Alcohol now being destroyed

[jagoffee]

IMO most of the concern about this policy is not really related to bottles that are meant to be taken home. It is about bringing it on board to drink.

 

But the point about wanting to store bottles to take home is a good one that I do not think that Princess has considered properly. Perhaps they can change the policy to allow cruisers to designate bottles in their carry on only for storage until the end of the cruise. I would not think that this is a significant number of bottles. If they are in your checked luggage then they can be removed and not returned.

 

This would take care of the concern about gifts and bottles purchased with no intent of drinking on board.

[bdjam]

This makes me laugh. Airlines aren't in the food business, they're in the transportation business. So surely you won't mind if they don't provision any food for your next 8-13 hour transoceanic flight? Maybe they might also ban you from bringing any onboard. After all, they're not in the storage business either. :rolleyes:

 

I would suggest that Princess is actually in the guest vacation and hospitality business. They're just not being very hospitable and are putting "process" before guest experience or satisfaction. There are many companies that behave this way, Telco's and Utility providers spring to mind. They quickly gain the reputation as being some of the worst companies to do business with.

 

At the end of the day, the facts are irrefutable. The beloved Princess has won the race to the bottom. No other cruise line is refusing to hold guest liquors or special items they might bring onboard until the end of the cruise. Only Princess. We're not debating smuggling booze onboard here, we're talking about not being able to store a gift or special item someone may have picked up along their vacation travels. I'd imagine a significant number of folks when you start to consider Europe or South America itineraries.

 

If Princess can't handle an efficient embarkation, then they need to start looking at how other more customer friendly cruise lines seem to manage.

 

My apologies - I thought this was a discussion about bringing alcohol on a cruise ship not about an airline. The two situations are not comparable.

 

As for the gifting of alcohol before one reaches the ship, I would venture to guess that there's a very small percentage of passengers who really find themselves in this situation, when you consider the thousands that embark on Princess ships every week. And I just bet that if one of those passengers explained the situation upon boarding, it would be handled appropriately outside of the policy that's been put into place for smugglers.

 

And regarding efficient embarkation, it would seem that most posts indicated Princess handles it very well - maybe that's why they don't want to muddy it up with unnecessary processes.

For purposes of discussion, say I go to the local pound and find a wonderful dog to bring home for a friend of mine. However, since I am going on a cruise and am not local, I bring the dog onboard. Would Princess take care of my dog? It says no pets on the conditions of travel, but I am sure that does not factor in that I am bringing the dog on as a gift for someone.

 

:D:D:D

 

This can be modified on a case by case basis if operational conditions dictate, but is should be a reasonable expectation. This doesn't covered alcoholic beverages brought on board at embarkation and Princess can change the terms of the contract if they wish. It is just another piece of the confusing and contradictory information being provided by Princess. I think we just wish they would get their act together and finalize a policy that will be implemented consistently on all ships so that we know what to expect. I believe that the confusion and uncertainly is what is frustrating many on this thread.

What confuses me is how anyone can think the paragraph in the Passage Contract can be contradictory or confusing. In a nutshell, the paragraph says you can bring on one bottle of wine or champagne per person. It also says that if you bring more than one bottle of wine or champagne, you will be charged a $15 corkage fee per bottle. It says that you can not bring on any other kind of alcohol. It says if you buy other alcohol on board or in a port of call, they will hold it for you until the last night of the voyage.

 

The mock confusion comes from the fact that people want to bring alcohol other than wine or champagne on board at embarkation because somehow they’ve ended up with it before getting to the ship even though Princess says you can’t do that. There is nothing wrong with the way Princess has stated the policy. A dislike of a policy that doesn’t address one specific type of situation doesn’t equate to confusion.

[bdjam]

While I admit the comparison (dog vs booze) is a stretch, I do not believe Princess would/should take on the burden of storing alcoholic beverages for any passenger, unless it is purchased during the trip or from their duty free shop.

