PanAm pier alcohol

[kwoody]

I have been reading that at the San Juan pier there is some sort of liqour store there where you are able to go through security then buy some and attempt to bring it on. (I think I have read that)

 

Is there a similar setup at the Pan Am pier?

Thanks

[Ms411]

Yes, there's at least one store in the terminal. Good prices from what I remember, though not necessarily on brands you may be familiar with.

[kwoody]

So do you purchase it then put it in your luggage that has already been checked? What is the best practice?

[kitkat9438]

So do you purchase it then put it in your luggage that has already been checked? What is the best practice?

In the Pan Am Pier, it is directly across from the check in terminal. Your bags will already be checked at the curb, so you can't put it in there. They will tell you in the liquor store to put all your purchases in your carry on bag. You may or may not be able to get away with it because you still have to go through a scanner to get on the ship. A friend of mine always brings on her purchases and sometimes gets off the ship and gets more. You always run the risk they will confiscate it and hold it until the last night of the cruise.

[kwoody]

In the Pan Am Pier, it is directly across from the check in terminal. Your bags will already be checked at the curb, so you can't put it in there. They will tell you in the liquor store to put all your purchases in your carry on bag. You may or may not be able to get away with it because you still have to go through a scanner to get on the ship. A friend of mine always brings on her purchases and sometimes gets off the ship and gets more. You always run the risk they will confiscate it and hold it until the last night of the cruise.

 

OK thanks for some reason I guess I assumed it was different from other ports. (My home port is Galveston, they check you bags for this stuff) I assumed you basically walked onto the boat after that security (making it different) so there was not much of an issue. Looks like after they xray your bag you are probably SOL

Thanks for the heads up!

[Ms411]

Ha, ha! Maybe I should charge a fee for the inside secret?

[Ms411]

Ha, ha! Maybe I should charge a fee for the inside secret?

[divechick]

At the OSJ pier we stopped in the store and bought several bottles put in in carry no problem we were cruising Princesses at the time last year at the Pan Am pier the couple with us bought a bottle and it was taken till after the cruise we were on the Summit

[kitkat9438]

Ha, ha! Maybe I should charge a fee for the inside secret?

What's your inside secret?

[khm1]

The liquor store is in the terminal that Princess uses. The RCL terminal does not have a liquor store. I don't know about Celebrity.

 

We were able to buy Coke, Rum, and wine when we went on Caribbean Princess in 11/09. Your bags are already checked by the time you get to where the store is, so you have to use your carry-on. You will need to plan accordingly for space in your bag.

 

The way that I understood it at the time is that Princess sort of "looks the other way" on this practice. They know that a lot of people are doing it, and it isn't really "allowed", but they do not enforce it.

 

After you check in for the cruise, you can then go to the store. We put our purchases in our carry-on, then proceeded to board the ship. There were many, many others who were doing the same thing, in plain sight. You have to put your carry-on through a scanner before you board. I am sure that they saw the bottles in our bags, but no one said anything. We walked right on to the ship with our bags and stored our purchases in plain view of the cabin steward.

 

Now, this was 2 years ago. It may have changed since then. I would never try this on RCL. But I learned of this on these boards. It was nice to be able to have a drink in our cabin!

[Kikkycat]

The liquor store is in the terminal that Princess uses. The RCL terminal does not have a liquor store. I don't know about Celebrity.

 

 

The two times I've boarded an RCL ship at the Pan Am pier, there's been a liquor store right there, near the entrance.

[khm1]

The two times I've boarded an RCL ship at the Pan Am pier, there's been a liquor store right there, near the entrance.

 

I must have missed it. :confused::confused: I have been through that terminal several times and have never seen it. RCL is pretty tough on contraband liquor though....I wouldn't chance it.

[fridaythe13th]

On Celebrity this past April the cashier at the store would not let you take your purchase. They said it would be handed over to the ship. We didn't try but overheard someone else.

 

Have also been on RC and had no problem but that was almost two years ago.

[m steve]

HAL and Princess are the most lax. They usually collect the boxes and bags at security but rarely look into carry ons if you put a bottle or 2 in them as long as you turn in the bigger packages. The security is on the pier , not on the ship.

[ozark74]

In March leaving on the Summit the security checkpoint on the pier didn't say anything about our bottles in our carryon. When we got on the ship carryon was exrayed again and we had to open the bags to see what the bottles were.