Booze question

[Heartlands1]

I do object to the term "smuggling". It infers that you are doing something illegal and robbing the US Government of revenue when in actual fact you're just breaking Carnival's rules and robbing them of profit. I know this probably helps keep Carnival prices low but I think a reasonable limit such as one bottle of any liquor (not just wine) per cabin would still allow Carnival to make a profit and let me have my nightcap on the balcony!

[javamom]

they will check every liquid in miami port..

 

This is most definitely not true.

[sparks1093]

I do object to the term "smuggling". It infers that you are doing something illegal and robbing the US Government of revenue when in actual fact you're just breaking Carnival's rules and robbing them of profit. I know this probably helps keep Carnival prices low but I think a reasonable limit such as one bottle of any liquor (not just wine) per cabin would still allow Carnival to make a profit and let me have my nightcap on the balcony!

 

Definition number two seems to fit.

smug·gle (smgl)

v. smug·gled, smug·gling, smug·gles

v.tr. 1. To import or export without paying lawful customs charges or duties.

2. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth.

[okinaw55]

Is the Miami port a bad one to try to smuggle the rum runners aboard?

 

Every port looks for alcohol and just like every where else in the world there are people that are good at their jobs and people that are not very good at their jobs.

 

What I don't understand is spending all that money on rum runners and still having a chance they will be confiscated along with your booze. Rum runners gone! And they're not cheap for plastic containers.

 

When I looked into it my first cruise, looking at the cost of rum runners and the bottles of alcohol, then comparing it to Bon Voyage's prices, it didn't seem worth the worry to me.

 

Last trip my buddy had about 5-6 inches left in his gallon and asked if he should put it in his bags. Why not? But spending all that money to beat the system? Doesn't make sense to me. BTW the bottle made it through in San Juan.

[durdenpb]

I couldnt agree more... I know when we left out of orlando they didnt check our water or wine, and i mentioned to the bf that we should have brought liquor on board... now in cozumel when we went to re board the boat the line was crazy long to get scanned in,, then if you had liquor you waited in another line that was really long.. but it was easy just to walk around them and go up the stairs without being seen.. now the last time we sailed from miami they pulled us aside and litterally took every bottle of water out of our case and shook them.. so we would have got busted.. its SO Much easier cheaper and honest to just buy a bottle through the bon voyage

 

 

Every port looks for alcohol and just like every where else in the world there are people that are good at their jobs and people that are not very good at their jobs.

 

What I don't understand is spending all that money on rum runners and still having a chance they will be confiscated along with your booze. Rum runners gone! And they're not cheap for plastic containers.

 

When I looked into it my first cruise, looking at the cost of rum runners and the bottles of alcohol, then comparing it to Bon Voyage's prices, it didn't seem worth the worry to me.

 

Last trip my buddy had about 5-6 inches left in his gallon and asked if he should put it in his bags. Why not? But spending all that money to beat the system? Doesn't make sense to me. BTW the bottle made it through in San Juan.

[mikel24m]

I couldnt agree more... I know when we left out of orlando they didnt check our water or wine, and i mentioned to the bf that we should have brought liquor on board... now in cozumel when we went to re board the boat the line was crazy long to get scanned in,, then if you had liquor you waited in another line that was really long.. but it was easy just to walk around them and go up the stairs without being seen.. now the last time we sailed from miami they pulled us aside and litterally took every bottle of water out of our case and shook them.. so we would have got busted.. its SO Much easier cheaper and honest to just buy a bottle through the bon voyage

 

If the cruise line would not rip people off and charge $65 for a bottle of absolut and then try to sell them the same bottles 4 for $44.99 to lug home from the gift shop and hold everyone up in customs

 

smuggling would be done if they would just make 3 or 4 hundred percent profit and be happy ;)

[durdenpb]

I agree the cost of the bottles are very high.. but if your on the boat 6 days and there are 2 people drinking.. then its still cheaper to buy the bottle rather than buying at the bar.. or the cheers..

 

If the cruise line would not rip people off and charge $65 for a bottle of absolut and then try to sell them the same bottles 4 for $44.99 to lug home from the gift shop and hold everyone up in customs

 

smuggling would be done if they would just make 3 or 4 hundred percent profit and be happy ;)

[okinaw55]

I'm going to disagree. Initially I was upset at the prices like you are but it is still much cheaper than buying every drink at the bar and it does give you an option to follow their rules and save some money while doing it.

 

Are the prices high? Yes, but when you figure in the cost of rum-runners and taking the chance that they will never make it to your room it think its in-line with price. That said, prices have been rising beyond the point where I will defend it much longer.

[mikel24m]

I agree the cost of the bottles are very high.. but if your on the boat 6 days and there are 2 people drinking.. then its still cheaper to buy the bottle rather than buying at the bar.. or the cheers..

 

I would never buy the cheers program unless we were beer drinkers.About $700 for a couple for the week is crazy!! Thats one of our fares for our lido balcony stateroom :)

[mikel24m]

I'm going to disagree. Initially I was upset at the prices like you are but it is still much cheaper than buying every drink at the bar and it does give you an option to follow their rules and save some money while doing it.

