Hey you Scotch experts!

[JonnyGUofD]

I will be traveling soon on the Summit. I am a Scotch drinker but not much of an expert. Since we have pretty much OBC and are driving our car to the pier, I've decided to stock up on some bottles for myself and for my Scotch drinking buddies for home. I understand that you should buy what you enjoy but I was wondering if any experts out there know of any "best buys" in the duty free shop on board the Summit. I promise you I won't be disappointed :).

[ghstudio]

There really aren't any good buys in the duty free shops for those living in the USA. You'll find most of the items sold for less in your local liquor store. Think of the duty free stores as selling liquor at full price but without your local taxes.

 

But....depending on your cruise ports, there are some great places to buy liquor and bring it home. Tell us where you'll be stopping and maybe we can give you some ideas.

 

There is also a limit on the amount of alcohol you can bring back to the US without paying duty.....1 liter per person unless you purchased it in the US Virgin Islands and then you can bring in 5 liters per person subject to some special rules.

Edited August 5, 2018 by ghstudio

[jimzgoldfinch]

I will be traveling soon on the Summit. I am a Scotch drinker but not much of an expert. Since we have pretty much OBC and are driving our car to the pier, I've decided to stock up on some bottles for myself and for my Scotch drinking buddies for home. I understand that you should buy what you enjoy but I was wondering if any experts out there know of any "best buys" in the duty free shop on board the Summit. I promise you I won't be disappointed :).

 

Everybody has their own opinion about what is the best whisky. At the end of the day, the best whisky is the one that you like best! If the price is right, buy the ones you know you like. There are a number of good whiskies available on the ship, so try unfamiliar ones.

[JonnyGUofD]

There really aren't any good buys in the duty free shops for those living in the USA. You'll find most of the items sold for less in your local liquor store. Think of the duty free stores as selling liquor at full price but without your local taxes.

 

But....depending on your cruise ports, there are some great places to buy liquor and bring it home. Tell us where you'll be stopping and maybe we can give you some ideas.

 

There is also a limit on the amount of alcohol you can bring back to the US without paying duty.....1 liter per person unless you purchased it in the US Virgin Islands and then you can bring in 5 liters per person subject to some special rules.

 

Thanks for the quick response. We are going to Bermuda but much of the reason for purchasing on the ship is because we have lots of SBC - so maybe I can justify it as being free?

[George C]

I found dead me decent deals with Johnny walker blue which is 21 year old blended scotch , need to research before you board several scotch’s were not a bargain. Need to taste any of them before you buy.

[ghstudio]

I guess I'd suggest Johnny Walker Platinum (if duty free carries it) which isn't as widely available as some others....but it's pricy. Blue is just too much money, even when you can buy it at a discount....and it's not worth the price.

 

Is your On Board Credit from Celebrity or from a travel agent??

[George C]

I guess I'd suggest Johnny Walker Platinum (if duty free carries it) which isn't as widely available as some others....but it's pricy. Blue is just too much money, even when you can buy it at a discount....and it's not worth the price.

 

Is your On Board Credit from Celebrity or from a travel agent??

 

Platinum is 18 year old and half the cost of blue , have bought that also. Normally best deal is when you buy two.

[ghstudio]

Platinum is 18 year old and half the cost of blue , have bought that also. Normally best deal is when you buy two.

 

Right....Actually Johnny Walker has re-labelled Platinum and it's now just called 18 year old. I much prefer Platinum to Gold (compared at a world class bar on some celebrity ship where they included both in the premium drink package).

[NewWestwardbound]

If you are looking for distinctive, new to you, flavours and aromas you may want to consider single malt rather than blended whisky.

[Mynki]

I will be traveling soon on the Summit. I am a Scotch drinker but not much of an expert. Since we have pretty much OBC and are driving our car to the pier, I've decided to stock up on some bottles for myself and for my Scotch drinking buddies for home. I understand that you should buy what you enjoy but I was wondering if any experts out there know of any "best buys" in the duty free shop on board the Summit. I promise you I won't be disappointed :).

 

You're highly unlikely to find any deals on the ship or in the duty free shops at any airports these days. You can regularly buy scotch at a local liquer store for less.

 

What type of malts have you tried and enjoyed?

 

For the record Johnnie Walker is enjoyed in Scotland mostly by American tourists who are familiar with the brand. It isn't particularly popular with the locals who have access to many others distilleries.

 

Do you like whiskies from Islay, Highlands, Speyside or Lowlands etc?

[Mynki]

If you are looking for distinctive, new to you, flavours and aromas you may want to consider single malt rather than blended whisky.

 

This, this and this again.......

[ghstudio]

You're highly unlikely to find any deals on the ship or in the duty free shops at any airports these days. You can regularly buy scotch at a local liquer store for less.

 

What type of malts have you tried and enjoyed?

 

For the record Johnnie Walker is enjoyed in Scotland mostly by American tourists who are familiar with the brand. It isn't particularly popular with the locals who have access to many others distilleries.

 

Do you like whiskies from Islay, Highlands, Speyside or Lowlands etc?

