Best option to buy bottles of liquor: On the Dawn or in port

[ILoveScotland]

I haven't cruised in a couple of years and haven't cruised on NCL since 2006 but am booked on the Dawn in a couple of months. I don't usually buy liquor on a cruise except by the drink in one of the bars, but I'm thinking of buying a couple of bottles either on the ship or perhaps in one of the ports.

 

Which is the better option? Are ship's prices less than those I'll find in Cozumel or perhaps Costa Maya? Or are they more?

 

Thanks for answers.

[JustAllie]

Are you planning on drinking them on the ship or taking them back home?

[ILoveScotland]

Are you planning on drinking them on the ship or taking them back home?

 

Take them home.

[casofilia]

What drinks are you thinking of?

 

Mike

[don't-use-real-name]

Since you have cruised in the past (on NCL) you no doubt know the drill about

booze on the ship.

If you buy it on board at the Duty Free Shop the booze is held until the

last night of the cruise then returned to you for packing in your luggage or

simply carrying off the ship.

Before you get to any port where there is liquor sales you will have ample

opportunity to check the price on board the ship and then determine if it is

better (less expensive) to purchase it somewhere else off the ship. Maybe

that someplace off the ship will have that special sauce that is not available on

the ship.

If you buy it off ship the booze is taken from you upon boarding and returned

to you the last night of the cruise - although you may have to go to an area

to claim it.

So thus you have plenty of time to weigh the pricing of on ship comparing to

off ship - and if either has a special bottle that you crave*.

* Cavet if what you want is less expensive on board - you may want to buy

it early on especially if it is in limited or restricted sales quantities.

 

That being noted - you are limited to how much booze you can bring back

into the country (USA) - you will have to check that out and then know what

to expect when clearing customs and immigration upon leaving the ship.

 

Next up getting the booze home from port:

If driving to and from the port much less of a problem than that of flying where

the booze can not be in your carry on baggage and must be in your checked

baggage subject to all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune of handling

miss haps and if in a separate unit subject to excess baggage charges.

So pack well and check out if your favorite booze is worth going to this much

trouble.

Driving presents a problem between you and your local state liquor laws

as to how much is too much to import back. A case or more may present some

problems in some states where booze is regulated.

 

So I can not answer the question about which is best although knowing what

ship you are sailing on may help to know about the liquor stock.

I have been on the NCL DAWN doing both the Cozumel and Costa Maya ports.

On the DAWN the duty free shop had quite a large selection of spirits and

specialty liquors that sold out while at sea out of New Orleans before even

getting to Cozumel. At Cozumel I took the Tequila tasting tour of Jose Cuervo

and after the tour there was an opportunity to purchase Tequila in almost any

quantity you wanted. I don't recall the factory prices and flying home presents

more problems than I care to put up with !

At Costa Maya there are dozens of huts and kiosks as well as brick and mortar

stores at the port - I did not pay much attention to Liquor stores but I am

sure they are there. To help you lug your purchases back to the ship at

Costa Maya a multi-passenger (20 or so) jitney is available. The ship berths

at the end of a long pier about 2 football/soccer fields from shore - a tiring

distance carry a case of booze. Costa Maya is normally the last port before

returning to the USA and of course YMMV !

 

Thus need some more readers to chime in and get their views - but whatever

you do enjoy your spirit and toast to your health !

[dexddd]

YMMV - the last time we were on the Dawn the prices were nothing special. Add to that the passengers had to pick them up themselves the last night and the line snorkeled way down the hallway to the atrium.

[rvsullivan]

YMMV - the last time we were on the Dawn the prices were nothing special. Add to that the passengers had to pick them up themselves the last night and the line snorkeled way down the hallway to the atrium.

 

Butlers will go to the head of the line and retrieve your purchases and bring them to your room. No lines to stand in!!;)

[sparks1093]

That being noted - you are limited to how much booze you can bring back

into the country (USA) - you will have to check that out and then know what

to expect when clearing customs and immigration upon leaving the ship.

 

 

There is no real limit on what you can bring back, it's what you are able to bring back without having to pay duty and taxes. As long as you are willing to pay you may bring back quite a bit (you don't want to bring so much that Customs thinks you are bringing it back for resale). Texas might be an exception as they may limit what you can bring into the state.

 

OP, as a matter of convenience the shop onboard may be the easiest unless you are in search of some really rare liquor that you cannot buy elsewhere. They usually have some pretty decent sales onboard and you don't have to lug all of those bottles around (I've heard that some shops will package it up and deliver it to the ship for you though).

[roger001]

I've found that liquor prices either on the ship or at the ports are not much cheaper, if at all, from what I can buy at home in a large liquor store. The little, if any savings, combined with the hassle of carrying it, checking it on the ship, etc, just not worth it. I bought a bit of tequila in Cozumel a few years ago. However, last time there, their tequila prices were more than my local prices.

[sixesandeights]

I haven't cruised in a couple of years and haven't cruised on NCL since 2006 but am booked on the Dawn in a couple of months. I don't usually buy liquor on a cruise except by the drink in one of the bars, but I'm thinking of buying a couple of bottles either on the ship or perhaps in one of the ports.

 

Which is the better option? Are ship's prices less than those I'll find in Cozumel or perhaps Costa Maya? Or are they more?

 

Thanks for answers.

