Wine

[mommacl]

:eek: OK, I can hear it now...this may seam like tacky question to some..so don't answer.

 

Last year when we sailed on the Sun Princess, it was ALL over the board that people smuggle wine (boxes) in their suitcases. Well it worked. Does NCL really xray your suitcase for booze? Anyone know if boxes get through? Our steward even provided glasses. Great way to relax on your balcony.

[Addictedtwo]

:eek: OK, I can hear it now...this may seam like tacky question to some..so don't answer.

 

Last year when we sailed on the Sun Princess, it was ALL over the board that people smuggle wine (boxes) in their suitcases. Well it worked. Does NCL really xray your suitcase for booze? Anyone know if boxes get through? Our steward even provided glasses. Great way to relax on your balcony.

 

 

Yes they do xray the luggage and yes sometimes it gets through but if you get caught you get sent to the naughty room.

[Let'sGoNow]

I just got off the Dawn last Sunday. I packed two bottles of very good wine and our friends had a bottle of champagne in their luggage (we had some celebratory bottles we saved for the cruise). I was fully expecting to report to the "naughty room" later on and pay the corkage fee then and there. However, each bottle went through without a hitch. Mind you, we eventually paid the corkage fees for two since we brought them to dinner, however, the third was enjoyed on our balcony without the fee.:cool:

[*Wink*]

:eek: OK, I can hear it now...this may seam like tacky question to some..so don't answer.

 

Last year when we sailed on the Sun Princess, it was ALL over the board that people smuggle wine (boxes) in their suitcases. Well it worked. Does NCL really xray your suitcase for booze? Anyone know if boxes get through? Our steward even provided glasses. Great way to relax on your balcony.

 

Hi Momma-

 

Yes, they do X-Ray. Some things are seen, some aren't. I think I recall one of the past threads discussed what's really being seen. According to a picture posted, liquid of any kind shows up. If that liquid is in a liquor shaped bottle, they will probably call you into the naughty room and take it till the end of the cruise.

 

However, a bladder of wine from a box, or the whole box, can be kept by you in your cabin after you pay a corkage fee - which will vary depending on the steward. Carrying the wine on is another successful avenue for having your favorite vintage. There'll be a wine steward set up at a table where you can take care of your corkage fee and take it back to your cabin.

 

Cheers.;)

[conandrob240]

You don't get "sent" anywhere- you get called down to a room where you either pay the fee or they hold it for you until the end of the cruise. Some people think this is a "naughty" room and seem to be very upset about maybe getting called there.

 

I think "probably" doesn't seem to be the general consensus here. It seems they don't "catch" it fairly frequently, at least according to those who report here.

[sspeechly]

We have cruised 6 times on NCL and love it! As for bringing your own wine, we always do. On our last cruise, New Years 2007 on the Jewel, we both carried bottles with us and packed some in a suitcase.

 

We had no problem with the carry ons. No corkage fee or anything. The wine is a suitcase was a different story.

 

In deed, I was informed to go to the "Bad Cruisers Room" as I had some unusual items in my luggage. When we opened the suitcase and they saw it was wine, no problem, just paid the corkage fee ($15.00 per), then they marked the bottles to show we had paid the fees and I was off to enjoy our cruise.

 

So I guess the lesson here is to carry on your wine and enjoy! However, if you do take a bottle to a dining room they check for the official paid stamp or they will charge you the corkage fee. If you drink in your room no charge.

[conandrob240]

Interesting. So, do they X-ray carry on or just hand check it? I guess it may also depend on the port?

[scooterj]

So if I'm understanding correctly it seems it is easier to carry the wine with you onboard in your carryon. Does NCL x-ray carryons or do they hand search through each? Also does anyone know if you are permitted to bring waters bottles and soda on board or do they also discourage that?

[retiredonthesea]

So if I'm understanding correctly it seems it is easier to carry the wine with you onboard in your carryon. Does NCL x-ray carryons or do they hand search through each? Also does anyone know if you are permitted to bring waters bottles and soda on board or do they also discourage that?

 

The NCL ships we have been on have X-Ray for you carry-ons. Yes, you can bring bottled water and soda. I've seen people bring whole cases of bottled water, but to us the ships water is better than most bottled water so we just bring a bottle to fill from the tap.

