ALCOHOL: Do you do this or do you not mess with it?

Please voice your past experience here:

Do you transfer your alcohol to plastic water-type (or other) bottles for smuggling or do you leave in original glass bottle when boarding the ship?

If left in original container, with seal not broken, isn't it less likely to spill?

Please clear this one for me, as you people know best. I am 1st timer and it is finally within reach now and there is still 5 weeks to go!

Unless I just had to have some specialty item that I couldn't get on the ship and couldn't live without for 10 days (and can't even picture that scenario), there is no way I'd tote booze onto a ship. I've always figured that if I can afford the cruise, I can afford to buy drinks onboard. If I can't, maybe I'm living above my means or drinking too much.

But if I were a smuggler, personally, I'd transfer my beverage of choice to plastic rather than risk breaking a bottle in my checked baggage; otherwise I'd keep it in glass and tote it in my carryon.

You shouldn't have to "smuggle" any alcohol onboard. Just leave it in it's original sealed bottle and when you're checking in from a port of call, your backpack or bag or whatever will go through the x-ray machine and they'll collect and hold the bottle and then deliver it to you the last night of the sailing.

Now if you're planning on smuggling it onboard to enjoy it during the sailing, I've never done that, sorry! Have a great cruise though, and don't drink too much!:D

First, I wouldn't use glass of any type. The bags are tossed around pretty good Breakage), and glass weights more. We just brought in 1.75 L bottles of cocktails we pre-mixed, and poured them over ice. If you have a special drink, pre-mix what you can so you can just pour.

I must say, however, that we only had these cocktails in our cabin. While out on the deck, we purchased our cocktails. Otherwise, it is akin to bringing a cocktail into a bar or restaurant.

Took a bottle of champagne on board last yr in carryon. No one gave us a hard time nor said anything. Champagne is not my favorite, but it tasted very good in our cabin after chilling it in the wine bucket. Next time we will have a balcony and I know it will taste very very nice out there with the sound of the waves!!!:D

Last year we transferred to plastic water bottles, no problem. I am looking next year for a plastic bottle of booze. Our bar bill will still be high, but it is nice to have a drink on the balcony before dinner. I also put mine in my bag with all of my toiletries.

Most alcohol comes in plastic 750 ml nonbreakable bottles now. I buy mine this way so I don't have to worry about breakage. Just look at your local party store (or wherever you have to purchase alcohol) for the plastic bottles, they will be right beside the glass ones.

Then put it in your checked luggage inside a zip lock baggie.

Most alcohol comes in plastic 750 ml nonbreakable bottles now. I buy mine this way so I don't have to worry about breakage. Just look at your local party store (or wherever you have to purchase alcohol) for the plastic bottles, they will be right beside the glass ones.

 

Then put it in your checked luggage inside a zip lock baggie.

This is the way we do it, too. I love taking a bottle of Kahlua and pouring a triple shot for after dinner. That would cost 12.00-15.00 at the bar's prices.

Ms B ---> Haven't heard "Party Store" since I lived in Oscoda for a year!

This Past Monday I Was Able To Get On 1 1/2 Cases Of Beer In My Checked Luggage And Vodka And Rum That I Put In Water Bottles And Carried On In My Cooler That Also Had Alot Of Soda And Water In It, No One Even Looked In The Cooler. Also 2 Bottles Of Vino In My Carry On.;)

We did not take liquor on our last cruise but we did take a case of wine (DSis's wedding, several adults to consume w/us). The ONLY thing missing from our luggage was the very expensive bottle of Cabernet I had included for DH. Most of the wines retailed for no more than $25 per bottle, the one that "vanished" I am too ashamed to admit how much I paid. IF you bring wine and not a case use the wine box to also pack your soda and TAPE that box up. I did not, so the cruise line had very little recourse. Shame on me for not being more careful.:(

Most alcohol comes in plastic 750 ml nonbreakable bottles now. I buy mine this way...

I didn't know they made bottles that small. :rolleyes:

Yes. You can smuggle anything on board. Just pack in in the middle of your bag and it will make it on just fine.

We smuggled 2 cases of beer on the miracle last May with no spillage.

Sounds like quite a cruise party. We usually bring some Rum or Vodka for our room. I fill a plastic bottle with punch or lemonade from the buffet and keep it in my cabin as well. Last year we brought wine onboard, which I may bring on my next cruise too. Our last Norwegian cruiseship had 2 for 1 cocktails after 11pm, so hubby stocked the fridge in our cabin with beer. We saw lots of people with buckets of beers poolside and assumed they must have done the same thing the night before. Somebody did post that they were able to purchase a bottle of booze from the bar for $25 and brought it took their cabin. Probably was well worth it.

