First Cruise with Family, big drinkers

Ok-

I am a huge forum reader and poster just so y'all know ;)

Now with that said, sorry if this post gets long.

I have been dreaming of a cruise for 4 years now and I finally have DH talked into it. We invited my sister and her husband to go with us. This will be a late honeymoon for both couples. I am so excited I could pee myself :D

We are either going in Aug or Oct depending on some finance issues for us. So I am not booked just yet. We are sailing the Ecstasy, out of Galveston for 4 days. Now I did the math and know how much we all drink and the bill is just astronomical. We are all 4 between the ages of 30-40, so we are good and grown and know we drink too much so please no lectures.

I have been researching smuggling and decided to give it a go. If it gets taken oh well and if not wonderful. We know we don't want to just sit in the room to drink, but to have a slight buzz before we go down would take the edge off of our bar bill.

My issue is everyone, all 4 of us, want beer...not liquor. I want to know for the people who have posted that they have taken CASES on how they packed them? Take them out of the boxes and put them in a bag of their own in baggies with towels or what? And if they do take my beer, will we get it back? I mean, shoot, it will still be good when I get home!

And...any other first time cruise tips are welcome. My parents have been twice and are a wealth of info, but sometimes you never know what someone can offer you. Like, how many checked bags do you suggest for a 4 day cruise? I don't want to over pack, but don't want to forget things either.

Alright, that is enough.

Beer is MUCH harder to "smuggle" than liquor...you'll be better off to just save you $$$$ and buy the beer....

As far as packing...bring what you want..the ship doesn't care HOW much you bring...it's the airlines that screw you!

I bring EVERYTHING I want and need....for a week, I need my creature comforts...

Beer is MUCH harder to "smuggle" than liquor...you'll be better off to just save you $$$$ and buy the beer....

As far as packing...bring what you want..the ship doesn't care HOW much you bring...it's the airlines that screw you!

I bring EVERYTHING I want and need....for a week, I need my creature comforts...

Thanks for that.

Maybe we will just cash in our change jar for tips and drinks. I think we have enough to do that and for sure we will by Aug or Oct.

You are going to have trouble smuggling beer of any large quantity ... cans/bottles are heavy, easily recognizable, take up too much space, and with beer, it's not like you can keep it in alternate containers.

The company that owns your ship is hoping that you will buy a lot of booze on board. They will go to great effort to keep your beer from getting board.

we know people :D who routinely get a 12 pack through in each suitcase. Another trick, at one of the ports buy a 12 pack and a small bottle of liquor, the guy scanning the carry on's will direct you to the liquor line. You take the little bottle of liquor and check it in while DH goes on up to the cabin with the beer.

Ah... McDebbie...your good! Will definitely try this on our upcoming cruise in Cozumel and Grand Cayman!:)

Never smuggled anything before, but it just occurred to me... if you can bring pop along in a 12 pack, and have to carry it on... couldn't you just replace the pop cans with beer cans? I am NOT going to try this... but it did seem like it might work?

This is what I would suggest trying, if you really need to smuggle it. Smuggling liquor is much easier, especially if it's clear. Just put it in a water bottle and they never question that it's not water in it. ;)

Never smuggled anything before, but it just occurred to me... if you can bring pop along in a 12 pack, and have to carry it on... couldn't you just replace the pop cans with beer cans? I am NOT going to try this... but it did seem like it might work?

They will not allow you to bring on cases of beer, sorry but that's just not done. Cruise lines have gotten really tough on smugglers, and they will xray your luggage before it gets on the ship. If they find anything, they will take it and dump it. While cruise lines tend to look the other way on soda and water, they will not look away at cases of beer. If they find it in your checked luggage, they will call you down to the "bad cruisers room", have you open your luggage and they will dump the beer. One guy I know had an entire bottle of Crown Royal taken, and thrown down the drain. While it may be easier to smuggle alcohol, even that they're getting tougher on.

As for luggage, one small bag per person for a four day cruise. I get by for a 7 day cruise with one bag, so you should be able to do the same for a short cruise.

Some cruise lines give you the option of buying a pre-cruise bon voyage gift to yourself such as beer, wine, or liquor. It can be delivered to your stateroom when you arrive, or on the first sea day. Not as cheap as smuggling, but cheaper than buying bar drinks with auto gratuities all the time. Example: six pack of Amstel $20, Bottle of Crown Royal $45, bottle of Seagrams 7: $29. These are inflated liquor store prices where I come from. For mixers, I plan on bringing powdered packets of sour mix in my luggage and a 12-pack of 7up which they won't argue with. Also bought 3 bottles of wine as a gift to myself. My total bar bill will be $175 for 3 people. Much better than $500 plus and no smuggling risk.

Some cruise lines give you the option of buying a pre-cruise bon voyage gift to yourself such as beer, wine, or liquor. It can be delivered to your stateroom when you arrive, or on the first sea day. Not as cheap as smuggling, but cheaper than buying bar drinks with auto gratuities all the time. Example: six pack of Amstel $20, Bottle of Crown Royal $45, bottle of Seagrams 7: $29. These are inflated liquor store prices where I come from. For mixers, I plan on bringing powdered packets of sour mix in my luggage and a 12-pack of 7up which they won't argue with. Also bought 3 bottles of wine as a gift to myself. My total bar bill will be $175 for 3 people. Much better than $500 plus and no smuggling risk.

I have been on the Atkin's diet for 2 weeks today so I have been drinking mixed drinks and not beer for that period. Last night I had a beer with my sister and it made me feel gross. I think she and I decided to try rum runners and just let the boys buy beer on board. That will cut our tab down some. I appreciate the advice from everyone.

We had fun laughing at ways we could smuggle beer on our persons. She is large chested and said she might get a 12 pack under her rack, lol. I guess you had to be there but it was funny to think that a person scanning her might say 'ma'am, you have a square breast'. Anyway, we probably won't try, but if she and I drink and the men do as well we calculated a $120 pp pd bar bill, by the way we drink. *gasp*

I suggest you all start a "beer fund" and save your daily change and anything extra you can contribute to the fund between now and August (or October). You may be surprised at how much you end up saving.

I can't imagine even trying to smuggle on beer, but I'm not a beer drinker. It takes me more than an hour to drink a half a beer and I can only manage that if it's really hot outside. It would probably be more of a challenge than rum runners.

Your sisters square breast would set off the metal alarm ;)

we know people :D who routinely get a 12 pack through in each suitcase. Another trick, at one of the ports buy a 12 pack and a small bottle of liquor, the guy scanning the carry on's will direct you to the liquor line. You take the little bottle of liquor and check it in while DH goes on up to the cabin with the beer.

At one port I bought two bottles of liquor and the scan guy said go to the liquor table...well the line was so long that my husband just took the bag from me and walked to the stairs, no one noticed.

I like your idea for sure.

CruiseNub:

Welcome to my world.. we are a big family and like to have fun with cocktail parties in our cabins.. .. you can do it and be smart about it. My review will probably give you some tips... but for the beer... I have never brought cases of beer with my checked luggage. I have brought water, soda and mixers and even a case of Red Bull, but you might find others that have been sucessfull.

Most of all have fun because that is what we do!!

If Carnival finds any alcohol in the original unopened containers, they take it away but return it to your cabin the last night of the cruise - so you could at least drink it the last night! The only way I have heard of people getting beer on is to buy a case of pop, replace the inner cans with beer cans and reseal the case. But with the crack-down of late, I'm not sure how successful that will be.

We have been talking, and I don't think we want to drink as much as we do at home. If we do we will end up spending a whole day in bed sleeping off a drunken night b4. We might just have a few to unwind so we can participate in the activities(since we all have issues coming out of our shells).

I don't want to waste a day sleeping!

Oh we are going to do the dolphin swim in Cozumel, and I just can't wait :D

If there are any birthdays or other occasions coming up before the cruise, just ask everyone for drink coupons or OBC. It's really easy for anyone to order online and they will be waiting in your room for you! Also, I'm not sure if it's just us, but we never get hungover or groggy on a boat. I don't know if it's the motion of the boat or what, but I have never felt bad from a day/night of excessive drinking on a cruise.

If there are any birthdays or other occasions coming up before the cruise, just ask everyone for drink coupons or OBC. It's really easy for anyone to order online and they will be waiting in your room for you! Also, I'm not sure if it's just us, but we never get hungover or groggy on a boat. I don't know if it's the motion of the boat or what, but I have never felt bad from a day/night of excessive drinking on a cruise.

Just wait until I tell my sister she won't have a hangover on a ship :D

What I do normally is take a case of coke and open it carefully. Once open replace all cans but the two by the handle with beer cans. Then hot glue the case back together. This works every time and you can get about two cases in. But you need something to get them cold like a fridge (some ships have and some don't, in the room) or a small ice chest. But in all reality it is easier to get a rum runner on and bring some mixers for the drinks. That way you are not always going to the room for more drinks too. That is something else to think about, the beer will be in the room and you will constantly be going back to the room for refills.

some people smuggling some in the inside of a case of pepsi or other soda with soda around it.

You MIGHT be able to carry it on in ports?? I know I bought 5 small size bottles (200 ml) of rum creme and they didnt say a word about turning them in. Others said they have been able to carry beer back onto the ship.

THey definitely xray all your stuf when you first embark and when you come back from ports. Smuggling beer would be very, very difficult.

Its also risky. Ive heard reports of people recently being warned that they could be put off the ship for deliberate disobedience of clear ship policy. I doubt they'd actually kick you off, but they are starting to get more serious.

Hi everyone! I will be going on my first ever cruise tomorrow out of San Juan on the Carnival Victory, and could NOT be more excited! I too am not looking for a lecture about trying to get alcohol onboard, but rather would love some useful tips from those of you with any recent experiences/advice on the matter!

I purchased a large bottle of vodka (unopened, in a plastic container) and currently have it in my checked luggage to fly to PR. From what I have read, I understand that Carnival is cracking down on confiscating alcohol, but I figure what do I have to lose, I may as well try. Now my question is, when I arrive to San Juan, should I leave the vodka in my luggage when I get to ship, or should I move it into my carry-on? Does anyone have any advice on what would have a higher chance of making it through?

Also, I have read (I believe I saw it mentioned on this thread as well) that people purchased more than one bottle and put it in their carry-on, and when told to go over to the table to "check" the alcohol until the end of the trip, they just handed over one of the bottles and were never asked to produce anything else out of their bag. If this is the case, would anyone suggest that I purchase another smaller bottle of alcohol maybe once in SJ, and try this tactic?

Thanks for your help! Only one day to finish packing :-)

Hi everyone! I will be going on my first ever cruise tomorrow out of San Juan on the Carnival Victory, and could NOT be more excited! I too am not looking for a lecture about trying to get alcohol onboard, but rather would love some useful tips from those of you with any recent experiences/advice on the matter!

 

I purchased a large bottle of vodka (unopened, in a plastic container) and currently have it in my checked luggage to fly to PR. From what I have read, I understand that Carnival is cracking down on confiscating alcohol, but I figure what do I have to lose, I may as well try. Now my question is, when I arrive to San Juan, should I leave the vodka in my luggage when I get to ship, or should I move it into my carry-on? Does anyone have any advice on what would have a higher chance of making it through?

 

Also, I have read (I believe I saw it mentioned on this thread as well) that people purchased more than one bottle and put it in their carry-on, and when told to go over to the table to "check" the alcohol until the end of the trip, they just handed over one of the bottles and were never asked to produce anything else out of their bag. If this is the case, would anyone suggest that I purchase another smaller bottle of alcohol maybe once in SJ, and try this tactic?

 

Thanks for your help! Only one day to finish packing :-)

Leave it in your checked luggage. Too bad you don't have any rum runners, that would at least help somewhat.

If they find it.. they find it. Better chances in the packed luggage than the carry on. but I think I would get some other containoers to pour it into and then distrube amongst your packed luggage..

Zip lock bag it also...

Good luck

Drink your beer while in port - each island has its own locally-brewed favorite and they're often $1 or 2 each. Also, Mexico is famous for tequila, and the Caribbean is famous for rum.

I have found that if I carry my laptop ashore in my backpack (as I do because internet minutes are much cheaper, or even free, there), I can bring back a bottle of rum in the backpack and it's often not seen on the x-ray machine. Particularly if you buy boutique rum with a cork stopper rather than a metal screw-on cap.

You can also buy a "bucket of beer" on the ship, where you get 5 bottles for the price of 4 or similar. Some lines may also have a pass good for unlimited frozen drinks.