 

All true....but the OP wants to buy something on the ship and while others may have a better memory than me, I just don't recall which single malts are carried in the duty free store on the ship. It doesn't do much good to give him a list of great single malts, if he can't buy them....

 

Thats's why I suggested JW 18YO....at least it's something he may be able to buy on the ship. My real suggestion, if he answers my earlier post, is that some of his OBC may be refundable... Take the refund and spend it at home where there's a better selection for less $'s.

[miched]

Sometimes in the duty free liquor shop they will offer a free scotch seminar with tasting samples. You have to sign up for it, just ask the liquor salesperson.

 

We attended and it had some good info about scotch. I don’t remember if they offered any special pricing after. Some of the stores also have a drawing for all liquor bought on the first day. If you name is drawn your entire purchase is free.

 

I have found that sales people are very helpful and are more than willing to help you spend your OBC

 

Drink up 🥂🍾🍷🍸🍹🍻🥂

[Mr. Click]

Just remember the duty free limits that are imposed by US Customs. You don't want to be paying cash money for import duties on scotch that you bought with free money on board. We had a lot of OBC on our recent Summit cruise and we found the Apple store right down from the liquor store to be a nice place to shop....since we are not drinkers.

[Schmoe38]

I will be traveling soon on the Summit. I am a Scotch drinker but not much of an expert. Since we have pretty much OBC and are driving our car to the pier, I've decided to stock up on some bottles for myself and for my Scotch drinking buddies for home. I understand that you should buy what you enjoy but I was wondering if any experts out there know of any "best buys" in the duty free shop on board the Summit. I promise you I won't be disappointed :).

 

 

 

Taste is certainly a personal preference so if you ask the same question to 10 of us you are probably going to get 10 different answers.

 

We are from Canada and look forward to purchasing liquor at the Duty Free outlets in the US as the cost is much less than what we pay at home.

 

My personal scotch preference is anything Macallan, which is a single malt. The ships normally carry the Select Oak line but sometimes we have seen some of the higher end versions. The pricing on the ships is very similar to what we see in the duty free stores, so if you can store them safely in your checked baggage, I would not hesitate to use some of your OBC for such a purchase.

 

As an FYI, we generally bring with us, a “bubble wrap” wine holder just in case we buy on board. We have never had a problem with breakage in our checked luggage.

 

Randy

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[NantahalaCruiser]

There really aren't any good buys in the duty free shops for those living in the USA. You'll find most of the items sold for less in your local liquor store. Think of the duty free stores as selling liquor at full price but without your local taxes.

 

But....depending on your cruise ports, there are some great places to buy liquor and bring it home. Tell us where you'll be stopping and maybe we can give you some ideas.

 

There is also a limit on the amount of alcohol you can bring back to the US without paying duty.....1 liter per person unless you purchased it in the US Virgin Islands and then you can bring in 5 liters per person subject to some special rules.

Guess it depends on your state. In NC a 750ml bottle of Johnny Walker Double Black costs about $52 including sales tax. Last fall I bought a pair of 1 liter bottles on-board for $90 without any tax - which was about 35% less per ml.

[Bo1953]

My recommendation is to find one of the bars with an extensive scotch collection and ask the bartender to pour you some of his favorites, top shelf brands that is, and see which appeal to your taste buds...

 

bon voyage

[vvnh16a]

I found dead me decent deals with Johnny walker blue which is 21 year old blended scotch , need to research before you board several scotch’s were not a bargain. Need to taste any of them before you buy.

 

Went to a Scotch tasting function on the ship and they told they would match any price found on the islands . A local store in St Martens had Johnny Walker Blue for $125 took a picture of the price tag and of the store who offered it. (right at the port)...Ship price was $175,,,i got it for $125 Best deal of the week!!

[markeb]

A few thoughts:

 

First of all, I arguably drink far too much whisky! Duty free whisky is almost never a good deal for an American. Yes, there are states where taxes are absurd (and generally you're supposed to pay the tax there anyway...), but we have pretty decent pricing on most alcoholic beverages compared to the rest of the world. So, don't buy your Scotch based on price; buy on selection.

 

Most of the major brands do "Duty Free Only" products. These vary from meh to pretty good. In Heathrow, you'll probably be able to taste them and make a decision. On Summitt (or really any cruise ship); that's going to be hit or miss at best.

 

So, in no particular order, I'd look for Glenmorangie. The Tayne and the Duthac are both duty-free only and both are very good.

 

Balvenie. Their Triple Casks are duty-free only. There are 12 and 16 year versions; the 12 is typically in a Liter bottle. Both are excellent whiskies. I currently have a 14 year old Balvenie Peated that is also duty free only. It's pretty awesome. I've never seen it on a cruise ship, but there is a 21 year Madeira cask finished that is to die for (and priced accordingly).

 

There's at least one duty free only or mostly duty free Oban called Little Bay. Also very good. A little unsure whether the price is right.

