Alcohol Confiscated - Caught !!

[GHDPeter]

The Australian passage contract and website FAQ has been updated to reflect the new policy.

 

Since April I have done 3 cruises on the Australian based ships and had no issues with wine being carried onboard.

 

The policy is effectively unlimited wine, you just have to pay the corkage.

 

You can not however bring beer or spirits on board.

[johnmik1]

No, not at all, but the stadium analogy doesn't really work, I'm not living in a Stadium for 7 days. What hotel has such ridiculous policies? Comparing a Cruise ship to a resort or a hotel is more realistic. Princess has turned a blind eye to booze for years so I don't blame anyone for trying. We'll still cruise but more restrictive policies will make us look at land trips first.

 

Well said!A ship is a hotel and if I want a predinner cocktail in the privacy of my cabin,I should be able to.Princess was my preferred line because they did not over stress the rules.If they do I will take my $'s elsewhere!JMHO!

[springfire]

Rum runners are still the best!

[GHDPeter]

Maybe if you want to carry on and buy spirits you should try P & O UK, I did a couple of segments of their world cruise this year and was able to carry on 12 wine, 3 litres of Gin and also buy more duty free onboard and take it back to my cabin.

[johnmik1]

Maybe if you want to carry on and buy spirits you should try P & O UK, I did a couple of segments of their world cruise this year and was able to carry on 12 wine, 3 litres of Gin and also buy more duty free onboard and take it back to my cabin.

 

I would be more than happy to purchase a liter of my brand of scotch from Princess,like HAL does,but what they offer is the mini bottles of something I don't care for.I would expect to pay a premium for the convenience of not having to go to a bar or call room service for a watered down drink.I can get all the Dewars I want as replacements for my minibar but I would prefer a larger bottle.

[lor74]

We are on the Caribbean Princess, and had two bottles of wine in our luggage. It arrived in our room without incident. We brought one to the CG and were charged the $15 corking fee. We asked our steward to open the other in our cabin, but he didn't have a corkscrew so we had to call room service to come and open it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Iamcruzin]

They should not search your bag without you there! They could lay themselves open to charges of theft, if you claimed something else was missing from your bag! Know they have a stated alcohol policy which should be adhered to by passengers but that does not excuse the cruiseline security staff going into anyone's bag.

Why? The airlines do it all of the time.

[JimmyVWine]

My brother-in-law bought a few large bottles on the ship to bring back as gifts. They were packed very nicely in sturdy boxes and my BIL was assured that there would be no problem bringing them on the plane. WRONG. He packed them in his carry on...

 

Wow! Has your BIL not flown since 2001? And did he not see the 3-1-1 signs that are all over the airport? By this time, "no liquids in your carry on" is as much common knowledge as "seat belts fastened and tray tables up during take off and landing." The crew member was absolutely correct. He COULD have gotten the bottles on the plane without any problem. He just needed to check them. That is why the bottles were packaged in sturdy boxes.

 

 

I think they stamp the bottles that you pay corkage on. I would assume they will ask you which one bottle you do not want stamped.

 

This is correct. To the extent that any port of embarkation is enforcing the new rules, bottles that are paid for upon boarding are stamped or "stickered" to show that the fee has already bee paid. If you bring an unstamped bottle to a dining room, the charge will be assessed at that time. If you keep the unstamped bottle in your cabin, it remains free.

[JimmyVWine]

Why? The airlines do it all of the time.

To be fair, the airlines don't do it, ever. It is the TSA that does it, and they are not affiliated with the airlines.

[Iamcruzin]

I wish that Princess would wake up and figure out why bookings are dropping and CCL stock slowly dropping. Passenger dissatisfaction with multiple policies and services. They would have less problems if they allowed at least one bottle of alcohol per passenger ( for those who don't care for wine) to be brought on board--no sneaking, no angry passengers.

 

Most go on a cruise to relax and enjoy visiting the world. Many like to have a drink in their stateroom while preparing for dinner. You begin to feel that it is prohibition at sea.

