Ruby Princess - Bringing Wine OnBoard (ProTip?)

[Black_Sheep]

Now...I'm not condoning this...but we had wine bottles in our checked luggage. Two in each suitcase per adult. None was confiscated; nor were we charged corkage fees.

 

We also carried wine onboard (one bottle per adult) via our carry-ons.

 

Interesting, eh?

[antsp]

Just luck that they where not picked up on, they can destroy it in checked bags if found, they did so to dozens of passengers on the Golden in April.

[Cauzneffct]

Now...I'm not condoning this...but we had wine bottles in our checked luggage. Two in each suitcase per adult. None was confiscated; nor were we charged corkage fees.

 

We also carried wine onboard (one bottle per adult) via our carry-ons.

 

Interesting, eh?

 

You're not condoning something you did and which you refer to as a "protip"?

[antsp]

I would say a gamble rather than a tip.

[Pia1913]

Why does someone who does something they aren't supposed to do find it necessary to talk about it? :rolleyes:

[sunsetbeachgal]

beyond breaking the rules, I cannot imagine that the $20 or so savings from sneaking in the wine would be worth it if the wine broke open in the checked bag and damaged the other items.

[Black_Sheep]

I would say a gamble rather than a tip.

 

I agree 100%. It 'was' a total gamble!

Edited January 5, 2014 by Black_Sheep

[Black_Sheep]

Why does someone who does something they aren't supposed to do find it necessary to talk about it? :rolleyes:

 

OUCH! Sorry. Cut me some slack. I should've just written, "Put a couple bottles of wine in my checked luggage and it wasn't confiscated." Guess I lucked out...

Edited January 5, 2014 by Black_Sheep

[Pia1913]

OUCH! Sorry. Cut me some slack. I should've just written, "Put a couple bottles of wine in my checked luggage and it wasn't confiscated." Guess I lucked out...

 

The bottom line is: you did it and it worked out. Don't tell the world about it. I've done it too and will probably do it again. But I'm not going to advertise it.

[gacruisergal]

For Shame Pia........................Me too actually!:)

[JimmyVWine]

Why does someone who does something they aren't supposed to do find it necessary to talk about it? :rolleyes:

First, I'm not at all sure that the OP did something they weren't supposed to. I think that they would prefer that you take your wine on in carry-on luggage so that it is easier to count and collect fees. Putting the wine in checked bags can require the inconvenience of having people go to a security room for collection and payment, but I don't think that it is prohibited.

I understand taking a couple bottles, but how much do people drink on these cruises?! I find pleasure in buying a drink at the bar and engaging other cruisers. If everyone "sneaks" liquor on board and stops buying drinks, guess what happens to the prices the rest of us will be paying for future cruises???

Second, a bottle of wine per day can hardly be seen as excessive. 7 day cruise, 7 bottles. No biggie. Second, the OP did not smuggle on any liquor as Princess allows unlimited personal wines. The fact that Princess did not charge for the bottles does not make this "sneaking". This is on Princess, not the passenger.

[Pia1913]

For Shame Pia........................Me too actually!:)

 

So is your face :o? :D

[satxdiver]

It has been my experience they do not check luggage all that well or so it has seemed. As for bottles breaking in your luggage it is highly doubtful. The wine bottles are fairly strong and can take jolts etc. We take a bottle for each day on the ship for our afternoon retreat on the balcony before dinner later. It is very relaxing. We also have breakfast on the balcony from room service via the door knob hangers.

 

Thanks to the OP for posting.

[geoherb]

I packed two bottles of wine in my checked luggage since our cruise was leaving on a Sunday and our flight did not get to Fort Lauderdale until 11 p.m. The guy at the wine store said that the best bottles for traveling are the ones with gently sloped shoulders. I put each one in a ziplock bag in case it broke, and put each bag inside a padded wine carrier. I then had them surround by my feather pillow for additional cushioning.

 

I switched them over to my carry-on bag for embarkation. Two bottles were enough for our four-day cruise.

[AliceS]

Seriously.....Please stop bragging about what you get away with....do you think that Princess doesn't monitor there boards? Come on...follow the rules. If you get away with something...enjoy and zip it.

[BajaSteve]

Some of us enjoy wine with dinner and a bottle per day is not excessive, especally if you share it with your tablemates. Also I don't like people saying that we have done somthing wrong by bringing on board more than one bottle of wine per person. Printed on our luggage tags is the statement:

 

• Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee per bottle, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed.

A $15 corkage fee is common in most restaurants now and many have increased to $25 or more.

However, the alcohol policy in the Passage Contract is confusing. It doesn't state that additional bottles of wine are OK (corkage fee paid). It infers that any alcohol in checked luggage will be destroyed, but the luggage tag placed on that same piece of luggage says that it is "welcome". Has anyone had wine removed from their checked luggage and destroyed?

