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Cruised on RCCL since new liquor policy?


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What is security like since the new liquor policy? Before it was a breeze to pack in your luggage. Also coming in from ports, it was never an issue what was in the carry on. What is the current attitude since the new liquor policy? What was the talk in the duty free liquor store? We would like to hear from recent cruisers since the cancellation of the in room consumption fee regarding what you learned from fellow cruisers and staff about this matter.

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Sailed on Mariner 8/7, The onboard liquor shop staff was apologetic BUT no liquor could be taken to room (with consumption fee). Also, had 2 bottles of liquor "confiscated" until last night that we bought on Nassau. First time ever that has happened.

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Returned from 3 night Sovereign of the Seas on August 15th. Judging on the amount of drinking in the hallways and cabins on deck 3, there was no problem bringing liquor on board. Lots of people drunk before dinner on the first night. Even saw a wheeled beer cooler as checked luggage.

Les

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In the past, we have just packed a bottle in our luggage. How would they know??

Carnival has had this policy for the past few years. If the bottle was in your purse, carry on bag, they didn't take it. If you were carrying it in a bag from the island, they tool it. I have my rum already packed in my suitcase for the 9/4 trip.

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We have always packed our own too, but since the 'missing groom' incident and all the legal brewhaha and publicity we were curious as to how much they are searching - including packed luggage. In the past we have brought what we bought in port back and there was never a question, but now, how far are they going to make a good show of it?

Personally, I feel its a matter of individual responsibility and feel they could make more money by increasing the consumption fee than discontinuing the whole thing, but I suspect they have other issues that they have gone to this extreme. If they are really concerned about how much people are drinking they would monitor the bars, but shush - dont talk about it or that will be next.

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I've never "smuggled" liquor aboard either of my two cruises, always choosing to buy what they had in the onboard store and bring to our cabin. The corkage fee plus the cost of the bottle was about equal to what I would have paid on land - and I was happy for the convenience and not worrying about spillage or breakage.

 

This new policy may make me change my mind about bringing liquor onboard. Does that mean the only legal way to have a drink in our cabin will be to order individual drinks from room service? Or can you only order food? Or is there an option to book "bar service" from room service where they'd bring up a couple of bottles of your choice and a bar setup with mixers, etc. I know they do the latter at most full-service hotels - of course you usually pay a premium.

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Also, had 2 bottles of liquor "confiscated" until last night that we bought on Nassau. First time ever that has happened.
Jim - How did you try to bring the bottles back on board?

 

On HAL, we were able to order a bottle with "set ups." The bottle of GIN was huge, but only two small bottles of tonic and no limes. Needless to say, we ran out of tonic and had to buy more at the bar. We asked for some limes at the bar and were told they didn't have any, even though there were some that were cut up in front of us. :rolleyes: Ended up leaving the bottle with the steward.

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We recently sailed on Splendour of the Seas in the Mediterranean. We brought a few bottles of wine back to the ship from our excursion in Tuscany. We didn't even attempt to hide them. We just put them through the scanner and they never said a word to us about them.

 

Leah

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We have just returned from NOS. We carried on our duty free champagne on board with no problem. We also had one bottle with dinner on formal night and wasn't even charged the corkage fee. However, we bought a bottle of tequila in cozomel and this was confiscated until the end of the cruise. The only alcohol we bought on board was on the last day and we were allowed to take this straight to our room.

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So it seems that they are letting wine through without question? I plan on carrying on a bottle of champagne (I just bought two bottles of Dom Perignon for $42 each from a liquor store gone bankrupt!), and a couple bottles of wine, as the lists I've seen are rather abysmal.

 

I have no problem paying a corkage fee should I choose to bring the bottles to dinner.

 

I just want to be sure they aren't going to be taken from me at the port, it would defeat the purpose of lugging them.

 

Anne

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Just returned from the 8/15 Majesty sailing....Security was no tighter than usual, in regards to "smuggling alcohol".

 

I had a 12-pack of Pepsi in a "carry-on" backpack...put it thru the scanner but the zipper was never opened to see if it was beer or not. I DID carry on a gift-wrapped bottle of wine in plain sight and had some alcohol in my checked suitcases. Had NO problems with any of the above.

 

I, also voiced my displeasure with their new consumption fee policy on the cruise survey form.

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I agree, we'll be making our protest known via the "customer satisfaction" cards on the Serenade of the Seas in less than 2 weeks, and we've also sent an E-Mail to Royal Caribbean asking WHY they're changing the alcohol policy--I can't BELIEVE that they won't AT LEAST offer some kind of explanation (other than "it's policy"!) for upsetting so many of their loyal patrons...

--Tom

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Excellent idea about the survey cards. We have bought the travel flask size bottles they sell in the liquor store, taped the top and put into ziplocks. They are waiting in what will be the checked luggage.

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Just returned from the 8/15 Majesty sailing....Security was no tighter than usual, in regards to "smuggling alcohol".

 

I had a 12-pack of Pepsi in a "carry-on" backpack...put it thru the scanner but the zipper was never opened to see if it was beer or not. I DID carry on a gift-wrapped bottle of wine in plain sight and had some alcohol in my checked suitcases. Had NO problems with any of the above.

 

I, also voiced my displeasure with their new consumption fee policy on the cruise survey form.

 

Good to know!

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I am cruising out of Miami (God willing) to the Western Carribean. I wonder how hard it is to pack a bottle of rum in my luggage? Curious if it is dependant on the particular port that you are leaving out of depending on how tight that particular ports security is?? We shall see!!

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Just got back from Adventure sailing out of San Juan. In SJ you do all your paper work etc after having gone through the security check. As you approach the ship there are people handing out flyers for the duty free inside the terminal. You can buy what you want and just walk it on board. Absolutely no problem. Prices are also very good, a liter of Grey Goose Mandarin was $19.50 and a liter of Captain Morgans was $8.75

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I recently got back from the 8/12 Voyager and I "smuggled" liquor in my checked luggage with no problems. I just put the bottles in a zip lock bag, then wrapped them in a tshirt, and placed them in the middle of the suitcase. We took 4 bottles total, and had no problems.

 

However, when we purchased rum on the islands, they made a big deal when they saw it through the scanner and made us check it. They even followed a few people who tried to ignore them, and made them come back to check it.

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