Alcohol/Bottle question on POA

[Dj2008]

I'm cruising NCL in a little over a month on Pride of America for the Hawaiian cruise, so this question is directed specifically to the ship.

 

Can I buy bottles of alcohol (most likely rum) on POA?? Or am I going to have to sneak on alcohol with rum runners?

 

Before you judge me or jump to conclusions; yes, I'm being cheap. I literally just booked this cruise to save one of my girlfriends from having to cancel her entire vacation because the previous passenger can no longer make it. So, I unexpectedly, (yet happily), just dropped $1850 on a cruise and plane ticket out of nowhere - and that's not including any extras. Plus I have to take off 2 weeks of work, so I think I'm entitled to be a little cheap. Just saying.

 

I will happily buy a bottle of alcohol on board to avoid the sneaking it on if I can; if it's reasonably priced. Like less than $50 a bottle.

 

Yes, I like to drink. I'll be celebrating my 26th birthday on board and I plan on having several drinks at my own leisure and not at the cost of an arm and a leg.

 

I'm looking for honest, not negative, comments about the subject. This is my first time to Hawaii and also my first time cruising. I need to be prepared for a good time :)

 

Thanks!!

 

ALSO - I do plan on purchasing the beverage card and buying cocktails at the bar, I'm just trying to save a little money where I can. I'm a college student, ya know.

[Thunderwoods]

I'm not sure on the cost of buying a bottle on board, but I appreciate your honesty and choose not to flame you for your decisions.

 

Have a great and guilt-free cruise!!:D

[Northern Bear]

Prices should be similar to this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35427994&postcount=3

[2inTul]

Prices should be similar to this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35427994&postcount=3

 

FYI - Bar Set-ups are NOT available on the POA.

[Dj2008]

Thank you all for the helpful information. There is just so much I don't know about cruising, I'm still trying to figure out all the places I can go to find stuff. It seems that people usually have their cruises planned at least 6 months ahead of time - I have about 40 days to get everything planned and organized. Also, this was planned for someone else, so I'm just taking their place. My friend who booked it lives in PA, and I live in TN, so we're trying to collaborate everything together on such short notice. Important things is the name is changed and the NCL has my passenger info as of this morning. Unfortunately it looks like I'll be testing my luck with smuggling on rum. I really didn't want to do that, but if no bar set up is available it's the only option I see.

 

And as I said before, I do plan on PURCHASING drinks at the bar and the beverage card on board - but I shouldn't have to pay $10 for a shot of rum when I can buy a whole bottle for $25. Also, I plan on having a few drinks in my room occasionally, and going to the bar doesn't work for that. I like to spend my vacations buzzed, so sue me :P I'm allowed to have fun, I'm 25!!

[Dj2008]

And I'm also not "cheap" to the staff. I'm a grad student and a 1/2 - 3/4 time server. I know what it's like to be stiffed. I'm VERY generous with gratuity (for everyone) if they deserve it. So, in short, I can assure you I'm supporting the staff.

[rockabutzer]

Aloha Dj

 

Northern Bear already provided you the link that lists the prices of liquor on Norwegian Crise Lines ships. If you've already looked at it, you know they are not cheap.

 

So short of being a rum runner (aka smuggler) you'll either have to suck it up and buy a bottle of your favorite libation from Norwegian and the soda card or pay by the drink.

 

IMHO, buy the bottle and soda card, in the long run, it will be cheaper.

 

Aloha

[fabby50]

Due to Hawaiian law, you can't do a bar setup or purchase bottle of alcohol on board for your room.

 

They also don't allow gambling, so no casino, just in case no one's told you. Maybe what you save on bingo and craps, you can spend on drinks :)

 

A good economical way to get a buzz on is to go to any of the tastings - margarita, beer, wine, etc. that they offer. $25, you get a lesson in mixology and several 1/2 size drinks. Fun and affordable. I don't drink much, so my husband and I go and we share. I take a sip, he gets a buzz.

 

Cruise ships in general are getting better at the rum runner and other ways of smuggling identification. You can try it and take your chances.

[rockabutzer]

Due to Hawaiian law, you can't do a bar setup or purchase bottle of alcohol on board for your room.

 

But you can order it from their Bon Voyage shop and have it delivered to your cabin, right?

