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Need Tips for bringing Alcohol on board


outnlftfld

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I've read posts about other cruise lines on this subject, and they all seem to say that the rules are different, as is the enforcement. I see that HAL doesn't allow you to bring alcohol (other than wine or champagne) on board. Has anyone had success in "smuggling" some on board? I am cruising on the Westerdam in late Jan and would like to bring a little of my own as I am a very particular drinker. Any advice would be helpful, thank you!

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On the Oosterdam this past Feb the longshoremen accidently dumped a pallet of passenger luggage off the pier and into San Diego bay. The ship was held up for several hours while scuba divers fished out all the bags.

 

In one of the bags someone had spirited away some spirits. :) I'm not sure what it was a bottle of, but it broke and the liquor mixed with the salt water and seeped into every single item of clothing in the bag. EVERYTHING was utterly, totally ruined. While everyone else had the contents of their bags cleaned, dry cleaned, pressed, repaired, or replaced, the owner of this bag was informed that there wasn't anything the Line could do because all of the irreparable damage was done by a the broken bottle of liquor, which was being smuggled aboard contrary to line policy.

 

So ... my tip would be: don't. :)

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Why do I have a problem with someone who tells us he is a military guy and that we should not disclose the security measures that we have seen on ships and then starts a thread with how to sneak liquor on board.

 

susana.

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This thread will once again elicit the slings and arrows of deeply-held opinions. Get ready. My advice is the same as Greg's. Comply with the ship's guidelines and leave your booze at home. Who knows ... you just might develop a taste for something entirely new!

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lol... guess it was about time for this question to be asked again.

 

without making judgement on whether or not you should violate hal policy, if possible bring an unopened plastic bottle of your favorite libation - but whether it's plastic or glass, double-bag it in 1-gal size sealable bags, then snugly pack in the center of your checked bag. if you've done a good job of surrounding it with shirts, socks, etc., even if the bag is tossed-about and dropped quite a bit it should still withstand such treatment w/o breaking.

 

that said, now would be a good time to don your flame retardant suit! :p

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Setting aside the moral implications, I suppose my question would be: do you really save enough money to compensate for the time, effort, and risk involved in smuggling booze onboard as opposed to just ordering from ships services?

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Lots of ways if you really want to. Reloading another container (plastic) should work OK. Clear beverages (gin/vodka) work in a bottled water bottle. Some lighter tan ones work OK as gold Listerine. Darker tan (rum) will work in a green tinted ginger ale bottle. Dark brown might work in a screw top wine bottle but glass is problematic - then again if bringing wine is OK glass should not be a problem. The double gallon zip bags works well for spill protection (we use for shampoos, etc... in other travel where not provided). If you are really paranoid about refills being checked put a spot of model airplane glue in the threads before sealing so if test twisted it resists as if never opened - but not too much.

 

Aside from being cheap I think some people do it as a game - just to see if they can.

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I've read posts about other cruise lines on this subject, and they all seem to say that the rules are different, as is the enforcement. I see that HAL doesn't allow you to bring alcohol (other than wine or champagne) on board. Has anyone had success in "smuggling" some on board? I am cruising on the Westerdam in late Jan and would like to bring a little of my own as I am a very particular drinker. Any advice would be helpful, thank you!

 

I generally stock up on some plastic mini-bottles of scotch and pack them in my suitcase. The plastic bottle or flask works as well for big drinkers.

 

As others have indicated, your subject is likely to trigger an outcry of personal invective including the already mentioned questioning of your moral values. Mine, as well I guess, after this reply. I question the morality of charging $6.95 for a measured once or less of booze purchased tax free by the cruise lines for about $10-15 a bottle - thats about a 1,500% mark-up on 24 onces.

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My comment is why bother? Unless you drink Glengoyne...a single malt scott whisky costing about $50-$80 a bottle and always in short supply...it just seems too much trouble given the consequences.

 

HAL does occasionally makes spot checks of baggage for security purposes and they will confiscate any alchohol found, returning it to the passenger at the end of the cruise.