 

The "image of hospitality that they attempt to convey" is also a long stretch if you are implying they have expressed a desire to become the stewards of all items brought aboard by passengers that are prohibited by Princess.

I would imagine that if Princess became a storage facility, they would also open themselves up to some liability if the super-duper-gifted alcohol was lost, stolen or damaged. And I agree - I don't know that "hospitality" includes caring for items passengers know they shouldn't be bringing on board in the first place.

 

IMO most of the concern about this policy is not really related to bottles that are meant to be taken home. It is about bringing it on board to drink.

 

But the point about wanting to store bottles to take home is a good one that I do not think that Princess has considered properly. Perhaps they can change the policy to allow cruisers to designate bottles in their carry on only for storage until the end of the cruise. I would not think that this is a significant number of bottles. If they are in your checked luggage then they can be removed and not returned.

 

This would take care of the concern about gifts and bottles purchased with no intent of drinking on board.

 

Here is the first sentence of the paragraph from the Passage Contract, with highlights and bolds added by me:

Passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board

for consumption

except one bottle of wine or champagne per person of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage only in his/her carry-on luggage.

So again, I bet if one was to say "gee my airline gave me this super duper expensive alcohol as a gift and I'd like to take it home, could you store it for me and return it at the end of the cruise?" Princess would gladly help.

[Cobraman]

With that said, if Princess agreed to hold that super duper bottle;

 

and in spite of exercising due care, lost/damaged said bottle; the owner would be demanding a replacement or its monetary value.

 

Which is why they should politely refuse and not expose themselves to the risk.

[PunkiC]

Princess has already said that it will store liquor that is purchased at ports of call so why can't they store liquor brought on board at embarkation? Makes no sense at all.

 

This is something they can easily do for the benefit of their customers and I am definitely talking about liquor that I want to take home, not liquor to be consumed on board.

 

The liquor that they sell through room service just isn't expensive enough to hassle with trying to smuggle anything aboard.

[mafig]

The other cruiselines store and return confiscated alcohol. I haven't heard of any real problem with them losing anything.

[Iamcruzin]

Just to stir the pot a little more. If you board the ship on the second segment of a multiple segment cruise is that an embarkation port or a port of call? How would Princess handle any gifted or purchased booze for home? What would stop anyone from checking in and returning to port. I know when San Juan was and embarkation port and had an 11:00 pm sail away you could check in and go back to visit the port.

[Iamcruzin]

Princess has already said that it will store liquor that is purchased at ports of call so why can't they store liquor brought on board at embarkation? Makes no sense at all.

I agree. The only thing that comes to mind is that those who don't read CC will still try to smuggle either in the checked bag or in the carry on. If caught they will just claim that it is for home use. It's just like the shop lifter that wants to pay for the merchandise after he gets caught stealing. If Princess destroys or confiscates the contraband than word may get around and passengers may think twice about smuggling. I think once they get control they may allow storage of alcohol for home use during embarkation.

[bdjam]

With that said, if Princess agreed to hold that super duper bottle;

 

and in spite of exercising due care, lost/damaged said bottle; the owner would be demanding a replacement or its monetary value.

 

Which is why they should politely refuse and not expose themselves to the risk.

Like - :D

I'm going to venture to guess that this situation about people arriving at the ship with alcohol to store for the duration of the cruise is not very prevalent and so doesn't need to be addressed in the Passage Contract.

[tanzer22pilot]

Living creature vs inanimate object. Seems like a very clear line to me. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

The point is where should Princess draw the line? Seems to be something that is harder to address by cruisers when called out on it. Easier to mock someone who points it out by inferring items to be similar in one area and different then another.

[Cobraman]

Princess has already said that it will store liquor that is purchased at ports of call so why can't they store liquor brought on board at embarkation? Makes no sense at all.

 

This is something they can easily do for the benefit of their customers and I am definitely talking about liquor that I want to take home, not liquor to be consumed on board.

 

The liquor that they sell through room service just isn't expensive enough to hassle with trying to smuggle anything aboard.

