Shore purchases

[fugawibill]

As part of a long itinerary, I will be on a Mexican Riviera cruise that stops in Mazatlan, which is my home. Is it possible to take off alcoholic and other items purchased in Puerto Vallarta, and on board, rather than wait for the end of the cruise. The remainder of the trip involves a train, and two flights, so the logistics would be difficult. Yes, I am doing a "Planes Trains and Automobiles", with a ship thrown in. Thanks for any help.

[Colo Cruiser]

As part of a long itinerary, I will be on a Mexican Riviera cruise that stops in Mazatlan, which is my home. Is it possible to take off alcoholic and other items purchased in Puerto Vallarta, and on board, rather than wait for the end of the cruise. The remainder of the trip involves a train, and two flights, so the logistics would be difficult. Yes, I am doing a "Planes Trains and Automobiles", with a ship thrown in. Thanks for any help.

 

 

The question is how will you get the alcoholic items on in PV?

Alcohol is a prohibited item and not allowed to be brought onboard.

Anything else should not be an issue.

[fugawibill]

The question is how will you get the alcoholic items on in PV?

Alcohol is a prohibited item and not allowed to be brought onboard.

Anything else should not be an issue.

 

It is my understanding that booze may not be brought on board at embarkation, but any purchases in port, or on the ship, are held until the end of the cruise.

[Astro Flyer]

It is my understanding that booze may not be brought on board at embarkation, but any purchases in port, or on the ship, are held until the end of the cruise.

You can only bring wine onboard (1-750ml/adult with no fee when consumed in cabin; additional bottles with $15/bottle fee) but not booze during embarkation.

 

In ports they can store your booze & return it on the last evening of the cruise which wouldn't be the evening before Mazatlan, correct? It's the same thing with onboard booze purchases...you get them on the last evening.

 

"Alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from the ship's gift shop, or at ports of call, will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to the guest's stateroom on the last day of the cruise. A member of the ship's staff will be at the gangway to assist guests with the storage of their shoreside alcoholic purchases while our Boutiques staff will assist guests with shipboard alcoholic purchases."

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/experience.jsp

Edited November 7, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[fishywood]

Lots of moving parts to what seems a simple question:

 

You would first have to secure a promise from Princess that they would release to you on the Mazatlan port day any alcohol "held for your safekeeping" that was brought onboard in Puerto Vallarta, as well as any duty-free alcohol ordered onboard that is normally not delivered to your cabin until the eve of disembarkation. The latter would involve Princess being willing to submit your customs information to the Mexican authorities in Mazatlan. Plus those authorities granting permission for a passenger--even a citizen and/or resident of Mexico--to offload personal/household items (or however they characterize liquor sold by the package) even though they are not disembarking themselves.

 

I cannot speak for Mexico specifically but the port authorities could have Princess classified as a "passenger ship that makes interim port calls" only and that no one will be allowed to offload any "freight" beyond what a day backpack can hold. I've even seen reports from passengers (on RCI and X) refused to carry off a bag of dirty clothes in search of a laundromat.

[skynight]

As part of a long itinerary, I will be on a Mexican Riviera cruise that stops in Mazatlan, which is my home. Is it possible to take off alcoholic and other items purchased in Puerto Vallarta, and on board, rather than wait for the end of the cruise. The remainder of the trip involves a train, and two flights, so the logistics would be difficult. Yes, I am doing a "Planes Trains and Automobiles", with a ship thrown in. Thanks for any help.

Items other than alcohol can be brought on board and kept in your cabin.* With these items Princess has no concern. Your concern is with Mexican Customs at the port.

Regarding alcohol, you have the same issues with Mexican Customs, but you also have a Princess policy issue. You will have to receive advanced approval from Princess to release the alcohol to you at the port of Mazatlan.

I would look up the Mexican Customs import rules for residents. I would think that any items purchased inside the Customs territory of Mexico would not be subject to any import rules. Keep your receipts.

 

*Excludes prohibited items such as firearms.

[fugawibill]

The Mexican customs is not a problem, as I am a Residente Permanente, and also have official ID from the state of Sinaloa. I'm sure I can get pulque locally, but I've never seen raicilla, also known as Mexican moonshine, and distilled in small towns around Puerto Vallarta. I'll check with Princess when I board. The thought of schlepping it around on a train, and 3 more airlines is not very attractive.

Edited November 7, 2016 by fugawibill

[JimmyVWine]

Pardon my ignorance, but what can you purchase in PV that you cannot purchase in Mazatlan? If you are looking to stock the bar in your Mazatlan home, why not get off the ship in Mazatlan, do some shopping, stop off at your house to drop the goodies off, and then head back to the ship? Seems as if purchasing in PV and trying to get off the ship with your purchases in Mazatlan will be more trouble than it is worse. Again, I don't mean to insult anyone, but I find the Mexican ports to be rather interchangeable. Which led me to the question posed...what can you get in PV that you can't get in Mazatlan?

[fugawibill]

I believe that Raicilla is only available in the state of Nayarit, where Puerto Vallarta is located. I've travelled 21 states in Mexico and have never found it.

[Thrak]

I believe that Raicilla is only available in the state of Nayarit, where Puerto Vallarta is located. I've travelled 21 states in Mexico and have never found it.

 

I have read that La Venenosa has started exporting Raicilla to the US. I specifically read California, New York, and Massachusetts but the blurb said "several other states" as well. Apparently Raicilla is poised to break out into the rest of the world. :)

[Cruise2End]

The Mexican customs is not a problem, as I am a Residente Permanente, and also have official ID from the state of Sinaloa. I'm sure I can get pulque locally, but I've never seen raicilla, also known as Mexican moonshine, and distilled in small towns around Puerto Vallarta. I'll check with Princess when I board. The thought of schlepping it around on a train, and 3 more airlines is not very attractive.

 

We have purchased several bottles of raicilla on a Mexican cruise before (15 years ago , before 9/11) they had a shore excursion where you took a ride in a small plane up in the mountains where the moonshine was made. It was sold to you in clear unmarked bottles, but the locals knew exactly what it was. They remarked they would help us drink it as they were unloading it for us from the plane. At the time we took it back to our rooms, as no one questioned it when we returned to the ship...they probably thought it was water- again it was clear in unmarked clear bottles. However, this was before 9/11 so we could fly home with the bottles in our carry on. Now it would be a real chore.

[JimmyVWine]

I believe that Raicilla is only available in the state of Nayarit, where Puerto Vallarta is located. I've travelled 21 states in Mexico and have never found it.

 

Ah. I see. There is a restaurant in my home town called Jalisco, and I can get a shot there, so I assumed that it was widely available. But I see now that I might just have the good fortune of being the beneficiary of living in the region where Raicilla is distributed. I didn't realize that it would be difficult to source outside of PV.

[fugawibill]

I read where it had been cleared for export, but nothing about domestic distribution. There is an urban legend that it is distilled with peyote, which is why drinkers get destroyed, but I would imagine it is more due to the fact that it can be up to 75% alcohol. The Huichol Indians who live in the state of Nayarit, are the only ones allowed by the Mexican government to grow peyote. When looking at their artwork, one can understand the inspiration for their designs.

[JimmyVWine]

I read where it had been cleared for export, but nothing about domestic distribution.

Not sure about distribution, but it is available. Here's an article from over a year ago.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/29/dining/tequila-is-getting-company-sotol-bacanora-and-raicilla.html?_r=0

 

The website winesearcher.com shows half a dozen stores that carry it, about half of them in NY.

Edited November 8, 2016 by JimmyVWine