Smuggling Beer In Soda Box

[Wehwalt]

So if it's a gamble do you get points for the casino if you lose?:)

 

No, but if you lose, you will drown your sorrows in CCL beverage!

[Gordie Howe]

We will be leaving from New Orleans on the Conquest in a few weeks. I have a favorite beer that isn't sold on the ship. I will be buying lots of their beers on Lido, but would like to have a few of my favorites in reserve.

 

I have heard of people putting cans of beer in a soda 12-pack box. Does this work? It wouldn't be a huge loss if I get busted, but just curious.

 

Looking for input from real booze smugglers:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1541440

[KruznKel]

Isn't it true that the possibility of getting caught is MUCH GREATER if your beer is in your carryon disguised in a Coke box? It's been a while, but we put a case of beer in a checked bag twice and it got to our cabin just fine. We'll be trying it again in a couple of weeks. :cool:

 

Funny last Sept 2010 i was travelling with people who had a 12 of beer in their carry on in the box... made it thru ... but the 12 in their checked luggage was taken:rolleyes::eek::p

 

Hit and miss as all have said :D

[scchasgal]

Yep - saw that first hand last summer in Charleston. Poor guy was devastated as they kept pulling beer cans out of a coke box. To me, its just not worth the worry or hassel.

 

Leaving out of Charleston don't bother trying to smuggle the cans mixed in. We have left around 5 times from this port and the sodas are checked every time.

[boaterette]

It used to work great until everyone started posting on here about how to do it. Now it is a gamble.

[Wehwalt]

It used to work great until everyone started posting on here about how to do it. Now it is a gamble.

 

That's why I don't post my actual methods for evading the gentle prohibitions on what you can bring on board. I assume at least one CCL employee at corporate trolls these boards.

[crewsweeper]

Bring liquor miniatures instead. I brought those on the Legend, six or seven. I only wound up drinking one. They were jumbled in a paper bag in my suitcase, which was not opened. I'm not a big drinker, my bar bill was nil.

I think you hit the Google "I Feel Lucky" button on this. These too can be easily detected. But, if unopened, you can get them back at cruise end. However, only drinking 1 out of 6/7, begs the question, why bother in the first place?

 

I've been "guilty" but uncaught in the past with both the beer inside the soda case trick and with rum runners. But once I started having to bring home 4 of 6 cans of Dale's Pale Ale(don't drink the Big Beer stuff and certainly wouldn't try to smuggle it) and 3/4 of a 16oz RR of rye, and the crack downs started, I just said to myself, "Not worth the hassle".

 

Besides, while the prices for alcohol on the ship are higher than your local neighborhood tavern and not in line with many establishments' "Happy Hour" prices, they are very competitive with most quality chain restaurant well drinks and bottled beer prices and are cheaper than the high end restaurants in most cities.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Is there any chance you can get it at the first stop? I find the ship-based screeners usually more friendly than the ones you go through at embarkation. They don't want to deal with the paperwork for something small.

I agree. Brought back a couple of 6 pax of Pepsi in a carry on (Spirit in PV) and when I re-entered the ship they xrayed it but nobody ever opened the bag. It could have been beer but the screener didn't seem to care. I uess it all depends.

[elcuchio24]

Rules are rules, why break them? Why don't you just enjoy the beers and other beverages available on Carnival and enjoy your "favorite" beer when you get hom.

 

If there is no consequence, why NOT break them:D

[Russell in MD]

IMHO smuggling beer isnt worth it. Too bulky and too easily spotted/detected. You cant smuggle enough to justify whatever little $ you save.

 

Just my $0.02

 

R

[Ladysilver]

IMHO smuggling beer isnt worth it. Too bulky and too easily spotted/detected. You cant smuggle enough to justify whatever little $ you save.

 

Just my $0.02

 

R

 

 

 

It is when that's all you drink and a bucket of only 4 beers is a whopping $24.95!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D Just sayin..........