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You say that you are a "particular" drinker. Just what is it that you like to drink?

HAL sales many different brands of alcohol through ship services. Or you can order through room service once you are on board. Or you can go to any bar and buy a bottle for cabin consumption.

You pay a lot for a cruise - so what is the big deal about buying a bottle on board the ship?

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I just happened to looking at some information from past cruises we have taken. Would believe that in 1994, yes 1994, I read that the "Festivale" of the Carnival Line, wrote that I could not acholol on board the ship, if I did they would take it away. Would believe that? The Carnival Line doing something like that and in 1994. Where has the time gone. This only new this policy on the HAL right?

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My dilemma is that I don't think HAL will have my favorite liqueur onboard. It is Limoncello, the newest trendy drink. We discovered it years ago in Italy. It is fabulous over the rocks or mixed with lemonade and lots of ice. I don't want to break the rules, but it is so tempting. I think I will just turn the bottle in, and on the last night of the first week of our cruise get it back and drink it on the second leg of our back-to-back cruise. :D

 

My DH is now trying to decide if he wants to drag along some wine and a couple of bottles of champagne for the sailaways. I hate to pay $27 for a bottle of wine I can get for $10-$12, but I don't want to lug more luggage along. It's up to him. LOL.

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The liquor prices through ship's services aren't that bad. At least you're able to order for your room. A lot of lines don't even allow you to do that. It makes smuggling seem like a lot of work (and worry). Good luck.

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What if you purchase a bottle(s) of wine in a port stop to take home bringing on board?

 

In an upcoming stop at Funchal, Madeira was hoping to purchase a bottle or two of maderia wine to take home. Is there any problem doing this? Do they hold for you until you disembark from the ship?

 

Thanks

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The liquor prices through ship's services aren't that bad. At least you're able to order for your room. A lot of lines don't even allow you to do that. It makes smuggling seem like a lot of work (and worry). Good luck.

 

My experience with other lines is that they deliver to your cabin last night of the cruise. Are you saying HAL lets you purchase on board and take immediate delivery?

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My dilemma is that I don't think HAL will have my favorite liqueur onboard. It is Limoncello, the newest trendy drink. We discovered it years ago in Italy. It is fabulous over the rocks or mixed with lemonade and lots of ice. I don't want to break the rules, but it is so tempting. I think I will just turn the bottle in, and on the last night of the first week of our cruise get it back and drink it on the second leg of our back-to-back cruise. :D

 

My DH is now trying to decide if he wants to drag along some wine and a couple of bottles of champagne for the sailaways. I hate to pay $27 for a bottle of wine I can get for $10-$12, but I don't want to lug more luggage along. It's up to him. LOL.

 

 

Anjuli,

 

Check with HAL, I have had Limoncello on board, but that was a gew years ago. Mind you, some would put Limoncello in the same category as Listerine!

 

Personally I prefer mine out of the freezer, straight up, in a frozen glass.

 

Or better still... drink Grappa! Love the stuff! Mostly available on board.

 

BTW... our favourite restaurant here inS ydney is called Limoncello.

 

As far as bring hooch back on board, I watched a passenger come back on board Prinsendam last year in Greece. She hd a bottle... stange looking fancy bottle of Ouzo. When questioned by the security guard at the gangway she looked at the guy with a completely strait face and said, "Its olive oil'. I nearly bust a gut! She got away with it too!

 

If you want to have some wine on board... why not make a few purchases in your first port of call. Saves carrying the stuff.

 

But as far as smuggling the stuff, stick to the rules. Less hassle for everyone. After all, it is only a few dollars.

 

Stephen

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I tried making my own limoncello, yikes it was like lighting fluid. I try to get the imported stuff from Italy, it is a little less volatile. :)

 

I don't plan on smuggling anything on. We'll pack a bag with a couple bottles of wine and 2 bottles of champagne, order a bottle of rum onboard, and we're set. When I started a new job a couple of years ago, they did a personality profile. One of my character traits is following the rules, very closely. I can easily get by on straight lemonade. Yum, grappa, I forgot about grappa. I think we can easily find what we want to drink anywhere onboard, I love the foo foo drinks too. A different one every day.

