still easy to smuggle alcohol on board?

[Jen & Brian]

My husband and I are going on our third cruise on Thursday and are wondering if it is still easy to smuggle in our own alcohol. On our first we didn't take any and ended up spending more on drinks than we paid for the trip! Our second which was about 1 year ago we did smuggle and saved a lot of $$$$! Just wondering if it is still simple and if anyone has any ideas to help us not get caught... especially with beer!

[Nitemare]

Easier on some cruise lines than others. There are multiple threads discussing this on each cruiseline's own board here at Cruisecritic, you should find plenty of advice there.

[SassyPrncess]

Just got back from RCI- Monarch of the Seas. (La-Ensenada-LA). To test it all out, my friend put clear booze in water bottles and carried them on. I put plastic booze bottles in my "checked" bag. Neither of us had ANY problem. Not sure about beer... worth a try. I also brought a "mixer" in a plastic bottle in my checked luggage. (Sweet & Sour).

 

Be sure to bring a big mug with you. We brought vodka and Malibu and would order 2 pineapple juices (with our "drink card") and then go off to a corner to pour the glasses in our mugs. If you bring a mug, be sure to bring a little travel bottle of dish washing soap to clean out the mugs each day.

 

If you order drinks from the bar, be sure to ask for a "regular glass" otherwise, you will be paying anywhere from $0.50 to $1.00 extra just for the souvenier glass. The bartenders will happily trade a used glass for a clean one, too. Bring a few sheets of bubble wrap to wrap the glasses in. On RCI, anything with their logo on it is a souvenier glass. This includes not only the big curvy ones, but some martini glasses and margarita glasses. (The logo was a little square on the INSIDE of the glass.)

 

Hope this helps!

Anne