New rules regarding taking alcohol on board

[Denarius]

wine or spirits up to one litre each person. No you can't bring any more on unless you want to hand it in and they will give it back the next day. Same as the US lines, though, to be fair more generous re the litre measure as the US lines tend to be 70 cl.

The standard US spirits bottle is 0.75 ltrs

[snaefell]

Having just returned from a cruise on Britannia there was no check whatsoever on alcohol taken on board at the start of the cruise in Barbados but at each port of call there were notices & a collection point to hand in any alcohol purchased ashore.

[happy v]

Both hubby and I prefer wine to spirits, and after doing some research into bottle sizes, found it difficult to source anything under 1.5ltrs or above 70cl. I did find the 2.2ltr boxes online that you referred to and wondered if a) P&O would allow you to combine your "entitlement" to take it onboard (it seems like they do), and b) would they confiscate the box of because it was 0.2 over the "combined" amount (seems like they don't).

 

Can I ask, given the boxes are not small, where did you pack it? Suitcase or hand luggage?

 

Amanda

In a holdall with our shoes and accessories which we put in the hole in the wall.

[Presto2]

The standard US spirits bottle is 0.75 ltrs

Was thinking more of wine .. not far off though ...

 

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[Clodia]

I now buy spirits from Room Service as the prices are reasonable, but I feel they need to widen the offer, especially for brandy and vodka drinkers. Rum, whisky and gin drinkers seem well provided for.

[Maizyday]

The drinks on P&O are much cheaper then other cruise lines . Realistically, it's only going to cost a few pounds extra to buy a bottle on board then the cost of buying a bottle at home

[wowzz]

The drinks on P&O are much cheaper then other cruise lines . Realistically, it's only going to cost a few pounds extra to buy a bottle on board then the cost of buying a bottle at home

Cheapest bottle of wine aboard is around £17. I can buy 3 reasonable bottles of wine for that in a supermarket to take aboard. P&O are penalising wine drinkers with their policy.

[Brayman]

Cheapest bottle of wine aboard is around £17. I can buy 3 reasonable bottles of wine for that in a supermarket to take aboard. P&O are penalising wine drinkers with their policy.

 

That's £2 more than the cheapest bottle on Oceana last week! And you should be comparing withpub/ restaurants not supermarket prices.

[Maizyday]

I have to disagree with your statement that very few people get the full value out of a drinks package. We have purchased a package for our upcoming sailing with RCI during a promotion. This results in a cost per day of £39.82 per person. So for 2 people for a 7 night sailing that equates to £557.44. Convert that to USD and thats equivalent to approximately $780 at todays exchange rate. Now that's less than we spent on our very RCI cruise 14 years ago when packages didn't exist.

 

As a result of this pre purchase we will have a very small onboard account at the end of the cruise but will have enjoyed unlimited beverages (a package doesn't just cover alcohol which people seem to forget).

 

So the fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast $4

A speciality coffee during the day (Latte $4.25)

A beer at lunch ($7.25)

A soda (soda package included in this package and a soda is $3.50)

A couple of pre dinner G&T's ($8.95 each)

A cocktail and at least 2 glasses of wine during dinner and the rest of the evening (wine average $12 per glass, premium cocktail $13)

 

So that totals $87.20 (including 18% gratuity) if I were to pay as I go. However, I can have the above for approximately the equivalent of $55.71 per day which includes the 18% gratuity.

 

I believe I get value out of a package without really trying especially as 1/3rd of those above are non alcoholic but still cost.

 

 

It could be said that you got your monies worth because the drinks are over priced in the first place. A glass of wine $12 plus tax (that was on Celebrity a few years ago ) You can buy a whole bottle of wine for not much more on P&O

[wowzz]

That's £2 more than the cheapest bottle on Oceana last week! And you should be comparing withpub/ restaurants not supermarket prices.

Point remains that even at £15 the price differential between on board prices and UK shore prices is significantly greater for wine than for spirits.

 

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[wowzz]

It could be said that you got your monies worth because the drinks are over priced in the first place. A glass of wine $12 plus tax (that was on Celebrity a few years ago ) You can buy a whole bottle of wine for not much more on P&O

Never saw a bottle of wine on P&O for $12 . That equates to less than £9 a bottle !!!

 

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[Bobblehat71]

It could be said that you got your monies worth because the drinks are over priced in the first place. A glass of wine $12 plus tax (that was on Celebrity a few years ago ) You can buy a whole bottle of wine for not much more on P&O

 

yes , you only get your monies worth due to high cost of the drinks. Its good value for you in as much as you can't shop around on board and would have to pay the high individual drinks prices but the equivalent daily spend on P&O would likely get you just as much if not more.

