Busted with Booze????

[cuteamy7]

DH and I just returned from the Rhapsody docking in Galveston. We had to have our 3 Buck Chuck(Charles Shaw $3/bottle but like a $60). We took two in each suitcase and he took two plastic bottles of liquor and I took my tropical rum(mistake-nothing to mix it with onboard). No probnlems and our cabin stewart filled our cooler each day with ice.

[Merion_Mom]

We're Californians, and yes we do love our wine! :D Especially that Syrah my in-laws grow. But we're actually cruising out of Galveston nthis time, so hopefully we won't have so much of a problem getting it onboard.

 

LeeAnne

Oh, HE!!, sailing out if Texas, FTLOG! NO PROBLEM. :D :D :D (I think that they arrest you if you DON'T smuggle!)

[Leejnd4]

OH! Well in that case, no problem, mon! I'm glad I'll fit right in. :D

[mayor_mccheese]

When on Jewel last Jan., I bought 2 bottles of bacardi in SJU, 1 bottle run in antigua, guavaberry in st martin and beer in nassau...brought it all on board no problem. Xray guys didnt give a rat's and when the liquor folks asked if i had anything to check, i said no and went back to my cabin. Not an issue.

[amynkeith]

DO NOT TRY TO CARRY ON ALCOHOL! Don't carry it on your person in any form. Just check it. Especially on RCCL, it almost ALWAYS gets to your room.

 

I've done this many times and never had a problem. My last cruise I had four bottles of wine, a box of wine, three bottles of rum and a bottle of vodka. I didn't disguise them or anything, just packed them in with my clothes.

 

All made it through AND I left it all out in my cabin with no issues.

 

Just don't carry it on and you will be fine. And on the off chance they do take it from your luggage, hey, at least you were spared the embarassment of having it happen when you went through security.

[denred04]

Thanks for the tip on using a mouthwash bottle!! i was wondering how to get my husband's Glen Livit (sp?) on board!!! i'll go get a bottle of listerine!!!

[booze brothers]

Dh had a case of beer in a roll-on cooler. Took it with him many, many times. In SanDeigo, they xrayed the bag and said we were not permitted to bring it onboard. I said no problem, took the bag outside and checked it with the porter. Had it in our cabin that evening. Now we NEVER put any alcohol in our carry on.

[Mabers]

This whole wine/booze carry-on makes me crazy!

 

Why state a corkage fee if no wine is to be taken onboard?

 

I still plan on taking ours with us, and funnily enough, have just bought a cheapo tapestry type bag on wheels with a wine motif! (Cost me $6 less 15% for senile citizens day!) I plan on loading it up with clothes and wine, and we'll see what happens. Hopefully, they will see two old folks, and say, "No problem!" So far, that has ben the case! But it could be different.....let's hope not!

M.

[CJC]

HAL allows you to bring wine (no limit that I know of), soda, and water on board. I have not heard from any other HAL passengers of their experiences in getting booze on board. Would like to hear from you!

[Merion_Mom]

This whole wine/booze carry-on makes me crazy!

 

Why state a corkage fee if no wine is to be taken onboard?

 

I still plan on taking ours with us, and funnily enough, have just bought a cheapo tapestry type bag on wheels with a wine motif! (Cost me $6 less 15% for senile citizens day!) I plan on loading it up with clothes and wine, and we'll see what happens. Hopefully, they will see two old folks, and say, "No problem!" So far, that has ben the case! But it could be different.....let's hope not!

M.

MABERS! You get over here right now with paper towels and windex and clean my screen! That's a definite spitter there! :D :D :D

[sherry7]

In San Juan their is a duty free liquor store right at the Pan Am pier (after you go through x-ray). Of course, I took the opportunity to buy a few bottles before we boarded the Serenade a few weeks ago. Since this wasn't a planned purchase, I really didn't have room in our carry-ons. I was able to fit 2 of the bottles in a backpack, but the other 2 I had to carry on in a plastic store bag.

 

So, as I walk onto the ship, I'm smiling at the thought of how easy it was to 'smuggle'. My smile quickly faded when a RCCL employee said, "Excuse me ma'am, is that liquor in your bag?" Darn! Foiled by the liquor police! :mad: He confiscated the 2 bottles that I had in the plastic bag (of course, I got them back on the last day of the cruise). The 2 bottles that were in my backpack made it through though.

[Steamboatin]

Was on a long cruise out of New Orleans on the Grandeur of the Seas. We drove to the pier and handed our luggage to a porter to be checked in. One of the luggage bags was full of approximately 36 bottles of water.

 

When our luggage was delivered to the room we were missing the bag with the water in it. Went down to the main desk to inquire about missing luggage bag and was told it was probably in a holding area (they told me what deck and where on that deck to go).

 

Well when I got to the luggage holding area there was a bunch of passengers waiting for their turn to check for their missing luggage. Ship crewman helped the passengers one by one. When it was my turn I told them my name and we looked for my luggage bag amongst a lot of bags. When we found it the crewman asked me to open my luggage bag. He was suprised to see a full luggage case of six six-packs of water still in their plastic wrappings. He said water was OK and let me take my luggage. Others that had liquor either in the original bottles or in soft drink or water bottles where the cap temper proof seal had been broken were taken from the passengers and held to be returned upon the end of the cruise.

