P&O Britannia new booze policy

Hi all.... so we are going on our second cruise on Britannia in September. We last went to celebrate my mum and dad's 50th wedding anniversary.. sadly Dad passed away just before but we went any raised a glass to him.

We are going to celebrate my Dad's anniversary and notice that they have changed the booze rules. We like a tipple in our cabin and the last time we went off shore and brought back a couple of bottles.

I see they say they will take any alcohol off you on your return from port and keep it for you. Has any one noticed actual checks?

Also I see they have started charging for room service *tut* I have a colostomy following cancer (age 44 - DOH) and the last time we went I chose to eat in the room if I had a dodgy tummy... Can any one advise what times there is food available to pick up and take back to the room... I could ask my son to do it if my "little miss" aka stoma has a hissy fit and I have to stay in the cabin.

thanks all....

Pick up food anytime from the buffet and take it back to your room with no problem.

I was on Ventura earlier in the month and they had a table where you dropped your purchases off, no searches only honesty.

Some people did take alcohol back to their cabins.

One woman took it a little bit further and dished out her vodka to some random, underage teenagers in Havana and was disciplined by the captain. The only reason she wasn't thrown off was because the ship had no more stops before Southampton.

I suggest if you are sensible and don't draw any attention to yourself AND others do the same then everything will be fine.

Thanks for your reply... I did rely on the room service a couple of times last year... Hubby's birthday - I had soup in the cabin whilst mum, hubby and our son had the gala meal... I had a bad tummy and was NOT risking it with a stoma going out the cabin so it was a great alternative.. I will check out the buffet times just in case :) thank you

last year we bought a bottle of gin and a bottle of port off shore... a tipple of an evening... before going for dinner and a night cap.

many thanks

Nikki

Regarding your questions on alcohol checks at ports. When boarding in ports all hand luggage is scanned and you walk through a detector. I do not know if this would pick up alcohol. At one port on our cruise this was done in the terminal before you passed the duty free style shop. I think they are largely relying on our honesty. I will not comment on the ethics of alcohol smuggling and the sanctions if caught as I have no view or experience.

Best wishes, Stephen.

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You can take on a litre per person at Southampton and that's a fair amount of gin etc.

We took alcohol back on at 2 ports on a recent cruise. They were meant for us to bring home so it didn't bother us whether they took it or not. The first time, in the Azores, a bottle of liqueur was mixed in with soft drinks, nibbles etc and nothing was said. The next time, in Barbados, my husband (stupidly!! :')) went on with a bottle of whisky in a duty free bag and they asked him to hand it over.

As a rule of thumb, there doesn't seem to be a problem if your bags are scanned ashore but more of an issue when the scanner's on the ship.

I would check how much you are paying for your gin and compare it with room service prices before I decided to take any on, it really doesn't seem worth the bother.

You don’t say how many adults are travelling but the 1 litre of spirit per adult could increase your options if all you companions don’t drink much. unless you all drink a lot, 1 litre sounds a lot to me but maybe not !!!!!

Hi, remember that you can take a litre of spirits on board with you per adult. If you have family going who don't want the litre of spirits even better as they can take one each for you ..... I suppose that isn't cheating and keeping to the rules.

Re food in the cabin - agree that it is sad that they are charging for that service but the charge is relatively small (some will disagree) and you can take food back at any time from the buffet. We've done that loads in the past during sea days, during the day and have seen others do it.

Hope you have a great time on what we think is a lovely ship :-)

Hi all.... so we are going on our second cruise on Britannia in September. We last went to celebrate my mum and dad's 50th wedding anniversary.. sadly Dad passed away just before but we went any raised a glass to him.

 

 

We are going to celebrate my Dad's anniversary and notice that they have changed the booze rules. We like a tipple in our cabin and the last time we went off shore and brought back a couple of bottles.

 

 

I see they say they will take any alcohol off you on your return from port and keep it for you. Has any one noticed actual checks?

 

 

 

Also I see they have started charging for room service *tut* I have a colostomy following cancer (age 44 - DOH) and the last time we went I chose to eat in the room if I had a dodgy tummy... Can any one advise what times there is food available to pick up and take back to the room... I could ask my son to do it if my "little miss" aka stoma has a hissy fit and I have to stay in the cabin.

 

 

thanks all....

Hi,

We were on Britannia recently and they were checking for and confiscating alcohol at the ports to be returned when you get off.

As for room service, breakfast is still free and most other meals are only token charges, nothing seemed too expensive.

Grab and go sandwiches are available a couple of times a day, we were keeping a couple in our fridge for afternoon or late night snacks.

