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Viking Cruise - bring your own alcohol


Portia/Abby
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I will be taking my first Viking Cruise this fall. I have taken many ocean cruises and I know most cruise lines have gotten very strict about not bringing your own alcohol on board. If you have bought something at duty free they generally confiscate until you leave the ship. While I know Viking has those alcohol packages (which seem a bit high-priced for me) I can't find anything on their website that says you can or can't bring your own. Does anyone have any experience with bringing you own on board? I hate to have it confiscated if I did so. Thanks in advance for your help.

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We're not great drinkers but on our last Viking Cruise - (Amsterdam to Budapest) - if memory serves, I believe we purchased a bottle of Amaretto at a local shop in one of the cities along the route. We kept it in our room and occasionally had a drink there before dinner. There was no objection from Viking. I believe that as long as it's consumed in your stateroom there will be no problem.

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You can bring on board whatever you want to consume while you are in your stateroom; just don't bring alcohol to the lounge where it is sold. Bags and packages are never checked on river cruises, there are no scanners, etc. You will pick up a special pass when you leave the ship and return it when you come back. The CD wants to know when one is on or off the ship in case everyone is not on board if/when the ship needs to leave port.

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csmg, the drink package is more than a few drinks and it is per person not cabin. Maybe that few drinks just doesn't fit into their budget. We often bring something to have in the cabin before dinner. On Viking you can also bring your own wine up to the sundeck with no corkage fee. Some boats will lend you a corkscrew for the trip. Pat

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I just read on Viking's website that you can bring local wine onboard and have it during dinner, with no corkage fee.

 

Since wine is included with dinner it is certainly to Viking's advantage for you to drink your own rather than from their supply.

 

On our last Viking cruise, April 2010, many people brought their own bottle to the main lounge in the evening and were never questioned.

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$7000 + vacation: can't aford a few drinks?

snarky nasty.

 

We brought our own red wine on board, I often enjoyed a glass before dinner.

The drinks package is far too expensive. We bought an occasional beer or wine at the bar. Our cabin did not have a fridge, so red wine was the only drink we had.

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Our experince was, we were never challenged about any purchases made on shore. Many late afternoons we enjoy wine from our on shore purchase up on the sun deck. We were often asked if we would enjoy an ice bucket & extra glasses by the crew. Other occassions we might a have glass while getting dressed for dinner in our cabin. Although I purchased many cocktails on this trip, my bill was much less than any ocean cruise. The wonderful wines were also free-flowing at dinner & from the countries we were visiting at the time. Thought all the beverages were priced fairly.

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Thank you everyone for your advice and insight. Viking certainly sounds a lot more easy going than most ocean cruises. Some of them are like the Gestapo when it comes to acohol.

 

Perhaps we can start a new thread and educate csmg on how to get a good deal on a cruise and how to make the most of your money.

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Thank you everyone for your advice and insight. Viking certainly sounds a lot more easy going than most ocean cruises. Some of them are like the Gestapo when it comes to acohol.

 

Perhaps we can start a new thread and educate csmg on how to get a good deal on a cruise and how to make the most of your money.

 

Like it.

 

I think you will enjoy river cruising, We took several Ocean cruises before our first river cruise, this past spring, & I am converted. I find them both enjoyable, but if I could only choose one, I think I'd opt River :)

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  • 3 years later...

Just to add to what's already been said. I don't think there is any problem with bringing a drink to the lounge. We almost always had our wine topped off at the end of dinner and brought it up with us. The Viking staff are very accomodating and do not push you to buy drinks.

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