 

You'll also find "Distiller's Editions" of well known whiskies that are all but unheard of outside of duty-free. Cao Ila, Lagavulin, etc. These can be interesting, but know the price of the regular version at home. (Unless they're suddenly carrying an 18 year old Cao Ila, in which case you just buy it and don't look back...)

 

Things I probably would not buy: MacAllan "select" no age statement whiskies. Johnny Walker unless it's being given away or you absolutely love it and really know what it sells for at home. Any blend other than Johnny Walker (accepting the above caveats).

 

My thoughts to your question. I do suffer from having serious opinions on whisky...

 

Oh, and while I don't disagree with Bo, it's likely that the whiskies I'd buy are NOT being sold at the bars; the duty free retail is totally separate from the bar sales.

[ghstudio]

Went to a Scotch tasting function on the ship and they told they would match any price found on the islands . A local store in St Martens had Johnny Walker Blue for $125 took a picture of the price tag and of the store who offered it. (right at the port)...Ship price was $175,,,i got it for $125 Best deal of the week!!

 

Yes, St Martens is one of our favorite places to buy liquor.....but the OP is only going to Bermuda where he won't find discount liquor stores or good prices.

 

If part of the OBC is refundable, then I'd suggest just getting the refund. I'm not sure the OP knows about refundable vs non-refundable OBC. If he has "lots of OBC" then it's likely some of that is from his travel agent and that would be refundable....you get a check back from Celebrity after the cruise for the full amount that's left. We need to hear from the OP again to help him make the best decision.

[chemmo]

Glenfiddich (18 years old) full of flavour and Jameson’s Irish whisky (18 year old) and very smooth are both brands we have bought on the ship and enjoyed back at home. If you fancy something a little different try smokey flavoured Laphroaig.....

 

I don’t know what type of room you have booked but if you are in a suite and mention in Michael’s that there is a scotch you want to try they will round one up for you even if it isn’t one they usually have on the shelf.

 

Whilst the prices on board are not cheap if you do have ‘use it or loose it’ OBC buying a nice whisky is a great way to treat yourself for weeks to come!

[scottsla]

personally when shopping Duty Free for Whisky I try to get the special editions that you can't buy in the general retail store. I also agree whole heartedly I would never buy a blended whisky. My last few trips the prices in the ship were simply too steep so instead I got duty free at the airport where at least the range was bigger. Last few trips I got the Mortlach special strength, Glenrothes and Glenmorangie, also got a nice 30 year old tomatin . The problem with Scotch buying though is different people have different tastes so very hard to recommend for someone else without knowing the style they like. A great education experience is a trip to the royal mile in Edinburgh where you can quickly learn what you like.

[Mynki]

All true....but the OP wants to buy something on the ship and while others may have a better memory than me, I just don't recall which single malts are carried in the duty free store on the ship. It doesn't do much good to give him a list of great single malts, if he can't buy them....

 

Thats's why I suggested JW 18YO....at least it's something he may be able to buy on the ship. My real suggestion, if he answers my earlier post, is that some of his OBC may be refundable... Take the refund and spend it at home where there's a better selection for less $'s.

 

I agree with this also. That's why I asked him to post what he knows he already likes as it's then easy to post a list of similar tasting malts which may be on the ship or in port.

 

For example, if he's tried Glenmorangie there is a good chance he'll also like Benriach or Glenfiddich.

 

If he likes Lagavulin the chances are he'll enjoy Talisker ot Ardbeg etc.

 

I'd recommend attending any tasting on board though to give the OP an opportunity to see what types he likes. There are a couple of recommendations on the thread that are definitely not enjoyed by everyone and he could easily waste his OBC by buying a smoky and peaty bottle from an Islay distillery if that kind of scotch is not for him.

 

For those in the US looking for a great selection of Scotch going way beyond the JW brand take a look here. They ship to the US. And whilst there are obvious fees etc, the range of Scotch is simply unrivaled.

 

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

[jimzgoldfinch]

Try this link https://www.malts.com/en-row/whisky-guide/the-flavour/

 

I found the flavour chart very useful in helping me avoid certain type of whisky.

[markeb]

I agree with this also. That's why I asked him to post what he knows he already likes as it's then easy to post a list of similar tasting malts which may be on the ship or in port.

 

For example, if he's tried Glenmorangie there is a good chance he'll also like Benriach or Glenfiddich.

 

If he likes Lagavulin the chances are he'll enjoy Talisker ot Ardbeg etc.

 

I'd recommend attending any tasting on board though to give the OP an opportunity to see what types he likes. There are a couple of recommendations on the thread that are definitely not enjoyed by everyone and he could easily waste his OBC by buying a smoky and peaty bottle from an Islay distillery if that kind of scotch is not for him.

For those in the US looking for a great selection of Scotch going way beyond the JW brand take a look here. They ship to the US. And whilst there are obvious fees etc, the range of Scotch is simply unrivaled.

 

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

 

Guilty. The Cao Ila is almost a joke, though, as finding an 18 year old would be like finding a unicorn...

 

But, yes, understanding the OP's taste in whisky is pretty important!