This Past Monday I Was Able To Get On 1 1/2 Cases Of Beer In My Checked Luggage And Vodka And Rum That I Put In Water Bottles And Carried On In My Cooler That Also Had Alot Of Soda And Water In It, No One Even Looked In The Cooler. Also 2 Bottles Of Vino In My Carry On.;)

:confused: What size are your suitcases that you can pack 2 cases plus all your survival items and clothes??? Just curious... my suitcase is 29" softside... so I bought a cooler on wheels for my first cruise.

On my last cruise on the Glory, I tried an experiment ...

I bought two bottles of alcohol at the ABC at Cocoa Beach. The bottle of tequilla I bought, I poured into an Listerine bottle I had emptied, repeatedly washed, and packed. I placed this bottle in a ziploc bag, then placed that bag in to a large, water-proof Coleman camping pouch. This was then placed in my "checked" baggage before reaching the pier. I also bought a cheap, plastic traveler bottle of vodka and placed it in my checked baggage, as well. Both made it fine, thought I'm glad I put the tequilla in the water-proof bag, as it leaked a little from both the bottle and the ziploc.

I can't believe the concern about alcohol on a cruise. I never bring any on board. If I want a fruity drink, I put it on my S&S. The last thing I even worry about is alcohol, but that's just me. I guess I don't need it to have a good time.

I had no trouble smuggling a bottle of bourbon onboard in my checked luggage in a glass bottle. Since I never had the opportunity to get back to my cabin to drink it, I had no trouble smuggling it back home either.

Next time I'll just leave it at home.

Much more fun to get hammered in the many bars that are available.

Also, really got the feeling that if you had to hide your liquor it is probably time to make a call to AA

MexicoBob

First, I wouldn't use glass of any type. The bags are tossed around pretty good Breakage), and glass weights more. We just brought in 1.75 L bottles of cocktails we pre-mixed, and poured them over ice. If you have a special drink, pre-mix what you can so you can just pour.

 

I must say, however, that we only had these cocktails in our cabin. While out on the deck, we purchased our cocktails. Otherwise, it is akin to bringing a cocktail into a bar or restaurant.

I disagree, it is not anything like a bar or restaurant. A bar or restaurant is in the business of selling same. A cruise on the other hand is in the business of providing a room and vacation activities. It would be more akin to bringing your own liquor to a hotel, which is very common.

Cheers,

Peter

i try to find the airline size bottles, they come about 10 to a "mini-case", leave in mini-case, wrap case well in bubble wrap, then put in a plastic bag or two, seal well and place in middle of checked baggage.

i have also used the plastic "traveler" bottles sold in our state liquor agencies, but package them the same way.

the fruit punch and lemonade on desk mixed with rum makes a grear rum punch

I take my run onboard in plastic water bottles in my carryons. the plastic means less chance of breakage/spills, and water is allowed to be taken on, therefore my rum wont be confiscated.

the beer went thru the checked bags.

I disagree, it is not anything like a bar or restaurant. A bar or restaurant is in the business of selling same. A cruise on the other hand is in the business of providing a room and vacation activities. It would be more akin to bringing your own liquor to a hotel, which is very common.

 

Cheers,

Peter

I totally agree.. If I want to spit a little while I'm in my cabin w/ my wife, I shouldn't have to go to the bar to buy drink. If I were in a hotel w/ my wife, we would bring a bottle with us.

Its so funny how people are always so judgmental. If people what to bring liquor on the ship, that is their business

I had no trouble smuggling a bottle of bourbon onboard in my checked luggage in a glass bottle. Since I never had the opportunity to get back to my cabin to drink it, I had no trouble smuggling it back home either.

Next time I'll just leave it at home.

Much more fun to get hammered in the many bars that are available.

Also, really got the feeling that if you had to hide your liquor it is probably time to make a call to AA

 

MexicoBob

that's not a very nice thing to say at the end. i can completely understand why people would want to sneak liquor on the ship and it's because the prices they charge at the bar on the ship are probably insane and not everyone has the money to pay for overpriced drinks. i know how much the drinks cost in the bars in ny and ct so i can only imagine what they are going ot be on the ship. either way, it's wrong to make judgement like that :(

when you guys say cases of beer, do you mean cans or bottles?

I've brought on a bottle from time to time. I've never had a problem with breakage but DW always brings a big full length pillow. I wrap my "stowaway" in that.

In the long run plastic is much safer.

I just returned from the Valor (review to come), and I brought along a liter of whiskey that I'd transferred into a lexan bottle. It wasn't so much to hide the booze as it was to put it into a container that was much more difficult to break.

The wife and I ended up only drinking about 1/3 of it. Still, it was nice to have a little relaxation drink in the room (or on the balcony) before our late dinner.

I also brought a bottle of red wine, which we kept until mid-week. When we realized that we weren't going to drink it in the room, I brought it to dinner, and our waiter opened it for us with no charge (or course, we had already bought a couple bottles of wine earlier in the week).