Cheers in Europe and bringing alcohol on board at ports

[Kcruiser2014]

I've heard rumors that they are not checking for alcohol brought back from port days while Vista is in Europe. However, I have only seen one firsthand account. Has anyone that has been on Vista confirm or deny these rumors???? I have pre-purchased cheers, but with so many port days, I am reconsidering, especially if I can bring back some alcohol from ports and mix my own. I'll still buy some, but not nearly as much. TIA

[les37b]

If you have pre bought cheers, its non refundable. (or so im sure I read when I bought mine.)

 

I too have seen comments in several threads now saying the search for booze policy is not happening and they are allowing you to take wine and spirit to your room. Of course there is no guarantee this will continue.

 

All drinks purchased on board on cruises NOT stopping at a port outside the EU will be subject to 15% gratuities plus 10% VAT of the total.

 

Buying cheers before departure will avoid that purchase tax.

 

If you buy onboard, the cheers price not only goes up to $54.99 plus gratuities, you will also be hit with 10% tax.... So cheers will cost you just under $70 per day. Ouch!

 

Armed with what I've learned, I now regret prebuying cheers.... But I will now certainly go to town on the cocktails and attempt to get my monies worth. I had originally planned to go without.and be quite conservative with consumption... Couple of wines will meal and couple of beers.... Now I expect to be a little piggy. ;-)

[fuddrules]

• CHEERS! is non-refundable; if the program is purchased prior to the cruise, it is refundable up to 11:59pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure.
  

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1106/~/cheers!-beverage-program

[les37b]

• CHEERS! is non-refundable; if the program is purchased prior to the cruise, it is refundable up to 11:59pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure.
  

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1106/~/cheers!-beverage-program

 

That makes sense!

 

Its non-refundable but you can get a refund up to 23.59 before you depart!! OK, it could mean its only non refundable if you buy on board, but when you buy on line, if shouldn't say its non-refundable.... It should say refunds only allowed up to 23.59 prior to sailing. It says "non refundable".

 

Its very noticeable how many things in the t&c are open to interpretation.

[LaCal]

I've read bout 4 reviews so far of people bringing back on bottles of wine, liquor and even 6 packs of beer from all the diff ports

 

Europe cruises are much more lenient and they don't scan for the booze or even have the tables set up to check booze in

 

Once the Vista is back in the US it'll be back to normal with no booze on from ports

 

I'll be bringing on a few wines, bottle of vodka and whiskey in October but will still send approx $400 on booze throughout the cruise 😜😜🍹🍹🍹

[Kcruiser2014]

Thanks for the info! I pre purchased Cheers for me and will let hubby bring on his in ports. I like fruity girly drinks, so Cheers will work better for me. Can't wait for October!

[scrantsj]

I can personally verify that you can do it. I just brought some limoncello on today in Naples. I'd say just don't be too obvious about it. I had mine in my backpack and sent it though x-ray. No problem.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[firstcruiseny]

Thanks for the info! I pre purchased Cheers for me and will let hubby bring on his in ports. I like fruity girly drinks, so Cheers will work better for me. Can't wait for October!

 

 

Were you able to buy Cheers for just you? I thought anyone over 21 in cabin had to get it.

[Kcruiser2014]

I was able to buy Cheers just for me. You can send me an email at gmail.com (kcruiser2014) and I will share how. I ordered online.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Kcruiser2014

[AngMo44]

I can personally verify that you can do it. I just brought some limoncello on today in Naples. I'd say just don't be too obvious about it. I had mine in my backpack and sent it though x-ray. No problem.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

This was true for us today also. 2 large bottles of limoncello. No questions asked.

[LaCal]

This was true for us today also. 2 large bottles of limoncello. No questions asked.

 

I read that in Barcelona at boarding once your through security there's even a duty free liquor store before you board the ship......Can you or anyone confirm this and if you shopped there how were the prices? Thanks

[ImaginationCruiseBride]

I read that in Barcelona at boarding once your through security there's even a duty free liquor store before you board the ship......Can you or anyone confirm this and if you shopped there how were the prices? Thanks

 

If this is true it will make things easier for us as we are taking an excursion on the way to the ship.

