RCI not allowing passengers to bring wine onboard?

In another post on this board it was mentioned that RCI was now NOT allowing passengers to bring wine onboard with them.

When did RCI start stopping people from bringing their own wine on board? We were on Princess last fall and HAL last spring and on both cruises we brought our wine with us and no one gave us any problems.

Has anyone seen people at the dock having their wine taken away from them?

Does the cruise line give it back to you at the end of the cruise?

One of the reasons I like taking ships leaving from Florida where we live is being able to bring some wine abroad with us. One more reason I will be considering other cruise lines after this next cruise with RCI if they are going to enforce this policy.

Thanks for any information on this issue.

On our recent cruise on Navigator, we brought 2 bottles of wine on board with us. I don't think RCCL has a problem with it or they wouldn't have a corking fee ($12 I think) in place for wine not purchased on board. We wrapped them in bubble wrap and carried it on with us. Glad it was wrapped well as on one of our flights the overhead was full and they required we check the bag with the wine!

We enjoyed one bottle of wine in the dinning room, our waiter opened it for us and was very nice not to charge us a corking fee, although we were prepared to pay it.

The other bottle was enjoyed on our balcony the last night of the cruise. DH had packed his knife that has a corkscrew in his checked luggage. It was so romantic; sitting on the balcony, looking at the stars and the lights of the other ships heading back to Miami, and listening to the waves spray against the ship.

We have enjoyed wine we have brought on board the last several cruises on the verandah. We packed a cork puller in our luggage and had the room steward bring some wine glasses to the room. Hopefully your experience is what RCI is actually doing rather than what the other post mentioned, a strict no liquor allowed to be brought on board.

Thanks for the post.

Well with the crack down on hard liquor that some lines are enforcing I wouldn't be surprised to see others follow, but most lines don't care as much about the wine as the hard stuff. We are among most who do drink that expect to have a glass or two of wine in our cabin either before dinner or just before bedtime. I don't mind purchasing from the ship, but would like to enjoy having the liquid available in my own cabin just like we do when we travel to hotels. We certainly don't take drinks out to the pool or flaunt it, but we do keep our wine or whatever to enjoy in our room. I guess the lines just feel they need to make a buck anyway they can or there are so many who think it's ok to never purchase liquor on the ship that the old profit isn't there. NMNita

Although I never take wine on-board, I see nothing wrong with it. I've never had a problem with people who do. I do, however, hope they keep up the ban on the hard stuff. A big part of the reason they don't is profit. Another reason is people like two of my relatives. When on vacation, they drink and drink and drink, then become very loud and, well, not too pleasant to be around. They don't fight but still you would not like them on a cruise with you. As much as they drink, they could never afford to go on a cruise without bringing their own. I love them dearly but that's just one more benefit to me cruising. I know they won't be there ruining mine and others vacation. Plus the cruise line could be liable if someone like them got hurt or hurt someone. I know people sneak it on-board, but believe me, no one could possibly sneak on what these two could drink in a week or ten days. Most people who sneak it on have a drink or two in their cabin and don't cause trouble. Open it up and you will have my relatives and more like them. Not a pleasant prospect. Me, I just like a little morning wake up, then possibly a midmorning pick-me-up,-------------------

The wine selection on board has much to be desired. :(

At best it is just "quaffing" liquid to down with the meals. My DH and I do order a bottle every night for just that reason during dinner, then take the remainder of the bottle back to the room for packing with our picnic lunch the next day during our self guided tours in port.

The good stuff we like to take on board from our own stash at home, collected during various travels to wine countries, and enjoy in our room and on our balcony as mentioned of previous posters. :)

Cheers!

I agree that the selection leaves much to be desired. There was a post earlier on the board and I wasn't happy with much of what I saw. Glad to see others feel the way I do.

Have a great next cruise.

If they fix the wine list I might not feel compelled to bring the good stuff from home. I do buy wine from their selections, but I am not a fan. Imagine what they could do if they improved the offerings or had special selections available on the ships depending upon what was avaialbe to them as a limited program. I don;t mind spending the money on the finer wines. I wish they'd look into the demographics a bit more and see what they are missing in keeping at least a few of us happier.

I thought there used to be a small blurb that suggested you could bring that special bottle of wine onboard but here's the official policy:

Can I bring my own liquor onboard?

We apologize for any inconvenience but due to our regulatory and licensing requirements guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption or any other use.

Alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty-free from the Shops On Board or at ports of call will be stored by us and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of your voyage. A member of our staff will be at the gangway to assist with the storage of your purchases. Should you choose to consume alcoholic beverages purchased from the Shops On Board, a consumption fee will apply at the time of purchase. Note that no open liquor bottles will be permitted to be brought into dining areas or public areas.

This policy may not apply to every ship or itinerary depending on local laws, customs, or license requirements. Royal Caribbean is not responsible for fines imposed or items confiscated by local authorities.

It would also be nice if, in addition to improving the wine selection, RCI didn't feel the need for a 400% to 500% markup. I expect a markup, but that's just out of line, IMO. Charging $28 for a bottle that costs $6 at the store? Eek.

beachchick

I have to admit, after sailing on Princess for years and looking at the wine list on our upcoming RCI cruise, I was shocked. Their prices are sooooooooo much higher for the exact same thing then Princess is. Hummmm, not quite sure how to handle the wine thing now. We usually bring on a couple of bottles to enjoy in the cabin, but sure don't want to be embarassed if they take it away from me. :eek:

If they do not carry the wine you want to drink, you are allowed to bring on a few bottles. That's why they have a $12 corkage fee in the dining room--and why it's a misconception that you can't bring any wine onboard at all. Otherwise, why on earth would they have a corkage fee?

beachchick

I was told by an RCI CSR that the no-alcohol-at-all rule was new as of Jan 1, 2005 and was going to be enforced. However, in actuality, the policy seems to be strict for the CSR's and lenient for the crews (who have to do the enforcing). My guess is that as long as you are not blatant about it, they'll let you get away with it, e.g. don't wheel a case or two of alcohol on board on a dolly. If you pack it away in your luggage or your carry-on, they're not going to bother you about it.