 

When you get on the boat check the prices. When you get to port check the prices. Buy the best deal.

 

6&8

[RolyLindon]

It's always more expensive on the ship right?

[sparks1093]

It's always more expensive on the ship right?

 

Not necessarily, sometimes the ship will have a low price guarentee where they will match what's in port.

[gpb11]

Not necessarily, sometimes the ship will have a low price guarentee where they will match what's in port.

 

Just be sure to read the fine print; I'd have to dig out my folder to see if I retained one of the fliers but I remember spotting the fine print citing they only guaranteed to match ship-recommended stores.

 

 

I'm in a similar situation as roger001 in that local prices in Atlanta are generally close enough to the ship or port prices that it's just not been worth the bother. Not for as little as we go through.

 

It'd be a different story if I lived where liquor was only through high priced state-owned stores.

[Cauzneffct]

It also depends on what type of liquor. In Mexico, I'd think the variety of tequila you can buy will be far greater than on board, and the prices may decrease the further from the dock you get. Scotch may be a different story.

[hawk1972]

We buy Sheridan's on the ship because it's not available in the U.S. Kahlua is lots cheaper in Cozumel than here at home.

[sparks1093]

Just be sure to read the fine print; I'd have to dig out my folder to see if I retained one of the fliers but I remember spotting the fine print citing they only guaranteed to match ship-recommended stores.

 

 

I'm in a similar situation as roger001 in that local prices in Atlanta are generally close enough to the ship or port prices that it's just not been worth the bother. Not for as little as we go through.

 

It'd be a different story if I lived where liquor was only through high priced state-owned stores.

 

Yes, the fine print is important.:)

[TardisDance]

I've found that liquor prices either on the ship or at the ports are not much cheaper, if at all, from what I can buy at home in a large liquor store. The little, if any savings, combined with the hassle of carrying it, checking it on the ship, etc, just not worth it. I bought a bit of tequila in Cozumel a few years ago. However, last time there, their tequila prices were more than my local prices.

 

I wish that was the case in NY. The ship was much cheaper .

[GITC]

I wasn't in the market for any duty free booze from either the Jade or onshore but anecdotally this was my experience in comparison shopping for Crown Royal in St. Thomas (which may also be vastly different than other Caribbean ports from a shopping experience) on the recent TA to Houston.

 

A store at Havensight had three bottles of Crown Royal for $21 USD each and was throwing in a bonus bottle of CR Reserve. The pricing on the ship was $25 each for the CR and $42 for the Reserve so $63 versus $117. It pays to shop around.

 

I inquired onboard about price matching and was first told that the store would have to be an "approved" one but the clerk acquiesced after my question as to why and indicated they would price match if given evidence of the onshore pricing.

[dexddd]

Butlers will go to the head of the line and retrieve your purchases and bring them to your room. No lines to stand in!!;)

 

I know that but not sure if the OP is staying in suite.

[ILoveScotland]

Thanks for all the responses. First, we are in a balcony, not a suite, so no butler. Second, I live in NC with state owned and operated liquor stores although wine and beer are sold in many places.

 

Third, knowing we'd have to retrieve the liquor rather than having it delivered to the cabin might make a difference. I thought it was all delivered to the cabin the night before departure.

 

Fourth, I'd already considered pricing tequila and possibly rum on the ship before arriving in Cozumel. Now I'll make sure I do. Not sure we'll buy any liquor at all, but my husband has some specific brands (not sure which) he'd like to buy if he can find them. Guess we'll find out in a couple of months.

[zqvol]

Thanks for all the responses. First, we are in a balcony, not a suite, so no butler. Second, I live in NC with state owned and operated liquor stores although wine and beer are sold in many places.

 

Third, knowing we'd have to retrieve the liquor rather than having it delivered to the cabin might make a difference. I thought it was all delivered to the cabin the night before departure.

 

Fourth, I'd already considered pricing tequila and possibly rum on the ship before arriving in Cozumel. Now I'll make sure I do. Not sure we'll buy any liquor at all, but my husband has some specific brands (not sure which) he'd like to buy if he can find them. Guess we'll find out in a couple of months.

 

 

You will find that prices are much better than you can get at home. (If you don't live in NC you have no idea how much we have to pay for liquor.) You are limited to 1 liter per person duty free, but unless you have a lot they usually don't bother. Even paying the duty you come out much cheaper than you will at home. Enjoy your cruise and stock up!!!!!

[biker@sea]

Thanks for all the responses. First, we are in a balcony, not a suite, so no butler. Second, I live in NC with state owned and operated liquor stores although wine and beer are sold in many places.

 

Third, knowing we'd have to retrieve the liquor rather than having it delivered to the cabin might make a difference. I thought it was all delivered to the cabin the night before departure.

 

Fourth, I'd already considered pricing tequila and possibly rum on the ship before arriving in Cozumel. Now I'll make sure I do. Not sure we'll buy any liquor at all, but my husband has some specific brands (not sure which) he'd like to buy if he can find them. Guess we'll find out in a couple of months.

 

I like to buy stuff I can't get at home.

 

151 proof rum & Sheridans ( Don't think you can bring 151 on a plane )

[gozo]

Bought two bottles of Appleton rum on Dawn for 32 dollars it was delivered the last evening. Priced on shore over 30 for each bottle.