 

Anjuli,

 

Check with HAL, I have had Limoncello on board, but that was a gew years ago. Mind you, some would put Limoncello in the same category as Listerine!

 

Personally I prefer mine out of the freezer, straight up, in a frozen glass.

 

Or better still... drink Grappa! Love the stuff! Mostly available on board.

 

BTW... our favourite restaurant here inS ydney is called Limoncello.

 

As far as bring hooch back on board, I watched a passenger come back on board Prinsendam last year in Greece. She hd a bottle... stange looking fancy bottle of Ouzo. When questioned by the security guard at the gangway she looked at the guy with a completely strait face and said, "Its olive oil'. I nearly bust a gut! She got away with it too!

 

If you want to have some wine on board... why not make a few purchases in your first port of call. Saves carrying the stuff.

 

But as far as smuggling the stuff, stick to the rules. Less hassle for everyone. After all, it is only a few dollars.

 

Stephen

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My experience with other lines is that they deliver to your cabin last night of the cruise. Are you saying HAL lets you purchase on board and take immediate delivery?

I plan on ordering a 'gift' for us of a bar setup of rum and cokes. Apparently HAL has a list of liquor and mixer packages that you can order for your cabin.

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We're flying into Fort Lauderdale a couple of days early. We'll purchase our wine there. I would never drag wine on an airplane, I have enough problems staying within the luggage limit as it is. We're just going to wander around that Saturday, buy a few bottles of our favorite wines and some champagne and we're good to go. :)

 

If you want to have some wine on board... why not make a few purchases in your first port of call. Saves carrying the stuff.

 

But as far as smuggling the stuff, stick to the rules. Less hassle for everyone. After all, it is only a few dollars.

 

Stephen

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Ordering a bottle or two for the cabin from ship services is another great benefit of HAL. Allows some cost savings as well as saving the trip to the bar in you pjs without breaking the rules. Even being able to keep wine that you buy in port is something that doesn't happen with all cruiselines. We love this added benefit of HAL, just one of many from my opinion.

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it really is no big deal to pack it in your luggage. Just bag it in a baggy as another poster noted and put it in your checked bags, not your carry-on.

 

We still spend plenty in the bars aboard, but enjoy having a drink in the room prior to dinner. Sure we could buy a bottle thru ship's services, but we find HAL's alcohol policy discriminatory in allowing wine and champagne aboard but banning booze and beer. So this is our form of protest. Many here will decry that attitude, but ultimately what you or I may do on this issue has absolutely no impact on other passengers.

 

So you need to decide whether you want to take the chance on leakage and then proceed accordingly.

 

As for buying alcohol in the ports, HAL's stated policy is that they will confiscate it and return it to you thr last nite, but if you only have one bottle and you put it in a tote bag that you are already carrying it will generally pass thru the x-ray machine w/o incident. We have been perfectly ready to surrender those bottles but have never been asked to.

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Lets see. My wife and I average 5 drinks a day times $5.75 times 14 day cruise = $402.50 bar bill.

 

I don't know what kind of accommodations you normally book aboard ship, but let's assume that you cruise an "average" stateroom (either a mid-range outside or a high-end inside, not a Verandah or a Suite) A cruise in such a stateroom will average $150 per-person/per-day not counting airfare, shore excursions, or other onboard expenses. Some cruises are more expensive per-day, some are less, but that's the average on HAL for a cabin in the mid-range). So, $150 x 2 x 14 = $4200. Factored this way, those averaged 5 drinks per-day will cost you 9.58% of the cost of the cruise (again, not counting airfare).

 

Perspective is important ... compared to what you paid for the cruise, $402.50 for two people for 2 weeks is not much at all.

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