 

I like RCI but the drinks prices are getting too much. I like a few drinks but cant really justify the cost of the drinks packages. The deals on packages are also completely random for each sailing so can be as much as £48/day.As a couple you also now both need to buy a package so thats £96/day, every day.

[Balaena]

Cheapest bottle of wine aboard is around £17. I can buy 3 reasonable bottles of wine for that in a supermarket to take aboard. P&O are penalising wine drinkers with their policy.

For crying out loud how much do you expect to pay in any decent upmarket hotel .. £17 works out at less than £240 for a 2 week cruise .. you are on holiday after all. If you can't afford the cruise try Benidorm.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Balaena
only came out as £1, not £17

[Balaena]

Point remains that even at £15 the price differential between on board prices and UK shore prices is significantly greater for wine than for spirits.

 

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How many bottles do you get through!!! .. Benidorm is best for you wowzz

Edited April 5, 2018 by Balaena
forgot !

[NoFlyGuy]

I certainly get through more than 1/2 a bottle of wine a day Balaena (wifey always having the other half of course).

If only our drinks bill was £240 for a two week cruise pro rata!

 

Having said that, P&O prices are quite reasonable compared with some other cruise lines but many or most of those offer drinks packages - about time P&O joined in and introduced an optional package at a decent price.

[wowzz]

How many bottles do you get through!!! .. Benidorm is best for you wowzz

My last bar bill on Arcadia was £950 (3 weeks) How much was yours?

 

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[wowzz]

For crying out loud how much do you expect to pay in any decent upmarket hotel .. £17 works out at less than £240 for a 2 week cruise .. you are on holiday after all. If you can't afford the cruise try Benidorm.

I spent £950 on my last cruise - I think I'm allowed to complain about the wine versus spirits discrepancy. And the hotels I stay in charge a lot more than £17 A bottle - have you ever stayed anywhere other than a Travelodge ?

 

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[Zombatar]

For crying out loud how much do you expect to pay in any decent upmarket hotel .. £17 works out at less than £240 for a 2 week cruise .. you are on holiday after all. If you can't afford the cruise try Benidorm.

 

It's obviously a long time since you were in Benidorm. We have just returned from there. Typical drinks prices....pint of John Smiths 5 euros, glass of cheap red wine 5 euros. Lunch out for two including two glasses of wine and one course, 30 - 40 euros. It was warm and the hotel was nice but its not cheap.

 

By the way, before you put us down for a couple of weeks away from frozen Cornwall out next cruise is Queen Victoria , Queens Grill.

 

Peter and Jenny.

[snaefell]

The drinks on P&O are much cheaper then other cruise lines . Realistically, it's only going to cost a few pounds extra to buy a bottle on board then the cost of buying a bottle at home

 

Quite the opposite in my experience,a litre bottle of Jamesons Irish falling over water delivered to our cabin by room service cost us £20 on Britannia recently,you would be paying around £23 for a 70cl bottle normally in shops in the UK,so spirits can be significantly cheaper,wine drinkers on the other hand I agree have an axe to grind when you see how much they are expected to pay on board!

[wowzz]

Quite the opposite in my experience,a litre bottle of Jamesons Irish falling over water delivered to our cabin by room service cost us £20 on Britannia recently,you would be paying around £23 for a 70cl bottle normally in shops in the UK,so spirits can be significantly cheaper,wine drinkers on the other hand I agree have an axe to grind when you see how much they are expected to pay on board!

The point about wine is what I was also trying to make, before being called a cheapskate !

 

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[smj777]

The answer? Buy wine cheaply in ports, carry a big bag, put wine in bag. Go to ship. Go to cabin. Drink wine. If challenged on embarkation deny existence of wine. If searched allow wine to be taken away. Collect wine at end of cruise.

 

What are they going to do if they catch you? Make you walk the plank?

[CCFC]

I remember reading a thread about a couple who were denied boarding by Royal Caribbean for trying to smuggle too much booze onboard.

[Clodia]

On Facebook now some idiot is proposing the possibility of no booze at all on cruises; ie teetotal and asking people if they would consider it. A surprising number have come over all sanctimonious and said yes as they don't drink and don't really want others to.

What is the world coming to?

[wowzz]

On Facebook now some idiot is proposing the possibility of no booze at all on cruises; ie teetotal and asking people if they would consider it. A surprising number have come over all sanctimonious and said yes as they don't drink and don't really want others to.

What is the world coming to?

When these sanctimonious people realise how much the price of their cruise will increase, to compensate for the lost profit from alcohol sales, I'm sure they will change their minds!

[LVaddict_27]

We are boarding the Britannia in a few weeks and plan on packing a 2.25l box of white wine in our suitcase, and then in our hand luggage a bottle of gin and a bottle of bubbles! Really can't see that being an issue. If asked at security if we have more alcohol I will just say no. I'm more than happy to risk a box of wine over it!