Embarking in Barcelona ? 's

I've seen posts of people buying wine, etc. in the duty free shop (I think that's what it was--after the NCL terminal and before the ship itself???) in Barcelona before initial embarkation. If a person was to put this in their carry on bag or just carry the store bag, would they get to bring them on? This is our first time on NCL & the NCL terminal in Barcelona.

I've seen posts of people buying wine, etc. in the duty free shop (I think that's what it was--after the NCL terminal and before the ship itself???) in Barcelona before initial embarkation. If a person was to put this in their carry on bag or just carry the store bag, would they get to bring them on? This is our first time on NCL & the NCL terminal in Barcelona.

Yes, you can carry on any amount of wine. You will have to pay $15 for each bottle corkage fee. There will be a table set up after you board where you will pay.

Have a great cruise!!

How do they know?

Jennifer

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And no, it's not the honor system and yes they x-ray all check-in and carry on luggage. ;)

You should carry wine on board with you and pay the piper. There is a crew member waiting after the x-ray machine to take your information and charge you the corkage as well as confiscate any contraband (such as beer and hard liquor).

If on the other hand, you place the wine in your check-in luggage, you will be further inconvenienced - Once you are on board, you will be eventually summoned to "the naughty room" by ship security, likely waste time waiting in line with behind other smugglers :p, have your luggage inspected by security, and still have to pay the corkage fee.

P.S. The cheapest wine package averages slightly over $25 including the 15% gratuity. If you bought your own wine, you'd pay $15 per 750 ml bottle plus cost of wine. Worth it? You decide.

That's what I thought, but I just read a very recent review where the person bought it & was able to walk right by the "pay the piper" table. I thought maybe they didn't x-ray, or something.

Jennifer

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That's what I thought, but I just read a very recent review where the person bought it & was able to walk right by the "pay the piper" table. I thought maybe they didn't x-ray, or something.

 

Jennifer

The going train of thought for hard liquor and beer (which is prohibited), is there's no harm in trying. The worst that can happen is they confiscate it and return it to you at the end of the cruise. ;)

For wine, I'm guessing you could play ignorant and refuse to pay the corkage and have them treat it like hard liquor/beer. Or just plan on paying the piper and hoping for the best. :D

I think the question is specific to Barcelona, where apparently there is a duty free shop PAST the X-ray screening/corkage paying station. I too would like to know if this is still the case.

The going train of thought for hard liquor and beer (which is prohibited), is there's no harm in trying. The worst that can happen is they confiscate it and return it to you at the end of the cruise. ;)

 

For wine, I'm guessing you could play ignorant and refuse to pay the corkage and have them treat it like hard liquor/beer. Or just plan on paying the piper and hoping for the best. :D

Yeah, I think I will print out the wine package list & start trying the reds to see which ones I like. $25 a bottle isn't horrible...unless it sells for $3 at Sam's Club! I hope I don't only like the wines on the expensive list. But better to know now, I guess.

Jennifer

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I've seen posts of people buying wine, etc. in the duty free shop (I think that's what it was--after the NCL terminal and before the ship itself???) in Barcelona before initial embarkation. If a person was to put this in their carry on bag or just carry the store bag, would they get to bring them on? This is our first time on NCL & the NCL terminal in Barcelona.

Yes, there is a store after security.

Other cruiselines do not scan passengers again once on-board.

I can't comment as to whether NCL scan again on the ship.

It would be a pain if they did this on every port.

I have been thru Barcelona on Rcl & Hal and both times you can buy duty free from the shops before boarding and walk onboard with duty free goods.

Just ask the duty free shops what the policy is with Ncl....I asked and was told it was all legal.

We were in Israel with Ncl (port stop) and same thing happened....brought duty free from port and walked straight onboard.

I've boarded NCL ships twice with wine in my hand luggage

Last year on the Epic I bought a couple of bottles from the duty free shop. Our carry on bags were scanned as we entered the ship and we paid corkage.

Last week I bought the bottles in Barcelona (they cost less than half what they do in the duty free shop). The carry on bags went through the scanners as you enter the port and nobody said a word. There also weren't any scanners as we entered the Spirit and nowhere I could see where we could pay the corkage.

This is in line with other comments I see here. It's pretty random. Worth having a go, but be prepared to pay.

Personally, I don't mind whether I pay it or not. It's obviously cheaper if I don't have to pay, but you can't take the wine to dinner.

Just ask the duty free shops what the policy is with Ncl....I asked and was told it was all legal.

The response that people were getting to that question when I was there last year was based much more on their wish to sell wine than on the actual fact.

I,e. They lied to their customers. There were a few annoyed people who were told by the shop that they wouldn't need to pay anything, only for them to be asked for the $15 a bottle when boarding.

My experience in Barcelona is that if you buy wine in the little store after the x-ray machine and you carry it in their store bag, there will be an NCL person at the top of the escalator who will ask to look in your bag and you will be asked to pay the corkage. We had bought soda and carried in the store bag and the fellow looked at it and we were on our way. In the store, they said if you were buying wine to put it right in your carry on. They are very aware that if you carry it openly, it was likely to be noticed.

