should I risk taking a box of wine?

[karen of PA]

We are going on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise next week. We have a private transport to the port and I guess I could have the driver stop at a liquor/wine store on the way to pick up wine. However, I have never been to Europe and I feel so intimidated.

 

I know the rules about only taking two bottles of wine. I was just wondering if anyone ever packed a small box of wine in their checked luggage. If I got sent to the naughty room, I would be humiliated. Not sure it is worth the risk. What do you think?

 

Karen

[Flowerpower22]

I personally wouldn't take a case of wine. You are allowed two bottles I believe at boarding .

 

Don't be intimidated by Europe - it's fab! If you want to save money on drinks, you can always have a glass of wine or beer ashore as in most cases it will be reasonably priced.

 

What are your ports of call?

[Puttaround]

We are going on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise next week. We have a private transport to the port and I guess I could have the driver stop at a liquor/wine store on the way to pick up wine. However, I have never been to Europe and I feel so intimidated.

 

I know the rules about only taking two bottles of wine. I was just wondering if anyone ever packed a small box of wine in their checked luggage. If I got sent to the naughty room, I would be humiliated. Not sure it is worth the risk. What do you think?

 

Karen

 

You can try but if the do send it to the 'naughty room' and return it to you are you able to bring it back into the country. Living in Canada the Custom Office consider it as purchased abroad and you have to pay high duty on the bottles. In other words check on what you can bring back into the U.S. first

[RickT]

My guess is your wine won't make it... but if you don't mind taking the chance that it will be confiscated and given back to you at the end of the cruise, go for it.

 

The naughty room really isn't that bad.... you play dumb, apologize and understand it will be given back to you on the last night of the cruise.

 

This happened to my wife with a travel iron. We were traveling before our cruise and she brought her's without thinking about the cruise. We got the call to the naughty room, opened up her luggage, apologized and got it back on the last night.

 

If you really want to bring wine, I'd suggest you put 2 bottles in your carry on and the rest in a box/luggage etc. We've normally been OK with 2 bottles per carry on. This at least reduces your worry about all your wine being locked up :p

[karen of PA]

I don't want to take a case of wine, just a small boxed wine.

 

Our ports of call are Santorini, Istanbul, Ephesus, Athens, Mykonos, and Naples. We are traveling with another couple. One more week.... We are so excited!

[sandancer]

A wine box is usually 3 litres, quite a bit more than the 2 bottles per stateroom you are allowed. Having done 2 Celebrity cruises this year I can tell you that they do check. However, we did not pack wine in checked bags but carried it on in a carry on. First cruise we packed the 2 bottles in a wheely carry on. Security completely emptied my bag to make sure it really was wine and not something prohibited. Really loved having the change of clothes I always pack in the carry on dragged out by some guy from the ship. Next time I carried on the 2 bottles in a shopping bag and simply showed them to the security officer. No problem.

[cruisestitch]

First trip to Europe -- I wouldn't bother. Why not send yourself a gift of a bottle of wine through the website? You'll save a few dollars by bringing your own, unless it is taken and then what a hassle as you probably wouldn't be able to take it back to Canada with you so you would have wasted your money. Send yourself a bottle and there is no corkage fee should you decide to enjoy it in the MDR.

[WELSH WIZARDS]

Why not just simply stick to the rules? :confused:

[RickT]

I don't want to take a case of wine, just a small boxed wine.

 

It's Europe... not even sure they would sell boxed wine. Seems like that's a north american thing. :p

 

Just pick up 2-4 bottles of GOOD wine and enjoy your trip.

[mandream]

You've already said that you'd be humiliated if you were sent to the naughty room, so I think you've answered your own question.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Mike

[ikelmay]

I haven't had any difficulty with wine brought on board, either in checked or hand luggage. I would agree that the quality of boxed wine in europe tends to be pretty poor - I'd also recommend paying for better bottles. It may also depend on your port of embarkation as to how stringent security is - I have found around the med that the checks are very relaxed.

[jacketwatch]

If you are even a bit worried then why bother. Who needs that? Just bring your 2 bottles, have your friends bring 2 more and relax and enjoy. :)

[u2cruiser]

I wouldn't risk it. It's not worth it for the sake of a few extra glasses of wine.

We take them when cruising with P&O as they are allowed and very convenient to have a white in the fridge and a red on the desk. :D

 

Have you considered the alcohol packages? That would work out great when travelling with friends. You could have lots of fun trying out all the drinks on offer. :)

[Barwick Cruiser]

Just another thing to consider when deciding between box or bottle....last cruise we brought on two 1.5L bottles, same quantity as one box but we prefer white wine and it has to be chilled. I don't know how you'd fit a box of wine in the small cabin fridges to get it chilled properly. We had to take out the bottles that were already in there just to fit one of our large bottles as well as a few cans of the diet pop that we brought. Our fridge was ok at keeping a chilled bottle chilled but we pretty much had to drop the room temperature bottle in an ice bucket to get it that way initially. Wouldn't want to tempt that with a box, even if it would fit in the ice bucket. Just something to think about:rolleyes:

[Flowerpower22]

Hi

 

The ports of call are fab. These are my top tips for each one (including having a glass of wine ashore!)

