A US cruise guest has been jailed and fined in the Bahamas after accidentally travelling with a firearm on a Royal Caribbean cruise, despite passing through embarkation security in Florida.
Mary Robinson, a 69-year-old grandmother from Oklahoma, boarded Liberty of the Seas in Fort Lauderdale on 1st December 2025 with a handgun and ammunition unknowingly inside her purse.
The weapon was not discovered until the following day, when the ship docked in Nassau and Robinson attempted to reboard after going ashore.
Robinson had been due to enjoy a four-night cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, sailing with family to celebrate her adopted son’s 12th birthday.
Instead, the holiday ended abruptly when Bahamian authorities discovered a black Kel-Tec .380 pistol and four rounds of ammunition during security screening on 2nd December.
“On Tuesday December 2nd police arrested a 69-year-old female of US nationality after she was found in possession of a fireman and ammunition,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement.
Robinson was arrested at the port and transferred to Fox Hill Prison in Nassau, a facility that has previously been criticised by the US government for overcrowding and poor living conditions.
She was travelling with a friend, who agreed to care for the child while Robinson remained in custody.
Court Appearance Leads to Fine Instead of Sentence
Robinson appeared before Bahamas Magistrate Lennox Coleby Sr. on 4th December 2025, where she pleaded guilty to unlicensed possession of a firearm and ammunition.
She apologised in court and explained that she had forgotten the weapon was in her purse. Her attorney told the court the incident was unintentional.
“She simply forgot that she had the gun and I’m instructed that she has a touch of dementia,” Robinson’s attorney, Attorney Bjorn Ferguson, explained.
Under Bahamian law, possession of an unlicensed firearm or ammunition carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 24 months in prison. However, the magistrate agreed to waive the custodial sentence on the condition that Robinson paid an $8,000 fine.
— Royal Bahamas Police Force (@RBPFPolice) December 3, 2025
As she was unable to pay immediately, Robinson spent nearly a week at Fox Hill Prison. Her granddaughter, Graci Exendine, launched a GoFundMe campaign on 3rd December to raise the required funds, which surpassed $12,000 within just over a week.
In a social media update, Exendine later confirmed Robinson’s release on 8th December.
“I just talked to Mary, she is OUT!!,” she wrote, thanking donors and supporters.
Following her release, Robinson remained in Nassau while arrangements were made for her return home.
Cruise Weapons Incidents Highlight Zero-Tolerance Policies
While cruise terminals and ships operate layered security systems, Robinson’s case is not the first time a weapon has made it onto, or nearly onto, a cruise ship.
In October, a 77-year-old American passenger was detained and deported in Ravenna, Italy, after attempting to board a cruise ship with a firearm. Earlier this year, a 73-year-old US passenger was arrested at Japan’s Kobe Cruise Terminal after a handgun was discovered in his luggage.
There have also been cases involving intentional attempts to bypass security. Last year, two Carnival cruise guests were banned for life after smuggling a handgun onboard and later boasting about it online.
Royal Caribbean, like all major cruise lines, enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy on weapons. Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and even toy weapons are prohibited onboard, regardless of intent.
It’s unclear how Robinson was able to board with the firearm in her possession.
Although Robinson’s actions were described in court as a genuine mistake, such incidents are often treated as serious security breaches.
Cruise lines reserve the right to impose permanent bans on guests whose actions could endanger others, meaning Robinson may no longer be permitted to sail with Royal Caribbean in the future.
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