sneaking alcohol

[patty0227]

I know this has been beaten to death, I was just wondering if anyone was denied boarding because they tried to sneak booze on board.

:confused:

[CruiserBruce]

Nobody is denied boarding. Their alcohol can be confiscated tho.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Never heard of anyone being denied boarding. I don't think it would be in their best interests to do so. The losses resulting from lower alcohol sales from not catching most (or even many) booze smugglers would not be offset by the loss of business. First, not only would they lose the future business of that particular customer, but also the business of anyone who plays the smuggling game. It's one thing to get caught and lose your stash, quite another to lose out on the cruise altogether, and if people realized that's a very real possibility, they'd avoid that cruise line like a temperance meeting. Second, the cruise line would miss out on alcohol sales from obviously "thirsty" passengers.

[John Bull]

On a UK cruise website a couple of months back, a poster claimed to have been denied boarding an RCI ship because his O/H had concealed liquor in their luggage.

 

I don't believe it was a troll post, and I'm not totally naive. But the poster may have been ingenuous about the circumstances.

Quite a heated thread, as I recall.

 

Without it, I might have responded in the same vein as Bruce

 

JB :)

[paul929207]

Unless you were drunk or started a real battle over the booze, I doubt any cruise line would deny boarding for trying to sneak on some.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I haven't heard of anyone on a HAL cruise being denied boarding because they tried to sneak alcohol on board the ship.

 

HAL just takes the alcohol -- tags it -- and returns it to you at the end of the cruise.

 

HAL also allows you to buy alcohol through them for consumption in your cabin.

[RickinNYC]

From what I understand, they do return alcohol if it's still in the original container or bottle it came in, however you tried to be clever and put it in a mouthwash bottle or some other contraption, they throw it out. I could be wrong. Never had the cojones to try it!

[patty0227]

RCI says they can deny boarding for it in the rules section but I would imagine they would have to refuse boarding to everyone they busted. I am not trying to be a cheapskate I plan on buying the wine package and spending a lot at the bars on board anyway ( and in the casino) I just wanted a little in my room for when i am getting ready or sitting on the balcony. :p

[gerif]

RCI says they can deny boarding for it in the rules section but I would imagine they would have to refuse boarding to everyone they busted. I am not trying to be a cheapskate I plan on buying the wine package and spending a lot at the bars on board anyway ( and in the casino) I just wanted a little in my room for when i am getting ready or sitting on the balcony. :p

 

Room service will gladly deliver anything you want to your cabin. Or you can stop at any bar and purchase your alcohol without ice and then add it when you want to drink it.

[mdgcruiser]

RickinNYC: OMG! haven't heard the word, "cojones" since I lived in Philly.

I also heard that if alcohol is sealed, they will hold til you leave the ship and if in unsealed container, they will dump it. Not really a bad deal.

[Shell54]

We cruised Disney last month and were allowed to bring our own alcohol onboard in carry ons. We're thinking of cruising RCI next year.. I didn't know they didn't permit you to bring it aboard. Better to know that now.

[gerif]

RickinNYC: OMG! haven't heard the word, "cojones" since I lived in Philly.

I also heard that if alcohol is sealed, they will hold til you leave the ship and if in unsealed container, they will dump it. Not really a bad deal.

 

Not any longer - at least on Explorer out of NJ - they do not return anything. As for other ports/cruiselines, YMMV, but they are not required to return anything..

[Steviewonder1]

Never had a problem on Princess, Carnival or Holland America. I buy plastic bottles for Scotch and Vodka and it goes into the checked baggage. All has arrived as packed. Some lines will let you bring a bottle of wine from on shore for each passenger thru the scanner when re-boarding. YMMV.

[jschm27]

I haven't heard of anyone on a HAL cruise being denied boarding because they tried to sneak alcohol on board the ship.

 

HAL just takes the alcohol -- tags it -- and returns it to you at the end of the cruise.

 

HAL also allows you to buy alcohol through them for consumption in your cabin.

 

Ditto.

 

John

[kayfitz]

Just got back from NCL western carib tour. Had two pint size rum runners in two bags and both made it to cabin. I also brought a small nip bottle tucked inside my shirt from a port stop (Cozumel) and it went undetected. When getting back on board, it is similar to airport security except passengers are not searched or screened. Bags must go thru metal detector like at airport. You can probably smuggle a small bottle inside your clothes when returning to ship.

[Gunner22aa]

On the Golden a couple of years back a younger couple tried to return to the ship with what could have been a good impersonation of a liquer store. Must have had 6 bottles a piece in their back packs and of course it was detected in the scanner. They put up quite a fuss about keeping it right up to the point where they we given the choice to either surrender it till the last night of the cruise or feel free to enjoy it in Hawaii as the rest of us sailed away. They chose to complete the cruise.

[Keith1010]

Best to not violate rules of the cruise line.

 

Keith

[nana541]

Best to not violate rules of the cruise line.

 

Keith

 

Ditto!!!! Don't do it, you run the risk of being thrown off the ship before your cruise even starts... Save up before you go for your Booze Kitty!

[nana541]

Nobody is denied boarding. Their alcohol can be confiscated tho.

 

Sadly there is always a first time and I would hate to find myself or anyone for that matter on the receiving end of "enforcing the rules"...

JMHO

[Putterdude]

I have seen it confiscated but have never seen, heard or read of anyone be denied boarding for trying.

[George C]

We have done it on last 20 or so cruises , on many lines, never had a problem. Some lines like Hal and Princess allow unlimited wine, most allow a few bottles. Drink mostly wine but want a bottle of cognac in the room.

[Keith1010]

Don't break the rules.

 

If you don't like the rules, sail on another line.

 

Keith

[hladygirl]

last year on the ncl dawn we saw the naughty line after dinner the first night. it was not pretty. hundreds of angry passengers in very long slow lines waiting to get their luggage due to trying to smuggle booze. while they still hadn't even gotten their luggage, we had had dinner and went to the casino. the naughty line is not the way i want to spend my first evening of vacation.

[paul929207]

We have not found our way to the naughty line yet.

[jdvmd]

We cruised Disney last month and were allowed to bring our own alcohol onboard in carry ons. We're thinking of cruising RCI next year.. I didn't know they didn't permit you to bring it aboard. Better to know that now.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Disney is a line that allows you to bring on anything at the Point of Embarkation only.