Latest booze situation at port in sj!!!

[stefo]

:)i have read that you can buy booze at the store at the port and take on in your carry on bag. but i just heard that some people have had it taken away. is this true? if so, any pointers?:D

[welldone60]

There is a whole bunch of cruisers waiting for recent reports.

[RayInPR]

I think it depends on the cruise line. On our last Carnival cruise out of San Juan, it appeared that you could bring just about anything on board in your carry-on from any port. By the time the cruise was over, we had so many bottles in our stateroom ... it was laughable.

[SnorkelLady]

How about Celebrity? Is it as easy as Carnival?

[kitkat9438]

I think it also depends on who is screening the luggage. In 2008 on Princess we bought at the duty free and put our purchases in our carry on. Also had rum runners in our checked luggage and had no problem at all. This last December we went on Celebrity Summit and brought a bottle of wine in our carry on and rum runners in our checked bag. They stopped us to look at our wine to make sure it was wine, and held the checked bag down on deck one for us to come claim it because the scanner picked up liquids in the bag. Thankfully I had all of my tolietries in the bag and my rum runners hidden in a beach towel in plastic bags, so when I opened the bag, they didn't see them, but it was still embarrassing getting called to the "naughty room". HOWEVER, my friend brought on board several bottles of alcohol, went to her room and unloaded and got off and got more with no problem at all. We also were able to get alcohol at the ports and bring it back on with no problem in our carry on bag.

[NanaOfBKM]

I too want to know. I'm thinking I may have to take empty rum runners and find a place in OSJ to buy "stuff" and then fill them up and put in checked baggage.

 

Weldon - you and Pam will arrive day earlier. Scope out the liquor stores in the area for us that we can visit on Saturday afternoon!

 

Marlene

[m steve]

Buy at the pier. Let them box some and then put a few in carry on bags. Then turn over the box(rolling bag) to security to hold.

[Fancy_Goods]

Oh heck no! It's really NOT a problem walking your purchases on board in San Juan. Seriously folks, anything you purchase at the pier and put into your carry on, do it. You will not be challenged. Also, if you buy $100 worth, they'll pack it into a rolling carry-on and you can just wheel it onto the ship. No one says a word to you. Really, it's not a problem.

[welldone60]

Oh heck no! It's really NOT a problem walking your purchases on board in San Juan. Seriously folks, anything you purchase at the pier and put into your carry on, do it. You will not be challenged. Also, if you buy $100 worth, they'll pack it into a rolling carry-on and you can just wheel it onto the ship. No one says a word to you. Really, it's not a problem.

 

 

It seems to have changed about mid December. Several cruisers reported there booze taken on boarding and returned at the end of cruise. Seems they set up a check station after the boarding ramp. Check the "all things Victory" thread.

[Fancy_Goods]

Funny about those "check tables"...I never "surrendered" my alcohol purchases....If the tables are even "manned" (and half the time they're not), I simply smile and keep on walking past them. No one has ever challenged me in any port...and I've never hidden our bar in our stateroom. Our room steward has always been very helpful in making sure we have plenty of clean glasses and keeping the ice bucket full. Maybe I've been lucky...dunno.

[katiecat]

Funny about those "check tables"...I never "surrendered" my alcohol purchases....If the tables are even "manned" (and half the time they're not), I simply smile and keep on walking past them. No one has ever challenged me in any port...and I've never hidden our bar in our stateroom. Our room steward has always been very helpful in making sure we have plenty of clean glasses and keeping the ice bucket full. Maybe I've been lucky...dunno.

The christmas & new years cruise on the victory didn't have this luck. We are looking for passengers that just got off Sunday to let us know about last week.

I am boarding this sunday for 2 weeks I'll have my second weeks roll call fill you in soon.

[cruisecamp]

The christmas & new years cruise on the victory didn't have this luck. We are looking for passengers that just got off Sunday to let us know about last week.

I am boarding this sunday for 2 weeks I'll have my second weeks roll call fill you in soon.

Would very much appreciate hearing about your experience!! Recent passengers posts about this have been few and there are a lot of us that are wondering about this. Have a great trip!

[katiecat]

Would very much appreciate hearing about your experience!! Recent passengers posts about this have been few and there are a lot of us that are wondering about this. Have a great trip!

You will know something for sure next week. I will contact a roll call member before the Jan 24th cruise to post for you all!:)

I just wish I knew now before I left.

[NanaOfBKM]

You will know something for sure next week. I will contact a roll call member before the Jan 24th cruise to post for you all!:)

I just wish I knew now before I left.