[GaNavy]

You might also consider how long your cruise is - granted I'm not a big drinker but on my last cruise I didn't finish either my one (allowed) bottle of wine or my (allowed) stash of soda. But I did enjoy a few of Carnival's fine martinis... ;)

 

The other thing is, if they catch you and keep your stuff till the last day, once you retrieve it, you will then have to shlep it home....might be something of a bother if you're flying....and if you just ditch it instead of shlepping it, why bother in the first place?

 

Happy cruising!

[Russell in MD]

It is when that's all you drink and a bucket of only 4 beers is a whopping $24.95!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D Just sayin..........

 

Whoever thought it was a good idea to replace the 5 beer bucket with the 4 beer bucket-of-beer should be drug through the streets in their underwear!:mad:

 

Yup the bucket-o-beer deal aint no deal for sure but Im sure anyone who buys one bucket would plan on buying additional buckets. So now you getting up to a 12 pack to almost a case to smuggle to replace. So say you was able to smuggle a 30 pack of Bud on repackaged as a case of Listerine because you have a card from your dentist saying you have a case of stinky sock mouths disease and must gargle every hour during the day. :D The price of 30 packs around here puts the individual beer at ~$0.80 to almost $1 each. So you save ~$20 per bucket but you have only smuggled a little over 7 buckets of beer with your 30 pack [cough] case of mouth wash. That doesn't get me to the end of the week, maybe the 3rd or 4th day if I'm lucky. So then what? You need to smuggle another "case of Listerine" on at a port if you want to keep the cycle going. If you don't all the $ you saved in the first 3-4 days will be given right back because you will have to buy the buckets at full price. Cant you see where the madness is leading?

 

Plus Im not interested in carrying around an extra 15-20 lbs of liquid. You'd be better off buying shots of vodka between beers to keep the glow bugs flying.

 

Now my current smuggling technique allows enough liquor to last the week + and takes up little space in my luggage.

 

I'm just saying....:cool: Work smarter not harder.

 

R

[sparks1093]

If there is no consequence, why NOT break them:D

 

I'd say that standing in the naughty room line is a consequence;) (maybe not much of one but I'm not wasting my vacation standing in line unless there's a DoD, omelet, or ice cream at the end of it:D).

[javamom]

The scanners don't see different types. We have always made it through putting sodas on both ends and in the middle, thus getting through with 6 sodas and 6 beers in a 12 pack. We have heard of every single can being inspected though. Always worth a try to me.

[elcuchio24]

I'd say that standing in the naughty room line is a consequence;) (maybe not much of one but I'm not wasting my vacation standing in line unless there's a DoD, omelet, or ice cream at the end of it:D).

 

I wouldn't even do that. If they took my 8 beers, I would just call it a loss;)

[cuyahoga11]

Leaving out of Charleston don't bother trying to smuggle the cans mixed in. We have left around 5 times from this port and the sodas are checked every time.

 

 

Nothing gets by the people in Charleston. She spent 10 minutes looking thru my carry on for 1 bottle of water that was wedged under my cpap and it was water.

[momof3cruisers]

I am so confused. Someone mentioned the screeners Shaking the water bottles. Why do they do that?

[sparks1093]

I wouldn't even do that. If they took my 8 beers, I would just call it a loss;)

 

What about the suitcase the beer is in:confused:? Don't you have to go get that?

[sparks1093]

I am so confused. Someone mentioned the screeners Shaking the water bottles. Why do they do that?

 

Liqour has legs (it clings to the side of the bottle), water does not.

[KruznKel]

IMHO smuggling beer isnt worth it. Too bulky and too easily spotted/detected. You cant smuggle enough to justify whatever little $ you save.

 

Just my $0.02

 

R

 

$20 bucks for a 24.. compared to over $100 for the same amount onbaord.. I beg to differ:rolleyes:

 

It is when that's all you drink and a bucket of only 4 beers is a whopping $24.95!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D Just sayin..........