 

 

They make it very clear; they will accept responsibility for items purchased after the cruise begins (ports of call) and duty free purchases from their own stores. That is where they draw the line, and rightfully so.

 

Why should they assume liability for anything you bring along that clearly violates their policy, old or new version. You feel they should do it as a courtesy to their guests, but I would question their sanity if they agreed to that risk.

 

The first broken/missing item will be followed by a demand for compensation. Princess owes it to their shareholders to lessen risk and make a profit. Storing booze and allowing smuggled booze to cut into their overall sales does neither.

[bdjam]

They make it very clear; they will accept responsibility for items purchased after the cruise begins (ports of call) and duty free purchases from their own stores. That is where they draw the line, and rightfully so.

 

Why should they assume liability for anything you bring along that clearly violates their policy, old or new version. You feel they should do it as a courtesy to their guests, but I would question their sanity if they agreed to that risk.

 

The first broken/missing item will be followed by a demand for compensation. Princess owes it to their shareholders to lessen risk and make a profit. Storing booze and allowing smuggled booze to cut into their overall sales does neither.

 

I know I already said this, but LIKE! :D

[Iamcruzin]

They make it very clear; they will accept responsibility for items purchased after the cruise begins (ports of call) and duty free purchases from their own stores. That is where they draw the line, and rightfully so.

 

Why should they assume liability for anything you bring along that clearly violates their policy, old or new version. You feel they should do it as a courtesy to their guests, but I would question their sanity if they agreed to that risk.

 

The first broken/missing item will be followed by a demand for compensation. Princess owes it to their shareholders to lessen risk and make a profit. Storing booze and allowing smuggled booze to cut into their overall sales does neither.

I don't see any greater risk for storage whether it's purchased before, at a port of call or on the cruise ship. The only down side I see would be it would take longer to get passengers checked in and boarded at embarkation because the smugglers would be holding up the line by back peddling the issue if caught.

[Redwing55]

I don't see any greater risk for storage whether it's purchased before, at a port of call or on the cruise ship. The only down side I see would be it would take longer to get passengers checked in and boarded at embarkation because the smugglers would be holding up the line by back peddling the issue if caught.

 

And that is the point. I truly think most people that are complaining are just ticked that Princess is enforcing a policy that affects what they used to abuse. Yes, there may be a few people that purchase beverages to take home or get as a gift, but by and large that isn't the case. And honestly, I really wonder if one asked before boarding to hold the bottle aside, Princess would more than likely do so. I have yet read where they have thrown out a bottle that wasn't packed in a checked bag. Maybe they have done so with a carry on, but I didn't read that.

 

And just look how many people were bragging in their posts what they brought on. I mean really, checking a CASE of anything? Come on. And again, what makes wine so different from hard liquor? I'd like a nice drink of scotch on my balcony on the cruise too. It's like enjoying wine is sophisticated and should be allowed. It's not. I'm with Princess on this. Some people got caught and are being held accountable.

[Shoalwater]

You missed the first part of that section:

 

 

 

Passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption except one bottle of wine or champagne per person of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage only in his/her carry-on luggage. A corkage fee of $15.00 U.S.D. per bottle (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to wine and champagne brought aboard by You and consumed in the ship’s public areas. Any wine(s) or champagne(s) supplied by the Carrier to You as a gift are not subject to a corkage fee. At embarkation, all luggage will be scanned for suspected alcohol in excess of the one bottle policy as provided herein. Your luggage will undergo a secondary inspection by a security team operating under CCTV (closed circuit surveillance) or in the event Your luggage is locked, You will be notified and are required to attend the secondary inspection where any alcohol found in violation of the one bottle policy will be removed and discarded. Carrier shall not be responsible for any loss, cost, disappointment or damage of any kind as a result of any alcoholic beverages removed in violation of the one bottle policy.