 

We have also brought many a liquor bottle on board and never been to the "naughty room", but have had one suitcase wrapped with red tape around the handle that said "liquor", but nothing ever done about it. Who knows what goes on---maybe depends on the person doing the checking.:rolleyes:

[conandrob240]

Those who have brought it on board successfully, easier in carry on or checked luggage?

[mommacl]

I'd like t know too!

[scooterj]

We are headed out on July 19th on the Majesty to Bermuda from Baltimore. I, too, would like to know whether we have a better shot in the carry-ons or packed in the luggage. The liquor will be in travel bottles and/or water bottles in the carry-on but we are more concerned about bottles of wine which is a little more obvious. Also, those of you who have made it past the "naughty guards" with wine, did you disguise it or just have the bottle the way it comes?

[njguy_south]

Why bring your own wine? First, you had to buy the wine (and I would hope that you paid at least $10 for it, unless you like ripple), then you add the $15 fee, and you now have $25 invested in that bottle of wine.

 

Why be so cheap? Buy a $20-something bottle on the ship!

 

Think, if you buy it on the ship: (1) It has not been shaken to hell on the trip from home, possibly ruining the wine; (2) It did not take up room in your luggage; (3) You didn't have to haul it all over with you. And what did you save? Nothing!

 

Do yourself a favor, buy the wine and use that room in your luggage to pack more clothes! Let NCL (or other cruise line) worry about giving you an excellent bottle of wine.

[retiredonthesea]

We have always brought it in our checked luggage packed in our snorkel gear in its original bottles. Never tried it in our carry-on. Last time we just did bar set-up as heard they are really cracking down on smuggled booze. We don't do wine as we buy that with dinner, but Jameson Irish Whiskey is hard to come by and DH likes a little with coffee and in the evenings. Other wise we do buy everything else on board.

[nderoche]

I got flammed for taking someone to Cagney's who was not in a Penthouse.

I would love to see if those who objected agree that taking wine on board is WRONG also. Get it before with a bar setup, like I always do. Right is right and wrong is wrong.......RIGHT

 

Nick

[retiredonthesea]

I got flammed for taking someone to Cagney's who was not in a Penthouse.

I would love to see if those who objected agree that taking wine on board is WRONG also. Get it before with a bar setup, like I always do. Right is right and wrong is wrong.......RIGHT

 

Nick

 

Oh ya!:eek: Alot of discussion on the boards about the "right & wrong" of bringing your own "drink" aboard. We buy plenty of drinks and have cocktail parties in our suite where we have purchased 5 or 6 different bottles of liquor from the bar set-up and yet still bring the "Jameson" as it's over $100.00 when ordered from bar set-up! Do we feel guilty---:o Not much, well maybe a little!

[nderoche]

Oh ya!:eek: Alot of discussion on the boards about the "right & wrong" of bringing your own "drink" aboard. We buy plenty of drinks and have cocktail parties in our suite where we have purchased 5 or 6 different bottles of liquor from the bar set-up and yet still bring the "Jameson" as it's over $100.00 when ordered from bar set-up! Do we feel guilty---:o Not much, well maybe a little!

 

You are like many others I have met onboard and I must admit I have had a few drinks of "Jameson" from private stock. I hope we cruise together someday.

 

Nick

[pinotage]

Why bring your own wine? First, you had to buy the wine (and I would hope that you paid at least $10 for it, unless you like ripple), then you add the $15 fee, and you now have $25 invested in that bottle of wine..

 

As someone who has been involved in the wine business... I KNOW how much they are marking up the wine. Some are ok, some not. Here is a tip, usually the higher price the wine, the less mark up. We hope to bring some with us, as well as buying on board.

 

Oh ya!:eek: Alot of discussion on the boards about the "right & wrong" of bringing your own "drink" aboard.

Do we feel guilty---:o Not much, well maybe a little!

 

If they have it set up already to pay a corkage fee, can it really be wrong to bring some on? hmmmm.... I don't think so.

[Monaco02]

We sailed on the Spirit last month and had 2 boxes of wine in our carry-on. Nobody said anything when it went through x-ray. For all those who feel this is "wrong" we do buy drinks when out and about - it's just nice to sit on our balcony and enjoy a glass of wine sometimes:)

[crt37]

However, a bladder of wine from a box, or the whole box, can be kept by you in your cabin after you pay a corkage fee

 

Maybe you pay a "boxcutter" fee.:o

[beachchick]

I got flammed for taking someone to Cagney's who was not in a Penthouse.

