Warning to folks buying booze onboard

[LemurCat]

What do I know, apparently I am the proud owner of "a moron". :rolleyes:

 

Would you mind sending your moron over to my house to mow my lawn?

[big_duck]

They will if it is the last day of your cruise. (Works great for B2B). My luck they will change this as well. btb sept

 

Just be sure you wait until the last day of the first leg, so you can carry out. Deliveries from earlier orders have been known to not show up until the end of the second leg.

[More to go]

Thanks Is it true that you can only order 2 bottle per cabin through bv?

[tbjl24]

I was buying some liquor and the woman in front of me bought 10 cartoons of cigs. The salesperson told her that she was only allowed x amount duty free. The woman said that is ok because she intends to smoke all of them before the end of the cruise. This was a 7 day cruise.

 

Yikes!:eek:

 

Stay classy, San Diego. haha

[firefly333]

All cruise lines will "allow" you to smuggle booze on board from port stops if you duct tape the plastic bottles in the small of your back. Warning to previous Cargo Pants smugglers.. on Carnival in Cozumel the crew was patting down said cargo pant wearers.

 

they let me walk to my room with 5 small 200 ml bottles of rum creme. i didnt even have to tape them to the small of my back. Others had the same experience.

[becca23]

Yes, you can. You can order 'bar set ups' through the Guest Services Desk for the same cost as through Bon Voyage... $40 to $55 for an $18 or $20 bottle of booze. It will be delivered to your cabin as long as you're in international waters.

 

:)

 

 

The difference between BV and room service on board is......you have to pay the %15 grat on top of the alcohol price is you order on board. Through BV you don't have to pay for the extra tip.:)

 

If you forget to order through the Bon Voyage Department, you can order it through Room Service, then the $18 bottle costs you $46, 15% gratuity is added to the $40.

 

 

Still not sure of current on board bottle sales. Are different ships at different times subject to different rules ? We are sailing out of San Diego on the Spirit to the MR November this year. What is currently happening ? ? Where is the info for Bar Set Ups from the Guest Services posted / listed ? ? ? Can you call or must be in person ? ? ? ? Is there the 15% deal with Guest Services ? ? ? ? ?

[Ken076]

Probably missed the prominently displayed sign?

 

ken

[omgrl79]

Still not sure of current on board bottle sales. Are different ships at different times subject to different rules ? We are sailing out of San Diego on the Spirit to the MR November this year. What is currently happening ? ? Where is the info for Bar Set Ups from the Guest Services posted / listed ? ? ? Can you call or must be in person ? ? ? ? Is there the 15% deal with Guest Services ? ? ? ? ?

 

 

Also, I'm unclear of disembarking with alcohol. Can you take an open bottle off of the ship when you leave at the end of the cruise? I thought I read posts where people did...... Why are there "drink up" parties on the last night? Is that for folks who are flying home on a plane?

[WestTxCruiser]

Thanks for that CruizinMom2...these folks made me feel like a jerk for even posting!

I'm sorry that some of these people on CC are like they are.:( I've read some responses to people that make me cringe.

Granted there are some people who post stuff, just to stir the pot.

You truly did not know this Carnival rule, so.........

please do not feel like a jerk.

[sanmarcosman]

these cheez puff s are pretty good..:p

 

could nt help sharing..

 

but, its been a common rule from the beginning of time..

*I can t remember otherwise*:o

 

Gift shop liquor sales, yes. In the good ol' days when you purchased bottles in ports on the west coast of Mexico, the vendor would deliver your order in boxes to the ship. The boxes were left outside the door to your cabin on the day of purchase so you didn't have to schlep them around in port or carry aboard later. That was nice, no smuggling and you still had a few days of your cruise to enjoy some in cabin libations at attractive prices.

[cruisebie]

......As time passed and ratty little accountants chained to their desks realized that cruiselines were losing bar sales from this policy, the policy was adjusted.

 

 

Hey.....ratty little accountants are people, too.:p Unchain us from our desks once in a while--maybe even send us on a cruise with some bon voyage purchased booze (wouldn't want to affect the bottom line by smuggling, ya know)--and we can even be somewhat likeable.:D

[Chirpbird]

Thanks for that CruizinMom2...these folks made me feel like a jerk for even posting!

Welcome to CC - kind of ironic for me to say that since you have more posts than I do, but you get the idea. I nearly fell for the "buy alcohol now," on my first cruise. Luckily, I read the signs (this was on RCCL), and found out I wouldn't be able to keep it.