 

We have sailed Princess for years and are Elite, but we have also changed to Oceania & Crystal as we don't like being treated like a child and not trusted. We would have had many more on Princess, but it is because of situations like this that our loyalty has changed, and it is a pure pleasure being treated as tho we are responsible adults and can be trusted.

 

Princess, please take these comments into consideration and don't judge all your passengers by those who act irresponsibly. You will still have those who do misbehave regardless of what policies you put into place.

 

I do realize that you can order liquor for your stateroom prior to the cruise, but a "pint" instead of a larger amount (even .750 would be an improvement) is all you can order. Wow Princess. I think it is all about the $$$.

I am sure that the drop in stock price has more to do with the resent disasters that Carnival and Costa Brands experienced last year. Now a brand new Princess ship had to end an itinerary abruptly do to an electrical problem. That isn't going to be good for the CCL stock and new bookings either.

 

From one smuggler to another, how can you expect to be treated like a responsible adult and be trusted if you are breaking the policy. You are no different than a High School student sneaking in alcohol at the prom.

 

News flash the cruise line is in business to make money .

I am sure you paid more per day for your Oceania and Crystal cruises than what Princess would charge for the equivalent itinerary. What Princess should consider is offering a drink package like the other lines do.

[JimmyVWine]

I am sure that the drop in stock price has more to do with the resent disasters that Carnival and Costa Brands experienced last year.

Correct. http://business.time.com/2013/09/24/carnival-results-still-affected-by-earlier-mishaps/

 

News flash the cruise line is in business to make money .

I am sure you paid more per day for your Oceania and Crystal cruises than what Princess would charge for the equivalent itinerary. What Princess should consider is offering a drink package like the other lines do.

 

And to follow up on the "hotel analogy", while it is true that a cruise ship is not a movie theater or a sports stadium, it isn't a hotel either. A hotel has an expected revenue of less than 1% from beverage sales. Many hotels have bars (though many do not), but they do not show profit or loss because of the sales there. A Princess cruise ship, on the other hand, is a vacation option with such a low base price that sales of "extras" like BINGO cards, alcohol, jewelry, massages, etc. are critical to the bottom line. Princess is not trying to create "dry" ships. It is trying to create a low base price vacation option with augmented revenues from other sources, and it has a very strong incentive to prevent passengers from circumventing that augmentation. One solution would be to implement a corkage (or "screwage") policy that would allow passengers to bring on board one bottle per person (say, perhaps of 375ml) of hard alcohol and charge a fee just as they do for wine. The fee would be commensurate with the expected loss revenue due to the fact that the passengers bringing on said bottles will not be adding to the coffers by bellying up to the bar. But allowing people to bring on (or smuggle) alcohol and not pay any additional sum toward the overall cost of the cruise is antithetical to the entire pricing structure that it has developed.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Why? The airlines do it all of the time.

 

No they don't! Even British Customs ask the traveller to open their bags. American TSA can open your bags without you present, but certainly NOT the airlines.

[Seafoam Green]

We are on the Caribbean Princess, and had two bottles of wine in our luggage. It arrived in our room without incident. We brought one to the CG and were charged the $15 corking fee. We asked our steward to open the other in our cabin, but he didn't have a corkscrew so we had to call room service to come and open it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

We bring a corkscrew with us for use in our cabin. The one time we forgot, we were able to pick one up in the gift shop. That one stays in the suitcase so we don't have to remember to pack it anymore.

 

:D

[tgwabd]

You can order all types of alcohol for your room from the gifts and services section, the cost is far cheaper than a liquor store and unless you are distilling your own it is a win win. Last cruise I ordered two bottles, one vodka and one cognac, I did not have to worry about anything breaking or being confiscated. We carried on two bottles of wine and had a chit for the liquor in the room, I gave it to the steward and he brought the bottles of liquor to the room, gave him a tip and I was good to go. Really people, just order from the boat.

[beg3yrs]

You can order all types of alcohol for your room from the gifts and services section, the cost is far cheaper than a liquor store and unless you are distilling your own it is a win win. Last cruise I ordered two bottles, one vodka and one cognac, I did not have to worry about anything breaking or being confiscated. We carried on two bottles of wine and had a chit for the liquor in the room, I gave it to the steward and he brought the bottles of liquor to the room, gave him a tip and I was good to go. Really people, just order from the boat.

