Taking wine on board Dawn Princess

[Aus Traveller]

We have just returned from a cruise on the Dawn Princess. Before this cruise I was involved in a discussion in this forum on this topic and volunteered to check it out during our cruise.

 

The first Princess Patter on embarkation stated clearly that passengers were allowed to take on one bottle of wine or champagne per person at the port of embarkation.

 

At every port I enquired from the person in charge of the Alcohol Collection desk if passengers could bring wine on board at every port, and the answer was "Yes, madam. One bottle of wine per person."

 

I spoke to a few people on board who took on more than one bottle per person. By the way, they said they did not hide the bottles - and anyway it would be rather difficult when all bags go through the x-ray machine.

 

When we were on the Dawn Princess from 13th April to 18th May there was no restriction on the quantity of wine taken on board, and I feel the same situation still applies.

 

I am not challenging the posts that stated there were restrictions in place late last year and early this year. I think the situation has changed.:)

[windsor26]

We have just returned from a cruise on the Dawn Princess. Before this cruise I was involved in a discussion in this forum on this topic and volunteered to check it out during our cruise.

 

The first Princess Patter on embarkation stated clearly that passengers were allowed to take on one bottle of wine or champagne per person at the port of embarkation.

 

At every port I enquired from the person in charge of the Alcohol Collection desk if passengers could bring wine on board at every port, and the answer was "Yes, madam. One bottle of wine per person."

 

I spoke to a few people on board who took on more than one bottle per person. By the way, they said they did not hide the bottles - and anyway it would be rather difficult when all bags go through the x-ray machine.

 

When we were on the Dawn Princess from 13th April to 18th May there was no restriction on the quantity of wine taken on board, and I feel the same situation still applies.

 

I am not challenging the posts that stated there were restrictions in place late last year and early this year. I think the situation has changed.:)

 

 

Good to hear Evon We have never had any trouble taking wine or beer on board at the ports either.:):)

[Daisy16178]

Brilliant because I'm planning on taking on board more than a bottle each. I just know I will be very thirsty. :p

[WeeCountyMan]

On one hand there is the official Princess Cruises policy as publicly stated - then's there's the reality of what is implemented by the security staff as you board.

 

Unless you try to carry on an unreasonable amount then they won't stop you.

 

We've been on three Princess cruises and have carried on wine as and when we wished.

 

The only time I saw anybody stopped was with several bottles of spirits in a clearly marked Duty Free Shop bag - almost flaunting it in the staff's faces, no wonder he was relived of it.

[paul929207]

Glad they have switched to a similar rule as all the other Princess ships.

[MJC]

Just to clarify, this was not an all-Australia itinerary? It is my understanding that in Australia the rules are different? We'll be on the Dawn in November and everything I've read so far is that the Dawn allows only one bottle per person per voyage in Oz.

[AJ28]

We are recently back from cruise on Ruby Princess and at some ports brought back a bottle of wine plus cans of beer with no problems. We also brought back a litre of spirits at one port, carrying it in a 'duty free' bag, and were not stopped. A far cry from RCCI's 'diligence' at searching for alcohol.

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

From what I understand from past cruises unless the policy has changed is that you can take an unlimited amount of wine when you first board the ship and then 1 bottle of wine per person at each port you stop at. I have always brought beer on as well with no questions asked.

Edited July 25, 2012 by D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL

[Aus Traveller]

Just to clarify, this was not an all-Australia itinerary? It is my understanding that in Australia the rules are different? We'll be on the Dawn in November and everything I've read so far is that the Dawn allows only one bottle per person per voyage in Oz.

No. I am sorry, but your understanding is not correct. The Dawn Princess very rarely does an "All Australia itinerary". During 2011, 2012 and 2013 the only ones are a few 2-night relocation cruises between Sydney and Melbourne. Obviously on these cruises passengers cannot take wine on at ports of call because there aren't any.:)

 

I do not believe the rules are different in Australia. It seems that for around six months (from late 2011 to early 2012), someone on the Dawn Princess was imposing a different interpretation of the alcohol rule.

 

We boarded the Dawn on 13th April and from then until yesterday the "rules" were one bottle of wine per person per port, but this restriction was not enforced.

 

Sorry to be repetitious as I have posted this information several times over the last few months (only then I had information only up until late May). I now have information current to yesterday when we disembarked.

 

I hope that ends the long-running story of "Australian rules" on alcohol. The only Australian Rules we have here is a particular code of football.:)

[caribill]

We have just returned from a cruise on the Dawn Princess. Before this cruise I was involved in a discussion in this forum on this topic and volunteered to check it out during our cruise.

 

 

Thanks for reporting back as you had promised to do.

Edited July 25, 2012 by caribill

[Aus Traveller]

The interpretation of Princess "rules" on taking wine onto the Dawn Princess seems to have been a temporary situation. Unfortunately some people have assumed it applies to all "Australian ships". Not so. It never did.

 

With due respect to those who have posted on the subject, I hope I have dispelled the myth. :):)

[t60]

No. I am sorry, but your understanding is not correct. The Dawn Princess very rarely does an "All Australia itinerary". During 2011, 2012 and 2013 the only ones are a few 2-night relocation...

snip....

 

Our cruise next March April is circum navigation of Australia with an 8hr stop at Lombok...does that count as an áll Australian Itinerary¨?

hope not!

