Bringing Beer Aboard

[arobryn]

Hi all - I've read through a number of posts about bringing drinks on board - to summarize (for anyone else who's looking for info):

 

- you can bring a reasonable amount of soda or water (reasonable is up to you)

- you are not allowed to bring any hard liquor (however many successful smuggling stories - but also many 'called to the naughty room' stories and it's locked up)

- you can bring wine on board - if its detected you'll be charged a corkage fee at the time your board.

 

My question is about beer. Any fees that you know of? Of late we're enjoying beers rather than wines and we will spend a week in England prior to the Trans Atlantic on the Epic in June and intend to pick up a variety of beers to enjoy on our balcony. Possibly even some to bring with us to dinner (mmm, a nice porter with a good steak - can't be beat!)

 

Any experience with Norwegian and beer? My only other cruise experience was on Holland America and their only restriction was the hard alcohol.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

~ L'aura

[johnql]

Beer is lumped into the same category as hard liquor in NCL's eyes - verboten.

[roger001]

No alcoholic beverages. However, I'm with you in that I've come a long way from Miller Lite. The ships do sell a reasonable selection of "upscale" beers. The Star in Nov had Samual Smith Nut Brown Ale or Oatmeal Stout...can't remember which.

[luddite]

You might manage a corked bomber or two. They don't want you toting beer aboard. Said bombers might pass as wine for a corkage fee.

Beer geeks and cruise ships are not real compatible. Onboard the ship, find the 'British Pub'. Your best beer choice will be there. It won't be available throughout the ship.

[danfiveoh]

NCL has a very good beer selection on board. Be sure to sign up for the world beer tour, usually have them on sea days. Well worth the $15 to sample various beers and they give out trivia prizes. They will not allow you to bring beer on board, even from ports that you stop in. You can, however, throw a 12 or 18 pack of cans in your checked luggage as long as you don't get caught and I never have. I think they are looking for bottles. Unfortunately, it is tough to find decent beer in cans.

Interestingly enough, the past couple of NCL cruises that I have been on, we have placed a 12 pack of pepsi and 6 pack of bottled water in our carry on luggage and have not been questioned or asked to oepn the luggage when it was scanned. I don't think that the private security doing the screening really cared what we had as long as it wasn't weapons.......

[cruznut1111]

Sorry, but they are really strict about not bringing beer on board, darn it!

They have even stopped making an exception for bringing gluten-free beer on board. Of course the good news is that they will now bring it on for us if we will buy a case.:D

[luddite]

NCL has a lousy selection of beer. It is mostly undistinguishable swill that is unfit for adding to bad chili.

That said, they're not different from other cruise lines. beer drinkers get short schrift. I don't see that changing.

Sad but true.

[CTCruisers]

I only wish they would offer a better selection of beer. Millers and Buds just do not cut it for flavor.

[SteveH2508]

NCL has a lousy selection of beer. It is mostly undistinguishable swill that is unfit for adding to bad chili.

That said, they're not different from other cruise lines. beer drinkers get short schrift. I don't see that changing.

Sad but true.

 

Agreed (as a Brit 'real ale' fan)

 

I did find Warsteiner on the Jewel and they had Becks in bottles (this was a European cruise which may make a difference) otherwise I keep DW company in the Martini bar!

[sverigecruiser]

I have always found a decent, not perfect, selection of beers on my NCL cruises. They normally have a few kinds of ale and at least one stout.

[luddite]

I have always found a decent, not perfect, selection of beers on my NCL cruises. They normally have a few kinds of ale and at least one stout.

 

That's the selection I'm thinking of. It isn't real different from a decent convenience store's array.

[woodley]

We bought on 4 cans of beer at some ports on our recent cruise in our shopping bags which went through the scanner and it was not taken from us. We also took wine in a bottle and we were sent to the table to pay the corkage for it.

 

We had not expected the beer to allowed on board it was just some that we wanted to try and we were prepared for them to hold it.

[jp2001]

I swear, this is only a very friendly advice. I know CC is a great way to get info but NCL also reads the boards so giving out your smuggling tips out loud might not be the best option for you to be able to continue to smuggle a few cans.

 

I’m sure people who want to smuggle can find a way themselves.

[arobryn]

Thanks for all the info everyone! We probably will pick up some beer and just put it in our bag - if we luck out and it gets to our room we'll consider it a bonus - if not then it'll be a great way to remember the week in England when we get back home. But I'm not enough of a beer drinker to bother it if it's not good so I might find the martini bar, too! ;-)

 

~ L'aura

[pdoeringer]

If you can get it on great - but I don't think you will. Bud and Miller is $4.95 for 16 oz. You can pay for 5 and get 6 if you buy them at once. Remember, they do not pay Federal or State taxes on beer or booze. Think of the profit they must make on beer with the quantity they buy with no taxes. That is the ONLY reason they don't want you to bring it.