 

Can only tell you what personally happened to us. Have had friends put wine in soft drink bottles and had no trouble.

[Christy1120]

We just got back from the AOS and we had plenty of booze on our trip. I bought 6 drinks the entire week. There was a duty free store right at the port and they were allowing people to buy alcohol and for that day only you were allowed to take it to your room. The four guys in our group each bought some bottles and we each had bottles of rum in our suit cases. They didn't take them. One of the guys had Aqua Fina bottles with Rum in them. My husband and I just had bottles wrapped in towels in our luggage. Two years ago when we were on the GOS they didn't take our rum either. And I know for a fact that they searced our luggage because my stuff was shifted around. I'm very particular about how I pack my luggage and they moved stuff around. I guess it's just luck of the draw! It's worth the try at lease. Everynight after dinner we went back to our rooms, ordered about 8 glasses of fruit punch and made our own drinks. We had bought water bottles in the gift shop and just filled those up and walked around with them. No one said a word!

[prc]

Just back from the Splendour from Galveston (Feb. 9). We don't drink, but they noticed the bottle of non-alcohol sparkling cider in our carry on. We had to open the bag to prove it was not alcohol.

[CruzinSuz]

Well I am booked on one RCCL cruise coming up this summer, as well as a Windstar cruise in 2 weeks, and a Radisson cruise in November. I'll be bringing bottles of wine and probably single-malt on all three. It's certainly nicer to NOT have to play the smuggling game!

 

But if it really is so uncommon for RCCL to confiscate at embarkation, maybe I'll go ahead and try it. I know you are a very experienced cruiser, Merion Mom, so I'd take your advice to the bank. I just would hate to be one of the unlucky ones. My inlaws have vineyards in Temecula and produce a very fine Syrah, which I enjoy tremedously with dinner. I'll be pretty bummed if they take them away from us before we even get on board!

 

Oh, and I wish you calm seas and fair skies on all your cruises as well!

 

LeeAnne

 

LeeAnne, knock on wood, but I've never had a problem taking wine on board in my carry on. Since you've got to pay a corkage fee, it's okay to do so. We don't drink liquor, just wine and beer, but if I were to take liquor, I would definitely check it.

Have fun on your trips.....I'd love to do Radisson and Windstar both.

[critterchick]

Thanks for the tip on using a mouthwash bottle!! i was wondering how to get my husband's Glen Livit (sp?) on board!!! i'll go get a bottle of listerine!!!

 

:eek: Ack! NO! The essense of Listerine will remain in the plastic after you pour it out & wash it. The Glenlivit will end up tasting like mouthwash and we'll be reading about how you went overboard!:eek:

 

Go to the local beauty supply store and get a large shampoo bottle, the plastic squeeze kind. Get more than one if it's a long cruise. Make room for it in DH's dopp kit. That's how we bring our wee nip of bourbon and Grey Goose.

[JKSOUTH]

Be careful what you put the booze it. My dh put his VO in a very washed listerine bottle. SAme color. When he went to have a drink he almost gagged. An iced tea bottle might be a better bet for dark colors. I put my vodka in an empty saline soultion bottle.

[Babs66]

My sister and I (her being the wine expert and buying by the case from wineries) are bringing a case of wine each packed in a nice wine shipping box that will be checked in with the rest of our luggage, she has been on many cruises and has never had a problem.

[MszKitty]

Go to the local beauty supply store and get a large shampoo bottle, the plastic squeeze kind. Get more than one if it's a long cruise. Make room for it in DH's dopp kit. That's how we bring our wee nip of bourbon and Grey Goose.

 

I've done the water bottle trick, but THATS a good idea too!

[trishalee]

I've been using the same mouthwash bottles for so many cruises that they all smell like gin! LOL:D

[Cape Cruiser 2007]

are you sure your not rinsing WITH gin??? LOL

[seaver]

I have a way to get around it! Go to the meet and mingle thread before your cruise and get someone to buy your booze right on the ship ( you can send them money) and have them give it to your cabin person on the last night or first thing in the morning along with $5.00 bill with a promise of more when it is delivered and you have your booze and at a bargin price to boot.

[zotzer]

I have a way to get around it! Go to the meet and mingle thread before your cruise and get someone to buy your booze right on the ship ( you can send them money) and have them give it to your cabin person on the last night or first thing in the morning along with $5.00 bill with a promise of more when it is delivered and you have your booze and at a bargin price to boot.

 

Seaver,

 

Creative thinking! Won't work for my June 4th Freedom cruise though...no one is on it the day before we leave (paying customers, anyway) LOL

 

Tracy

[trentmister]

I purchased some unbreakable water bottles from Target (they even have some small ones in their dollar spot). They worked great. I packed them in Ziplocks along with my beach stuff in my checked luggage - no problems.

[ccletzgo]

They let us keep our wine and champagne, in our carry on, but took our Bailey's.......:( :rolleyes:

 

I had the vodka in the checked luggage wrapped in bubble wrap. or they would have taken that too.