Liquor scanning?

How does Carnival know you have alcohol in your packed bags? Is it the amount of liquid they can detect or the glass bottle or what? I have been on 4 CCL cruises and never had a problem but then some people say they have...

How do they know??:confused:

They have alcohol sniffing dogs.

They have alcohol sniffing dogs.

lol, but really... how?

When you have a glass bottle...I believe the X-ray machines can see that outline. That's why the Rum Runners work so well - from what I've gathered here. I haven't tried them though - but I do have them in the mail! :D

Please don't quote me - I'm just guessing on that.

They do not have the same technologie as the Airport do but they can see the shape of a bottle. The ones at the Airport sperate colors.Orange is organic,green in man made and blue is synthetic.

We watch the porters put the checked luggage in the bins, then they forklift the bins right into the ship, where would the run the bags through a scanner? Im sure they take every 5th or 10th or 25th bin and offload the bags, run them through a scanner in the terminal, and then reload them in the bin, but I dont thing they xray the majority of the checked bags. Get plastic bottles, just to help with no breaking glass, or if you are bringing along water bottles, a friend always empties one, and fills it with other stuff, clear obviously, and tucks it in with the others and has had no problems.

I ditto the above post. I have heard the Xray every so many bags. They do not have the time to Xray all of the bags.

I love the rum runner flasks but have found when I take anything on I do not drink it because for some reason I want something else to drink than what I have brought. lol Normally find it is a waste of my time and effort.

Remember with Carnival you can take a bottle of wine per person however, it is very clear that they can charge you the corkage fee if you take that bottle to the diningroom with you to enjoy there. With that said, I have never been charged.

They are supposed to scan the bags.

If they need help in how to detect alcohol in luggage, they should ask NCL for help.

NCL is very good at finding a confiscating alcohol, although they don't find all of it. ;)

If they did somehow scan every bag(i doubt it) they are not very good at their jobs. We always take a 12-pack of can beer and 1 or 2 plastic bottles of liquor.

Stay away from the glass. Those porters pile up the bags. Too much opportunity for breakage(MAJOR PARTY FOUL!!!!)

They are suppose to scan every bag. Their mission is not to look for alcohol it is to look for weapons of sort.......

They know people smuggle........

They are suppose to scan every bag. Their mission is not to look for alcohol it is to look for weapons of sort.......

They know people smuggle........

yeah, you are correct.

I am sure the security folks could care less, especially since I believe they are contracted and are not Carnival employees.

Be careful what you pack in the same suitcase as your smuggled alcohol. I've heard of a situation where there was a curling iron with the cord wrapped around it and it looked suspicious so they asked the passenger to go the security room to open the suitcase so they could inspect it and that was the same suitcase that they had their alcohol in, confiscated!

thanks for the responses! I have been reading about the rum runners but didnt do anything about ordering and since I am cruising this Saturday I think I might be SOL... oh well, i am going to try some of these ideas!

They are suppose to scan every bag. Their mission is not to look for alcohol it is to look for weapons of sort.......

They know people smuggle........

Exactly. They are not looking for a bottle cheap rum, they are looking for items more sinister. Seriouly folks. The rule prohibiting alcohol is an unenforceable rule. If they hand searched and removed alcohol from every bag that contained it, then every ship would be leaving a day late. I wish I had invented rum runners, an item that has no value, but one that too many people spend money on..

Exactly. They are not looking for a bottle cheap rum, they are looking for items more sinister. Seriouly folks. The rule prohibiting alcohol is an unenforceable rule. If they hand searched and removed alcohol from every bag that contained it, then every ship would be leaving a day late. I wish I had invented rum runners, an item that has no value, but one that too many people spend money on..

I do not see how Rumrunners have no value? Even if they are not needed to get liquor onboard, which they are because I have seen many people cought with bottles. They help transport the liquid without breaking. Not to mention they can be used for sporting events, camping, concerts, ect... They only cost 20 bucks! I dont see how they are not worth it! :D

There is also a brand of unbreakable, collapsible water bottles similar to the rum runners but not specifically designed for alcohol. They are called platypus bags. You can get them on most camping/outdoors websites and I've seen them for $7.99 for a 1 liter bag. I don't think there is any problem filling them with booze.

After many many many cruises... I have yet to have a problem getting liquor to my cabin that was in checked bags. Never paid for Rum Runners. Just god old fashioned sense in packing and those glass or plastic bottles have made it every time. Too much a scuttle about all of these ways to beat the system when it is not so complex at all. Why try to reinvent the wheel ?

After many many many cruises... I have yet to have a problem getting liquor to my cabin that was in checked bags. Never paid for Rum Runners. Just god old fashioned sense in packing and those glass or plastic bottles have made it every time. Too much a scuttle about all of these ways to beat the system when it is not so complex at all. Why try to reinvent the wheel ?

We never had a problem either.....until Aug. 2007 on the Elation;)

I do a lot of backpacking and I use platypus bags for carrying wine. It's much lighter than the bottle. I was thinking of taking 3-4L of it. The problem is the suitcase might get suspiciously heavy.

The vacuum sealing gave us a little bit more security in case one of the bottles broke open.

They have alcohol sniffing dogs.

I heard they have cats that do it too!!!!!

They allow you to bring a bottle of wine...and there is no way an x-ray machine can tell the difference between a bottle of wine and a bottle of rum, vodka, etc., even if it can detect the bottle. So there is no way they can screen for it.

Exactly. They are not looking for a bottle cheap rum, they are looking for items more sinister. Seriouly folks. The rule prohibiting alcohol is an unenforceable rule. If they hand searched and removed alcohol from every bag that contained it, then every ship would be leaving a day late. I wish I had invented rum runners, an item that has no value, but one that too many people spend money on..

I am a CC fan but this is the first time I have come across the "Rum Runners" phrase. Please explain. I asked the explain question with "balcony club" 1 month ago and was amazed at how naieve I was. I hope this isn't a repeat. However, you don't know me and I will learn this new phrase and there you have it:D. Thanks, Kaboochi

I am a CC fan but this is the first time I have come across the "Rum Runners" phrase. Please explain. I asked the explain question with "balcony club" 1 month ago and was amazed at how naieve I was. I hope this isn't a repeat. However, you don't know me and I will learn this new phrase and there you have it:D. Thanks, Kaboochi

http://www.rumrunnerflasks.com/

I've been on many cruises and have taken as many as 12 bottles of wine. Gave our bags to the porter with a nice tip and we've always gotten our stuff and never a broken bottle. I wrap and tape each bottle with bubble wrap. This time, I'm taking the boxed wine and putting the inner bag inside a large ziplock bag. I don't want to hassle with bottles this time.