Do they bother with those little bottles of booze

[jtwanabe]

Somebody told me that they didn't bother you over those. Any truth to it?

 

JT

[Mutumbojimbo]

Based on what I've read here, there's no hard and fast rule to what gets through screening. I imagine that a couple bottles may look like travel size toiletries but if it looks like you have a minibar in your suitcase, you may have a problem. I look at this like a form of gambling, don't risk more than you're prepared to lose, and you should be ok. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

[cruiseelady]

Somebody told me that they didn't bother you over those. Any truth to it?

 

JT

 

 

I actually asked the same question before not too long ago and got so many answers, and some were quiet nasty replies(from those who are against people doing this.) But the truth is , it says on their site that if you bring the hard liquor in an unopened bottle, they will confiscate it and give it back to you after the cruise. That is if they notice it.

I wanted to bring those tiny bottles as well, not many just 2-3.

[Eeyoregon]

I've had luck with them 100% of the time on 10 cruises.

 

The funny thing is, there is NO rhyme or reason to the screening. None. My last two cruises (Miami and Port Canaveral) the screening in the terminal was nearly non-existent. I tried to take my bottle of champagne out of my carryon to show that it was champagne and got "yelled" at to leave it in the suitcase and keep the line moving. That bottle could have been anything.

 

We also had 2 opened water bottles on us (in our hands) about 2/3 full and we walked right through the metal detector and no one batted an eye.

 

What were they checking? 12 packs of soda. Using a pen lite to look in the handle hole and carefully inspecting the ends of the boxes for re-sealing, etc.

[JamesEM]

Somebody told me that they didn't bother you over those. Any truth to it?

 

JT

 

My suggestion would be to place the bottles in your shaving kit.

[andy.capitan]

There isn't enough metal in most of them to set off a metal detector. As long as you aren't wearing skinny pants, you should be able to walk through with one in each pocket undetected.

[elainmir]

I always throw a few of the craft brews I'm so fond of in the various suitcases I take. If they actually got some frosty brew worth drinking I wouldn't do this ( no flaming please) ;) This last cruise out of Port Canaveral I put the soda and water in a small suitcase, there were no frosty brews in that suitcase. I had FTTF so I had my luggage in NO TIME! except for the soda/water suitcase that arrived about 1 hour later with the standard- we had to check your stuff letter and the water had been pulled out and checked. The soda carton had been opened on the end and taped back. I can't lift over 10 pounds so I have to do mine that way instead of carryon. So I say it's hit or miss. I don't take a ton of stuff on..

[caribsun]

Yup, put them in your pocket and get the ones with plastic caps. ;)

[just4steven]

Here is my experience; Getting on the ship the allowable wine and the mini bottles made it through. One of the "mini" bottles was 200ml. Then at each port if they had mini bottles or 200 ml bottles of something I would pick up a few and all made it through getting back on the ship no problems. Pick up a hot sauce bottle or something as well. This is just my opinion but whatever they see in the xray machine when getting back on at port it seemed to me if they were under a certain size they got through. They were stopping others with the bigger bottles, so it was obvious to me if it was under a certain size it was probably not worth the hassle to check someone as it might turn out to be some sort of sauce or something. Then I think it was Roatan where they had nothing but bigger bottles. I tried those and my bags were immediately stopped. A quick story on that is it all happened so fast that when I got to the guy that was checking the bottles to give back to you the last night I only had to give him one and hid the other :D

 

Oh, and as for the mini bottles and 200 ml bottles, yes, I think it was Grand Cayman but that was my first cruise stop ever and I'm coming back on the ship with some "goodies" so I'm kind of freaking out and the 200 ml was just in a brown paper bag and I put it in my bag and then saw others with the big bottles get called out of line and I pulled it out of the bag and then the line went too quick so I just had to throw the paper bag on the belt and the PLASTIC bottle was hanging out half way and it just went right through! Sorry for the run on sentence, lol, but it was quite an experience for me. Also I totally forgot to note! PLASTIC seems to be key as well! I know it's harder to find in the bigger bottles, but in the mini and 200 mls you can find many varieties :D

[cruiseelady]

Here is my experience; Getting on the ship the allowable wine and the mini bottles made it through. One of the "mini" bottles was 200ml. Then at each port if they had mini bottles or 200 ml bottles of something I would pick up a few and all made it through getting back on the ship no problems. Pick up a hot sauce bottle or something as well. This is just my opinion but whatever they see in the xray machine when getting back on at port it seemed to me if they were under a certain size they got through. They were stopping others with the bigger bottles, so it was obvious to me if it was under a certain size it was probably not worth the hassle to check someone as it might turn out to be some sort of sauce or something. Then I think it was Roatan where they had nothing but bigger bottles. I tried those and my bags were immediately stopped. A quick story on that is it all happened so fast that when I got to the guy that was checking the bottles to give back to you the last night I only had to give him one and hid the other :D

 

Oh, and as for the mini bottles and 200 ml bottles, yes, I think it was Grand Cayman but that was my first cruise stop ever and I'm coming back on the ship with some "goodies" so I'm kind of freaking out and the 200 ml was just in a brown paper bag and I put it in my bag and then saw others with the big bottles get called out of line and I pulled it out of the bag and then the line went too quick so I just had to throw the paper bag on the belt and the PLASTIC bottle was hanging out half way and it just went right through! Sorry for the run on sentence, lol, but it was quite an experience for me. Also I totally forgot to note! PLASTIC seems to be key as well! I know it's harder to find in the bigger bottles, but in the mini and 200 mls you can find many varieties :D

 

So you took those mini bottle not in the original container, meaning you put it in the plastic bottle? I was thinking of getting travel size bottles, 50ml(1.7oz), keep them in their original bottle and just put it with my other mini shampoos/body wash quart size bag(plane approved.)

[Lovefuninthesun]

When re-boarding the ship in Tortola I had 30 tiny bottles of Pusser's rum (in a clearly-marked Pusser's shopping bag) for gifts when I got home. I fully expected them to be placed with the other liquor purchased in port, to be returned to our cabin the final night of the cruise.

 

I was totally surprised that they just sailed through the scanner and were given back to me.

 

I think they are focused on the regular-sized bottles.

[Barsnikel]

I have taken those on a number of cruises.... some have gotten through and some have not. It simply depends upon how thorough they are.

 

I have even had some in the same suitcase taken while others were left alone. It was almost like "we see them, and just so you know we're taking a few" :)