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Alcohol Taken Away


ktwood

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Not from personal experience, but I've read on these and other cruise boards that some have had their liquor removed. Seems it's held somewhere and returned to you just prior to debarkation.

 

Maybe someone who has had it happen to them will come along to answer.

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On our resent cruise on the sensation before sailing, some friends that were sailing with us was called to persurs desk, they had there luggage that had quite a bit of alcohol in it. They were given the choice of taking it back to the car (which was parked several blocks away) or they would keep it or throw it away. They chose to take it back to the car. Well, when he went outside, a porter asked where he was going and our friend told him what happened. The porter then told him he would be able to get the peice of luggage on for him with no problem. So, he gave him $20 and the peice of luggage with booze inside. He knew he would be pushing for time since the ship would sail shortly. Guess what, he never saw the piece of luggage or the booze. I guess People learn from there mistakes. We tried to tell him not to pack just booze in a suitcase, you should spread it out in each bag you check in and maybe not try and take too much. At first we picked at him about loosing $20 and the booze, but at the end, we found out we were not picking after all. So, be careful how much you pack and how you pack it.

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We pack alcohol in our checked luggage everytime we cruise (so do friends) and we have never had a problem. May be luck of the draw. On an NCL cruise from N.O. last year we did have a piece of luggage that had a big "ALC" tape on the outside (which I guess meant they found the alcohol in the luggage) but it was not removed and the luggage was delivered to our cabin.

 

Being asked to come to the pursers desk and take the luggage/alcohol off of the ship is first for me.

 

But then again, soft drinks being confiscated from us in Galveston in February was also a first for us.

 

So maybe....times are achangin'.......

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We cruised out of NO this past February and many of our group of 38 brought alcohol in our checked luggage with no problems. We did NOT bring too much. I had one small bottle (20oz plastic water bottles) in each piece of checked luggage with one bottle of wine. We brought kahlua and vodka and I enjoyed white russians on our balcony while getting ready for dinner....adda little icecream.....mmmmmm:p

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I take it that most do not leave it in the bottle but pour it into another bottle, Like a water bottle?

 

And how much is to much to put in a suit case ??

 

Does anyone bring something back on say after visting a port??

 

Thanks for the info. :)

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We leave ours in the original bottles, wrapped in a garbage bag and then put in the middle of clothing for protection. We even bring 12pk of beer sometines (cans).

 

We have brought on bought alcohol and sometimes we get by the checkpoint, and sometimes we don't.

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But then again, soft drinks being confiscated from us in Galveston in February was also a first for us.

 

:eek: This was on the Elation? Surely not...? (I don't know if other lines cruise from Galveston.)

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My husband and I just got back from a cruise on the Inspiration. We had a bottle of JD wrapped in a t-shirt in our garment bag, a container of vodka in a Rubbermaid sports bottle (the kind with the flip up straw) and a smaller sports bottle of blue curacao that I buried in the bottom of my toiletry bag. All made it through with no problems.

 

They told us on the ship that if we purchased alcohol in port to buy it from the place they recommend because there's no guarantee it will make the ship after you've paid for it. We didn't buy any, but I would have been hesitant to test it.

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I take it that most do not leave it in the bottle but pour it into another bottle, Like a water bottle?

 

And how much is to much to put in a suit case ??

 

Does anyone bring something back on say after visting a port??

 

Thanks for the info. :)

 

Nope.. I would never go through the trouble of transferring it into another bottle... As far as how much I pack, I pack as much as I would be willing to lose if taken away... generally maybe 3 bottles... I also take minis of Baileys and Jager, and scatter throughout... I always take 2 suitcases and distribute evenly... I doubt I will take as much on this next cruise, I just end up leaving so much behind... The only time I really use it is in my room getting ready, or nightcap, or breakfast :p

 

As for coming back from the port, you leave alcohol with them and they deliver it at the end of the cruise, you can try to "sneak" it on with you, but I have seen much more confiscated at ports...

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We have always packed alcohol in our suitcases and they have never taken ours from us and we have also packed it wrapped with our clothes, but the friends I was talking about, packed 1 suitcase full of booze and nothing else. That's why he had a problem. They were 1st time cruisers and we tried to tell them we've taken our alcohol with us but not to pack a suitcase with alcohol only. maybe they'll listen to us next time.

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if you dont drink a whole lot try getting the little one shot drink size bottles. This is what we do and we just put the bottles in various zip loc bags along with our toiletries. One year we brought about 20 or so of these bottles on. This year we just brought a few on. Less likely to get busted that way especially since they are mixed in with miniature bottles of mouthwash, etc....! :)

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We simply take a large beach towel and wrap the bottle (original bottle, even brought a gallon once!) Place it on the bottom of your suitcase with all your clothes on top. Never had a problem but my sister insists on putting the liquor in water bottles instead.

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Spread out the bottles & bury them deep in your luggage. But, I suggest keeping them in the original bottles, less likely to leak, and wrap them in a couple of garbage bags, tied tightly. Just think of the mess if these bottles broke while your luggage is being thrown around. Not only your clothing would be ruined, but if you brought a gallon, other's luggage would also be affected.:(

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I was on the Inspiration on April 11-15 and put a 5th of Brandy in my luggage and had no problem.

How much alcohol do people try to sneak onboard? I have read posts stating people packing over 30 bottles. I think this is pushing it.

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On my 8 night cruise, I brought three bottles. I could have done with just one, but wanted a variety. We brought home all three bottles with quite a bit left in them.