I will be sure to check back. I was so excited to be leaving from SJ for this reason and then the bubble burst! I guess I will have to pull out my rum runners, buy my stash when I get to OSJ and fill them up, put them in my checked luggage....once again.

[Cheeseland Cruisers]

Is there a difference in carrying on booze vs. wine vs. beer? I'm a beer drinker who likes some variety over just what is offrered on the ship.

[NanaOfBKM]

Is there a difference in carrying on booze vs. wine vs. beer? I'm a beer drinker who likes some variety over just what is offrered on the ship.

 

Carnival allows one bottle (not the large ones - LOL) of wine per passenger to be carried on. Other that that - no go unless you smuggle it on using rum runners or some other method.

 

Marlene

[Mach1]

Does anyone have any updates for RCI?? :confused:

 

They area a little more strict on their alcohol policy.

 

When we were through there in 2006 it was no problem to put it in your carry-on. But I've heard things have changed.

 

Thanks!

[Flythrower]

How about putting a bottle in your checked baggage?

 

 

Do they confiscate from them? I would like to bring a bottle on, but I can wait to have it until my checked bags are brought to my room.

 

Would that have a better chance then trying to bring it in my carry on?

[m steve]

you could take a few minis in your carry on to tide you over. The store is after you check in and your luggage is taken.

Edited January 16, 2010 by m steve

[oldstubblejumper]

Does anyone have any updates?

[Reader0108598]

PanAm pier-Celebrity

 

Put it in your carry on bags-

If you put it in your checked you will probably get called to the naughty room!:rolleyes:

 

As I was hanging up the phone from security I told my hubby to go back to the store and grab another bottle.

 

They got the one in our checked bag but not the ones we brought on in our carry-ons.

 

 

Reader

Edited January 23, 2010 by Reader0108598

[NanaOfBKM]

I think it also depends on who is screening the luggage. In 2008 on Princess we bought at the duty free and put our purchases in our carry on. Also had rum runners in our checked luggage and had no problem at all. This last December we went on Celebrity Summit and brought a bottle of wine in our carry on and rum runners in our checked bag. They stopped us to look at our wine to make sure it was wine, and held the checked bag down on deck one for us to come claim it because the scanner picked up liquids in the bag. Thankfully I had all of my tolietries in the bag and my rum runners hidden in a beach towel in plastic bags, so when I opened the bag, they didn't see them, but it was still embarrassing getting called to the "naughty room". HOWEVER, my friend brought on board several bottles of alcohol, went to her room and unloaded and got off and got more with no problem at all. We also were able to get alcohol at the ports and bring it back on with no problem in our carry on bag.

 

I've never heard of scanners picking up "liquid" of rum runners. Hmmm.....maybe I've just been lucky in the past. Then again, it's been on Carnival. I read somewhere that the people at Carnival port scanning the luggage aren't Carnival employees and aren't causing any problems - especially if you give them a tip....

[Jan_In_Maine]

We were on the AOS in August. Upon boarding all carry on luggage was checked thoroughly (I wasn't even sure if they would let me bring on the wrapped candy that I had) ... everyone that had any type of alchol had it taken away from them. There were some very mean, nasty, angry people (I really felt sorry for the crew ... they were only doing their job). Jan

Edited January 24, 2010 by Jan_In_Maine

[chief8]

I was on Princess in Sept 09 Alaska I carried a thermos (full of Crown Royal) in my checked bag all the way from Virginia...no problem either at the airlines or the ship. Guess they thought I drank alot of coffee :D. Heading out of OSJ on Valentines and I'll stop just before the ship and stock up and put it in my carry on. I like the idea of giving the ship a bottle at check in and carrying on 2 others in my bags.

[pitz0005]

Just back from the Victory. They are taking bottles from the carryons. When it goes through they tag the bag. The duty free tells you to either bring an extra bag and send it through checked luggage or to cut off the tag. Another option would be to have your travel companion with an near empty bag bigger than the bag with the booze. Let them tag your booze bag and then between the checkpoint and the ship slide the tagged bag inside the non tagged bag. The bags are NOT reinspected so as long as there is no markings visible you will be fine. We put our liquor in our checked bags and had no problems. The duty free is located upstair from the checked bag drop off, so if you want to check it, bring an extra empty bag and extra luggage tag. Check your bags as normal, check in, buy your booze, put in checked bag, walk back downstairs and give bag to porters. You can walk between the checked bag location and the duty free without going through security. Long story short, it is easiest just to purchase booze ahead of time, put in your checked bag and go on your way without messing around with the duty free store. If you insist on buying it at the duty free it can be done using one of the above methods.