A cruise ship passenger was caught in possession of 12 cannabis joints, a court heard.

US citizen Frank Brazinski was discovered with the homemade cigarettes on the NCL cruise liner Norwegian Majesty on Monday.

Brazinski, 54, from Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to importation of drugs in Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney told the court a Customs sniffer dog alerted officers to the drugs during a random search of the ship, in St. George's.

The joints were discovered in Brazinski's luggage inside his cabin. On analysis they were found to contain 7.59 grams of cannabis.

Asked if he wanted to say anything to the court, Brazinski told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner, "No sir". Mr. Warner fined him $1,500.