San Juan Wine Warning- YMMV

[StillPooh]

Since we were afraid of added weight, we decided to buy our wine and liquor in the duty free store after going through security. We bought one bottle each of vodka and brandy, and 6 bottles of wine. On the advice of a store employee, we put the liquor and 2 bottles of wine in our carry on bags, and sauntered on carrying 2 bottles of wine each.

 

2 were promptly confiscated. I didn't want to argue with the young lady, as she might have insisted on searching our bags and finding the rest. I was given a receipt and my chardonnay was delivered on our last afternoon (chilled, at least!).

 

Since the policy seems to vary wildly depending on who you're talking to, my best advice is to put everything but one bottle per adult in your carry on bags, and wrap 'em so the don't clink when you're sneaking them on!

[Fat Bottom Gurl]

According to my passenger contract, it says that spirits are not allowed, but wine and champagne are. If one brings their own wine to a restaurant one will be charged a $15 corkage fee, but one is allowed to drink wine in their stateroom.

[paul929207]

That is not friendly.

[StillPooh]

According to my passenger contract, it says that spirits are not allowed, but wine and champagne are. If one brings their own wine to a restaurant one will be charged a $15 corkage fee, but one is allowed to drink wine in their stateroom.

I didn't have a copy of the contract handy, and the young lady absolutely insisted only one bottle of wine per passenger was permitted.

 

Just wanted to let people know of our experience, since we truly believed we could bring all the wine we could carry, from what we had read on Cruise Critic. Then we got to the duty free store where we were warned that was not true, but that we could get away with 2 bottles each. That turned out to not be true, either. :(

 

As mentioned above, your mileage may vary. :p

[IECalCruiser]

I didn't have a copy of the contract handy, and the young lady absolutely insisted only one bottle of wine per passenger was permitted.

 

Just wanted to let people know of our experience, since we truly believed we could bring all the wine we could carry, from what we had read on Cruise Critic. Then we got to the duty free store where we were warned that was not true, but that we could get away with 2 bottles each. That turned out to not be true, either. :(

 

As mentioned above, your mileage may vary. :p

It can depend upon the Embarkation port. Only time we were questioned was in Buenos Aires but a supervisor allowed our four bottles aboard. Posts have said Princess in Australia is enforcing the one bottle "rule" on the Sun, Sea and Dawn and possibly the Diamond. There have been sporadic reports of the one bottle "rule" enforced at other ports even including one at FLL.

 

 

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[Loonbeam]

As a reminder, the cruise contract does not prohibit Princess from limiting the quantity of wine brought on board, it only precludes them banning it outright.

 

While the majority of ships are not enforcing a limit, it can happen at any time.

[Mr XFT]

There are the rules, and there are the rules about bending or breaking the rules. To my thinking, carrying on more than 1 bottle is just asking for confiscation. And it gets heavy quickly as well. Put it in a checked bag! Find a good deal on a few bottles or a box in the time you have before embarkation, or shop around for it at home.

 

They aren't stupid, and they know people do it, note all the reports of people with luggage tags on a case of wine. But I think it's not that great of an idea to flaunt it by marching up the gangway with more than 1 each.

[StillPooh]

I think it's not that great of an idea to flaunt it by marching up the gangway with more than 1 each.

We only did so because of all the posts here stating Princess did not limit quantities of wine. I was not "flaunting". I truly did not think they cared. The rules are far from clear.

 

I am not complaining, just wanted to help others avoid the same experience.

[1 HappyCruiser]

We only did so because of all the posts here stating Princess did not limit quantities of wine. I was not "flaunting". I truly did not think they cared. The rules are far from clear.

 

I am not complaining, just wanted to help others avoid the same experience.

 

In the future carry on only 1 bottle at a time to your room (in San Juan that is). ;)

[StillPooh]

In the future carry on only 1 bottle at a time to your room (in San Juan that is). ;)

For us that's a moot point, since this is the last year Princess is sailing out of San Juan.

[Iamcruzin]

Sometimes you get a new TSA person who follows the rules to the letter of the law or someone who misinterprets the policy. But most time they look the other way. You have my kind of luck. Better stay away from the casino.;)

[fishin' musician]

Sometimes you get a new TSA person who follows the rules to the letter of the law or someone who misinterprets the policy. But most time they look the other way. You have my kind of luck. Better stay away from the casino.;)

 

Are these TSA persons?

 

Anyway, at the San Juan Panama terminal, you could take one bottle to your room, get off the ship, get another bottle, take it to your room; repeat as necessary.

[StillPooh]

Are these TSA persons?

 

Anyway' date=' at the San Juan Panama terminal, you could take one bottle to your room, get off the ship, get another bottle, take it to your room; repeat as necessary.[/quote']

The woman in our case was in a white ship's officer's uniform.

 

I think they might notice if you kept punching in and out. Easier to just bring a half-empty carry-on bag with room for everything you buy but the 1 bottle of wine. ;)

[Times Prince]

There is no TSA for boarding the ship - only ship's security.

 

The wine merchant may have also been a little confused if they assumed you were purchasing wine to bring home as a souvenier of your visit - the normal reason for buying duty free. Then you will be limited on how much alcohol one can import into the USA duty free when arriving back at the US home port.

[StillPooh]

The wine merchant may have also been a little confused if they assumed you were purchasing wine to bring home as a souvenier of your visit

Nope. He knew we were boarding, not disembarking. He specifically advised us that we could board with 2 bottles each and the crew would look the other way. Another employee of the duty free told us the crew is more lax prior to 5 p.m. when it comes to being strict about alcohol.