 

Santorini: Make your way up the steep climb to the town, passing the donkeys who do carry some tourists. I personally don't agree with donkey travel, so we walked. The town has cafes and bars with breathtaking views of the caldera. Don't miss the opportunity to have a drink in one of these cliff hangers and admire the view. Santorini is a little bit expensive, but you are paying for the location. Don't do like we did and forget your credit card as the shops are great and we only had about 20 Euros on us!

 

Ephesus: Kusadasi itself is a busy tourist spot with lots of bars and shops. Very cheap to have a drink here on the way back to the ship. Ephesus is amazing - you will be transported back to a time when Anthony and Cleopatra travelled the streets in style! The ruins are exceptionally well preserved. There is a cafe on site at the end of the tour. We spent the afternoon having a Turkish bath complete with a scrub down from a friendly Turkish man in nothing but a towel! (Him - not me)

 

Athens: The Acropolis is another amazing site. If you go on tour, no doubt you will be dropped off in the Plaka district where drinking, eating and shopping is cheap as chips!

 

Mykonos - so beautiful and very chi chi. Boutiques, hideaway hotels, tumbling bouganvillea, cats and kittens on street corners and a friendly pelican in the town. Can be expensive to drink here as the rich and famous frequent this island. However, out ship docked about a mile out of town and we walked in. There were lots of little cafes and bars as we neared the town which were reasonably priced.

 

Naples - very easy to navigate the city, but I guess you will be on tour. The Amalfi drive is breathtaking. Pompeii is hugely atmospheric (and hot!!).

We walked to the top of Vesuvius for amazing views of the Bay of Naples. Capri is also a stunning location worthy of a film star (check out the cars).

Apart from Naples, these locations are a little expensive. The bars near the port in Naples are a great place to see local colour and take a very good espresso.

 

Have fun!!!

[seasheils]

Hi Karen,

My advice is: don't risk it. It would just be added stress for you. The chances of the cruise line finding wine in checked luggage is very high. Then yes---you would be sent to the naught room.

 

Just follow the rules. Take 2 bottles of wine and make sure they are in your carry-on.

 

Have you thought of buying your 2 bottles of wine at the airport at the duty-free shop as you are leaving the country? They give it to you as you board the plane. I presume that you are going straight to the port from the airport.

[Bridge Maven]

If you would like to take a box of wine aboard a ship, I suggest booking a Disney Cruise. They allow it. However, Celebrity does not!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I guess you are leaving from Rome

We went straight from the airport to the ship

Our drive did not understand english and we tried to get him to stop for wine but no go

I did bring wine on the ship at every port, my bag did go though the xray machine , they never took it

[momto3sons]

Our local grocery store carries small boxes of wine. They are the equivalent of three glasses. I have taken it to the beach and on picnics.

If your concerned about bottles breaking in your luggage or having to much, you can look for these boxes.

[Bridge Maven]

Thought for the day - "Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking"

[Kevnzworld]

HMMM

Box of wine in checked luggage? Given the way the airlines stack and throw around luggage I wouldn't try it... Wine soaked clothes would be a really bad way to start a cruise.

[Presto2]

If you're worried I'd just take the 2 bottles - we took ours in 2 padded water bottle carriers. No problem at all. Why stress yourself up - go and enjoy the excitement of the first day without worrying if you get sent to the 'naughty room'!

 

:)

[Orator]

I just don't get it! People spend thousands on a cruise and penny pinch on the small stuff.

[pdsgt]

We are going on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise next week. We have a private transport to the port and I guess I could have the driver stop at a liquor/wine store on the way to pick up wine. However, I have never been to Europe and I feel so intimidated.

 

I know the rules about only taking two bottles of wine. I was just wondering if anyone ever packed a small box of wine in their checked luggage. If I got sent to the naughty room, I would be humiliated. Not sure it is worth the risk. What do you think?

 

Karen

 

Go ahead and take it. You can always drink it on the way home.

[karen of PA]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. Based on your suggestions and admonishments, I have decided not to take a box of wine. I'm not a "rule breaker" and even if I did get away with it, I wouldn't enjoy drinking my wine because of the guilt I would be feeling. I will either purchase the wine at the airport or have our driver stop at a liquor store on our way to the port.

 

Thanks also for the travel tips. This "community of cruisers" is awesome!

 

Karen