I would love to see if those who objected agree that taking wine on board is WRONG also. Get it before with a bar setup, like I always do. Right is right and wrong is wrong.......RIGHT

 

Nick

 

It's not the same thing. If I bring wine onboard and pay the $15/bottle consumption fee, I am following (to the letter) NCL's own policy and rules. Now, if someone is willing to pay the fee, but isn't charged for whatever reason, then I guess they could just go and insist on paying the fee so as not to be "cheating" the system. But the bottom line is that bringing guests to Cagney's who aren't entitled to the perk is apples to oranges as a comparison to someone following the rules and bringing wine onboard as allowed by the cruise line.

 

You don't have to get wine in a bar setup like you do hard liquor. (BTW, I do not advocate "smuggling" hard liquor onboard; I think the bar setup is a good, if quite expensive now, option.)

 

Why bring your own wine? First, you had to buy the wine (and I would hope that you paid at least $10 for it, unless you like ripple), then you add the $15 fee, and you now have $25 invested in that bottle of wine.

 

Why be so cheap? Buy a $20-something bottle on the ship!

 

Think, if you buy it on the ship: (1) It has not been shaken to hell on the trip from home, possibly ruining the wine; (2) It did not take up room in your luggage; (3) You didn't have to haul it all over with you. And what did you save? Nothing!

 

Do yourself a favor, buy the wine and use that room in your luggage to pack more clothes! Let NCL (or other cruise line) worry about giving you an excellent bottle of wine.

 

There are so many reasons to bring our own wine. It has not a thing to do with being "cheap." A bottle that the cruise line charges $20-something for is unlikely to be one we prefer. We live in a premier wine region and have access to excellent wines at excellent prices. A bottle I can buy for $15 might go for $50+ onboard. Even with the consumption fee (which I'm happy to pay), I'm saving a fair amount of money. I'll admit that this is not true for everyone. When my sister was staying in Minnesota one year, she and friends went to the wine store. A wine (local to us) that had been "clearanced" at our local stores for $3.99/bottle (original price locally: $12) to make room for the next vintage was going for $25/bottle at the Minnesota stores. This was a nice, mid-level wine--Not Ripple.

 

Beyond pricing for us, there are wines we like and prefer that aren't on the cruise line wine lists. There are many boutique wineries in CA with limited releases. If we want those when cruising, we've got to bring them with us. (Of course, now that the airlines are charging for all checked luggage, we may reconsider our airline-approved wine checked box in the future...We'll see.)

 

You're right about wine being shaken around during transport, but a ship isn't exactly the most "calm" place to store wine either. We don't bring our really expensive wine or any reds that won't settle quickly.

 

We don't pack our wine in our suitcases, so the "save room" issue is moot in our case. Besides, I don't want to bring more clothes. One great thing about NCL is that we no longer have to pack all the formal duds and can just do "nice resort casual" all cruise long.

 

It's a personal decision and is allowed by the cruise line. If you don't want to bring wine onboard, then don't. Why scold others for not adhering to your preferences?

 

beachchick

[kdee69]

It's a personal decision and is allowed by the cruise line. If you don't want to bring wine onboard, then don't. Why scold others for not adhering to your preferences?

 

beachchick

 

Absolutely!

I intend to take loads of wine on board - I shall carry it on and am happy to pay the corkage fee. I refuse to pay a mark up for wine that I wouldn't normally drink.

 

Actually, looking at it from the other angle, I think NCL offer a remarkable policy in that I will be able to bring my own wine to the table and drink it in their restaurants. Certainly, apart from a handul of restaurants in the UK who do not have a drinks licence, this would be unheard of. So good on NCL for allowing it to happen in the first place :)

[mommacl]

Last year on Princess "box wine" was what was reco. , maybe it xray's better. I don't know! We had two. But at least at that time Princess didn't seam to be as strict as NCL.

[micro yaya]

last year on carnaval freedon, we just bought wine on board in europe no one seemed to care at all.

[garycarla]

Well gosh (hic) Dr. Phil. No need to (hic) come down on us (hic) boooozers so hard (hic). Thanks for offering to (hic) pray for me (hic) though. For my next cruise, could you pray that I (hic) don't get caught smuggling on a liter of Kahlua (hic) and 4 bottles of wine (hic).

 

I'll dwink to dat!

 

(here's my $15)