Alcohol ?

[mrmet1986]

I couldn't get the unlimited drink package so I have 2 questions.

1. Are you still allowed one bottle of wine per passenger.

2. Has it got harder to smuggle ?

 

Every cruise I have been on, I always put one small bottle of vodka in my luggage. I have gotten away with it every time . I just haven't cruised in over a year and wondering if it's gotten stricter.

 

Thanks for the kind replies and thanks for the flames. Either way !

[SteveH2508]

1. On NCL you never were allowed 1 'free' bottle per passenger - each wine bottle of 750ml gets a $15 corkage fee.

2. No comment.

[maywell]

1. No free wine, have to pay the corkage fee of $15 for 750 ml $30 for a magum. But at least you can drink it on the sundeck with no worries.

 

2. No point in smuggling when the drink promo let's you drink as much as you like with no cutoff.....

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

[gpb11]

Haven't tried to smuggle on the one NCL trip I've done, but here's what I observed on my trip on the Star last week:

 

• Embarkation scanning was typical. I'd expect the usual level of scrutiny.
  
• Twice I took a full Tervis water bottle off-ship with me into ports and didn't get around to drinking any the water. I literally forgot about it as I re-boarded the ship as it was in a side pocket of my backpack. Both times it went right through the security scanner with nobody saying anything at all. Nobody looked at it, asked about it, or acted at all different. It easily could have been filled with anything you like.
  
• I also noticed when re-boarding at ports that the check-your-liquor table was well separated from the scanner. Watched a lady take her bagged liquor from the scanner to the table between the deck 4 staircases without any escort and the table had no sight-line to the scanner. If she'd simply walked up the stairs before the table I don't think anyone would have been the wiser. I'm pretty sure if someone were to return to the ship with two bottles in a backpack and took one to the table to check there'd be no further thought either.
  

Obviously this is a sample of one, so YMMV.

[cruiseelady]

I couldn't get the unlimited drink package so I have 2 questions.

1. Are you still allowed one bottle of wine per passenger.

2. Has it got harder to smuggle ?

 

Every cruise I have been on, I always put one small bottle of vodka in my luggage. I have gotten away with it every time . I just haven't cruised in over a year and wondering if it's gotten stricter.

 

Thanks for the kind replies and thanks for the flames. Either way !

 

I was on NCL Gem this August, I took a bottle of wine with me in my carry on bag. I did not hide it or anything, when it went though the machine, they saw it. I was not told a word to go pay the fee. As a matter a fact I heard from people, not a person but people(their own experience) that if you take one bottle they will not tell you to pay the fee. If you take many then yes, they will charge for each bottle $15.

 

As for smuggling vodka, I have never done it, so I cant really comment on it. But if you buy those tiny bottles from a liquor store they are like a dollar, so you are not loosing much if you try and bring a few. I mean the worst they can do is take it away, so you will lose 1-3 bucks. Not much loss. Put together with your toiletries.

Edited October 29, 2015 by cruiseelady

[Theroxykitten]

Buy a small one in port with a plastic top ;-)

 

They didn't frisk the baby....

 

 

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[Mustangdrew]

Rum runners have worked on my cruises to include carnival. Also get the ones for your pockets.

[Demonyte]

I couldn't get the unlimited drink package..

 

2. No point in smuggling when the drink promo let's you drink as much as you like with no cutoff.....

 

No point of answering without reading the original post throughly..... (OP is apparently booked a charter cruise where drink packages are not sold) ;)

[dexddd]

I was on NCL Gem this August, I took a bottle of wine with me in my carry on bag. I did not hide it or anything, when it went though the machine, they saw it. I was not told a word to go pay the fee. As a matter a fact I heard from people, not a person but people(their own experience) that if you take one bottle they will not tell you to pay the fee. If you take many then yes, they will charge for each bottle $15.

 

As for smuggling vodka, I have never done it, so I cant really comment on it. But if you buy those tiny bottles from a liquor store they are like a dollar, so you are not loosing much if you try and bring a few. I mean the worst they can do is take it away, so you will lose 1-3 bucks. Not much loss. Put together with your toiletries.

 

I was on a repo cruise on the Star one year and we had a CC M&G before we set sail the first day. The elderly mother of one person was there - they had done a one night up from Seattle on Princess. The lady had won a small airplane size bottle on her Princess trip and when checking in they took it away from her.

[Demonyte]

As a matter a fact I heard from people, not a person but people(their own experience) that if you take one bottle they will not tell you to pay the fee. If you take many then yes, they will charge for each bottle $15.

 

Even if we have not been charged in the terminal, we almost always have been when bringing even only one bottle to a restaurant. There is no such rule that for one bottle one wouldn't need to pay the corkage fee.

[cruiseelady]

Even if we have not been charged in the terminal, we almost always have been when bringing even only one bottle to a restaurant. There is no such rule that for one bottle one wouldn't need to pay the corkage fee.

 

I didn't say it was rule, I said I didn't have to pay even though they saw it, as well as many others who told me so.