 

You agree to surrender alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from the ship’s gift shop, or at ports of call, to Carrier, which will be delivered to Your stateroom on the last night of the voyage.

 

 

 

I am not sure why this is so difficult to understand. OP stated in their posts the following:

 

"My wife had bought a bottle of Vodka and a big bottle of sparkling type champagne"

 

"Down on deck 4 about 20 people stood in line in front of us, we handed in the yellow card, our case was placed on a table and we were asked if there was any alcohol inside, we aswered yes, opened the case and asked to remove it."

 

These are the statements of the OP and are not open to debate.

 

 

Rules broken:

 

Brought alcohol onboard in their carry on luggage in violation of Passenger Contract.

 

Brought VODKA (a non-wine/champagne) onboard in violation of Passenger Contract.

 

Brought an over 750ml bottle of alcohol onboard in violation of Passenger Contract.

 

 

Note the first section of the Passenger Contract which states.

 

"Passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption except one bottle of wine or champagne per person of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage only in his/her carry-on luggage. "

 

 

Now review the section of the Passenger Contract that states:

 

"Carrier shall not be responsible for any loss, cost, disappointment or damage of any kind as a result of any alcoholic beverages removed in violation of the one bottle policy"

 

 

The problem that the OP seemed to be with the officier that was in charge of alcohol confiscation when they stated: (Please forgive the swearing in the OP's post. Their words and not mine.)

 

"We are now told because that we have some alcohol outside the rule all will be destroyed, all gets very heated now, we ask to speak to a superviser, a guy instantly appears, smurking away in delight that he has got one over on some passangers, unless you where there its hard to describe this mans smug and smart ass atitude, i have never ever seen this on PrIncess before it was disgusting. We tried to explain the rum and vodka where gifts for home the smirk just got bigger."

 

 

My opinion (different then the above stated facts) is they felt the same way that if they got stopped by a traffic policeman for speeding, following to close, and not wearing a seatbelt (three violations) and not only did they get tickets; the policeman laughed at them while he was writing them. Having been involved in law enforcement, I was told by my first Field Training Officier, that you "either write a ticket or give a warning". Laughing at someone while writing a tickets is wrong any way you want to look at it. (And is a good way to turn a routine stop into something a whole lot worse.) A position of authority does not give someone to (in the OP words) have "smug and smart ass atitude".

 

However, OP did break the rules clearly stated in the Passenger Contract so the alcohol confesgation was not the problem, it is how the situation was handled in the opinion of the OP.

 

tanzer22pilot

 

Going on a cruise soon with his wife with two 750ml of wine in their carry on luggage with total expectation of not a problem during embarkation.

 

Irregardless of what Princess had printed in their cruise contract, their PRACTICE allowed passengers to bring aboard wine and even alcohol at embarkation. So, its what you do, not what you say that's governing. Princess' error was to suddenly and without adequate warning change their practice. Their bad. Don't give me anything that they had wording on the luggage tag...remember they were routinely disregarding similar wording in the cruise contract. People generally will play by the rules, but they need to know what the rules are. The rules are indicated by what you do, and not say.

[WarumistdieBananekrumm]

Vodka and champagne. Just had the empty vodka bottle delivered to the cbin, it was a collectors type

 

its probably still a collectors item - collecting in the bar stash of Princess Cruise lines ....... or the staff bar .....

[tanzer22pilot]

Irregardless of what Princess had printed in their cruise contract, their PRACTICE allowed passengers to bring aboard wine and even alcohol at embarkation. So, its what you do, not what you say that's governing. Princess' error was to suddenly and without adequate warning change their practice. Their bad. Don't give me anything that they had wording on the luggage tag...remember they were routinely disregarding similar wording in the cruise contract. People generally will play by the rules, but they need to know what the rules are. The rules are indicated by what you do, and not say.

 

Agree. But, when they call you on it what is your options?