 

It becomes so much easier to just order a drink, rather than go get juice/soda, then go back to our cabin and mix the drink, then go back to whatever we were doing previously.

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On my last cruise (Celebrity), I wrapped a half gallon plastic bottle of vodka in bubble wrap and just packed it in my suitcase with everything else. Didn't have a problem and plan to do the same thing on Saturday. Not sure if the bubble wrap matters but everyone on the Celebrity board said that was what one should do . . . so I did it. :p

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I have never tried it so I am not sure, but there was a man ahead of me in line to board the Paradise in LA that lost his vodka. He had it in his carry-on. By the time they tagged it for him to retrieve when we got back, I had caught up to him in line. He rode the escalator up to the boarding level in front of me, by himself, mumbling the whole time about them not getting $1 more from him if the were not going to let him have his vodka. Sounded like a whiny baby that just lost his bottle.

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I just got off the Sensation and we brought in two flask-size plastic bottles of Smirnoff in the original containers and a small-ish sized Bailey's. None of it got caught. We were like kids on christmas when we realized it was there :) We didn't drink much of our liquor though! We also each carried on a big bottle of wine and barely made a dent in that too.

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I was on the 4/9 sailing of the Triumph. I packed a small suitcase with just a case of beer and a portable cooler. I then locked the suitcase. When we arrived at the port, i handed the suitcase to the porter along with the other suitcases. Upon luggage arrival, all luggage was accounted for, my lock had not been tampered with and my beer was safe and sound. :)

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Take duct tape and tape the top of the bottles less likely to come lose in transport.

Also try to buy in plastic. many brands are now available in plastic.

Put the bottle in a ziploc bag. pack in suitcase or carry on.

use bubble wrap if it's glass.

 

use this same method with shampoo/conditioner bottles. and suntan lotion.

this should fool any scanner?

for mixing drinks on the go take several small water bottles along drinkthe water, after put fav libation in it and spike as you go! it cuts down on the runing back and forth to the cabin!

makes you feel a little like your sneaking alchol into thte school dance, but, hey if your really frugal (read cheap) go for it!!

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Take duct tape and tape the top of the bottles less likely to come lose in transport.

Also try to buy in plastic. many brands are now available in plastic.

Put the bottle in a ziploc bag. pack in suitcase or carry on.

use bubble wrap if it's glass.

 

use this same method with shampoo/conditioner bottles. and suntan lotion.

this should fool any scanner?

for mixing drinks on the go take several small water bottles along drinkthe water, after put fav libation in it and spike as you go! it cuts down on the runing back and forth to the cabin!

makes you feel a little like your sneaking alchol into thte school dance, but, hey if your really frugal (read cheap) go for it!!

 

Good tips, those will make it much easier to be cheap, lol... Seriously though, very good tips, thanks.

 

Now, is there anyway to apply that bubble wrap trick to bring along my own

masseuse? That spa can get pricey!!!:D

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I was on the 4/9 sailing of the Triumph. I packed a small suitcase with just a case of beer and a portable cooler. I then locked the suitcase. When we arrived at the port, i handed the suitcase to the porter along with the other suitcases. Upon luggage arrival, all luggage was accounted for, my lock had not been tampered with and my beer was safe and sound. :)

Same basic results here on the 4/17 sailing of the Conquest. I packed a small suitcase containing nothing but liquid refreshment -- two cases of beer and 1.75 of vodka (Smirnoff in a plastic bottle) , and a second suitcase with clothes and rum (transferred to plastic water bottles), plus a duffel bag containing all of the clothes which originally were in the first suitcase.

 

Upon luggage arrival, all luggage was accounted for... except for the duffel bag that contained only clothing. The one suitcase with nothing suspicious in it took an extra three hours to make it up to the room :rolleyes:

 

Unfortunately not all of the beer was safe and sound -- several cans were fatally wounded, but contained by the plastic sleeves in which they were wrapped. Lesson here is, buy a brand of beer that comes in a sturdy can, not Michelob.

 

I learned one other lesson from this trip -- pack more beer, less vodka.

 

I take it that most do not leave it in the bottle but pour it into another bottle, Like a water bottle?

And how much is to much to put in a suit case ??

Does anyone bring something back on say after visting a port??

I didn't have any different results leaving it in the original bottle versus putting it into a water bottle -- all made it on board.

 

After purchasing Rum in Jamaica (packed in a cardboard carrier) I fully expected to be asked to leave it with the "liquor lady" when coming back from port, but not a word was said after it went through the X-ray machine. Didn't bother drinking it, still had plenty left from day 1.

 

All bottles purchased at Grand Cayman are not carried on by passengers but instead delivered directly to the ship, so you don't have a choice -- it shows up in your room on the last day.

 

but the friends I was talking about, packed 1 suitcase full of booze and nothing else. That's why he had a problem. They were 1st time cruisers and we tried to tell them we've taken our alcohol with us but not to pack a suitcase with alcohol only. maybe they'll listen to us next time

I didn't have any problem with a suitcase that was solid alcoholic beverages (aside from a pair of flip-flops that I forgot to take out before filling it) from top to bottom. Total weight, 53 pounds, mostly beer.

 

How much alcohol do people try to sneak onboard? I have read posts stating people packing over 30 bottles. I think this is pushing it.

 

Two people total brought on 5+ liters of alcohol and just over 50 cans of beer. Luckily we met some nice people on board who helped us finish off the clear liquids.

 

I can't see sailing out with over 30 bottles, but there was a lady in the liquor store at Grand Cayman who was planning to bring home that many. At $8-$12 per liter for name brands that cost double that in the states, I can understand why.

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