Can you carry a beer off the ship?

[WorkerBee74]

There's another thread like this from last year which weighs more heavily on the food/fruit question.  Yes, I understand you can't take off food/fruit for agricultural/pest reasons and I would never advocate that.  Travelling to/from the US as a Canadian this is of big concern and I completely understand why.

 

What I am wondering though is if we have the Cheers program and we pick up a beer before leaving the ship and have it in hand when you disembark, is that frowned upon?  I know that beer is cheaper off ship and I won't really care if we have to buy a few in port, but I'm just wondering if we need to "drink up" before we get off.  Is it cool like Vegas where you can walk from a hotel out on to the strip with a beer, or do they freak?

 

I should add that ports are Amber Cove, San Juan, Grand Turk and St. Thomas.  I would never even think of doing this if I was disembarking in New York or something lol.

Edited November 28, 2018 by WorkerBee74

[Garth2]

I don't think it's allowed.  At least I've never seen anyone drinking anything other than bottled water as they leave the ship.

[M_BA]

It is not allowed, only bottled water.

[crewsweeper]

Cruisers have carried beer off the ship in coolers.  But not in hand. 

Seriously, if you need a beer in hand to walk down the pier to buy one at a local bar within a 1/4 mile of the ship, you may have to give some thought to joining Friends of Bill.

 

In the ports where you are going,  two bars one on each side  right off the pier in Grand Turk.

Several places in Amber Cove right at the cruise port, St Thomas has Sr Frogs glaring at you when you arrive.

San Juan is a short couple of blocks up to a plaza surrounded by bars and restaurants.

[mark290]

18 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Cruisers have carried beer off the ship in coolers.  But not in hand. 

Seriously, if you need a beer in hand to walk down the pier to buy one at a local bar within a 1/4 mile of the ship, you may have to give some thought to joining Friends of Bill.

 

In the ports where you are going,  two bars one on each side  right off the pier in Grand Turk.

Several places in Amber Cove right at the cruise port, St Thomas has Sr Frogs glaring at you when you arrive.

San Juan is a short couple of blocks up to a plaza surrounded by bars and restaurants.

 

Seriously, if you need to grab as soon as you get off the ship, you may have to give some thought to joining Friends of Bill.

Or maybe you are just on vacation and your desires are a little different than in every day life.

[WorkerBee74]

Like I say, I have no problems buying a beer in the port, but given that I've already paid for Cheers I just wondered if this was OK to do.  Sounds like if I had it in a cooler it would be, good to know in case we decide to bring a couple to the beach.  Thanks to those who just answered my question vs. essentially calling me an alcoholic.  

[crzndeb]

If you can get the beer unopened and just put it your bag to carry off bag, you will be fine. Just don’t carry if off unopened in your hand. They don’t check bags going off the ship, although some will check for fruits and vegetables after you disembark. 

[coevan]

We also get Cheers, but we like to support the local economy. In St. Thomas there is a bar with $2.00 Caribs as you exit the port. Fat Tuesdays is an expensive tourist trap. 

[Cobrakev]

I do it everytime I leave the ship. Hell I even carry the left over beers that i didnt finish from the night before using the cheers package in my backpack.

 

[Purvis1231]

On our last cruise on the Dream I saw them take beers from guest before the left the ship. They also made announcements than no alcohol could be taken on the ship. 

[sanger727]

I would guess that the cruise line would consider cheers to be all the beer you can drink on board; not all the beer you can take off with you and would frown upon this. I think the official policy is that when your order a beer onboard they open it to prevent this; but many people have reported getting unopened beers w a tip and successfully carrying them off in a cooler. As far as carrying off one in hand, the Caribbean isn’t Vegas, you see plenty of people drinking in bars/restaurants and on beaches but not just walking around the streets w drinks. I assume they may have open container laws there though I’m not sure.

[Joebucks]

On 11/28/2018 at 4:01 PM, crewsweeper said:

Cruisers have carried beer off the ship in coolers.  But not in hand. 

Seriously, if you need a beer in hand to walk down the pier to buy one at a local bar within a 1/4 mile of the ship, you may have to give some thought to joining Friends of Bill.

 

Regardless of how anyone asks this question, it's not because "they would love to walk around with the drink". It is because they prepaid hundreds of dollars of alcohol, and want to use that as much as possible.