 

I think this is a fine tip from you, and think people who already know it are just that far ahead of the rest of us mere mortals.

[bondsman]

I am just wondering why I would buy a bottle of liquor at 2x the price only to get it right before I get off the ship? Just sayin.

[mouche]

I've had serveral cruises also, and I did not know the booze rules, I asked a question here today because the person I'm traveling with this time drinks brandy and wanted to know prices. So thanks to the OP, I learned a lot here that I didn't know.:)

[noblepa]

To the "It's always been this way" crowd -- no it hasn't. You could buy and take it back to your cabin on RCCL and Carnival. They used to have a two tier pricing system - the price was higher if you wanted to take it to your cabin -- no more than normal grocery store prices. (in the old days it was really duty free type prices. We don't buy aboard because the prices are pretty much the same as Costco in San Diego. It may be cheaper than other states, but not worth the effort in CA.

 

 

Its been that way for a LLOOONGG time. When we took our first Carnival cruise, on the Paradise, in 1998, during its non-smoking period, it was the way it is now. All liquor purchases were held until the last night.

 

As for prices, here in Ohio, a 750ml bottle of Crown Royal (my favorite poison) typically sells for about $35.00 per bottle. On board, I have purchased a full liter for $20. I haven't done it on my last few cruises, because I couldn't take it home on the airplane. We are always very close to the 50lb. limit, so even one bottle could put us over.

 

However, next April, we're sailing on the Pride, out of Baltimore. We're driving from Cleveland to Baltimore, so I plan on stocking up.

 

Paul

[lady_cruiser]

Just returned from Glory. They have a "special" on first evening I believe (might be second night). Low Low price ...great deal right? What they dont tell you is that you CANNOT bring it to your cabin for consumption during the week. They deliver it to you on last night of the cruise.

 

That you for telling this to the newbies but for all of us who have been on at least one cruise, we know that. I am surprise that they were not signs out in the shops pointing this rule out.

[IflyWithDi]

From Carnival web site

 

TopWhat is the Liquor and Beverage Policy?

 

A liquor and beverage consumption policy was created in order for Carnival to be able to control the liquor consumption of minors and the quantities consumed that lead to the disruptive behavior of others on board.

 

Liquor and Beverage Policy

 

Bringing Alcohol On Board - Embarkation Day:

 

Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board. However, at the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day, guests (21 years of age and older) may bring on board one bottle (750ml) of wine or champagne, per person, only in their carry-on luggage. A $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the main dining room; $14 corkage fee per bottle in the steakhouse. (A corkage fee is a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises)

 

On embarkation day, guests may bring a small quantity (package of 12 per person) of non-alcoholic beverages onboard, only in their carry-on luggage.

 

All alcohol/hard liquor/beer (sealed, unopened bottles/cans), wine/champagne over the allowable 1-bottle per guest (sealed, unopened bottles) or excessive quantities of non-alcoholic beverages (over 12 per person, sealed, unopened bottles/cans) will be confiscated and stored for safekeeping until the end of the voyage. The retained item(s) will be delivered to the guest’s stateroom on the last night of the cruise. Unsealed liquids that are prohibited will be discarded, as well as any unclaimed items left after the voyage, and no compensation will be given in either case.

 

Large cooler restrictions:

 

Carnival Cruise Lines does not allow guests to bring large coolers on board its ships. However small, personal-sized coolers, no larger than 12”H x 12”L x 12”W for the purpose of housing small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages and/or medications are permitted as carry-on luggage. Screening and movement of large coolers through embarkation is an impediment to the boarding and security screening process. Therefore, large coolers are not permitted as carry-on or checked luggage.

 

Ports-of-Call:

 

Alcoholic beverages of any kind purchased in any Port-of-Call will be retained at the gangway, stored on board and held by Carnival until the end of the voyage.

 

Gift Shops On Board:

 

Alcoholic beverages of any kind purchased in the ship's gift shop will be stored on board and be retained by Carnival until the end of the voyage.

 

Drinking Alcohol On Board:

 

The minimum age for the purchase and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the bars, lounges and gift shops is 21 years of age. In the event that Bar/Restaurant/Gift Shop staff are in question that a guest is less than 21 years old, they shall request picture identification, prior to serving the drink or selling the bottle of liquor.

 

Carnival reserves the right to refuse the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone.

[oldrailfan]

I am just wondering why I would buy a bottle of liquor at 2x the price only to get it right before I get off the ship? Just sayin.