[gailjen]

I read that in Barcelona at boarding once your through security there's even a duty free liquor store before you board the ship......Can you or anyone confirm this and if you shopped there how were the prices? Thanks

 

There certainly is, we used it a few years ago (Breeze or Sunshine)and from memory it was 3 bottles for €20

We took 3 on then after our bags were dropped in the cabin we went back out and purchased some more.

[gailjen]

I was able to buy Cheers just for me. You can send me an email at gmail.com (kcruiser2014) and I will share how. I ordered online.

 

Would be interested please, as this will save us having to change our rooms around. We have 11 adults, 4 who want Cheers

[bluwes]

If you look at my cruise history, most of our last cruises have been on the new Carnival ships debuting in the Med. They have never checked us back on board for bringing booze.

As long as you are discreet you will be okay.

[crzndeb]

If I can get 1 bottle of alcohol in Barcelona, I would be a happy camper. I'm on 3 legs, starting Oct 1, and I can always replenish in ports. But since I love my martini at Alchemy bar before dinner, and a local beer or wine in port, 1 bottle may be enough.

 

Debbie

[dancindukes]

We brought a bottle of Lemonchello on board Sunshine 3 yrs ago. Several people brought wine on board, no questions asked.

[Kcruiser2014]

Would be interested please, as this will save us having to change our rooms around. We have 11 adults, 4 who want Cheers

 

 

Send me an email ( if you are not one who has already), and I will be happy to share. My cc name@ gmail.com

[gailjen]

Send me an email ( if you are not one who has already), and I will be happy to share. My cc name@ gmail.com

 

Sent :)

[Zacnlinc]

Was on Inaugural cruise and heard guest services telling another person at the counter that they could bring wine and spirits back on the ship while Vista was in EU.

 

Saw it happening in Dubrovnik, our first port of call and followed suit myself afterwards. Glad I didn't get the Cheers program. Still bought drinks on the ship as well.

 

Just wish they'd allow this in the US cruises but people over do it and go crazy!! We don't do the short cruises or ones overlapping with holidays for this very same reason. Still see crazy stuff, but not as much!!

[Sigyn]

I just called Carnival today to ask about the VAT tax and whether it would be applied to the Cheers program if pre-purchased before the cruise. The customer service rep said that the VAT tax will be applied whether you buy Cheers before the cruise, or while on board. She said it is the same for the specialty restaurants. That no matter if you pay before the cruise or after boarding, the VAT tax will be applied when the ship leaves its home port.

[Zacnlinc]

Well that settles that!!

 

 

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[Avril]

I was able to buy Cheers just for me. You can send me an email at gmail.com (kcruiser2014) and I will share how. I ordered online.

 

I would love to know as well as I drink more than my Mom (who is who I normally cruise with) so it would save a lot of money if we could buy it just for me. I tried looking online to see if I could figure it out and no matter what I tried, it was making me buy it for both of us. For our 13 Day cruise on the Vista, it would cost us about $1400 if we had to buy it for both of us. :eek: We're doing a B2B on Vista (the 22nd 1/2 is 11 Days) so it would cost a small fortune for both of us to buy it for both cruises when it's really only worth it for me.

[pattyl]

I've heard rumors that they are not checking for alcohol brought back from port days while Vista is in Europe. However, I have only seen one firsthand account. Has anyone that has been on Vista confirm or deny these rumors???? I have pre-purchased cheers, but with so many port days, I am reconsidering, especially if I can bring back some alcohol from ports and mix my own. I'll still buy some, but not nearly as much. TIA

 

 

I just got back from the cruise and our bags were NEVER checked for alcohol at any port. The bags went through the machines but our alcohol was not removed. We wished we had noticed earlier as we would have bought wine in every port to have at our leisure.

[Springdale]

Just back from 5/24 Vista cruise. We bought 1 or 2 bottles of local wines in several ports and were able to bring them back on the ship with no issues - we just put them through the screening machine as we re-boarded the ship. The Carnival embarkation information guidelines also state that each passenger can bring on one 750ml bottle of wine and up to a 12-pack of CANNED soft drinks or water - no plastic bottles - packed in carry-on luggage on embarkation day. We also pre-ordered a couple of 6-packs of water bottles to be delivered prior to arrival in our cabin via the Carnival Fun Shops. However, we also purchased water bottles in ports and brought them back on board the ship. A typical price for bottled water in most ports was around .5 to 1 euro per bottle. You'll find yourself consuming lots of water in port; we typically walked 5 to 10 miles per day in each port city.