way. If security finds it, it will be confiscated, and you may be denied boarding.

Carnival Cruise Line: The Carnival cruise cannabis policy is equally firm. Marijuana, synthetic drugs, and even CBD products are on their prohibited list. They remind passengers that cruise terminals are federal property and that U.S. maritime law applies.

Disney Cruise Line: If you’re wondering about the Disney cruise marijuana policy, the answer is short: don’t bring it. Disney’s family-oriented ships enforce zero tolerance for any controlled substance.

So whether you sail Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Disney, the rule stays the same: medical cannabis is off-limits at sea.

Why are the rules so strict?

Many patients want to understand why the rules for carrying Medical Marijuana on cruises, even for certified patients, are so strict. There is logic behind the strictness, even if it is frustrating for many.

• Federal jurisdiction: Ships sailing from U.S. ports fall under federal maritime law. Cannabis remains federally illegal.
• International travel: Cruise ships cross into international waters or dock in other countries, many of which have harsh drug laws. The cruise line can’t risk a guest violating local rules.
• Liability: Each cruise ticket comes with a long “contract of carriage.” Hidden in there is the company’s right to deny boarding or remove anyone possessing illegal substances.

From their perspective, allowing medical marijuana on board would open a legal minefield. It’s simpler and safer for them to ban it entirely.

What are the rules about CBD and hemp Products?

Many patients might assume CBD is safe because it’s sold openly in Florida. But cruise lines don’t make that distinction. Under the CBD cruise ship rules, anything containing cannabinoids, THC or not, is prohibited. The issue isn’t potency, it’s legality. There’s no easy way for ship staff or customs officers to test whether your CBD lotion contains 0.3% THC or 3%, so it’s banned across the board. Leave those tinctures and gummies at home. Security will treat them the same way as cannabis.

Port Canaveral and Other Florida Departures

Even though the State of Florida allows legal purchase and use of medicinal Cannabis, you cannot legally bring it aboard a U.S. cruise ship. The cruise line’s policy prohibits all forms of Cannabis, irrespective of the strain and dosage.

Florida’s major cruise ports are under control and governed by federal and port security officers. For instance, Port Canaveral medical marijuana enforcement is strict, and their dogs, trained to detect controlled substances, regularly patrol embarkation areas. Even if your medication is sealed, properly labeled, and prescribed, once you bring it onto federal territory, it can be confiscated.

Can you take Medical Marijuana on a cruise at all?

No, not from Florida or from any other U.S. port in 2025. The same applies to “marijuana friendly cruises”; they simply don’t exist under federal maritime rules. Even if you find marketing for a “cannabis-friendly cruise,” it’s likely referring to a private charter that doesn’t depart from or return to a U.S. port.

Mainstream cruise lines like Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian all enforce complete bans.

Preparing for a cruise in Florida as a Medical Marijuana patient.

A medical marijuana card does not grant an exception to the cruise-line policy or to federal maritime law. So, if you depend on medical marijuana, here’s how to prepare for your trip:

• Talk to your doctor well before sailing. Ask about non-cannabis alternatives that are legally allowed onboard.
• Pack your prescriptions in original pharmacy bottles with your name and dosage clearly visible.
• Skip edibles and vape pens altogether. Even hemp-derived ones can raise suspicion.
• Review your ticket contract; it usually lists “prohibited items,” and cannabis is always there.
• Some Caribbean islands have extremely strict penalties for possession, even for small amounts.
• Plan for symptom management. Bring legal over-the-counter remedies if they help you function comfortably during the cruise.

A little preparation can save you from serious stress or being turned away at the port gate.

Always stay compliant with Marijuana laws.

For now, the answer is clear: you can’t bring medical marijuana on a cruise from Florida in 2025. The state might respect your MMJ card, but cruise lines and federal agencies won’t.

Whether it’s Royal Caribbean’s marijuana policy, Carnival cruise’s marijuana policy, or Disney cruise’s marijuana policy, every one of them bans cannabis and CBD entirely. Violating those terms can lead to denied boarding, removal from the ship, or even referral to law enforcement.