Bringing Wine on at Each Port?

[SeekTheSun]

It is surprisingly easy to bypass the liquor check in desk!

We normally tell the xray guy that we have booze and will take it to the desk and then just keep going.

 

Also, in our experience if on a b2b, booze you buy in port or in on board ships is brought to you at the end of the first cruise so you can enjoy it on the next cruise.

[Thrak]

What about Liquor, can I buy a Liqueur in port and bring back onboard? Will they keep til last night?

 

In Ensenada we bought two large bottles of Kahlua. It was in the fancy gift bottles rather than the regular bottles. When we boarded we made no attempt to hide it and the security staff looked at it and asked if it was a gift. We said it was for gifts (true) and they said to go ahead and keep it but not to drink it in our cabin. Maybe this was because the cruise was almost over and we were heading back to SF but that still meant we had it in our cabin for 2 days. I thought it was odd but, like all things Princess, consistency is not their thing. We just took the bottles back to our cabin and stuck them in a suitcase under the bed.

[casofilia]

I wish people wouldn't post on here just how easy it is to sneak alcohol on board. All cruise lines monitor CC and post like the ones here will suggest to them that there is a change required and that no alcohol would be allowed on board at all.

[Thrak]

I wish people wouldn't post on here just how easy it is to sneak alcohol on board. All cruise lines monitor CC and post like the ones here will suggest to them that there is a change required and that no alcohol would be allowed on board at all.

 

I always find the "we always sneak alcohol onboard" posts somewhat amazing. It's kind of like posting "we always shoplift". Bizarre at best.

[IECalCruiser]

If people keep bragging about breaking the rules, the rules might change and Princess could go as far as confiscating and potentially discarding all alcohol brought on board.

 

It is a fact that procedures vary from port to port and that is valid information to share. Some times there is an alcohol check in table and some times there isn't. If you are directed to the check in table you should follow the rules.

 

In San Francisco our friend who uses a wheel chair had a bag that obviously had several bottles of wine on his lap. They waived him through but directed us to the wine check in table.

 

One time when going through security at San Pedro they said that the wine check in table was not set up and to just go on.

 

In both cases we and they brought some of the wine to the DR and paid the $15 corkage at that time.

 

On the above cases, we made no attempt to break rules but just followed instructions. Please don't brag about ways to break the rules.

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

CC recently wrote an article about sneaking on alcohol but it's doubtful if their reasons why to not do it will change the minds of smugglers.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2383

[floridalover5623]

Thanks. Guess we'll be drinking our wine in our cabin :)

You can always carry a glass to the DR for dinner & there's no charge involved.

Beats paying $15 per bottle any day. :D

We usually have 1 glass each before dinner and carry another to dinner & that's enough for us.

[Colo Cruiser]

If people keep bragging about breaking the rules, the rules might change and Princess could go as far as confiscating and potentially discarding all alcohol brought on board.

 

It is a fact that procedures vary from port to port and that is valid information to share. Some times there is an alcohol check in table and some times there isn't. If you are directed to the check in table you should follow the rules.

 

 

I agree. Like other things taken away the abuse will be dealt with eventually.

[diane.in.ny]

You can always carry a glass to the DR for dinner & there's no charge involved.

Beats paying $15 per bottle any day. :D

We usually have 1 glass each before dinner and carry another to dinner & that's enough for us.

 

Sounds like a good idea for bottles we bring on board at embarkation.

 

I think we'll buy bottles at POC and just go with the flow. We'll follow instructions and if we have to pay the $15, we will.

[philliesgirl48]

While it's not stated on their website on the Princess Facebook site they've said bringing wine from ports is allowed which has been my experience on each cruise.

 

It's subject to a $15 per bottle fee which allows you to drink it in the dining room because you've already paid a corkage fee when brought on the ship. They understand that their wine list is limited & that passengers want to enjoy great wines purchased in ports of call. The only comment by security has been nice bottle of wine. :)

 

They can store bottles you're taking home without a fee which is returned on the last night of the cruise. I've done that with Tuscan wines that are not readily available at home.

 

I've never been prevented from bringing on wine from ports or during embarkation. Being charged the fee has varied & many times has not been required. However I'm always prepared to pay the fee & since we drink most of our wine in a dining room we either pay the $15 fee sooner or later. ;)

 

If you're not aware of it, on cruises longer than 7 days they usually offer wine packages. There are several types with the best discount getting $45 bottles of wine for $28. If you're interested in the wine packages I could post the information for you. I usually purchase a wine package when flying to the ship however I'm less likely to buy it when driving to the port with wine from home.

 

I am cruising on a 15 day transatlantic starting 9/22.. can you give me info as both my friend & I are wine drinkers. Thanks

[HaveDogWillTravel]

I always find the "we always sneak alcohol onboard" posts somewhat amazing. It's kind of like posting "we always shoplift". Bizarre at best.

