Bringing drink onboard while on a port visit?

[eamondzhang]

Hello everyone,

 

Just a quick question regarding bringing drinks onboard

 

Are we allowed to bring soft drinks (like a cup of bubble tea) onboard when the ship's in a port visit?

 

Cheers

Michael

[arxcards]

Which ship? 

P&O won't even let you take a bottle of water aboard, and only sealed cans of anything non-alcoholic. I think most others would allow you a bit of bubble tea in port.

[Mrs f.]

Depends on your cruise line. Oceania lets you bring all kinds of drinks onboard at port stops

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Depends on your cruise line. Oceania lets you bring all kinds of drinks onboard at port stops

That is good policy.  One of the joys of travel is trying drinks from other countries.  

[eamondzhang]

15 hours ago, arxcards said:

Which ship? 

P&O won't even let you take a bottle of water aboard, and only sealed cans of anything non-alcoholic. I think most others would allow you a bit of bubble tea in port.

Majestic Princess

 

Sorry I shouldve mentioned that

 

Cheers

Michael

[eamondzhang]

8 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

That is good policy.  One of the joys of travel is trying drinks from other countries.  

Agreed! Although ours are within Oz and Oceania isn't one that we can afford right now 😞

 

Michael

[Aus Traveller]

11 minutes ago, eamondzhang said:

Majestic Princess

 

Sorry I shouldve mentioned that

 

Cheers

Michael

On Princess there is no limitation on taking soft drinks (or water) on board either when you first board, or at ports of call.

 

Alcohol - At embarkation one 750ml bottle of wine is permitted free of charge. You can take any quantity of extra wine but you will be charged AUD$15 per bottle. This used to be at embarkation, but now it seems to be when you take the bottle to the dining room.

 

Spirits - Not permitted.

[arxcards]

Just now, eamondzhang said:

Majestic Princess

 

Sorry I shouldve mentioned that

 

Cheers

Michael

I think you will be OK, unless the bubbles are funny bubbles. I can't find anything in their passage contract or FAQs that would prohibit it. I was surprised to see that kava was on the prohibited list, so just as well they don't make kava cola in Vanuatu any more.

[eamondzhang]

11 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

On Princess there is no limitation on taking soft drinks (or water) on board either when you first board, or at ports of call.

 

Alcohol - At embarkation one 750ml bottle of wine is permitted free of charge. You can take any quantity of extra wine but you will be charged AUD$15 per bottle. This used to be at embarkation, but now it seems to be when you take the bottle to the dining room.

 

Spirits - Not permitted.

  

1 minute ago, arxcards said:

I think you will be OK, unless the bubbles are funny bubbles. I can't find anything in their passage contract or FAQs that would prohibit it. I was surprised to see that kava was on the prohibited list, so just as well they don't make kava cola in Vanuatu any more.

 

Thank you both 🙂

 

Looks like we'll be safe lol

 

I thought Princess also has the can drink only policy like P&O does but looks like I'm wrong!

 

Cheers

Michael

[Aus Traveller]

Michael, When I said that it is 'one bottle of wine free of charge' I meant one per person with a maximum of two per cabin.

 

On our cruise at the end of June we expected to be charged the $15 corkage on each bottle, but it didn't happen even though we took a bottle to the dining room every evening. I'm not complaining. 😁

[arxcards]

19 minutes ago, eamondzhang said:

  

 

Thank you both 🙂

 

Looks like we'll be safe lol

 

I thought Princess also has the can drink only policy like P&O does but looks like I'm wrong!

 

Cheers

Michael

I think Carnival has pretty much gone down the same line as P&O here, but Princess is pretty much as it was. There is one possible blip, and that is in the cruise terminals. If your port of call is handled through a terminal, the private X-ray staff will do the security screening, and may get their ships/policies muddled from time to time. Ship security will put them straight though.

[eamondzhang]

On 9/23/2022 at 3:55 PM, arxcards said:

I think Carnival has pretty much gone down the same line as P&O here, but Princess is pretty much as it was. There is one possible blip, and that is in the cruise terminals. If your port of call is handled through a terminal, the private X-ray staff will do the security screening, and may get their ships/policies muddled from time to time. Ship security will put them straight though.

I knew in Melbourne even though they did handle through the terminal, x-ray was done by shipboard staff - when Majestic paid a port visit (shorex) just before Covid shutdown and we went onboard as invited by CAU, the terminal is absolutely deserted and everyone was screened onboard, both visitors and passengers.

 

Only difference was security swap visitors' IDs for an onboard visitor badge inside the terminal before we went up the gangway.

 

Michael

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, eamondzhang said:

I knew in Melbourne even though they did handle through the terminal, x-ray was done by shipboard staff - when Majestic paid a port visit (shorex) just before Covid shutdown and we went onboard as invited by CAU, the terminal is absolutely deserted and everyone was screened onboard, both visitors and passengers.

