Authorities say police boarded Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas at Prince George Wharf in Nassau on Dec. 2 and apprehended a 69-year-old woman after she was “found in possession of a firearm and ammunition,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a Dec. 3 crime report. The report says the firearm and ammunition were discovered during checks while the cruise ship was in port.
Grandmother Detained and Fined
Bjorn Ferguson, an attorney representing Mary Robinson, told USA TODAY she pleaded guilty and was fined $8,000. “In default she would have (had to spend) 24 months at the Bahamas Department of Corrections,” Ferguson wrote in an email. The attorney confirmed the fine was paid, avoiding a potential custodial sentence for the passenger.
Robinson’s granddaughter, Graci Exendine, identified her on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money to pay the fine.
“She went on a cruise for her adopted son Johnny’s 12th birthday,” Exendine wrote on the page. “She is 69 years old and on her trips she usually (brings) some kind of protection but usually leaves it in the car since you aren’t allowed to bring it on the ship. Well accidentally she didn’t leave it and it was found in her bag when they checked at the Bahamas and she was arrested.” The post says the item was discovered during a bag check while the cruise was in port.
Firearms and other weapons are prohibited on Royal Caribbean ships, per its website. Passengers are advised to follow port security checks and declare or secure any items left in vehicles before boarding — failure to do so can result in detention, fines or other penalties under local law.
The fine was paid, and the passenger avoided a potential 24‑month prison term; passengers should note that bringing a gun or other firearm onto a cruise ship can lead to arrest, fines, and possible incarceration under local law.
If you plan to drive to a cruise port, secure any pistol or ammunition in a locked trunk and check the cruise line’s prohibited items page for rules on guns and weapons before boarding.