Bondsman, I think you're confusing the Bon Voyage pre-order with the Duty-Free shop.

 

The Bon Voyage price of a one liter of Jack Daniels you can drink in your room is $65.00 according to the BV pricelist, but the duty-free price for a one liter, that you get on the last night, is about $20.00, which is better than my local ABC store price.

[Julienatul]

Yup Ive seen the Cruzan run specials $9 per bottle or something like that. One time someone in our party bought it and they delivered it early the last sea day so we had a grand time with it out by the pool.

[framerman]

Just returned from Glory. They have a "special" on first evening I believe (might be second night). Low Low price ...great deal right? What they dont tell you is that you CANNOT bring it to your cabin for consumption during the week. They deliver it to you on last night of the cruise.

That's not news. Always been that way. If you want to order booze for your room go thru Bon Voyage dept or order from room service. 40 to 50 bucks a bottle

[Babyblue]

Off the Valor on 4/4. The first night out they were selling bottles of alcohol in the area outside of the stores. They were telling people that yes they could take it to their staterooms. I stopped and asked the man selling it and he agreed that yes you could take it to your room. However, after people bought the bottles they were then told that they could not have them. But while one person was telling the gentleman that bought the alcohol no, the other one was still telling people that yes they could take it with them.

 

I have seen where they will tell you one thing when something else is the truth. They told us in the shop we could purchase as many bottles of liquor as we wanted and just pay the duty... Of course customs said NO!! only 1 bottle per person can not bring any more!! No exceptions( paying duty etc..)

We had claimed them and were allowed to take them but had a warning not to make that mistake again. I now only bring 1 bottle back NO exceptions.(Texas residents)

I even mentioned it on a subsequent cruise to one of the staff in the shop and again they tried to argue with me. I think its just them trying to make money, they dont care once they make the sale.

So buyer beware and be informed.

[firefly333]

I have seen where they will tell you one thing when something else is the truth. They told us in the shop we could purchase as many bottles of liquor as we wanted and just pay the duty... Of course customs said NO!! only 1 bottle per person can not bring any more!! No exceptions( paying duty etc..)

We had claimed them and were allowed to take them but had a warning not to make that mistake again. I now only bring 1 bottle back NO exceptions.(Texas residents)

I even mentioned it on a subsequent cruise to one of the staff in the shop and again they tried to argue with me. I think its just them trying to make money, they dont care once they make the sale.

So buyer beware and be informed.

 

This is only for Texans. Others can pay the duty on a couple extra bottles. From what I hear, it is only semi enforced at all if you leave from Galveston. Other ports, no one even mentions this rule for Texans.

 

Expecting someone from a foreign country to know the rules that only apply to one state, .... just blow it off. 1 out of 50 states has a different rule. If you go to the talk on departures, out of Galveston, they will always mention this.

[JohnStevenGordon]

Just returned from Glory. They have a "special" on first evening I believe (might be second night). Low Low price ...great deal right? What they dont tell you is that you CANNOT bring it to your cabin for consumption during the week. They deliver it to you on last night of the cruise.

 

It's always been like that, anything you buy on the ship is delivered the last night. It wouldn't make sence that they would let you buy liquor at less then half the normal price they charge for onboard or Bon Voyage purchases. They also say it on the first night, and it's posted. They talk about it when they give the free tastes and stuff.

[ejeffo]

I am just wondering why I would buy a bottle of liquor at 2x the price only to get it right before I get off the ship? Just sayin.

 

More like 1/2 price... Duty free alcohol is much cheaper at sea than at say... BevMo.

[Babyblue]

This is only for Texans. Others can pay the duty on a couple extra bottles. From what I hear, it is only semi enforced at all if you leave from Galveston. Other ports, no one even mentions this rule for Texans.

 

Expecting someone from a foreign country to know the rules that only apply to one state, .... just blow it off. 1 out of 50 states has a different rule. If you go to the talk on departures, out of Galveston, they will always mention this.

 

Yes being from Texas I am only allowed one bottle, when I asked the man in the shop about the limit I told him I am a Texas resident and he still insisted I could take as many back as I wanted but would just pay the duty and that isnt the truth.If he wasnt sure he should have said that.But he spoke like he knew the law so i took it he was speaking the truth.

I always claim what I have. I just dont think they should state what they say as fact if they are not sure or are out and out lying I am not sure.

Suffice it to say that I know the limit for Texas residents is 1 per person(of drinking age).

:D