Bringing home alcohol

[scooby girl]

Hello everyone! Does anyone know how many bottles of alcohol you are allowed to buy in port/on ship and bring home? Thanks for the info Im sailing on the Miracle out on NY in Nov. Cant Wait!!!!

[Alliezona09]

You can bring back as many as you want, but you might get charged the duty on anything over one or two~can't remember~!

[Mxlady]

They will tell you all this at the welcome aboard meeting or it is in the paperwork. So you are allowed to bring any amount of alcohol or cigs but you are charged a duty after so many per adult over 21.

[KORTAM]

On our cruise a few weeks ago it was one litter per adult but we had more than that but wasn't stopped or charged by customs.

[tman77064]

US citizens can bring back 2 liters per adult 21 and over tax and duty free. So you can bring as many bottles as u want as long as they do not total more than the 2liters. Of course if you bring more than allowed, they can and may make you pay the additional duty and tax.

 

Not sure how much that is, but I just got back and bought a liter of crown royal black for $21. At home it is $38 before tax. Liquor appears to be half the cost in the duty free shop from what I see at home. I wonder how much of that difference in cost is state and federal taxes?

[Jules7226]

We have brought more back than was allowed many times. We have always been honest and claimed them on our customs form and have never been charged. It wouldn't cost much even if they did decide to charge. It's hard for me to resist some of the amazing prices that you can get so I usually bring quite a bit back. :) Enjoy your cruise.

[kjunea]

If you go to St. Thomas, you can bring home 6 liters per person duty free, as long as one is bottled in St. Thomas (Southern Comfort is one that is bottled there.)

 

Duty is hit or miss. I've always claimed. I've been charged one time, at Mobile where we diverted due to an oil spill in New Orleans. At Charleston last year, agent asked what bottles we had. When I named Bailey's first, he said no tax, that Baileys has less alcohol content!

[mibarron]

The declaration page says you have to pay taxes on anything over a liter of alcohol, but I had 4 bottles and they let me through no problems. Of course, thi is in the NY pier. Some places are a little more strict and probably enforce the rule more.

[scooby girl]

Thank you!!! So much info on these boards, love cruise critic!!!

[Jimmylisa]

On my last cruise Oct 2011, I brought back 5 liters back and the customs agent ask me if that was all I had and i answered yes and he waved me through without any problems. My DH went on a shopping spree, so our customs ticket was filled out on both sides of 2 tickets. We sailed out of Port Canaveral on the Sensation.

[cbCRR]

DH and I sailed Fascination (Jacksonville) in June. We brought back 5 bottles. Agent confirmed we had 5, asked if we had anything else, and waved us through when we didn't.

We're sailing Conquest in September, and are planning to get about 5 there too (gotta get rum cream in Jamaica!).

Duty is only a couple dollars, so worth it even if you have to pay for the extra bottle or two.

Enjoy!

[Trish12345]

Limit from Charleston was 1 liter per person. The two of us had a 3 Liter bottle. Let's just say I have trouble with math:D.

[sharpasice]

DH and I sailed Fascination (Jacksonville) in June. We brought back 5 bottles. Agent confirmed we had 5, asked if we had anything else, and waved us through when we didn't.

We're sailing Conquest in September, and are planning to get about 5 there too (gotta get rum cream in Jamaica!).

Duty is only a couple dollars, so worth it even if you have to pay for the extra bottle or two.

Enjoy!

 

Did you you bring those home on a plane? If so, how did you pack so many bottles? Thinking of doing the same next April. thanks

[wasiii]

.....I had six bottles between my wife and I. Customs said 1 bottle per person. They released me into my own custody if I promised next time to be aware of the rule. Of course I said no problem at all sir!

 

;)

 

wasiii

[sparks1093]

US citizens can bring back 2 liters per adult 21 and over tax and duty free. So you can bring as many bottles as u want as long as they do not total more than the 2liters. Of course if you bring more than allowed, they can and may make you pay the additional duty and tax.

 

Not sure how much that is, but I just got back and bought a liter of crown royal black for $21. At home it is $38 before tax. Liquor appears to be half the cost in the duty free shop from what I see at home. I wonder how much of that difference in cost is state and federal taxes?

 

Most of it, unfortunately.

 

As for duty on liqour, the duty is based on how much the bottles cost. If you bring back 5 $20 bottles it isn't worth the time and effort to collect the duty in the eyes of most CBP Officers. If you bring back 5 $100 bottles it would probably be a different story (but of course depends on the CBP Officer).

 

Cigarettes are a different story- there are rules about the re-importing of US made cigarettes. I no longer smoke so it has been a while since I've looked at these rules but it is my understanding that you have to buy non-US made cigarettes in order to bring them into the country after paying duty on them. Cigarettes that don't meet the requirements are confiscated, so I would advise anyone buying cigarettes to check the rules closely.

[Out to sea!]

Just to clarify, the rule states you can bring back 1 liter per person 21 or over tax free. After that, you may get charged custom taxes. There is no rule stating how many bottles you can bring back, bring as many as you like. You just may get taxed on anything over 1 liter per person.