I totally agree. We cruise Princess because we don't mind acting like adults and following rules. We enjoy being around similarly minded folks.

 

Recently, I was briefly looking at other lines' policies (I usually shop around to see if I want to try a different line every 6 months) and saw that one of them (sorry don't remember which one...maybe Carnival? or ....) was now forbidding water and such being brought on board as the number of pax breaking the rules was so great the process of checking all the luggage for allowed vs forbidden beverages became too labor intensive.

 

For goodness sake let's not give Princess a reason to go there. I do get bored with the non chardonay white wine selection so I bring on my own. I have no problem paying the $15 corkage fee (although I DO wish it were $10). I am fortunate to live spitting distance to most major wine regions in California so I am totally spoiled (and loving it).

[Astro Flyer]

I am cruising on a 15 day transatlantic starting 9/22.. can you give me info as both my friend & I are wine drinkers. Thanks

 

Here are the details on the wine packages:

 

Note: A 15% gratuity is added to all package prices (like any other bar purchase).

 

 

Silver Package (wines up to $29 per bottle list price)

 

7 bottles -- $161 (average of $23 per bottle)

 

10 bottles -- $210 (average of $21 per bottle)

 

12 bottles -- $240 (average of $20 per bottle)

 

 

Gold Package (wines up to $45 per bottle list price)

 

7 bottles -- $217 (average of $31 per bottle)

 

10 bottles -- $290 (average of $29 per bottle)

 

12 bottles -- $336 (average of $28 per bottle)

 

 

You get a punch card which can be used at any of the dining locations.

 

You may choose any wine on on the regular wine menu. If you want to buy a wine that costs more than what the package covers, you just pay the difference. For example, if you have a Gold package and buy a wine that costs $46, the charge for $46 will appear on your stateroom account, followed by a $45 credit.

[Sead1783]

Thank you again everyone! Very helpful. We will bring wine on at some port in the middle (when we find those must haves) and will happily pay the $15 per bottle fee. Happy cruising all!

 

 

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[Thrak]

We usually just bring our two "free" bottles but our next cruise would have been a problem as it's 28 days. Two bottles of wine for 28 days just isn't enough! Fortunately we booked under the Sip and Sail. Vines will be our friend and, if we really must have wine in our cabin, we can use the 40% discount on bottles under $100. That is really the only way that Princess wine prices aren't totally crazy.

[floridalover5623]

Sounds like a good idea for bottles we bring on board at embarkation.

 

I think we'll buy bottles at POC and just go with the flow. We'll follow instructions and if we have to pay the $15, we will.

Theoretically you're only allowed to bring on the 1 free bottle per person at the embarkation port no matter how long the trip. :( Every one knows this isn't an equitable way to do things and lots of people stretch the rules a little & sneak bottles past the check in desk at distant ports.

Can't blame them a bit.

[heckofagator]

does anyone have a list of wines on the menu, (if it matters specifically, the Regal Princess)? I was trying to see if there was a selection that would work for the silver package or if we would want to go to gold.

[Astro Flyer]

does anyone have a list of wines on the menu, (if it matters specifically, the Regal Princess)? I was trying to see if there was a selection that would work for the silver package or if we would want to go to gold.

Here's a link to a helpful spreadsheet comparing cost for bringing wine or purchasing it on the ship. The wine list was current on our most recent cruise except for a couple of changes.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=372694&d=1452007348

[heckofagator]

thanks - that's good stuff. So from just a quick glance, if you are just drinking a couple bottles, it most certainly cheaper to buy onshore and pay the corkage the vast majority of the time.

 

Additionally, I looked at one specific bottle we like - Nobilo white - will be about $25 if purchased onshore vs if you go for the Gold wine package, you can get it down to an average of $28/bottle if you buy 12. Again, cheaper just to bring it on yourself.

 

And I guess the costs continue to go down if you somehow get out of the corkage fee when you board at the beginning or at the ports.

 

Now the question is....do most of the ports have good wine stores close by? ;)

[LoriPhil]

Decision made! For our next cruise out of FLL we'll bring 3 bottles of our favorite $22 champagne (thank you Total Wines) and happily pay $15 corkage for that 3rd bottle. Champagne selection is limited and this way we have something we know we'll love at a price below what our options would be on-board. We'll buy wine in the dining room since we're happier with the variety of wine selections on-board, and like the ability to ask the waiter to hold an unfinished bottle (:rolleyes:) for the next night.

 

(note: we haven't found much selection in Whittier for the Southbound Alaska cruise, but the Northbound out of Vancouver is a great opportunity to sample Canadian wines. I'm remembering a higher alcohol tax in Vancouver, but yummy wines!)

Edited May 23, 2017 by LoriPhil