Do RCI passengers smuggle as much alcohol as Carnival pax?

I'm curious as to whether or not RCI passengers smuggle alcohol? I've sailed on both cruise lines, never brought any alcohol until our last cruise, and then we only brought one bottle which worked out well for in cabin cocktails before dinner.

We are sailing on Mariner in September, I'm wondering how often RCI pax bring their own alcohol, as I know that alot of Carnival passengers do.

Is RCI more "strict" in their policy? Do more people get "nabbed" on this cruiseline? Is it less commonplace and therefore less tolerated?

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Formerly known as "Doulasue"

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We always pack a bottle of alcohol or wine and have never been asked about it. I'm guessing we are not alone.

Suzi

05 July 2004 Monarch of the Seas

21 November 2004 Carnival Pride

20 February 2005 Mariner of the Seas CC Group Cruise

Just out of curiousity, what does RCI do if they find the bottle in your suitcase? Wouldn't want to get tossed overboard and miss the entire cruise.

If they are like Carnival, they don't have the time to search luggage for alcohol, only weapons. Think of it this way, they have 3000 passengers, 2-3 bags each, that's on average 7,000 pcs. of luggage to deliver in a 4-5 hour time period. I think if they did find anything, they would just confiscate it.

The cabin steward will know it's there, unless you keep it out of the way. The stewards on Carnival either don't care, or pretend not to see it. What about the stewards on RCI?

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No problem bringing some on board. RCCL allows one bottle of wine for "special" occasions. Obviously some people bring more than one bottle . We have brought wine & Baileys on board in the past with no problems at all. If you do bring wine, be sure to bring a cork screw with you. In the past our cabin steward has gotten one for us, but we now bring our own so there is no wait. Never had a cabin steward that had any problem with us having alcohol in our room. In fact, on our last night on board we have invited our cabin steward to have a drink with us to toast yet another great RCCL cruise!

I don't call it "smuggling". To me it's just part of my "packing list". Wrapped tight and put in checked luggage, it goes in right along with my underware!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Rhapsody! 12-5-04

If they take it away, they just keep it until the end of the cruise and deliver it back to the cabin, just like the alcohol you buy in port.

No biggee.

Peggy - RCI since 1973

With RCCL you can buy from the duty free store and for $9 take it back to your cabin.

Since most bottles cost $10 less than at home it makes smuggling moot if they have what you like.

I found Sheridans on board last cruise, a coffee/cream liquor that makes a great sipping drink in the cabin. Mmmmmmmmm

BigDave

Enchantment 10/2002, Rhapsody 4/2004.

Caribbean Princess, E Carib. 11/27/2004

HAL Oosterdam, E Carib. 1/2/2005

Valor, W. Carib. 2/6/2005, Radiance, E. Carib 2/13/2005

Last time I cruised RCCL we also brought in the duty free store and they kept it till the cruise was over. We were not allowed to take it back to our cabin.

I would bet the # of people who smuggle alcohol on board is the same on all cruise lines.

Smuggle all you want, but dont gripe if they decide to hold it till the end of cruise. Just stand there and be embarrassed and say Oh well they Caught me and enjoy the rest of the cruise lol

No. We don't "smuggle"; we just pack it separately and check it through or carry it on. I am sick of the term "smuggle"! If RCI wanted to crack down, they would. But it would tick off many pax who spend plenty of money anyway. Also, they wouldn't have a corkage fee if they didn't allow it. And please don't post, for the thousandth time, the exact wording of the RCI online policy--we all know it and know we are taking our chances on getting a stickler for details. We called in advance and were told that it depends on how much, what ship, and who's checking.

Our last cruise, we checked 6 bottles of wine total for 2 cabins. It was delivered with the rest of our luggage. We had some in the cabin and took some unopened bottles to dinner. No hiding or anything. We were charged the corkage fee only one time.

Most pax I know do tend to bring on a small amount for in-cabin consumption. We bought a bottle of rum at the onboard shop and paid the fee to bring it back to the cabin. Even with the fee, it didn't cost any more than if we bought it in the store at home.

Oh, and I wouldn't be the least bit embarrassed if they did keep it until the end of the cruise. Why should I?

beachchick

smuggling is smuggling even if you like the word or not!

I didn't buy it to drink in my cabin, so it was ok for them to hold. I was surprised that another poster said they let you take it back to your cabin.

Is there a better word than smuggle that you would like us to us.

Have packed a bottle in luggage and not had any problem, was asked about wine bottle in carry on once. Last time had small ice chest as carry on with beer iced down and no questions. Each cabin took a 30 pack of beer in suitcase to have some for HH before going out for the night. Cabin Steward - we tip first day and tell its for keeping our soft sided ice chest full of beer and ice daily. They will take care of you if you take care of them.

As for buying onboard, bottles are available for $9 fee for cabin use. It is still cheaper than bringing a bottle with you. First nite they also have special and sometimes allow 2 bottles to cabin for one fee.