 

Wow, remind me never to purchase liquor at stores in NYC. :eek:

 

I don't find that to be the case here in Arizona. Not even close.

[JimmyVWine]

You can order all types of alcohol for your room from the gifts and services section, the cost is far cheaper than a liquor store and unless you are distilling your own it is a win win.

 

 

Unless I'm missing something....

• Bombay Sapphire 375ml from Princess "Gifts and Services"=$22
  
• Bombay Sapphire 375ml from Total Wine in Ft. Lauderdale=$12.99
  

[stevenr597]

They should not search your bag without you there! They could lay themselves open to charges of theft, if you claimed something else was missing from your bag! Know they have a stated alcohol policy which should be adhered to by passengers but that does not excuse the cruiseline security staff going into anyone's bag.

 

Wrong!!!

When you check your baggage at the airport, your bags may be opened and searched without you being there.

 

Princess, and the other cruise lines, have the right to open and search anything which comes on board the ship. Princess, as well as the other cruise lines, have rules in regards to alcohol. If you smuggle and break the rules, expect to be caught.

[bhopal21]

Unless I'm missing something....

• Bombay Sapphire 375ml from Princess "Gifts and Services"=$22
  
• Bombay Sapphire 375ml from Total Wine in Ft. Lauderdale=$12.99
  

 

Being a Sapphire afficionado I thought that I was missing something as well.:D

 

I buy a 1.75L from Total Wine for less than two 375ml onboard.

 

Mike:)

[satxdiver]

Wrong!!!

When you check your baggage at the airport, your bags may be opened and searched without you being there.

 

Princess, and the other cruise lines, have the right to open and search anything which comes on board the ship. Princess, as well as the other cruise lines, have rules in regards to alcohol. If you smuggle and break the rules, expect to be caught.

 

Not totally accurate. The difference is that the TSA, federal government officers, are the ones that open your luggage and they leave a note that they did it. The cruise lines use rent-a-cops or something like that to open your luggage.

 

While it is true that one has the expectation of being caught, the reality is that few get caught so that the odds are well in your favor. Getting caught means that you violated their written contract. It is not a criminal act of any type.

[antsp]

Wrong!!!

When you check your baggage at the airport, your bags may be opened and searched without you being there.

 

Princess, and the other cruise lines, have the right to open and search anything which comes on board the ship. Princess, as well as the other cruise lines, have rules in regards to alcohol. If you smuggle and break the rules, expect to be caught.

 

Or use rum runners and never be caught.

[mikehn]

I just wanted to report our experience with the new alcohol policy. We packed a bottle of alcohol in our checked bag and our luck finally ran out. Our luggage arrived late with a note stating that the alcohol in our bag was removed and destroyed. They do not return it at the end of the cruise. So I guess they're getting serious about the new alcohol policy.

 

Susan

 

Amatuers! Go on a carnival cruise and learn from the masters of smuggling

[mikehn]

For all we know the crew might keep several bottles of what is suppose to be destroyed and have one hell of a party!!:)

 

wrong. It ends up in one of the ships bars and served to unsuspecting cruisers.

[jwm51]

Q: What's the phone number for the time of day?;)

 

A: P-O-P-C-O-R-N!!!:p:D

[pablo222]

What hotel has such ridiculous policies?

I stayed at a hotel that asked guests not to bring alcahol onto the premises. Unless alcahol is some sort of protected class, they are free to make whatever restrictions on their private property they wish. They host a lot of weddings, with large parties spending the night there. Apparently the large parties had large parties that disturbed the other guests.

[VOR]

I don't get it. If you were not trying to sneak in alcohol to begin with you would not have to worry about them looking into your bags. The airlines do it all the time without you being there. and they just put a note in your bag that they did open it.

 

The airlines most certainly do not do it, the TSA does under their authority to secure the airport and the aircraft.

 

This is not a security issue, its a financial one, so they would not be wise to search without you there. As was stated, all it takes is one thing to go missing, and its a huge mess.