Hit and miss .

First the duty free shop after the main terminal security is only open if the ship is sailing to a non EU port.

Secondly. On the likes of Epic it all depends on when you board.

Everytime I've boarded (due to late flights) around 1/2PM rather than the Casino entrance on deck 6 it's been the promenade deck with just the security guy scanning the card. I've never had hand luggage re screened when boarding the actual ship.

Third. Depends how obvious you are. Two bottles in a duty free bag going clink versus say a small spirit bottle in a normal holdall.

Officially you declare and pay the corkage or they hold it until the last night. Tip: nothing stopping you drinking it on last night as it's available from evening so you can put in your suitcase.

I know its not correct but we brought a bottle of vodka on that we purchased in the duty free shop after security. We just poped it in our hand luggage and brought in on board the epic with nothing said no xray after security. I will try it again this year when we board the epic in June

The duty free shop has been open both times I've boarded the Epic on the all EU trip.

The whole thing really does seem to be random.

My plan is to buy wine from a local wine shop in Barcelona (vila viniteca), carry them openly in a separate bag and just pay the corkage.

As another CC members explained to me:

- You can give the bottles to a bartender or Maitre D, and they will store the bottles for you and give you a ticket.

- When you are in a bar or restaurant, you can give them the ticket and they will retrieve the bottles for you.

Yes, you can carry on any amount of wine. You will have to pay $15 for each bottle corkage fee. There will be a table set up after you board where you will pay.

 

Have a great cruise!!

I think the question is specific to Barcelona, where apparently there is a duty free shop PAST the X-ray screening/corkage paying station. I too would like to know if this is still the case.

We were on the Spirit last year for the 12 Grand Med. Barcelona to Venice. As soon as you enter the building you must go thru security and have your carry-on scanned. Once thru, you move to an area where you check-in to NCL and do all the necessary requirements to get your ID card, show your CC, etc. etc.

At that point, you receive your boarding card # and can have a seat to wait for your # to be called. You may also walk past that area where you'll find a Wine Store, a "Convenience" store that has soda, water, snacks etc. etc.

When your # is called, you walk past that area that opens up to a foyer where the Photographer will take your pic if you so wish, ride an escalator up to a covered walkway that winds a bit and all of a sudden there you are walking into the Promenade deck of the Spirit.

You'll be met there by a number of the Ship's officers welcoming you on board along with some of the Entertainers dressed in their costumes. Just inside the doorway will be the Reservations Desk where we booked the Chef's Table right away. There was no table anywhere for anyone to pay corkage.

At NO TIME did we have to have anything scanned after we received our boarding # because there was NO scanner there. Yes I bought Wine and NO I didn't pay the corkage, I was never asked so I didn't pay. Before you decide to flame me and scold me I don't care. I payed more than my share for the cocktails we drank during the cruise. Please don't preach to me and all that will read this your views of morality and all of the blah, blah, blah... the majority of us evil doer's just don't give a s**t.

So to those that wish to purchase Wine in Barcelona, it's available for sale and there is a very good selection of White, Reds and Rose. What you do after make your purchase is entirely up to you I'm not here to judge your morality nor do I care, just enjoy your Cruise and the Wine.

p.s. we were never asked for the sticker when we brought one bottle for dinner one time.

cheers...the Ump...:D

This is all true, but not guaranteed, especially if boarding the Epic.

I don't recall reading specifically about people having to pay the corkage on the Spirit, so maybe that is more guaranteed, but with the Epic, many people, including myself, have been asked to pay the corkage.

I certainly wouldn't flame you, by the way. I am always prepared to pay the corkage, but if nobody asks (and as was the case last week, I can't even see where I would go to pay the corkage). Then I'm not going to go out of my way to pay it.

This is all true, but not guaranteed, especially if boarding the Epic.

 

I don't recall reading specifically about people having to pay the corkage on the Spirit, so maybe that is more guaranteed, but with the Epic, many people, including myself, have been asked to pay the corkage.

 

I certainly wouldn't flame you, by the way. I am always prepared to pay the corkage, but if nobody asks (and as was the case last week, I can't even see where I would go to pay the corkage). Then I'm not going to go out of my way to pay it.

Thanks KeithJenner, my experience in Barcelona was only on the Spirit and like you I have no problem paying the Corkage Fee when asked.

Our cruise on the Sun in 2011 I payed the Corkage for 5 bottles + a bottle of Champagne for our 40 th Wed. Anniversary, plus last year our second half of a B2B (on different ships) on the Jade we paid Corkage on a number of bottles from different ports.

That's why I mentioned the flaming, not that I care , tho there are some members here who feel they have the right to impose their sense of morality on those that disagree with their own. But that's another subject :eek: I just grab some popcorn and a glass of "illegal" wine, sit back and have a good laugh.

cheers...the Ump...:D

The duty free shop has been open both times I've boarded the Epic on the all EU trip.

 

The whole thing really does seem to be random.

It was even all shut up on our Spirit trip! :confused: