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Smuggle alcohol on to Marco Polo

Mave 20

By Mave 20,
in Ask a Cruise Question

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
Posted
:eek: You actually know someone who smuggles $2,000 worth of liquor aboard for their cruise?

How in the world do they manage that?

 

The $2,000 figure originally cited was the amount Mave 20 figured on saving, so the actual dollar value of the liquor to be smuggled has to be substantially more. If the shipboard markup was 100%, we are talking about $4,000 worth of liquor being snuck aboard. I guess no one would be curious about a couple of steamer trunks, in addition to usual suitcases.

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operafan

operafan

Posted
Posted

Hmmmm... Wouldn't it go something more like this....

 

You get 17 shots out of a standard fifth. Let's say the fifth is $10 (I'm being generous. Anyone that has to smuggle won't be spending more than 10 bucks a bottle, right?) So, for 10 bucks you get 17 drinks.

 

If you buy 17 shots from the ship it may (for the sake of argument) cost 10 bucks a shot. That means $170.

 

For each bottle you smuggle you save $160.

 

Factoring the $2000 the OP figures to "save" over the life of the cruise, it means they'd have to smuggle 12.5 bottles.

 

If you're going to be that blotto why bother spending the money on the cruise? You won't know what the heck's going on anyway!

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Talisker92

Talisker92

Posted
Posted

I would like to give an example. We normally drink just wine. There are some nice (not great) wines you can buy in a 5 liter box. I did the math, and if I bought the same wine by the glass on the ship, with tip, it would be $200. This is just for our consumption in our room. When we have dinner, we will buy either a glass or bottle of wine.

We pack the box in our luggage, and have never had a problem.

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operafan

operafan

Posted
Posted
I would like to give an example. We normally drink just wine. There are some nice (not great) wines you can buy in a 5 liter box. I did the math, and if I bought the same wine by the glass on the ship, with tip, it would be $200. This is just for our consumption in our room. When we have dinner, we will buy either a glass or bottle of wine.

We pack the box in our luggage, and have never had a problem.

 

We were reacting to the OP's claim that they'll save $2000 over the course of the cruise. You'd have to pack about 10 boxes of wine to equal that.

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
Posted
Maybe two thousand was a slight over estimate but still quite a lot - at medium price estimate it would be about thirty dollars a night for two. Mave 20:o

 

Then, of course, the empty space in your luggage, which had accomodated your smuggled liquor, could be used to transport dining room silver off the ship, thereby improving your bottom line further.

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operafan

operafan

Posted
Posted
Then, of course, the empty space in your luggage, which had accomodated your smuggled liquor, could be used to transport dining room silver off the ship, thereby improving your bottom line further.

 

 

And all this time I was just making room for souvenirs....... (hmmm maybe Silversea has better flatware than RCCl... Gotta go check!). :D

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PennyAgain

PennyAgain

Posted
Posted

The cruise ships are getting really smart about finding smuggled booze. Check your own ship to see how much (if any) you are allowed to bring on board.

 

That said, the booze prices on your ship will be less than you pay in the UK.

 

I won't bother trying to smuggle booze these days. It just is't worth doing.

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  • 6 months later...
Mave 20

Mave 20

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I posted several months ago on whether one could take alcohol on the Marco Polo and received some very funny replies. I thought you might like an up date. I filled litre bottles of ginger ale with alcohol and had no problem carrying them aboard despite notices and information. I actually saved about £500 in a six week trip. There were two of us drinking every night. Prices in the bar were on the high side. I bought mixes from the cabin stewardess - called the mini bar - but why? The silverware was of very poor quality and only plastic sticks instead of teaspoons so no temptation.......

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Durhampro

Durhampro

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Posted

Wow you folks should be proud, this is just like hanging out on Tripadvisor, bunch of regulars with fixed ideas ganging up and belittling someone asking a question. Silly of me for thinking this board was more civil than that.

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Mave 20

Mave 20

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Saving L500 must involve drinking close to L1,000 worth -- must have been a delightful trip: swilling cheap liquor in your cabin. Could have saved (and drunk) more by staying at home and not wasting all that money on fare.

Wrong! Never drank in cabin - beautiful on deck. To save that amount, two of us drank two drinks each evening before dinner - for six weeks. It was not cheap liquor and we are not the swilling types - bar prices would have cost about £1000 for four drinks per evening.

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aohkay

aohkay

Posted
Posted

To smuggle or not to smuggle is up to each individual. How much to drink, or not to drink is up to each individual.

 

I do think the OP has taken everyone's comments in stride and has taken the ribbing well.

 

Hope you had a great cruise!

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  • 4 months later...
Andie7

Andie7

Posted
Posted
I posted several months ago on whether one could take alcohol on the Marco Polo and received some very funny replies. I thought you might like an up date. I filled litre bottles of ginger ale with alcohol and had no problem carrying them aboard despite notices and information. I actually saved about £500 in a six week trip. There were two of us drinking every night. Prices in the bar were on the high side. I bought mixes from the cabin stewardess - called the mini bar - but why? The silverware was of very poor quality and only plastic sticks instead of teaspoons so no temptation.......

I just received pre sailing info for my Marco Polo cruise and no mention of not being allowed to bring alcohol on board. Has anyone had recent experience of this? Are plastic bottles still eluding detection? It would only be for a pre dinner drink in cabin. Please spare me the holier than thou lectures Navy bank. I am not made of money and with several trips costing more than £110 I know I can't afford the bars. Can you bring back soft drinks on board or alcohol in water bottles?

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