[Happy ks]

We took 5 bottles in our carry on last time we cruised, after the "one bottle per person" was started. Of course, you can and could bring on more, just have to pay the $15 corkage fee. No one said a word about the wine, we took it in the carry on since we just wanted to avoid breakage in the suitcase.

 

We gladly paid the corkage fee (on all 5 bottles) since we took all of them to dinner over the course of the cruise. None were consumed in cabin.

 

This next cruise, we're hoping they tag the bottles we take on, maybe we won't have to pay corkage on two of them.

[jennifers490]

will they definitely destroy or hold it until end of cruise? other lines hold it for us and i dont mind that-maybe if i put a nice note with a smiley face on it? :) staying a few extra days and no rental car, would like to have to wine for after the cruise too.

[JimmyVWine]

Has anyone had wine removed from their checked luggage and destroyed?

 

 

 

While this board is by no means representative of the experiences of the vast majority of passengers, no one has reported back that 750ml bottles of wine have been confiscated or destroyed from checked bags since the current wine policy went into effect. Prior to the current policy, there was a second hand (but reliable) report that a magnum of Champagne was removed and destroyed from a checked bag. But since the implementation of the current rules, there have been reports of people having to claim their wine from a security room and charged the corkage when the bottles were detected through routine scanning. That seems to be consistent with the wording on the luggage tag. Placing wine in checked bags might not be the wisest thing to do, (yes, bottles are strong. But forklifts are stronger), but it does not appear to be a violation of the rules. I suspect that people have better things to do with the first hours of their cruise than go to a secuity room to reclaim their bags, and wine and pay their fees. To avoid the hassle, carry your wine on.

[sminfiddle]

Placing wine in checked bags might not be the wisest thing to do, (yes, bottles are strong. But forklifts are stronger), but it does not appear to be a violation of the rules.

 

As regarding the actual contract, my own opinion is that it could not be any clearer.

Here's the first line. See what y'all think:

 

Contract:

"Passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption except one bottle of wine or champagne per person of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage only in his/her carry-on luggage."

[JimmyVWine]

As regarding the actual contract, my own opinion is that it could not be any clearer.

Here's the first line. See what y'all think:

 

Contract:

"Passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption except one bottle of wine or champagne per person of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage only in his/her carry-on luggage."

 

That policy has been superseded. The contract language hasn't caught up yet. And perhaps it never will to deter people into thinking that the limit is one bottle per person. The website FAQ section for the "Onboard Experience" contains the proper current policy, and interestingly, refers back to the contract, which, as noted, has not been updated yet:

 

As provided in the Passage Contract, passengers agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of our policy will be removed and discarded.*

Note that this policy says that luggage will be scanned (which implies that both carry-on and checked bags are subject to the policy) and that alcohol "outside of our policy" will be removed and discarded. Alcohol outside of the policy means liquor and/or wine in containers no larger than 750ml bottles.

[kendon]

Apologies for a possible dumb question...when is the corkage fee paid? When opened or at boarding?

[geoherb]

Apologies for a possible dumb question...when is the corkage fee paid? When opened or at boarding?

If you have more than the one bottle that is allowed per adult, you pay the corkage fee for each additional bottle at embarkation. They mark those bottles to designate that you have paid the corkage on them already. If you decide to take a bottle that you have not paid the corkage fee to a dining venue instead of enjoying that wine in your cabin, you will be charged the corkage fee then.

 

When we first started sailing Princess, we rarely paid the corkage fee even in the dining room. For the past few years, however, the waiters have enforced the corkage fee more strictly. The new policy doesn't upset me very much. The only downside is that we used to bring a box of wine for our cabin and will now have to make sure to bring bottles (or to find a good wine in a 750 ml box).

Edited January 6, 2014 by geoherb

[JimmyVWine]

If you have more than the one bottle that is allowed per adult, you pay the corkage fee for each additional bottle at embarkation. They put a sticker on the bottle.

 

And to confuse things even more, this procedure is still hit-or-miss, and many people are getting all of their wine on board without paying at embarkation, (which was the jumping off point for this thread to begin with). If that proves to be the case, then no sticker will be applied to your bottles and a corkage fee will be assessed if a sticker-free bottle is brought to a public venue. We have yet to pay at embarkation, and have paid $15 for every bottle brought to a dining room.

Edited January 6, 2014 by JimmyVWine

[the kids]

Princess allows two bottles of wine 750 ml per person to be brought onboard. Why take chances with checked baggage. Why take chances with anything buit wine in your carry on. Princess checks the carry on luggage once wine is detected in the x ray machines. They make you open the carry on, if all OK, they say thanks and have a nice cruise. Se, easy if you follow the rules.