 

Sandy in Spain

[Aus Traveller]

Our cruise next March April is circum navigation of Australia with an 8hr stop at Lombok...does that count as an áll Australian Itinerary¨?

hope not!

 

Sandy in Spain

Lombok is in Indonesia so clearly it is not an "all-Australian itinerary". I felt that the earlier post about "All-Australian" itineraries might confuse people (and it appears that it has), because it isn't really an issue. :)

 

As I posted above, the only "all-Australian" itineraries are some two-night relocation cruises between Sydney and Melbourne without any intermediate ports. On those cruises, passengers can't take wine on at ports during the cruise because there aren't any, and duty free sales are not available because the ship does not go outside Australian waters.

[MJC]

I'm sorry if my question caused some confusion. We are on the November total eclipse cruise which stays completely in Australia, but apparently it is unique in that feature. I had assumed the circumnavigation cruises were also that way but I see now that they have a stop in Indonesia. So, we will learn what we learn when we get there.

 

Thank you for posting your experience. There has been so much said about taking down names and staterooms and confiscation vs. bringing obvious bags and no questions, it is quite confusing. It is good to have some very recent feedback.

[Aus Traveller]

I'm sorry if my question caused some confusion. We are on the November total eclipse cruise which stays completely in Australia, but apparently it is unique in that feature. I had assumed the circumnavigation cruises were also that way but I see now that they have a stop in Indonesia. So, we will learn what we learn when we get there.

 

Thank you for posting your experience. There has been so much said about taking down names and staterooms and confiscation vs. bringing obvious bags and no questions, it is quite confusing. It is good to have some very recent feedback.

Unfortunately the mention earlier of "all-Australian" cruises has really confused things.

 

Your November total eclipe cruise is not completely in Australia. Princess (and P&O) do a lot of these coastal cruises and they include Willis Island (shown on your itinerary). They sail on the eastward side of the island so they sail outside Australian waters and can therefore sell duty free alcohol and other items on board.

 

However, even if the ship stayed totally within Australian waters, it would not affect the ruling on taking wine on at intermediate ports. That was never the reason passengers were told they couldn't take wine on.

 

The reasons passengers cannot bring wine on board at intermediate ports (on a limited number of itineraries) is because there are no intermmediate ports on these cruises! Examples are two-night relocation cruises and also three-night cruises to nowhere. :D

[ALDOCRUISES]

Thanks for all the great reading re' wine. Now-what about us scotch drinkers? will the Dawn Princess let me bring my favorite single malt on board when we sail from Sydney next Wednesday the 10th?

[ALDOCRUISES]

Thanks for all the great reading re' wine. Now-what about us scotch drinkers? will the Dawn Princess let me bring my favorite single malt on board when we sail from Sydney next Wednesday the 10th?

 

OLd friend Dicky Beach needs this answer if you still monitor here,Evon.

Cheers

Frank

[rkmw]

Thanks for all the great reading re' wine. Now-what about us scotch drinkers? will the Dawn Princess let me bring my favorite single malt on board when we sail from Sydney next Wednesday the 10th?

 

wine ok but no alcohol

[windsor26]

OLd friend Dicky Beach needs this answer if you still monitor here,Evon.

Cheers

Frank

 

Never never never any spirits I am no even sure you could get away with sherry or port but you never kn ow the x ray machines may not tell the difference

[Aus Traveller]

OLd friend Dicky Beach needs this answer if you still monitor here,Evon.

Cheers

Frank

Hi Frank. someone else has already answered this question - no spirits.

 

I hope you and Mary are both well. :)

[Pushka]

Wine is alcohol. Maybe you mean spirits are prohibited?

[Aus Traveller]

Wine is alcohol. Maybe you mean spirits are prohibited?

To an Aussie, wine is alcohol, but I have come to the conclusion that when Americans say "alcohol" they mean "spirits".

 

When we have cruised on Princess, there has been a notice in the Princess Patter saying that passengers cannot bring alcohol back on board, but at the Alcohol Collection Desk, the sign said "except wine and champagne". Unfortunately a lot of Aussie passengers interpreted the notice in the Patter as meaning they couldn't bring wine back on board. :D We brought wine on and the comment was "Oh, only wine. That's OK."

[MMDown Under]

To an Aussie, wine is alcohol, but I have come to the conclusion that when Americans say "alcohol" they mean "spirits".

 

When we have cruised on Princess, there has been a notice in the Princess Patter saying that passengers cannot bring alcohol back on board, but at the Alcohol Collection Desk, the sign said "except wine and champagne". Unfortunately a lot of Aussie passengers interpreted the notice in the Patter as meaning they couldn't bring wine back on board. :D We brought wine on and the comment was "Oh, only wine. That's OK."

 

I had noticed this different interpretation also.

 

My Oxford dictionary states -

 

Alcohol - colourless volatile inflammable liquid, intoxicant present in wine, beer, whisky, etc. Any liquor containing this.

 

Thus Aussies refer to all beer, wine, spirits, etc. as alcohol.

[navychop3]

I guess we've gotten lazy and dropped the "hard" from "hard alcohol."

 

Shall we update the old saying to "Three peoples, confused by a common language."

 

Hmmm, on second thought, it was "hard liquor."

Edited October 7, 2012 by navychop3

[Pushka]

I'm happy as long as I can bring on the bubbly.