 

It's highly possible many others on our cruise boarded with more wine and no problem. I just wanted to let others know that it's a crapshoot. If the policy was clear and enforced, as on Carnival, I'd have just smuggled all of it and been just fine. :D

[Doug R.]

I just love the suggestion that you bring a copy of the passage contract with you :rolleyes: . Good luck with making that point with a security person who has instructions on the amount allowed aboard. Having a lawyer in tow might help in this case -- especially if you get hauled off to the local greybar hotel for arguing a wee bit too emphatically with security. :D

[EAGLESLOVER]

I just love the suggestion that you bring a copy of the passage contract with you :rolleyes: . Good luck with making that point with a security person who has instructions on the amount allowed aboard. Having a lawyer in tow might help in this case -- especially if you get hauled off to the local greybar hotel for arguing a wee bit too emphatically with security. :D

 

LOL!!!!!

 

I volunteer to be the lawyer in tow for anyone who wants to bring me along on their cruise:):):)

[robsaw]

The passage contract doesn't specify a limit for wine/champagne but the Cruise Answer Book does state a limit of one bottle per person of wine or champagne.

[StillPooh]

The passage contract doesn't specify a limit for wine/champagne but the Cruise Answer Book does state a limit of one bottle per person of wine or champagne.

Which they may or may not enforce on any given day, apparently! :p

[srpilo]

In my experience all the policies onboard Princess are kinda of ship specific, and a roll of the dice. One need only check out the MDR on formal night on each specific ship to quickly see that what happened last cruise on ##### ship probably ain't going to be the same this cruise :D

 

 

 

But it's still better than staying home :)

Srpilo

[Mr. Bubble]

I just love the suggestion that you bring a copy of the passage contract with you :rolleyes: . Good luck with making that point with a security person who has instructions on the amount allowed aboard. Having a lawyer in tow might help in this case -- especially if you get hauled off to the local greybar hotel for arguing a wee bit too emphatically with security. :D

 

Two weeks ago we embarked at Papeete with several boxes of wine in our checked luggage. NOTE: We have done this on 6 previous Princess cruises with no problem. This time, however, we were flagged for it and the next time we went through security, they had the bag in question there for inspection. They asked us to open it and we did so willingly. Seeing the boxes of wine, the head of security told us that Princess limits wine to one bottle per passenger. I then quoted the passage contract and was ready to go to my room and get it to be able to read it to him. He backed down immediately without a further word, sealed the bag and wished us a good cruise. Note that I have no animosity toward the individual in question. Quite the contrary, he and I became good friends over the course of the cruise. Nor do I bear any bad feelings toward Princess - they have always treated me fairly and with the utmost of courtesy.

 

As long as the rules in the contract and at the gangway are ambiguous and selectively enforced, having the passage contract in hand is probably a good idea.

 

My guess is that Princess is in the process of transitioning to a zero tolerance policy for bringing any type of alcohol on board. In the next year I would expect to see a change in the wording of the passage contract.

 

Stay tuned.

 

MJ

[Liz54]

Two weeks ago we embarked at Papeete with several boxes of wine in our checked luggage. NOTE: We have done this on 6 previous Princess cruises with no problem. This time, however, we were flagged for it and the next time we went through security, they had the bag in question there for inspection. They asked us to open it and we did so willingly. Seeing the boxes of wine, the head of security told us that Princess limits wine to one bottle per passenger. I then quoted the passage contract and was ready to go to my room and get it to be able to read it to him. He backed down immediately without a further word, sealed the bag and wished us a good cruise. Note that I have no animosity toward the individual in question. Quite the contrary, he and I became good friends over the course of the cruise. Nor do I bear any bad feelings toward Princess - they have always treated me fairly and with the utmost of courtesy.

 

 

As long as the rules in the contract and at the gangway are ambiguous and selectively enforced, having the passage contract in hand is probably a good idea.

 

My guess is that Princess is in the process of transitioning to a zero tolerance policy for bringing any type of alcohol on board. In the next year I would expect to see a change in the wording of the passage contract.

 

Stay tuned.

 

MJ

 

 

Interesting! That may be why they are trying out a wine package!

[CMHCruiseCouple]

From Princess FAQs http://www.princess.com/customer_care/faqs/onboard_experience/index.jsp

 

Question: What is the alcohol policy onboard Princess Cruises?

 

Answer: We kindly request that you do not bring alcoholic beverages (other than wine and/or champagne) onboard for consumption. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from the ship's gift shop or at ports of call will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the voyage. A member of our Security Staff will be at the gangway to assist with the storage of your alcoholic beverage purchases.

 

Clearly Princess is okay with wine, but not other alcohol. My wife and I always have a few bottles of wine in our carry on and in our luggage at embarkation. This has never, ever been a problem. We will do the same routine in 5 days. I will update if my experience is different.

 

Least anyone judge, this wine is for cabin use (and Yahtzee on the balcony); we always by a nice bottle of wine with dinner. Everyone wins :)

 

Travel safe!

[1 HappyCruiser]

My guess is that Princess is in the process of transitioning to a zero tolerance policy for bringing any type of alcohol on board. In the next year I would expect to see a change in the wording of the passage contract.

 

Stay tuned.

 

MJ

 

I guess I'd better put in my order for some Rum Runners. :D