At ports, we have on long sailings, we have taken a roll on ashore and purchased additional beer and brought it back, only once has someone said anything and it didnt cause any problem. It's nice when we are both beer drinkers to have some for the room because we still run up a nice charge on the ship. I imagine those that drink 24/7 run up a tab that is more than the cruise charge.. Have a ball!!!!

Rhapsody of the Seas July 2003

Legend of the Seas May 2003

Rhapsody of the Seas July 2002

Ocean Princess Oct 2001

Grandeau of the Seas June 2000

The term smuggling implies you are hiding something. Our last trip, we witnessed people bring Red Stripe beer onboard from Jamaica open and obvious to everyone w/no probs. In fact, we did the same thing. Put the beer through the scanner and walked straight to our room with it. Our steward was from Jamaica and we even shared a couple w/him...no problem mon. He even went to the extra effort of keeping our collapsible cooler full of ice so we'd always have cold beer or soda. (we brought our own soda and water onboard too)

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delldorf,

As I wrote before, we don't SMUGGLE. Vossjemi is correct: smuggling means hiding with the intent to evade detection. We do not and will not hide it. We make no attempt to conceal it. If RCI allows us to bring on a few bottles of wine, knowing full well that we have them, how exactly is that smuggling?

rocktheboat,

Yes. How about "bringing" alcohol onboard. Again, we don't smuggle (hide) it. In fact, I've noticed that almost everyone who has posted about their experience BRINGING alcohol aboard, has specifically said that they make no attempt to hide it. Thus, they are not smuggling.

I am aware that many pax do make all kinds of attempts to hide alcohol when boarding. You could say they are smuggling. I guess they couldn't stand it if their alcohol was confiscated and held throughout the cruise. If they hold our wine, so be it. I called C&A and CS to ask about this. I told them I had read the policy, which by the way is not the same online as in the cruise docs, and just wanted to know whether it was being enforced. Both times I was told it is a judgment call by each ship's staff. In fact, online it does say that the no-alcohol policy may not apply to all sailings or all ships. Our most recent cruise docs simply said that RCI has the right to limit alcohol brought onboard. Because not all pax use the internet, they would have to rely on the policy listed on their docs, not the one online, which is far more limiting.

RCI can make their policy, but many (maybe most) pax find it silly. We will continue to pack a small amount of wine in a wine shipping box and check it through with the rest of our luggage. However, we did find that the hard liquor we could buy in the ship's store, paying extra to take it back to the cabin, was a good deal. OTOH, I know that other pax prefer some types that are not stocked in the ship's store. They didn't carry all of our favorites, but what they did carry was a decent selection IMO.

beachchick

Just coming back from a RCI cruise, you can buy liquor in the duty free and take back to your cabin for $9. This might be a Baltic cruise thing as is that 18 year olds can have beer and wine.

We packed, not smuggled, 4 bottles of wine. It went right on through and we had people over for before dinner wine 4 nights of our cruise. Truthfully we didn't even think about it not being allowed. I guess we have always done so even using our wine cooler bag on the Alaska cruise.

I don't think they would have fallen for Ignorance is Bliss though.

Jewel of the Sea May 2004

Serenade of the Sea August 2003

Splendour of the Sea August 1999

Legend of the Sea August 1997

Rotterdam May 1989

I think it's almost expected to smuggle booze onto a Carnival ship. We've always been able to buy duty free liquor on an RCI ship and for $9 or $9.50 adder take it back to our cabin. We got our mixers (canned) from the bars for $1.50 and the juices were free in the Windjammer at breakfast. We just took some empty sports bottles with us, filled them up and put them in our little fridge. On the first night of the cruise I bought 1 liter of Crown Royal and 2 liters of Tanguray, total including the $9.50 adder was $39.00. So, why smuggle??? I can't buy it at home that cheap.

Stretch

Proud member of the Non-Smuggling Society, and the O crew!

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SMUGGLE: "To import or export without paying lawful customs, charges or duties. To bring in or take out illicitly by stealth."

If the scanner can see it...it's legal and not smuggled.

ROSS

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 1965/TS BREMEN 1971/RMS AMERIKANIS 1972/SS FRANCE 1973/SS FRANCE 1973/QE II 1975/QE II 1975/TS LEONARDO DaVINCI 1976/QE II 1978/TS GALLILAO 1984/ MV REGENT SEA 1988/MV ZENITH 1992/SS NORWAY 1993/MV HORIZON 1998/GTS NORWEGIAN SUN 2001/GTS CENTURY 2002/GTS SUMMIT 2003/GTS JEWEL OF THE SEAS 2004

I usually take one suitcase with a case of beer in it, the rest of the space filled up with tennis shoes, etc. Gives us extra space to bring things home.

In my regular suitcase I bring a 1.75 Malibu and a 1.75 CC. I also bring a fold up portable cooler that holds about 8 beers or cokes. If I set it out with the beers in it, the room steward fills it up with ice.