Bringing booze on board the Ruby, sure why not!

[jff50]

Just sailed VNC to BCN and had great time. In total I brought about 25 bottles of wine and liquor on the boat. Never came in from port without at least 3 bottles of something. Kept in backpack wrapped in hand towels from the room. Nobody ever asked to look in my bags or take my booze. When we were in Skywalkers niteclub we were mixing drinks and waiter never said a word. When we opened bottles in DaVinci's or any other restaurant, even the buffet, we were never charged a cork fee. When we had some wine on the promenade deck to watch sunset the deck hands would smile as they passed by. When in Jacuzzi waiters would bring us empty glasses to fill with our wine. Heck on Italian nite when they came around with the Limoncello special, we already had our own on the table, waiter just smiled and moved on.

 

Best tip, bring booze on, just don't raise the flags too high, but don't be afraid to push the limits just a tad. Have fun!

Assuming this was a 12 day cruise (with 9 ports) this would imply that OP went through about 52 bottles (25 to start and at least 3 at each port)--4 1/3 bottles a day. Other passengers must have never seen him sober on the whole cruise, or without a drink in his hands.

[rakaia]

And they do check bags sometimes. A few people we met onboard told us that they had their liquor taken away from them at San Juan (which is where we brought our couple of bottles on in our carry-ons) and I had some taken away from me when I got back on at St. Thomas (which was fine, I was planning on taking it home anyhow. In fact, I think I'll enjoy some tonight :) ).

[STLPilot]

Taking advantage of the staff who CAN NOT tell you that they won't bring you ice etc. is not Princess helping and encouraging you to bring booze on board. You just took advantage of the crew and that is not behavior to brag about.

Bragging about a real life experience? No, next time I guess I'll just lie about my experience and sugar coat it to everyones liking. In fact why don't you just tell me what to say and I'll say it, will that satisfy?

 

Guys, why is everyone so hellbent? I was just calling it like it was. This was my first cruise in 20 years and quite frankly was very surprised the crew encouraged bringing and drinking on the boat. Whose bragging about it? Bottom line is that most rumors I read on this board were not true, plain and simple. Take advantage of situation, please.

 

One other thing. One nite we were in the club pouring and the bartender came over and told us that the only bottles they take away are those that are duty free. In most cases they won't ever take native alcohol from the port of call. This is coming from the bartender.

[NJRonbo]

STL,

 

I understand it gets frustrating to receive harsh feedback.

 

It's just not a good idea to encourage this kind of behavior.

 

First, it's not a "sure thing" that everyone who brings alcohol aboard

will do it successfully. There are many posts in this forum from people

who have had theirs confiscated.

 

Generally, if it is brought on at embarkation, in a carry-on or checked

luggage, it will go unnoticed. Now mind you, that's for PRINCESS and

RCCL as far as I know. On NCL lines they scan all your luggage and

confiscate everything.

 

The reason what you did rubs some of us the wrong way is because

we don't want to have this special privilege taken away from us. If

it is encouraged, and people start walking around the ship with open

bottles, it's going to ruin the privilege for everyone.

 

I think there is this kind of understanding among the cruising alcoholics

that they need to be careful. Please, in the future, just be discreet

with what you are doing. I don't think you would been able to have

gotten away with what you did on another ship. Consider yourself lucky.

[NSWP]

STL,

 

I understand it gets frustrating to receive harsh feedback.

 

It's just not a good idea to encourage this kind of behavior.

 

First, it's not a "sure thing" that everyone who brings alcohol aboard

will do it successfully. There are many posts in this forum from people

who have had theirs confiscated.

 

Generally, if it is brought on at embarkation, in a carry-on or checked

luggage, it will go unnoticed. Now mind you, that's for PRINCESS and

RCCL as far as I know. On NCL lines they scan all your luggage and

confiscate everything.

 

The reason what you did rubs some of us the wrong way is because

we don't want to have this special privilege taken away from us. If

it is encouraged, and people start walking around the ship with open

bottles, it's going to ruin the privilege for everyone.

 

I think there is this kind of understanding among the cruising alcoholics

that they need to be careful. Please, in the future, just be discreet

with what you are doing. I don't think you would been able to have

gotten away with what you did on another ship. Consider yourself lucky.

EXACTLY..and to add to my earlier post about being reasonable with your BYO..I agree with NJRonbo. Most of us Princess cruisers do not want the BYO booze concession quashed. I still buy my bottle of wine each night for dinner.

[Ethel5]

STL,

 

I understand it gets frustrating to receive harsh feedback.

 

It's just not a good idea to encourage this kind of behavior.

 

First, it's not a "sure thing" that everyone who brings alcohol aboard

will do it successfully. There are many posts in this forum from people

who have had theirs confiscated.