[Maniacminn]

Oh, to be able to drink Bud or Miller and actually not care. I miss my days of beer ignorance. I'm gonna have to stick to vodka and I'm sad because I've worked so hard to spoil myself with all those empty calories on my cruise. There is a brewery in St.Thomas though and I will be stopping by to check it out. At least there is a possibility of good beer at some point.

[luddite]

Oh, to be able to drink Bud or Miller and actually not care. I miss my days of beer ignorance. I'm gonna have to stick to vodka and I'm sad because I've worked so hard to spoil myself with all those empty calories on my cruise. There is a brewery in St.Thomas though and I will be stopping by to check it out. At least there is a possibility of good beer at some point.

Oh, to be able to drink Bud or Miller and not feel queasy and get a headache from the additives.

 

St Thomas isn't gonna have a lot of great beer. I got a Blackbeard something or other Ale there. The Presidente that is actually made in the DR is different than the Presidente that is made in Florida. It ain't great, but it ain't Bud or CoorsLite either. The Guinness Export Stout is different from the Guinness Stout sold stateside.

[*Wink*]

Oh, to be able to drink Bud or Miller and not feel queasy and get a headache from the additives.

 

 

By "additives," do you mean more Bud's or Miller's? :p

 

Just kidding, Luddite.. You know I love to tease ya about your love of good beer.

[luddite]

By "additives," do you mean more Bud's or Miller's? :p

 

Just kidding, Luddite.. You know I love to tease ya about your love of good beer.

 

Awww, I'm OK with ya. I drank the first Bud in about 12 years this summer. It was also my last one. I had forgotten how incredibly nasty it is. I got the taste removed sometime in October.:)

[COREYATMN]

NCL has a lousy selection of beer. It is mostly undistinguishable swill that is unfit for adding to bad chili.

That said, they're not different from other cruise lines. beer drinkers get short schrift. I don't see that changing.

Sad but true.

 

I respectfully disagree. There is a very decent selection of beers in the British pubs on all the NCL ships I've been on.

[COREYATMN]

If you can get it on great - but I don't think you will. Bud and Miller is $4.95 for 16 oz. You can pay for 5 and get 6 if you buy them at once. Remember, they do not pay Federal or State taxes on beer or booze. Think of the profit they must make on beer with the quantity they buy with no taxes. That is the ONLY reason they don't want you to bring it.

 

Not that I'm doubting you, but how do they get away with paying no taxes? They must buy the stuff in the US, the same as the airlines or any other large business? I could see the stuff they buy outside the US being free from US taxes, but how do they do it in Miami, for example?

[melligene]

Oh, to be able to drink Bud or Miller and not feel queasy and get a headache from the additives.

 

St Thomas isn't gonna have a lot of great beer. I got a Blackbeard something or other Ale there. The Presidente that is actually made in the DR is different than the Presidente that is made in Florida. It ain't great, but it ain't Bud or CoorsLite either. The Guinness Export Stout is different from the Guinness Stout sold stateside.

 

 

 

 

Just gotta chime in here about Presidente' beer. I'm a Labbatt beer drinker but, found Presidente' to be really good given the alternative. They have it in St. Thomas at $2.00/12 oz. bottle. In DR it's $2.00/22 0z. bottle.

Wasn't aware they made it in Florida.

Oh ya.....Heinekin on NCL is the same price as any Bud product. Just sayin.......(and fits nicely in your cabin fridge)

[melligene]

Not that I'm doubting you, but how do they get away with paying no taxes? They must buy the stuff in the US, the same as the airlines or any other large business? I could see the stuff they buy outside the US being free from US taxes, but how do they do it in Miami, for example?

 

Even if they (cruise lines) have to buy it in the U.S. .....you are paying $118.80 for a case on the ship. Guess you could call that a profit. NO...?

[luddite]

I respectfully disagree. There is a very decent selection of beers in the British pubs on all the NCL ships I've been on.

 

One stout,Guinness draught,Boddington's, Celebrator Dopplebock, a couple of euro wheats, maybe one beer local to the ships itinerary and then the usual swill lagers. What did I miss? Stella?

I find that list pretty lousy. I realize that I'm in the minority regarding beer. It's something beer geeks live with.

I always enjoy the threads that start with "I'm a beer snob and only drink CoorsLite. Will they have it?":eek:

[CTCruisers]

One stout,Guinness draught,Boddington's, Celebrator Dopplebock, a couple of euro wheats, maybe one beer local to the ships itinerary and then the usual swill lagers. What did I miss? Stella?

I find that list pretty lousy. I realize that I'm in the minority regarding beer. It's something beer geeks live with.

I always enjoy the threads that start with "I'm a beer snob and only drink CoorsLite. Will they have it?":eek:

 

I love it when I ask the bartender "Do you have anything hoppy?". They look at me like I have a third eye.

 

 

Also, when I ask a waiter if they have a beer list (when they only bring a wine list) and they say they have anything I would want. I then recite 10 beers to which they reply "we only have Bud, Miller, and Coors." oops!