If they do "catch" you and confiscate it, the policy is that it will be returned to you in your cabin on the last night of the cruise.

As for the corkage fee, that is for the old policy where it was allowed to bring some alcohol on-board. From perusing the RCI web-site, they have eliminated the FAQ question and the site references to the corkage fee so it may not be there under the "new policy".

My husband's sister brought a few bottles on board and she was kind enough to share! LOL I personallly would not give up valuable suitcase space for a bottle of wine. A) what if it broke B) I'd rather pack another pair of shoes!!

Recently we have taken to bringing our own wine on board as the wine list on RCI is, in our opinion, very poor and extremely over-priced! Our last cruise on RCI was November 27, 2004 and we had absolutely no problem bringing on our own wine. If, as the poster above states, this is a new policy for RCI since January 1st it is simply another "nail in their coffin" for us.

We are currently Diamond Plus C&A Members who are becoming more and more disenchanted with RCI. This past weekend we disembarked from our first Princess cruise in six years and the differences between the two cruise lines is very evident. Corkage fee $10 - wine taken and served in dining room with a smile and absolutely no hesitation. Princess also has a fairly good wine list of their own, at decent prices. RCI, you need to do a little comparison......you are losing ground FAST.

IMHO, Royal Caribbean continues to shoot themselves in the foot. Not only is their "new" wine list extremely limited, but the prices they charge are outrageous. Princess charges $23 for the same bottle of wine that RCCL sells for $34. We enjoy wine with our dinners, and since Princess doesn't discourage our bringing wine aboard, I'll gladly pay the $9 or $10 per bottle at home, pack it, and pay the $10 corkage fee. No problem, Princess. Shame on you, RCI! We just put down a deposit for another Princess cruise, and have nothing planned on RCI. Another RCCL "shot in the foot?" After 26 RCCL cruises, we see that RCCL's customer service continues to decline, while Princess' just keeps getting better. Since Princess charges less for their cabins in the first place, it seems rather like a "no brainer" to me. I might get flamed for this post, but it needs to be said. I just hope someone with clout on the RCI staff finally listens.

I had a long talk with customer service and they said if they don't have it onboard you can bring it on. But, they also said they are no longer allowing sodas and water to be brought onboard. Will wait to see how they can enforce that.

On our last three cruises with RC (within the last 2 years) we have brought a case of champagne (in our luggage, covered over with clothes), and had no problems. They did charge a corkage fee, but oh well. My view is that where on ship doesn't charge for a fee of some kind, they get it back somewhere else. Kinda like being in a state with no income tax, they always seem to have some other type of user fees, etc. Didn't someone once say something about no free lunch?

Mark

Round 595.... continues....

There is nothing new in this thread, and still people have reported successful taking of alcohol, water, and soda this year, but still we have to have another thread on this tired topic.:confused:

When someone posts that they tried to take a bottle of alcohol and it was confiscated then we have a reason to bring this up again. Or of water, soda, beer or wine.....:rolleyes:

jc

Is there a link where I can see the RCI wine list? I am discouraged reading the posts above as the variety and quality (let alone the price) of what is offered onboard.

RCCL posts their wine list on their website. If you look at the gift section, you can see the full selection of wines offered. They may not show the "super premium" wines, I just don't remember.

I also find the markup to be horrific. We can get wonderful inexpensive wines here in California, and to see a $7.99 bottle of Shiraz sell for $34 makes my good Scottish blood boil! Although to be fair, I think Princess' markup is just as substantial for the wines we like.

How is the food on Princess? I am getting interested. ;)

We purchased a few bottles in Key West (at a shop near the port) and had no problem bringing them on board. We put them in a backpack and they went through the scanner without incident. We brought a travel cork and your steward can bring you two glasses. It was lovely to have a glass of wine on our balcony each night before dinner.

We purchased a few bottles in Key West (at a shop near the port) and had no problem bringing them on board. We put them in a backpack and they went through the scanner without incident. We brought a travel cork and your steward can bring you two glasses. It was lovely to have a glass of wine on our balcony each night before dinner.

Officially, that is against the rules. There is a sign on the wall when you reembark that says that all alcoholic beverage products have to be surrended and will be returned to you in your cabin on the final night of the cruise.

Not saying that it doesn't happen (and I watched people that went by and didn't check their alcohol), but that it is against the ofifcial rules. The crew tend to check packaged alcohol (if you get the nifty wine carriers or have the alcohol in boxes, they'll stop you...if you put it in your backpack or shoulderbag, they tend not to stop you).

I plan on bringing about 4 bottles of wine in my carry on. If they take it, they take it and I'll lug it home again at the end of the trip. I'm afraid to put it in my checked lugguge cause I don't want to chance it breaking and all my clothes getting soaked with wine!

I seriously doubt that the people at the check in have any idea which wines are offered on board. But I'll just play dumb and pretend I didn't know the rule change and take my chances.

On another note, I can not understand posters who write and complain about a thread. I"m referring to the poster above who's sick of reading "another" thread on bringing wine on board. If you're sick of the subject, why on earth would you click on the thread and take the time to read it and complain. The subject matter is clearly stated.