Nobody objects if you load a plate at the buffet and take it to your room, it seems common practice.

Here’s hoping you have a great time with no flare ups and get to raise plenty of glasses... enjoy.

Andy

Pick up food anytime from the buffet and take it back to your room with no problem.

 

 

I was on Ventura earlier in the month and they had a table where you dropped your purchases off, no searches only honesty.

 

 

 

Some people did take alcohol back to their cabins.

 

 

One woman took it a little bit further and dished out her vodka to some random, underage teenagers in Havana and was disciplined by the captain. The only reason she wasn't thrown off was because the ship had no more stops before Southampton.

 

 

I suggest if you are sensible and don't draw any attention to yourself AND others do the same then everything will be fine.

Are you suggesting that the poster takes their own drinks into the bar..i hope not. Pando seem to be adopting the we will treat you as adults. If 4 adults went ashore at a port and 4 adults all brought back bottles (remember your card will give cabin numbers etc) and were in two cabin it is possible even though its an honesty thing they would be asked to hand them over to be kept until the final night. You can take 1ltr of alcohol onboard per person at Southampton. If that is not enough you can purchase additional bottles via room service. That is the path I would go down.

Whether 1 litre pp to consume in the cabin is a lot or a little rather depends on the length of the cruise. It might be fine on a short cruise.

We are on a 19 night cruise later this month and on for 35 nights in January. 1 litre wont last that long.

Whether 1 litre pp to consume in the cabin is a lot or a little rather depends on the length of the cruise. It might be fine on a short cruise.

We are on a 19 night cruise later this month and on for 35 nights in January. 1 litre wont last that long.

That would depend on whether it is wine or spirits. :p

Whether 1 litre pp to consume in the cabin is a lot or a little rather depends on the length of the cruise. It might be fine on a short cruise.

We are on a 19 night cruise later this month and on for 35 nights in January. 1 litre wont last that long.

So just purchase additional bottles from room service. Simples.

We bought whisky for £5 per bottle in Gib, brought 3 bottles back to the ship and they didn't take it. Can't think why as they took it from others.

If I remember rightly,room service spirits were quite cheap.Not a lot more than ashore.This was a year ago,perhaps it's gone up since then.

We bought whisky for £5 per bottle in Gib, brought 3 bottles back to the ship and they didn't take it. Can't think why as they took it from others.

You've said on other posts that you travel with a friend. If there was three of you that would be 1 litre each which is allowed. Or is it on embarkation only?

If I remember rightly,room service spirits were quite cheap.Not a lot more than ashore.This was a year ago,perhaps it's gone up since then.

Famous Grouse £22, Hendriks £30, Andersons gin £29, Bombay Sapphire £25 last week on Aurora

If I remember rightly,room service spirits were quite cheap.Not a lot more than ashore.This was a year ago,perhaps it's gone up since then.

Latest prices, a couple of weeks old taken from another thread.

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Latest prices, a couple of weeks old taken from another thread.

 

 

 

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Ironically the price of the Courvoisier on sale in the on board shop on Verntura a couple of weeks ago was £43 for the litre :o

Room service spirits are indeed reasonably priced and I buy them. While whisky and rum drinkers are well catered for, vodka and brandy (which I drink) are less so with only 2 vodka choices and one brandy, which fortunately I do like.

If P and O want us to purchase our spirits for in cabin consumption this way, (which I'm perfectly happy to do), they need to start offering more variety.

Ironically the price of the Courvoisier on sale in the on board shop on Verntura a couple of weeks ago was £43 for the litre :o

It doesn't make any sense that drinks are cheaper from Room Service than in the Duty Free shop!

Ironically the price of the Courvoisier on sale in the on board shop on Verntura a couple of weeks ago was £43 for the litre :o

Could it be that room service bottles are only 75cl?

Could it be that room service bottles are only 75cl?

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Could it be that room service bottles are only 75cl?

No, that's what I wondered so I bought a couple and went round the bars and the Duty Free shop and checked. they are all 1 litre except for Anderson's Gin who don't make a 1 litre bottle.

Whether 1 litre pp to consume in the cabin is a lot or a little rather depends on the length of the cruise. It might be fine on a short cruise.

We are on a 19 night cruise later this month and on for 35 nights in January. 1 litre wont last that long.

We recently booked a world cruise for 2020 ( before the ban came in) and are horrified at the very thought of trying to make 1litre of alcohol last3 months:'):'):')

I wonder if the rules are more aimed at the 3 night 7 night cruises? And that they may be inclined to be a little more relaxed during a world cruise ... jolly hope so...;)