Alcohol off ship into ports?

Will be sailing soon and have purchased the cheers package. Read something about taking unopened beer unused on your package from previous day into ports with you (or flasks ) off the ship in a soft shell cooler. Is this allowed or do we have to be sneaky lol? Thanks in advance for any tips:)

They servers will generally not give you an unopened beer. You could put some beverage in a water bottle, but it wouldn’t be that good. I just buy a “walking bottle” in port and just enjoy during the day.

On our recent cruises, the ship made several announcements that taking alcohol off the ship is not permitted. I am not sure if anyone is actually checking. In Cozumel the Mexican authorities had dogs and inspectors checking bags but again I am not sure if they were checking for booze.

We have never had an issue. Just order the beer with screw on tops and if they open them, re tighten them. If you frequent different bars, you will find some bartenders that always open them and ones that never do unless you ask.

It's not allowed, it may not even be legal.

Where are you going that purchasing drinks isn't an option?

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I'll be watching to see what further comments this thread receives. It seems there are very different experiences. I've read here on CC recently that people have had great success taking small coolers filled with beer, off the ship to the beach. I believe I specifically read about this in Grand Turk. And not only beer, but people have mentioned asking for bottled water included in the Cheers package, and then carrying these off the ship into ports.

Kinda funny though -- people have spent endless hours and thousands of threads talking about how to get alcohol ON the ship. Now we want to know how to get it OFF. ;)

Will be sailing soon and have purchased the cheers package. Read something about taking unopened beer unused on your package from previous day into ports with you (or flasks ) off the ship in a soft shell cooler. Is this allowed or do we have to be sneaky lol? Thanks in advance for any tips:)

Do you plan to declare the importation of alcohol to the local authorities and pay the appropriate excise taxes?

Where are you going that purchasing drinks isn't an option?

 

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I believe why they are asking is that they have the Cheers package and have already paid for their beer. Knowing that they will be off of the ship during that stop, they won't be drinking that much that day. So they want to hoard a little from the days before and take it ashore.

I'm pretty certain taking alcohol off the ship would be illegal.

When you smuggle booze on to a ship, it is not illegal, just against the rules. You won't get a criminal record or a fine if you are caught. When smuggling off the ship, you could get into legal trouble. Not very likely to be sure, but why risk it?

Save your money on the cheers and just pay for the drinks as you get them. You will come out ahead.

Why does everybody have to be so nasty! The OP just asked a question. If you people don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything at all!

 

When you smuggle booze on to a ship, it is not illegal, just against the rules.

It's not just against the rules. When you do it you are breaking a contract you've agreed to with Carnival. If you don't agree, don't sign.

Beer in port is generally a lot less expensive that on the ship. Just sayin....

The key to taking things off the shp in small coolers is which port are you in.

Grand Turk, you just walk through the Dufry Shop and you're at the beach.

Cozumel they have dogs and Customs Officer confiscating oranges and bananas.

Belize you hop a tender and the guards at the tender pier are more interested in who's allowed to come back in.

St. Thomas and St Martin, easy to head out the port complex.

San Juan there are guards around but again not really paying attention to people leaving.

Thus your biggest worry would be departing the ship if the ship security decides to check things. So just don't make it obvious.

However, like others have said, it's getting the unopened beer that's a hurdle. Even if a waitstaff or barkeep left the screw top on but opened the bottle, with big beer brands you'll find them flat the next day. Need to keep them cold as well.

For Cheers, port intensive cruises make a bit less financial sense, especially from the beer angle, than sea day intensive cruises.

It's not just against the rules. When you do it you are breaking a contract you've agreed to with Carnival. If you don't agree, don't sign.

I agree that if they catch me they can do with the contraband as per the agreement. No disagreement here.

But they have to catch me first :cool:

Do you plan to declare the importation of alcohol to the local authorities and pay the appropriate excise taxes?

:o :'):')

We just did an Eastern route to St. Thomas, San Juan, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turk. In all honesty, you could of taken off anything you wanted from the ship and never ran into trouble (without being an idiot, of course). Same for Nassau and Freeport back in February.

The only port we actually did bring anything besides water off the ship was Half Moon Cay. We brought our wine bottles because we rented a Villa and wanted some nice wine to drink in the Hot Tub. But if you have bought a bottle or something like that, at least for those ports it would be good.

Beer in port is generally a lot less expensive that on the ship. Just sayin....

I've seen it for as little as $1

It's not allowed, it may not even be legal.

by what authority? In St. Thomas drinking and driving is not even illegal

Taking alcohol off ship into Half Moon Cay is not a problem.

Good grief people are going a bit overboard. If you want to make the statement that cheers covers all YOU can drink on the ship and it would be against the rules to carry beers off to drink in port - yes, probably. But as far as it being illegal and paying taxes and having customs issues... they do sell alcohol on the ship specifically so that it can be taken off the ship when you go home. I know US customs allows for a tax free alcohol and cigarette allowance and I doubt the OP is considering bringing multiple bottles or cases of beer off.

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What if I did not have the Cheers program but had beer delivered to my room, so I can only drink that on the ship too?

So every person bringing bottled water, soda and Powerade off the ship is breaking the law and has to pay taxes? Lol

I plan on bringing beer, water, soda and Powerade with me at every port. I'm not worried one bit.

Taking alcohol off ship into Half Moon Cay is not a problem.

Importing alcohol into the Bahamas without paying any applicable taxes is alright?

So every person bringing bottled water, soda and Powerade off the ship is breaking the law and has to pay taxes? Lol

Alcoholic beverages are the subject under discussion.

I plan on bringing beer, water, soda and Powerade with me at every port. I'm not worried one bit.

Right on! Laws are for other people. :rolleyes:

Importing alcohol into the Bahamas without paying any applicable taxes is alright

:o :') :')