Bring my Own Spirits?

[Mura]

Sounds good to me, and I'm not a sommelier!

 

Er, sommeliere.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Mura

[mjobtx]

As wine lovers we carry wine with us almost everywhere and if we happen to wind up in wine country on our cruise, we usually return with wine as well. Our upcoming cruise will start in Cape Town with a visit to the wine lands and end in Buenos Aires where we will visit Mendoza for a few days while we are there.

 

About a year ago, I found this built for purpose wine suitcase. https://vingardevalise.com/ I bought one. Tried it out on a few trips and then bought another. They both will be going with us on our upcoming trip. One will be full of wine for our trip. The other full of breakables, liquids, and assorted odds and ends that we will consume on the trip.

 

I have learned over the years that shipping back wine from abroad is expensive. It can take a long time and sometimes it gets hung up in customs. We prefer to have our wine with us going and coming. This particular case is discrete and has insulating qualities which help to protect our wine in transit. The drawback, you have to check the cases both directions which is why we often fill the bottle pockets with odds and ends on the outbound and of course wine bottles on the return. Even if I had to pay to check the suitcase, it would cost me less than shipping a case home.

 

The case isn't for everyone but it works very well for us.

 

Michael

[dar68]

Is it possible to buy wine and liquor in Dubai to bring on board?

[newbie60]

About a year ago, I found this built for purpose wine suitcase. https://vingardevalise.com/ I bought one. Tried it out on a few trips and then bought another. They both will be going with us on our upcoming trip. One will be full of wine for our trip. The other full of breakables, liquids, and assorted odds and ends that we will consume on the trip.

 

Thanks for this link. We have used a rolling carrier for many years and it's considerably cheaper BUT it is not subtle, nor does it roll like a suitcase. It's RED and says WineCheck right on the top! We've never had a problem with it on planes or Oceania ships but the one you posted looks much easier to navigate. Thinking Christmas present for DH.

[mjobtx]

About a year ago, I found this built for purpose wine suitcase. https://vingardevalise.com/ I bought one. Tried it out on a few trips and then bought another. They both will be going with us on our upcoming trip. One will be full of wine for our trip. The other full of breakables, liquids, and assorted odds and ends that we will consume on the trip.

 

Thanks for this link. We have used a rolling carrier for many years and it's considerably cheaper BUT it is not subtle, nor does it roll like a suitcase. It's RED and says WineCheck right on the top! We've never had a problem with it on planes or Oceania ships but the one you posted looks much easier to navigate. Thinking Christmas present for DH.

 

Had a Wine Check too for a long time but I am getting older. Dragging it and lifting it got to be a hassle. This one is a 4 wheel spinner. Looks like a suitcase and it is but it was designed to hold wine so the dimensions are a little different. Also holds standard liquor bottles and growlers that are shaped similar to wine bottles. The inserts are flexible within reason. I have carried Champagne, Burgundy, and other large bottles too but if you are flying coach you have to watch how many really heavy bottles you put in it. It could exceed 50 lbs. On the other hand, excess baggage charges if you carry a bunch of heavy bottles cost less than shipping wine home or paying for wine when you arrive and I always have what I like with me.

 

I have it on good authority that during the holidays the case will be on sale for a few days - probably Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Total Wine and IWA carry it so if you live where there is a Total Wine you can probably pick it up for less for a few days. I suspect the companies website will have the same price for the holidays too.

 

I suspect if you treat yourself, you will be happy. We certainly are. Takes a little breaking in like a new pair of shoes.

 

Michael

[caviargal]

 

I have it on good authority that during the holidays the case will be on sale for a few days - probably Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Total Wine and IWA carry it so if you live where there is a Total Wine you can probably pick it up for less for a few days. I suspect the companies website will have the same price for the holidays too.

 

I suspect if you treat yourself, you will be happy. We certainly are. Takes a little breaking in like a new pair of shoes.

 

Michael

 

We usually travel with a wine shipper case we bought years ago from UHAUL. It carries a case and has styro inserts. We check it as baggage and have never had any issues.

 

The link to the VinGuard Valise is much appreciated as that would be ideal for our travels overseas. We could not ship any wines back from France during recent trips there (the wineries would not ship) and this would at least allow us a case to bring home.

 

Thanks for sharing!

[mjobtx]

We usually travel with a wine shipper case we bought years ago from UHAUL. It carries a case and has styro inserts. We check it as baggage and have never had any issues.

 

The link to the VinGuard Valise is much appreciated as that would be ideal for our travels overseas. We could not ship any wines back from France during recent trips there (the wineries would not ship) and this would at least allow us a case to bring home.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Happy to share. It solved a problem for me. Came home from Burgundy with a case full. Was traveling business class so no excess baggage issue. Will probably come back from Mendoza with both cases full of wines I can't find here in the U.S. That's a lot of fun for me. Will also go over with one case full for use on the ship. I ran the numbers on the ship's wine list and with few exceptions the multiples were sky high. Hard for me to pay $60 for a $9 wine.

[newbie60]

Happy to share. It solved a problem for me. Came home from Burgundy with a case full. Was traveling business class so no excess baggage issue. Will probably come back from Mendoza with both cases full of wines I can't find here in the U.S. That's a lot of fun for me. Will also go over with one case full for use on the ship. I ran the numbers on the ship's wine list and with few exceptions the multiples were sky high. Hard for me to pay $60 for a $9 wine.