 

Are the prices high? Yes, but when you figure in the cost of rum-runners and taking the chance that they will never make it to your room it think its in-line with price. That said, prices have been rising beyond the point where I will defend it much longer.

 

I can buy alot of rum runners and a few bottles of vodka for $65

 

Some people will take the chance and have success

[sparks1093]

If the cruise line would not rip people off and charge $65 for a bottle of absolut and then try to sell them the same bottles 4 for $44.99 to lug home from the gift shop and hold everyone up in customs

 

smuggling would be done if they would just make 3 or 4 hundred percent profit and be happy ;)

 

If I felt that a company was ripping me off I wouldn't do business with them;). (And the liquor they sell in the duty free shop is the same as sold in the bars/bon voyage program. I paid about 3 times the price for a bottle of rum, which all things considered wasn't bad.)

[mikel24m]

If I felt that a company was ripping me off I wouldn't do business with them;). (And the liquor they sell in the duty free shop is the same as sold in the bars/bon voyage program. I paid about 3 times the price for a bottle of rum, which all things considered wasn't bad.)

 

This is alittle old from 2010 but what do you think the profit the cruise line makes selling liters of bacardi for 4 for $37.99 in their shops ? They dont sell liquor for fun so at $9.50 they are still making a profit !! So lets sell it to our customers at $65 a bottle ;)

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/liquor.jpg

[sparks1093]

This is alittle old from 2010 but what do you think the profit the cruise line makes selling liters of bacardi for 4 for $37.99 in their shops ? They dont sell liquor for fun so at $9.50 they are still making a profit !! So lets sell it to our customers at $65 a bottle ;)

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/liquor.jpg

 

The liquor in the duty free shops isn't from the same supplier that provides the liquor for the bars (I meant to type "isn't" in my first reply)- in order to sell it duty free they have to agree that it won't be re-sold at retail. I begrudge no business the profit that they make.

[mikel24m]

The liquor in the duty free shops isn't from the same supplier that provides the liquor for the bars (I meant to type "isn't" in my first reply)- in order to sell it duty free they have to agree that it won't be re-sold at retail. I begrudge no business the profit that they make.

 

Thats a new one to me ! Why would a company buy liquor from two different suppliers?

 

My friend owns a bar with package goods and buy everything from the same supplier

 

Most liquors(and beer) have a distributer that has exclusive rights the their products

[sparks1093]

Thats a new one to me ! Why would a company buy liquor from two different suppliers?

 

My friend owns a bar with package goods and buy everything from the same supplier

 

Most liquors(and beer) have a distributer that has exclusive rights the their products

 

As I said if they are selling it in the duty free shop they have to agree that it won't be resold (because export duty hasn't been paid on it). They may use the same distributor but the liquor for which no export duty has been paid can't be used in the bar. (Of course this is only my understanding and it could be incorrect.)

[mikel24m]

As I said if they are selling it in the duty free shop they have to agree that it won't be resold (because export duty hasn't been paid on it). They may use the same distributor but the liquor for which no export duty has been paid can't be used in the bar. (Of course this is only my understanding and it could be incorrect.)

 

This is interesting to me ,I have never bought liquor to take home I guess for us its too much work.When you fill your declaration out do you pay duty on liquor when you arrive in the US like everything else.I never really got the duty free thing ,like in Miami airport or maybe FLL they have duty free shops that you can only buy from if you are not a US citizen. Im confused lol

[okinaw55]

This is interesting to me ,I have never bought liquor to take home I guess for us its too much work.When you fill your declaration out do you pay duty on liquor when you arrive in the US like everything else.I never really got the duty free thing ,like in Miami airport or maybe FLL they have duty free shops that you can only buy from if you are not a US citizen. Im confused lol

 

Duty free shops in airports are for all nationalities. You just need a ticket for an international flight (aka you're leaving the country). As far as what duty you pay on items you buy on board, it depends on how much you are buying. Every item has an amount you can buy that will be duty free. For alcohol it's either 1 or 2 liters per person that you won't have to pay tax on. I don't remember the exact numbers.

[sparks1093]

This is interesting to me ,I have never bought liquor to take home I guess for us its too much work.When you fill your declaration out do you pay duty on liquor when you arrive in the US like everything else.I never really got the duty free thing ,like in Miami airport or maybe FLL they have duty free shops that you can only buy from if you are not a US citizen. Im confused lol

 

Duty free only pertains to the export duty, so when you enter the US you are importing it and it may be subject to import duty at that point. There are exemptions for travelers that are on the CBP website and if you keep your purchases within those exemptions you would owe no duty (and import duty pertains to all goods purchased elsewhere and being brought into the states, not just liquor).

[mikel24m]

Duty free shops in airports are for all nationalities. You just need a ticket for an international flight (aka you're leaving the country). As far as what duty you pay on items you buy on board, it depends on how much you are buying. Every item has an amount you can buy that will be duty free. For alcohol it's either 1 or 2 liters per person that you won't have to pay tax on. I don't remember the exact numbers.

 

Ahh thanks this makes sense to me :)

 

It was years ago and I think I was trying to buy cologne and they wouldnt sell it to me because I was not flying out of the US