Bringing Wine On Board

[HofstraJet]

Wife and I are wine lovers and want to bring more than the allotted 2 per cabin as we will be on a 7-day Alaskan cruise and will be spending lots of time at sea on the balcony enjoying wine and a bottle each night for dinner adds up quickly. Considering the various methods learned on this site, I figure we can get six safely (2 in each person's carry-on in different lines and 2 in checked baggage). How do we get more in is my dilemma? Don't want to take chances with hoping it gets through security because if it doesn't, I am not willing to risk the wines being disposed of.

 

I was thinking of having a gift basket company prepare a gift basket to b e delivered to our room for which I will provide them with the wine to use as part of the basket. Thoughts?

 

Also, I am considering asking others from roll call to carry some on, but that may be a little hit or miss with people flaking out or not showing up on time.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[runner15km]

Its time for some early popcorn.:)

[derf5585]

This should do it

[FTLcruisers]

A few years ago on a Baltic cruise, our tablemates had brought on a case of wine they purchased in France. Not quite sure how they did it but I would think they contacted Celebrity ahead of time. Try calling Celebrity- you never know!

 

Marianne

[HofstraJet]

Calling wouldn't be such a bad idea - I can plead my case - you never know, but I would still risk that an overzealous employee may disregard whatever email or documentation I was provided and refuse to let me board with the wine.

 

Oh, and runner15km, I have my flame suit on and am fully prepared for the onslaught from the CC moral police. :D Fact is that my wife and I enjoy having Champagne and wine during the day while we cruise and relax on our balcony, while we get ready for the evening, will have a bottle each night with dinner, and also would like to enjoy some nice Port as a nightcap on our balcony. Can't do all that with two bottles. Have a cellar at home and refuse to pay wine list prices for wines that are either way too young to drink or not to our preference. We prefer HAL and Princess as they do not limit wine on board, but this X deal was too good to pass up so we took it. We try to avoid RCCL and are getting rid of our RCCL Visa which we used to get a free cruise and are replacing it with one that gets airline miles.

[cruisestitch]

As I used to tell my students, if you plan to cheat, please don't ask my advice how to do it :)

 

Seriously, as you prefer other lines, and will probably go back to them after this one foray into Celebrity, perhaps you should just accept the trade-off that you got this one cruise at an unbeatable price, and this price comes with some rules that you should just follow.

 

You can order champagne by the bottle through Celebrity gifts to be delivered to your stateroom, which might take care of your daily requirements.

[Hollywood Traveler]

As I used to tell my students, if you plan to cheat, please don't ask my advice how to do it :)

 

Nicely phrased.

[bellybutton530]

Last November I brought 14 bottles of champagne onboard for my cruise. Celebrity's champagne selection sucks big time.

 

Several members of my roll call volunteered to help me get bottles on.

 

I had previously asked the concierge (through my TA) to assist, but he refused.

 

I arrived at the pier with 10 bottles; I had 5 people traveling with me, so that wasn't gonna be a problem. As luck would have it, Celebrity didn't have the scanners in place because of a delay in boarding passengers. I walked on with the 10 bottles in a big box.

 

Every bottle was served in the MDR. I not only paid the corkage fee; I also tipped the wine server based on the value of each bottle. He was happy; I was happy; and the concierge got a VERY low score for his behavior.

 

Flame away. I have no regrets

[cruisestitch]

Cheryl, I don't understand. Wasn't the Concierge doing his job, following company policy and wouldn't he have been jeopardizing his position by assisting you?

[bellybutton530]

Cheryl, I don't understand. Wasn't the Concierge doing his job, following company policy and wouldn't he have been jeopardizing his position by assisting you?

 

Exceptions are made all of the time, whether you want to admit it or not.

 

He got a low score; I stand by the low score.

 

Your right to your opinion is so noted.

[Kini12]

Nicely phrased.

 

I totally agree.

[Lsimon]

If 6 is the limit to the number of bottles you'd chance loosing, why don't you leave it at that and just buy more wine on board instead of pushing it. They have a pretty nice wine list on the ship and while the prices are well above retail they pretty reasonable for restaurant/resort type pricing.

[vinoblanco]

Celebrity admin staff may read these posts and you may be spoiling it for others by admitting you know a way of taking more than the 2 "legal" bottles per stateroom. If you get more than 2 onboard you really should be happy with this. Last summer in the Med on Norwegian Jade we got to bring absolutely no wine on board and even a bottle given to us as a present by our driver on a private tour, was confiscated.

 

If you can't drink the wines on the wine list, then really you should make arrangements with the cruiseline direct.

[Cruise Junky]

Wife and I are wine lovers and want to bring more than the allotted 2 per cabin as we will be on a 7-day Alaskan cruise and will be spending lots of time at sea on the balcony enjoying wine and a bottle each night for dinner adds up quickly. Considering the various methods learned on this site, I figure we can get six safely (2 in each person's carry-on in different lines and 2 in checked baggage). How do we get more in is my dilemma? Don't want to take chances with hoping it gets through security because if it doesn't, I am not willing to risk the wines being disposed of.

 

I was thinking of having a gift basket company prepare a gift basket to b e delivered to our room for which I will provide them with the wine to use as part of the basket. Thoughts?