[bakerintn]

But you can order it from their Bon Voyage shop and have it delivered to your cabin, right?

 

As has been reported here on CC, for the POA, the answer is "no".

[njhorseman]

But you can order it from their Bon Voyage shop and have it delivered to your cabin, right?

 

No...only wine is available from the Bon Voyage shop, not spirits.

[rockabutzer]

No...only wine is available from the Bon Voyage shop, not spirits.

 

 

Really :confused:

 

Guess I'll be a wino for the week. :D

[jdvmd]

But you can order it from their Bon Voyage shop and have it delivered to your cabin, right?

 

No.

[njhorseman]

Really :confused:

 

Guess I'll be a wino for the week. :D

 

Yes, really.

[JJAuckland]

Aloha Dj2008

 

I hope you have agreat time on your cruise. We are on POA in October, celebrating my 50th with a group of friends & I have been wondering the same thing about buying a bottle of spirits on board to enjoy back in the cabin. I rang POA to try to arrange a bar set & have been told, as pointed out on these posts that you cannot do this. I think its an awful shame but as this cruise is quite a port intensive cruise I understand (reading on other posts)that at some ports such as Kona there are some great bars with extremely cheap drinks & so I will be able to spend up on board (if I feel like it) with cocktails!

 

Have fun for your 26th!!! :-):)

[Northern Bear]

Don't try to pass liquor off as water either. All they have to do is shake the bottle and observe how it bubbles. Try it yourself.

 

:D

[Dj2008]

Thanks!! I'm bummed about the no gambling stuff too - but I can live without that since I was just in Niagara Falls to the casinos. I really would do it the honest way if I were able to. I still might bring 2 bottles of wine on board and pay the corkage fee. I like wine, but I get drunk too quickly and it gives me a nasty hangover. So, out of courtesy to the other passengers, I think it might be better for me to drink the wine at home :P I haven't decided yet.

[Dj2008]

Don't try to pass liquor off as water either. All they have to do is shake the bottle and observe how it bubbles. Try it yourself.

 

:D

 

 

Would never put it in a water bottle. That doesn't work ANYWHERE anymore. I'll buy the rum runner flasks and hide them in my checked baggage. Hopefully I won't get sent to the naughty room.

[Northern Bear]

A friend of ours thought he'd be smart and took a water bottle off the ship, drank the water, filled it with vodka and tried to walk back on. They did the shake test and confiscated it from him.

 

So not just in the luggage. :)

 

Buy the buckets of beer, you get one free.

 

Have fun!

[dogo88]

We just got back from the cruise. Had a great time.

 

We didn't buy any hard booze, but if you're into wine, you can go to the Napa Bar and order 6 or more bottles any time and get a 20% discount. Then have them sent to your cabin and can drink them anywhere and bring them to dinner. IF it's a white that you want chilled, just bring the warm one to where ever you want to consume it and as for a swap for a cold bottle. We did this a couple of times for dinner. After those 6, any more bottles you buy automatically entitle you to a 20% discount.

 

Dan

[bakerintn]

If you pack an unopened bottle of booze in your luggage, and it is found, they will hold it for you until the end of the cruise.

 

If you bring booze on in an opened original container or some other container (water bottle, rum runner, etc), if they find it they will confiscate the container and its contents and you will not get either back.

[jonbgd]

Yes rum runners work as a friend of mine brought on 2 as they didnt have any sweet tea vodka on board;)

 

Drink specials daily just look for them. They will be posted in the Dallies. My favorite was the Mai Tai's from the back bar on the Lido.... Especially when they hand pour them.

Also the Martini bar had daily specials all the way up and forward.

 

Go to front desk/Guest services and tell them it is your first Ncl cruise and Bday cruise and they will most likly give you a card for a free bottle of house wine from the wine bar.

While not the best it is free.

[j_jaye]

This is probably strange but it is kind of alcohol related. I can't use alcohol swaps due to an allergy to them but need to sterilise my skin before injecting medication to avoid infection so I used metholated spirits which is an alcohol like substance. It is the only thing that disinfects but doesn't cause an allergic reaction for me. Will they confiscate this from me? It smells and reacts (bubbles) like alcohol. Do I need a doctors note to carry it on?

 

Any other suggestions welcomed!