I would not know anything about a restaurant as I just left the bottle in the cabin. Frankly, I didn't even have to do that since I only drank 1/8 of a bottle and left everything else. As soon as I tried the "Toasted Almond" drink , I was getting that every day, its was soooo good that I had no desire to drink my wine.

Edited October 29, 2015 by cruiseelady

[mrmet1986]

1. On NCL you never were allowed 1 'free' bottle per passenger - each wine bottle of 750ml gets a $15 corkage fee.

 

2. No comment.

 

 

1 . I got ncl line mixed up with another I suppose

 

2. Lol

[mrmet1986]

1. No free wine, have to pay the corkage fee of $15 for 750 ml $30 for a magum. But at least you can drink it on the sundeck with no worries.

 

2. No point in smuggling when the drink promo let's you drink as much as you like with no cutoff.....

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

 

 

2. Did you read my question . Really ?

[mrmet1986]

Haven't tried to smuggle on the one NCL trip I've done, but here's what I observed on my trip on the Star last week:

 

 

 

• 
   
  
• Embarkation scanning was typical. I'd expect the usual level of scrutiny.
   
  
• Twice I took a full Tervis water bottle off-ship with me into ports and didn't get around to drinking any the water. I literally forgot about it as I re-boarded the ship as it was in a side pocket of my backpack. Both times it went right through the security scanner with nobody saying anything at all. Nobody looked at it, asked about it, or acted at all different. It easily could have been filled with anything you like.
   
  
• I also noticed when re-boarding at ports that the check-your-liquor table was well separated from the scanner. Watched a lady take her bagged liquor from the scanner to the table between the deck 4 staircases without any escort and the table had no sight-line to the scanner. If she'd simply walked up the stairs before the table I don't think anyone would have been the wiser. I'm pretty sure if someone were to return to the ship with two bottles in a backpack and took one to the table to check there'd be no further thought either.
   
  

 

Obviously this is a sample of one, so YMMV.

 

 

Thanks for the info !!!

[mrmet1986]

Thank you cruise lady,drew, kitten, and demonyet.

[bbryan5]

Vodka in mouth wash bottles, topped with green food coloring does the trick EVERYTIME (so I've heard..) I always get the UBP now, so it's no longer an issue, but from what I understand, it's a fool-proof system :D:D:D

[afromann13]

Just keep an eye out on the promos or heck, even call and give it a try. I was able to call NCL the other day and get UBP for me and my S/O for free (not including gratuity fees) (we have inside cabins).

[newmexicoNita]

I couldn't get the unlimited drink package so I have 2 questions.

1. Are you still allowed one bottle of wine per passenger.

2. Has it got harder to smuggle ?

 

Every cruise I have been on, I always put one small bottle of vodka in my luggage. I have gotten away with it every time . I just haven't cruised in over a year and wondering if it's gotten stricter.

 

Thanks for the kind replies and thanks for the flames. Either way !

 

All cuise lines have cracked down on bringing any booze on.

NCL never allowed any wine, though they didn't used to check as closely as now.

You can try and smuggle it on, but 99% of the time you will be caught and the booze will be kept safely for you until the day of debarkation. then you can get it back.

[newmexicoNita]

I was on a repo cruise on the Star one year and we had a CC M&G before we set sail the first day. The elderly mother of one person was there - they had done a one night up from Seattle on Princess. The lady had won a small airplane size bottle on her Princess trip and when checking in they took it away from her.

 

similar to our experience about 5 years ago. We had spent the night in NOLA. It was our annversary and we decided to have a couple of drinks in our room so we headed to the French quarters to find a liquor store. We found one with a Jim Beam special, 2 small (1/2 pints I think) of JB on sale for $5.00. We bought 2, drank 1 in the cabin and stuck the other in our luggage. Yep, it was spotted and hubby had to report to the naughty room.

[Jane Don]

I know someone that brings a case of water and a few of the bottles are filled with vodka.

[Demonyte]

You can try and smuggle it on, but 99% of the time you will be caught and the booze will be kept safely for you until the day of debarkation. then you can get it back.

 

 

Only if in original container, liquors in mouthwash bottles etc will be discarded.

[pathubia]

Pre UBP the plastic rum runners always worked.....From Boston anyways....Inside a big zip lock bag wrapped in a towel. :D Or so I have been told.

[LMaxwell]

You can try and smuggle it on, but 99% of the time you will be caught and the booze will be kept safely for you until the day of debarkation. then you can get it back.

 

If they confiscate something and it is NOT in an original factory sealed bottle (they can not determine exactly what it is) it will be discarded.

 

I strongly doubt your 99% claim. I would guess 20%?

 

OP - I did not bring anything on with me when embarking in Miami since I had the UBP, but the check in desk past the security scanners was run by a Port of Miami employee. Her back was turned to the table. She was chatting it up with a coworker oblivious to the world around her. I report. You decide.

[gpb11]

I would guess 20%?

Remember that 86.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot... :D

 

Those who know from experience that successful smuggling is not at all difficult just smile at ridiculous claims such as newmexicoNita's. :cool:

[rvsullivan]

Since the OP is on a charter and they don't allow the UBP, you can be sure they will be checking closely for smuggled booze. A huge part of the money made on charters is the booze. Good luck with smuggling.