[Iamcruzin]

And that is the point. I truly think most people that are complaining are just ticked that Princess is enforcing a policy that affects what they used to abuse. Yes, there may be a few people that purchase beverages to take home or get as a gift, but by and large that isn't the case. And honestly, I really wonder if one asked before boarding to hold the bottle aside, Princess would more than likely do so. I have yet read where they have thrown out a bottle that wasn't packed in a checked bag. Maybe they have done so with a carry on, but I didn't read that.

 

And just look how many people were bragging in their posts what they brought on. I mean really, checking a CASE of anything? Come on. And again, what makes wine so different from hard liquor? I'd like a nice drink of scotch on my balcony on the cruise too. It's like enjoying wine is sophisticated and should be allowed. It's not. I'm with Princess on this. Some people got caught and are being held accountable.

Yep but that's the point they aren't getting.

[Iamcruzin]

Irregardless of what Princess had printed in their cruise contract, their PRACTICE allowed passengers to bring aboard wine and even alcohol at embarkation. So, its what you do, not what you say that's governing. Princess' error was to suddenly and without adequate warning change their practice. Their bad. Don't give me anything that they had wording on the luggage tag...remember they were routinely disregarding similar wording in the cruise contract. People generally will play by the rules, but they need to know what the rules are. The rules are indicated by what you do, and not say.

How many actually read the contract? The only time I have read a portion of it is when it's posted here just to point out a loop hole. Sorry but if they are going through the trouble of printing it on the luggage tag which they never did before than I would suspect they mean business.

[Woobstr112G]

How many actually read the contract? The only time I have read a portion of it is when it's posted here just to point out a loop hole. Sorry but if they are going through the trouble of printing it on the luggage tag which they never did before than I would suspect they mean business.

 

I would have to agree......:):):)

 

Bob

[caribill]

I would imagine that if Princess became a storage facility, they would also open themselves up to some liability if the super-duper-gifted alcohol was lost, stolen or damaged.

 

 

So you are saying there is no liability if Princess loses or damages super-duper purchased alcohol that was obtained at a port stop and turned in upon reboarding?

[caribill]

What confuses me is how anyone can think the paragraph in the Passage Contract can be contradictory or confusing.

 

By itself, it is not contradictory.

 

However, a Princess spokesperson said the policy is the allowed wine/Champagne can be in either carryon or checked luggage.

 

That is contradictory and makes the situation confusing.

[Cobraman]

So you are saying there is no liability if Princess loses or damages super-duper purchased alcohol that was obtained at a port stop and turned in upon reboarding?

 

There is a legally-binding, expressed liability tied to their agreement to hold/return product bought in ports and from duty free shops. No such legally binding language exists at this point for items carried aboard during embarkation (or smuggled aboard) , nor should they ever open that door.....

[Cobraman]

Irregardless of what Princess had printed in their cruise contract, their PRACTICE allowed passengers to bring aboard wine and even alcohol at embarkation. So, its what you do, not what you say that's governing. Princess' error was to suddenly and without adequate warning change their practice. Their bad. Don't give me anything that they had wording on the luggage tag...remember they were routinely disregarding similar wording in the cruise contract. People generally will play by the rules, but they need to know what the rules are. The rules are indicated by what you do, and not say.

 

Try and hold them to that. Their legal department vs your claim regarding a few hundred bucks worth of wine/liquor. we are not discussing implied/established past practice as a benchmark of behavior as it relates to injury, lost wages, class action damage tort.

 

We took your bottle of (fill in the blank) and it is lost/broken? File a claim, we will get back to you.......

 

get real folks, every ship I sail on is full, so don't think this fumbled policy shift will affect ridership. I already booked my next Princess cruise, and I will be carrying on 6 bottles of my favorite wine.

[Loonbeam]

A waiver would be easy enough to draw up, but that still adds to complexity and negligence is still an issue.

 

There is a legally-binding, expressed liability tied to their agreement to hold/return product bought in ports and from duty free shops. No such legally binding language exists at this point for items carried aboard during embarkation (or smuggled aboard) , nor should they ever open that door.....