 

Generally, if it is brought on at embarkation, in a carry-on or checked

luggage, it will go unnoticed. Now mind you, that's for PRINCESS and

RCCL as far as I know. On NCL lines they scan all your luggage and

confiscate everything.

 

The reason what you did rubs some of us the wrong way is because

we don't want to have this special privilege taken away from us. If

it is encouraged, and people start walking around the ship with open

bottles, it's going to ruin the privilege for everyone.

 

I think there is this kind of understanding among the cruising alcoholics

that they need to be careful. Please, in the future, just be discreet

with what you are doing. I don't think you would been able to have

gotten away with what you did on another ship. Consider yourself lucky.

 

Thank you!!!

[JEH]

With all the openess of consumming brought on alcohol by the poster, someone must have seen him. Can anyone else support the statements made ?

[Rockymountainsparky]

Gosh I hoped you tipped the staff that took care of you since they weren't getting their 15% gratuity. That's what I would call "extra service " or "above and beyond" worthy of a tip.

 

 

Here,here.

[SanFranCruizer]

I brought a case of wine on with me and my partner on my recent cruise on the Ruby Princess. Why? Well, the wine list on Princess is terrible. Their selection is really lacking. I paid corkage in the dining venues when we sent wine down to dinner. We drank some in our room. If they had a better wine list I wouldn't have had to bring wine.:o

[ibfern]

I have to say that I think it is important to demonstrate (and therefore teach by example) that following the rules is the correct thing to do. Its an honor thing, you know I am in their house and need to follow their rules. Nobody is forcing me to be in their house, its my choice. Its not cool to break their rules and shove it in their faces, don't you get that?

 

You must be an AIG exec, right?

[satxdiver]

I always bring my own friends aboard, usually Jack and a couple other friends from Kentucky and Russia. Personally I do not like foo-foo drinks with silly little umbrellas. I prefer water or fruit juice as a nice mixer. Luckily both are readily available on the ship. I have never had a problem on any ship to date. I take it out of the state room with me but do it discretely. I don't like to drink alone.

 

On my last Princess cruise it became a subject of discussion every night at our table about what wine I brought that night. The waiters always wanted to know as soon as I sit down what I had brought. All of the wine was from my local area with some fairly highly rated and others solely because of their names. Those names became the running joke for the night. They did charge the corking fee every night.

 

Thanks to the OP for his story and a few others that were added.

[rcacace]

Best tip, bring booze on, just don't raise the flags too high, but don't be afraid to push the limits just a tad. Have fun!

 

So you see STLPilot, the general consensus is that it's OK to break the rules but you have to be little sneaky about doing so. :rolleyes:

[STLPilot]

I have to say that I think it is important to demonstrate (and therefore teach by example) that following the rules is the correct thing to do. Its an honor thing, you know I am in their house and need to follow their rules. Nobody is forcing me to be in their house, its my choice. Its not cool to break their rules and shove it in their faces, don't you get that?

 

You must be an AIG exec, right?

So if I paid $4000 to come into your house, I would have to follow your rules without some kind of leeway?

 

And for all those people who had to pay a cork fee, well lets be real about this. If it was against the "rules" about consuming alcohol on the boat or having it confiscated till the end of the ride, then why on earth would they have a corkage fee in the first place?

 

Also I'm not shoving anything in anyone's face. I'm just calling it like it was. Next time I'm going to bring twice as much, now that I know what the rules really are.

[Carolyn R]

I think I am starting to smell a trouble-maker troll. Something just does not ring true with this story.

[NJRonbo]

Perhaps we do have a troll, but just in case....

 

You still have it wrong but perhaps we did not explain it thoroughly.

 

You are allowed to bring 1 bottle of wine aboard (perhaps 2, not sure).

 

That is why there is a corkage fee.

 

Anything above and beyond that is against ship policy.

 

Continue what you are doing, waving your home-brought liquor around

the ship and I guarantee that it's going to be the cause of an effort by

Princess to tighten the reigns and have the current situation ruined for

the rest of us.

[STLPilot]

With all the openess of consumming brought on alcohol by the poster, someone must have seen him. Can anyone else support the statements made ?

Will this suffice?

[STLPilot]

Why are you people trying to label me as a troll? Is it board policy to just simply lie about your cruise? First off Princess says no alcohol to be consumed, nada, none, nill. But again, they have a corkage fee???

 

Also I'm not really concerned about Princess or any other cruise ship changing their rules because 1 person took advantage of a system which they encouraged us to benefit.

 

Let them tighten the rules, apparently myself and only 1 other person on this thread are breaking them anyway. Everyone else just takes it upon themselves to work behind the scenes and walk back and forth to their rooms to break the rules instead. I guess that's more fair??? To me it's just the same hypocrisy as Princess' cork fee.