 

Only difference was security swap visitors' IDs for an onboard visitor badge inside the terminal before we went up the gangway.

 

Michael

I have had days in port on P&O in Adelaide and Brisbane, and X-Ray was via private security in the terminal. Brisbane was just in June. We have had a few days in port in Melbourne, but I can't recall specifics.

[Aus Traveller]

11 hours ago, arxcards said:

I have had days in port on P&O in Adelaide and Brisbane, and X-Ray was via private security in the terminal. Brisbane was just in June. We have had a few days in port in Melbourne, but I can't recall specifics.

I agree that security screening in the terminal is carried out by a local company, not the ship's staff. I believe that the ship's staff don't do any work onshore because of local labour laws. This is what we were told on one cruise in USA where there were terrible delays processing new passengers and loading luggage. The Captain explained why we were delayed for hours. I know that is USA not Australia, but I am pretty sure it would be the same here. The Unions here would be screaming if the ship's staff came ashore to work. 

[arxcards]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I agree that security screening in the terminal is carried out by a local company, not the ship's staff. I believe that the ship's staff don't do any work onshore because of local labour laws. This is what we were told on one cruise in USA where there were terrible delays processing new passengers and loading luggage. The Captain explained why we were delayed for hours. I know that is USA not Australia, but I am pretty sure it would be the same here. The Unions here would be screaming if the ship's staff came ashore to work. 

We don't want the terminal going on strike on cruise day now, do we?

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, arxcards said:

We don't want the terminal going on strike on cruise day now, do we?

That wouldn't be good. 😁

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I agree that security screening in the terminal is carried out by a local company, not the ship's staff. I believe that the ship's staff don't do any work onshore because of local labour laws. This is what we were told on one cruise in USA where there were terrible delays processing new passengers and loading luggage. The Captain explained why we were delayed for hours. I know that is USA not Australia, but I am pretty sure it would be the same here. The Unions here would be screaming if the ship's staff came ashore to work. 

Thinking about this issue further - the personnel from the ship would not have the proper visa to allow them to work ashore in Australia, even if it was just in the terminal.

 

I think it is safe to say that all the on-shore work (check-in and security) is carried out by local staff. I know in literally scores of cruises, I have never seen ship's staff do either of these jobs. I have seen one crew member manning a desk where new ship's crew and entertainers check in. Strictly speaking, this could well be against the rules.

[arxcards]

36 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Thinking about this issue further - the personnel from the ship would not have the proper visa to allow them to work ashore in Australia, even if it was just in the terminal.

 

I think it is safe to say that all the on-shore work (check-in and security) is carried out by local staff. I know in literally scores of cruises, I have never seen ship's staff do either of these jobs. I have seen one crew member manning a desk where new ship's crew and entertainers check in. Strictly speaking, this could well be against the rules.

If they are working on the ship side of the secure zone, I believe they are considered to be working from the ship. The same applies to other crew like the chef or inventory staff checking the quality of food on pallets, and crew on the wharf painting the rust dissolver  on the ship etc.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, arxcards said:

If they are working on the ship side of the secure zone, I believe they are considered to be working from the ship. The same applies to other crew like the chef or inventory staff checking the quality of food on pallets, and crew on the wharf painting the rust dissolver  on the ship etc.

I see your point regarding staff checking supplies arriving or crew painting the ship, but these people are in a secure zone on the wharf. However, are security staff working in a secure zone? 

[arxcards]

12 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I see your point regarding staff checking supplies arriving or crew painting the ship, but these people are in a secure zone on the wharf. However, are security staff working in a secure zone? 

Beyond the passport check is considered the secure/international zone. Local staff working there require MSIC accreditation.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, arxcards said:

Beyond the passport check is considered the secure/international zone. Local staff working there require MSIC accreditation.

I can't report on the layout at the new BICT because our two cruise were Q'ld coastal so not really considered 'international'. Passports aren't required. I  recall that in the old Portside terminal, the security scanners were before the Border Force staff. The first ship's staff we encountered were dining room staff who charged the $15 corkage on wine, then the ship's photographers.

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

I can't report on the layout at the new BICT because our two cruise were Q'ld coastal so not really considered 'international'. Passports aren't required. I  recall that in the old Portside terminal, the security scanners were before the Border Force staff. The first ship's staff we encountered were dining room staff who charged the $15 corkage on wine, then the ship's photographers.

They just need to change the barricade to change the route through the terminal, but nothing to stop them doing X-ray before customs. I didn't notice how crew were being processed in Brisbane, but that could well be on the ground floor for wharf level embark - similar to OPT & White Bay.