 

Also, I am considering asking others from roll call to carry some on, but that may be a little hit or miss with people flaking out or not showing up on time.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

Easy answer....next time cruise Princess or HAL, better Alaska itinerary and no limit on wine :)

[Denny01]

.....Also, I am considering asking others from roll call to carry some on, but that may be a little hit or miss with people flaking out or not showing up on time.....

Yes, those roll call people can be so untrustworthy! terrible of them when I'm trying to smuggle and cheat the system to not be upstanding and 'flake out' on me. You just can't trust people nowdays!

 

Den

[bigbenboys]

Wife and I are wine lovers and want to bring more than the allotted 2 per cabin as we will be on a 7-day Alaskan cruise and will be spending lots of time at sea on the balcony enjoying wine and a bottle each night for dinner adds up quickly. Considering the various methods learned on this site, I figure we can get six safely (2 in each person's carry-on in different lines and 2 in checked baggage). How do we get more in is my dilemma? Don't want to take chances with hoping it gets through security because if it doesn't, I am not willing to risk the wines being disposed of.

 

I was thinking of having a gift basket company prepare a gift basket to b e delivered to our room for which I will provide them with the wine to use as part of the basket. Thoughts?

 

Also, I am considering asking others from roll call to carry some on, but that may be a little hit or miss with people flaking out or not showing up on time.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi HofstraJet,

 

You should be leaving out of Pier 66 on the Seattle waterfront. You might try one of the wine sellers near your cruise ship. The closes is http://www.pikeandwestern.com or http://www.seattlewineoutlet.com/. I have heard of people stop at the wine store before boarding their cruise. Pike and western is just above your Pier. Seattle Wine Outlet is down from your pier about a mile or two. They might have some info for you or ways of shipping to the cruise ship. Richard

[nedward]

My wife and I enjoy having Champagne and wine during the day while we cruise and relax on our balcony, while we get ready for the evening, will have a bottle each night with dinner, and also would like to enjoy some nice Port as a nightcap on our balcony. Can't do all that with two bottles.

 

Rules are meant for other people, not for the Entitled.

[HofstraJet]

Rules are meant for other people, not for the Entitled.

 

I never said I was entitled - just described what we enjoy. Jeez! :confused: Please don't assume things not clearly stated.

[cruisestitch]

The thing is, that because you enjoy fine wines you ARE acting as if you are entitled to bring them with you in violation of cruise lines rules. You may not see it, but that's certainly how it looks from here.

[bellybutton530]

I never said I was entitled - just described what we enjoy. Jeez! :confused: Please don't assume things not clearly stated.

 

These are the same folks that believe that "let he who is without fault cast the first stone" doesn't apply to them, as they are 100% faultless.

 

Enjoy your cruise; bring however much wine you can onboard; and ignore everything else. You do not need anyone on here's permission or approval.

[A1A]

Simple answer for us! While on Celebrity we purchase a drink package, if you can't be bothered to walk far, then you can stay on the Lido deck. Even better idea is to sail Princess, you can bring on as much wine as you want (or beer for that matter) in each port. Never had a problem with Princess allowing much of anything in the way of alcohol on baord. Both lines are similar (as close as two lines can be) and they price difference may benefit you on Princess!

 

Good luck on the gift basket idea!

 

Cheers!

Ken

[derf5585]

Time for my next book

Smuggling wine on a cruise ship for dummies

[BOBfromNJ]

Time for my next book

Smuggling wine on a cruise ship for dummies

 

Yes, that would make a great book especially the "dummy" part. It kind of reminds me of an old saying that goes like this...some people think that when they come out of the bathroom there is no odor. :confused:

[rwr235]

Last November I brought 14 bottles of champagne onboard for my cruise. Celebrity's champagne selection sucks big time.

 

Several members of my roll call volunteered to help me get bottles on.

 

I had previously asked the concierge (through my TA) to assist, but he refused.

 

I arrived at the pier with 10 bottles; I had 5 people traveling with me, so that wasn't gonna be a problem. As luck would have it, Celebrity didn't have the scanners in place because of a delay in boarding passengers. I walked on with the 10 bottles in a big box.

 

Every bottle was served in the MDR. I not only paid the corkage fee; I also tipped the wine server based on the value of each bottle. He was happy; I was happy; and the concierge got a VERY low score for his behavior.

 

Flame away. I have no regrets

 

I am curious...were you honest on the evaluation form about your reasons for the Concierge getting a low score? "Dear Celebrity, I am giving Concierge XYZ a low performance score, because he/she declined to assist me in the perpetration of a fraud against the Cruise Line. He/she would not help me violate a condition of the cruise contract...conditions that I agreed to abide by when I purchased cruise passage on your ships. Shame on Concierge XYZ for such a display of workplace integrity" .

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

One of the people in our group on our Eclipse cruise purchased a bottle of wine ashore at one of the ports. When she came back aboard, she was sent to the naughty table. They guy said, "Only one bottle? Enjoy!" And sent her on her way to her cabin with her bottle.

So these sacred rules some of you get so excited about are not really rules but are obviously subject to interpretation.