Wine in checked luggage???

We have brought wine with us onboard, but never when we had to fly to a port. Has anyone ever done this? Last time, My DH wrapped up the wine in towels and packed it in a rolling cooler that looked like a small suitcase. We want to celebrate our 20th anniv. with our friends. I'm just concerned about how rough it gets when they load the luggage on the airplane.

We have done it. Used a carry on bag ( rolling suitcase) and wrapped bottles in bubble wrap and heavy beach towels under and over the bottles. You can get about 5 bottles of wine in a regulation carry on bag. You could probably sprinkle a few mini bottles of assorted booze also. We carried the bag onto the plane. We checked the bag at the port and arrived in our cabin with no problems.

A bottle of rum has somehow managed to magically appear in my luggage on several occasions. The "rum fairy" didn't appear to take any extraordinary precautions in packing it either. Beach towels seemed to do the trick.

We do this all the time. I used to carry four of five bottles wrapped in a lot of news paper in a backpack. But I found a rolling softside ice-chest the size of a carry- on that is much easier to tote around now.

Kevin

I usually just wrap in a beach towel. But we drive to port, so we don't have to worry about airline baggage handlers, just the ones at the port. Our last cruise, we bought a box of white zin. 3 liters of wine in a convenient, suitcase friendly box with no worries about breakage. And it tasted as good, or better, than most bottled wines I have had.

Thanks for all the replies. I was not planning on carrying it on. I wanted to check it in. Has anyone done that?

Still trying to decide if I should carry on my bottles of wine or check them at the airport. I'm leaning to carrying the rolling cooler on the plane, then checking it at the ship. I'm just trying to see who in my family will do the carrying onto the plane. I already have a carry on!!

The last time we went we took one of the boxed wines. It worked out great!

Still trying to decide if I should carry on my bottles of wine or check them at the airport. I'm leaning to carrying the rolling cooler on the plane, then checking it at the ship. I'm just trying to see who in my family will do the carrying onto the plane. I already have a carry on!!

I wouldn't recommend packing them in our checked luggage - even if you wrap them in bubble wrap - handling of luggage is quite rough at airports.

We take champagne and wine on board - we each take 3 bottles (a total of 6) in our carry ons. If you get a rolling cooler - just be sure it fits the dimensions of a carry on.

I would not check it on the plane even if some have done successfully. You never know if your bag is at the bottom of a 3 ton pile. Carry on only. I would check it with the staff at the pier.

I just packed up my rolling cooler and will carry it on the airplane. I used bubble wrap and beach towels. Thanks for all your help.

Mel

We have checked wine the last several times we've cruised, with no problem at all. We use a hard-sided suitcase, put a beachtowel in the bottom, wrap each bottle in bubble wrap, and then a beach towel on top. Thus far, knock on wood, neither the airlines, nor the baggage handlers at the port or on the ship have broken a bottle.

We keep this suitcase under the bed in the cabin and take turns saying, "Honey, why don't you open the bar!".

Good sailing!

YayaCruiser

I put each bottel in a zip lock bag after bubble wrapping. Just in case they break.

I've taken a box of wine onboard 2 cruises-- no problems flying or getting it onboard. Just buried it in clothes in my checked luggage. Of course, after I drink it up the first night, I wish I'd brought on two. :p

Will you arrive early enough to stop at a store and purchase your wine before you get on the ship? We plan on arriving the day before and purchase our drinks then. Then we will wrap them up as suggested and check them in at the pier. We will carry one bottle on to have that evening though. Have a great cruise!!!

we had entire small suitcase devoted to our wine, the bag was checked... the towel thing with the gallon bags. our luggage traveled more than us and when we finally got it.... all was intact.

Just remember, Carnival can take it away from you - It's well posted on their web site as well as in the cruise contract you will get from them. No alcoholic beverages can be brought aboard the ship.

Just remember, Carnival can take it away from you - It's well posted on their web site as well as in the cruise contract you will get from them. No alcoholic beverages can be brought aboard the ship.

You are allowed to bring wine onboard.

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Liquor_and_Beverage_Consumption_Policy.aspx

Fine wine or champagne may be brought on board during embarkation only. If the wine and/or champagne is brought to the Dining room for consumption, a $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged to the guest; otherwise, the guest may only drink the wine and/or champagne in the privacy of a stateroom. The wine and/or champagne may NOT be brought into any other public lounge or area.

I have a friend who belonged to a wine-of-the-month club and she gave me a couple of the boxes the wine was shipped to her in. If you can find something like that (maybe from a wine store?) they are great. They have a block of styrofoam which has the exact shape of a wine bottle cut out. When you place the two halves of styrofoam together you have a very safe way of transporting wine in checked luggage.

I've also used the box wine which travels great in checked luggage. I would definitely put any wine in a ziplock bag because of the changes in air pressure, etc. on the plane. I had a bottle of wine pop its cork once from the heat in a parked car. I don't know if that could happen on a plane but I wouldn't want to take the chance.