Duty Free Store

[cruising1523]

Is it cheaper to buy alcohol on ship in the duty free store or in the liquor stores in ports in Alaska?

[Putterdude]

You will have to check pricing when you get there. My experience in Ketchikan is that the shore duty free shops have a slightly better price then the ship...on certain products and they will deliver to the ship where is will be held for you like purchases on the ship.

[PennyAgain]

Time is money when cruising. Think of what you've spent for the cruise when deciding where to purchase liquor. Both the ship's duty free and the onshore duty free shops pack your liquor purchases which are held for you on the ship until the cruise is over.

 

Your cruise ship may not allow you to purchase liquor ashore in a regular liquor store and bring it on to the ship to consume.

 

And you can't carry liquor in your carry on bag to fly home which means if flying that it has to go into checked baggage.

 

It's a lot of bother to save a bit of money and a lot of time that you could use to enjoy Alaska.

[Keith1010]

I would just purchase it on the ship for the reasons that Penny said.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Don't know what cruise line you will be sailing on, but they all differ on being able to purchase alcohol for your cabin .

Most of the cruise lines will not allow you to buy the Duty Free alcohol for your cabin. You can buy it take home -- it is delivered to your cabin on the last full day of the cruise.

For the ports -- again the majority of the cruises collect at the gangway any alcohol you purchase and store it for you until the end of the cruise.

I would not want to pack any alcohol in a checked suitcase for flying. If it were to break -- not a pretty sight.

[cruising1523]

We will be sailing on Princess and we will be buying the bottles of alcohol to take home. We are driving so don't need to worry about breakage.

[Putterdude]

We will be sailing on Princess and we will be buying the bottles of alcohol to take home. We are driving so don't need to worry about breakage.

 

Then I have experienced modest savings purchasing some brands in shore side duty free shops and Princess has accepted them when delivered by the duty free shop by the store. When I say modest...I mean a dollar or two a bottle.

[SamNSojourner]

I am also driving to/from the cruise ship pier because I live in Wa State where the liquor store prices are high and have recently gone up (when we privatized it without reducing the governor's cut).

I'm curious about duty-free store prices too. The duty free store at the Blaine/BC crossing gives us a huge savings, but might not make such a big impression on people who live in states with cheaper liquor.