[NJRonbo]

STL,

 

The reason people are going after you is because you are openly

boasting the fact that you were on a Princess ship waving around

liquor bottles and mixing drinks in front of crew and others.

 

A TROLL would do exactly what you are doing -- coming on a

Princess forum (read by Princess Corp.) and boast the fact that

he/she broke the rules in an effort to anger others and continuing

to do so after members urge the person to cease such practices.

Congrats! Your efforts to TROLL are working!

 

I would suspect the crew would look the other way but what if

the officers on the ship saw it, took note of it, and reported what

was going on to Princess Headquarters?

 

Right now, Princess pretty much looks the other way about liquor

being discreetly brought on board. It's not policy, but perhaps

they figure that they can attract more cruisers if they bend the rules

a tiny bit.

 

So, what you do is blatantly walk around with exposed bottles,

mixing concoctions in front of crew members whose job is not to

enforce the policy and you were lucky enough not to get noticed by

ship officers.

 

What angers all of us is that we have been trying to tell you to

"cool it" next time and you continue to fight back saying since you

got away with it once then everyone should go ahead and do it as well.

 

Don't you see the bigger picture here?

 

Keep on doing what you are doing and encourage everyone else

to do it and sure enough one day you are going to walk on that cruise

ship and they are going to start scanning luggage for bottles and

confiscate them. Then you'll sit there fuming wondering to yourself

what the hell happened that Princess has started cracking down on the

practice.

 

It's people like you that continually ruin things for others by forcing

companies to stop looking the other way and tighten their policies.

Why are you parading around on a public forum like this in an attempt

to anger and eventually ruin things for the rest of us? This is what

is known as TROLLING.

 

All we are asking here is that you be discreet on your next cruise.

Is that so difficult? Keep the booze in your room like the rest of us,

drink out of a big cup, and if you have to run back to refill consider

a safer practice then blatantly showing the world you have your own

bottles onboard. I'm telling you, you are going to be the person that

will damage the enjoyment of future cruises for thousands of others.

[kenexx]

NJRonbo, very very well said. Discretion is the way to go here. Keep it in the cabin.

[Ethel5]

The guy is not a true troll-just another mal-content. Read some of his other posts and you'll get the idea.

[rcacace]

Will this suffice?

 

Looks OK to me. ;)

[cynbar]

Thank goodness, this isn't common despite the best efforts of the OP to push it. I have been on 9 Princess cruises and have NEVER seen anyone around the ship with a bottle of liquor, brazenly pouring their own drinks near the pool or in the lounges or DR. I have brought on many a bottle of wine and an occasional pint, but always poured it in our cabin. Does anyone think the OP may be exaggerating to set up future cruisers, who may try this only to be immediately shut down and chastized in front of their family and friends??

 

Cruise ships are in business to make money, and nowadays they keep the fares low by depending on other revenue. I can't imagine Princess would allow this to become common practice---- if necessary, they will become like NCL and strictly enforce the no alcohol brought aboard rule. Or, they will significantly raise the cruise fare to compensate.

[jff50]

Next time I'm going to bring twice as much, now that I know what the rules really are.

So you'll bring 50 bottles on board at embarkation, and at least 6 at every port. Won't leave room for a change of clothes. I'm sure that you'll make a lot of friends; being drunk, obnoxious and smelly to boot.

[STLPilot]

No Ronjo, I really don't see a larger picture. Had Princess not charged a cork fee, then I would have considered not breaking their rules, and would be sneaky like the rest of the crowd and poured in my own room.

 

But on one hand they say don't consume on the boat and on the other hand they say they will cork fee you if you do. Well I found out they did neither and was just posting my findings.

 

Honestly I don't care if Princess reads these threads. Have you people not replied or asked for further reassurance than maybe this thread would have simply been buried in the boards. But whose bumping the thread? I'm just answering questions and letting everyone know my experience, opposed to the "rumors" on the boards.

 

And quite frankly, I feel rather surprised that someone would tell me on one hand be sneaky about it and do it in your room, because that's they way you roll. No thanks ... I suggest blatant honesty to tom foolery.

[ibfern]

So if I paid $4000 to come into your house, I would have to follow your rules without some kind of leeway?

 

And for all those people who had to pay a cork fee, well lets be real about this. If it was against the "rules" about consuming alcohol on the boat or having it confiscated till the end of the ride, then why on earth would they have a corkage fee in the first place?

 

Also I'm not shoving anything in anyone's face. I'm just calling it like it was. Next time I'm going to bring twice as much, now that I know what the rules really are.

 

YES you would have to follow MY RULES, its not about the money, its about INTEGRITY. By the way you are defending your act so loudly, I can see this is a REAL issue for you, you seem quite adept at this kind of defense. Go get help.