 

I hear ya:p

[Teechur]

Just off the Spirit today. Great trip to Mexico!!! Weather was spectacular!

My roll-aboard contained two 12 packs of soda, my one allowed wine bottle (full of Bacardi), a 32 oz. Powerade bottle, filled with...wait for it...Powerade:D, a bottle of water, socks, underwear, bathing suit, etc. My checked bag had two 8 oz. water bottles filled with rum, a couple of 3 ouncers in my shaving kit, a plastic lime, clothes, snorkel gear, shoes, etc.

My roll-aboard went through the scanner, and was stopped. They wanted to measure my pocketknife inside...it was fine. No one cared about the liquids! The 12-packs could have been beer! Suitcase was delivered, unopened. I had just hoped that SOME of it would survive the gauntlet.

All of this worry was over nothing!!!! :eek:

I carried at least half of the rum back home with me. My travel companion was "similarly equipped", and had the same result. I still had a sign-n-sail bill over $200.

If I had to buy drinks on-board, I would not drink as much...or cruise any more. The cruise lines DO understand this mind-set (it is common). If they prevent me from bringing my own, they will no longer get the $1000s I spend annually, traveling. As of now, I've visited more than 85 countries worldwide, most of them more than once. Only about 10 of those countries have been from cruise ships.

In spite of what the sanctimonious "board patrolmen" among you will say/think/criticize, most liquor smugglers like me, are not rowdy troublemakers. We quietly use common sense, spend our money prudently, enjoy our balcony libations, and EVERYONE WINS!;)

We are not talking "Midnight Express" here. It is an arbitrary "rule" not a law.:rolleyes:

Just my thoughts. Enjoy your travels!

[Ladysilver]

Just off the Spirit today. Great trip to Mexico!!! Weather was spectacular!

My roll-aboard contained two 12 packs of soda, my one allowed wine bottle (full of Bacardi), a 32 oz. Powerade bottle, filled with...wait for it...Powerade:D, a bottle of water, socks, underwear, bathing suit, etc. My checked bag had two 8 oz. water bottles filled with rum, a couple of 3 ouncers in my shaving kit, a plastic lime, clothes, snorkel gear, shoes, etc.

My roll-aboard went through the scanner, and was stopped. They wanted to measure my pocketknife inside...it was fine. No one cared about the liquids! The 12-packs could have been beer! Suitcase was delivered, unopened. I had just hoped that SOME of it would survive the gauntlet.

All of this worry was over nothing!!!! :eek:

I carried at least half of the rum back home with me. My travel companion was "similarly equipped", and had the same result. I still had a sign-n-sail bill over $200.

If I had to buy drinks on-board, I would not drink as much...or cruise any more. The cruise lines DO understand this mind-set (it is common). If they prevent me from bringing my own, they will no longer get the $1000s I spend annually, traveling. As of now, I've visited more than 85 countries worldwide, most of them more than once. Only about 10 of those countries have been from cruise ships.

In spite of what the sanctimonious "board patrolmen" among you will say/think/criticize, most liquor smugglers like me, are not rowdy troublemakers. We quietly use common sense, spend our money prudently, enjoy our balcony libations, and EVERYONE WINS!;)

We are not talking "Midnight Express" here. It is an arbitrary "rule" not a law.:rolleyes:

Just my thoughts. Enjoy your travels!

 

 

Thanks Teechur....I'm so happy to hear you had a great cruise! And no "smuggle drama". lol :D I'll be sure to post on this thread if our's works for us. I'm not expecting any problems either.

[elcuchio24]

What about the suitcase the beer is in:confused:? Don't you have to go get that?

 

I ment if you are taking thru in carryon. What alot of people do is take a 12 pack or soda thru security, as you are allowed to do, but replace the ones in the bottom with beer;)

[sparks1093]

I ment if you are taking thru in carryon.

 

Ah, now I get it .