 

With you there! When one has a cellar full of wine, and it's all getting older, it makes no sense to pay 4-5 times the markup for less than stellar wine. We even take French wine to California when we spend a month there - blasphemy!

 

And appreciate the heads up about the sale, unfortunately I got itchy fingers and have already ordered one!

[mjobtx]

With you there! When one has a cellar full of wine, and it's all getting older, it makes no sense to pay 4-5 times the markup for less than stellar wine. We even take French wine to California when we spend a month there - blasphemy!

 

And appreciate the heads up about the sale, unfortunately I got itchy fingers and have already ordered one!

 

newbie60. You will love the case. I am an old world collector myself but I do have some new world wines and will likely come back with a couple of cases worth from Mendoza. If you would like, send me a PM at mjobtx@gmail.com and let me have your contact information. I will do likewise. Maybe we can meet sometime at home or in our travels. I have been known to travel for an offline. Hope to hear from you.

 

Michael

[Mura]

I ran the numbers on the ship's wine list and with few exceptions the multiples were sky high. Hard for me to pay $60 for a $9 wine.

 

 

Er, maybe it's because I'm buying my wine in NYC but where do you get a $9 bottle of wine that isn't Ripple?

 

My usual wines for daily drinking (usually cabernet sauvignon or sauvignon blanc) run $15-30 in NY. Even then I wouldn't want to pay double, although I well know that in restaurants and on cruise ships there is a whopping markup and what it would cost at home.

 

But $9? It's many years since my modest wines cost that little ...

 

Michael, Thanks also for the link to VinGarde Valise ... looks great! I would never need to bring so much wine along (since my husband is as close to being a teetotaler as one can be) but it's nice to know that something like this is available. If we were going on a 40 day or more trip, I'd rethink my position! But for 14-21 days, especially if we're in a suite that gets the liquor set-up, bringing 3-4 bottles is sufficient for me.

 

There are all great suggestions.

 

 

 

Mura

Edited November 13, 2015 by Mura

[Mura]

I just did a google on "wine shipper cases" and one of the first that came up said this:

 

Bel-Air Shipping Cases are for products that are transported frequently as freight or luggage, and for items that may be heavy (over 40 pounds), delicate, and/or valuable. Items such as computers, commercial tooling, video equipment, and motorcycle engines.

Really, motorcycle engines?? Maybe this is a bit of overkill for bottles ...

 

I think I'll skip this one ...

[mjobtx]

Er, maybe it's because I'm buying my wine in NYC but where do you get a $9 bottle of wine that isn't Ripple?

 

My usual wines for daily drinking (usually cabernet sauvignon or sauvignon blanc) run $15-30 in NY. Even then I wouldn't want to pay double, although I well know that in restaurants and on cruise ships there is a whopping markup and what it would cost at home.

 

But $9? It's many years since my modest wines cost that little ...

 

Michael, Thanks also for the link to VinGarde Valise ... looks great! I would never need to bring so much wine along (since my husband is as close to being a teetotaler as one can be) but it's nice to know that something like this is available. If we were going on a 40 day or more trip, I'd rethink my position! But for 14-21 days, especially if we're in a suite that gets the liquor set-up, bringing 3-4 bottles is sufficient for me.

 

There are all great suggestions.

 

 

 

Mura

 

Mura, might have been a bad example but when I looked at the "Wine by the Bottle" package, 22 of the wines can be purchased for $12 a bottle or less, 13 of them for $9 or less. At $42.50 per bottle on the "Wine by the Bottle" list, you can see what I meant about the multiples.There are also well priced wines on the Connoisseurs List and the regular wine list as well. Those lists are not necessarily what will be available but for people like me that buy a lot of wine, high multiples are discouraging.

 

Like I said earlier, the wine suitcase isn't for everyone. I was only letting those like me that do carry and bring home wine know that it exists. The company that designed and manufactures the case is small but growing and the first version of the case only went on the market about 16 months ago. I have a version 1 and a version 2 myself.

 

Michael

[Mura]

The little research I just did on "wine shipper" cases -- and I emphasize it was little -- showed that most of them are styrofoam containers inside boxes. I wouldn't want to use them shipping to Europe from the U.S.! One source asked me where I was shipping to/from but only considered shipments between U.S. states (which probably would be okay).

 

I wouldn't want to trust those styrofoam cases -- I've been ordering wine from a couple of internet sources which ship in those cases, and everything has been received in perfect condition. But I wouldn't want to trust an airline with such packaging material. So if I were going to ship enough bottles to make it worth it, something like the VinGuard would be the way I would go.

 

Speaking of shipping, and somewhat off-topic, a few weeks ago I ordered a glass beer mug which was based one a series of wine glasses which had etchings based on water colors that our guide on an African safari had made from EBay. Our trip was back in 1987. I ordered a number of the wine glasses at the time of our trip but have been trying to restock thanks to my husband's vision problems leading to his breaking number of them! (These are no longer available.) I was delighted with the beer mug even though it was only one.

 

The seller shipped it meticulously wrapped ... but somehow USPS managed to deliver it to me totally shattered. At least insurance came through ...

 

Of course, this glass (while a pretty heavy glass, much heavier than the wine glasses in the series) was in its turn much lighter than a typical wine bottle.

 

Even so ... I wouldn't trust one of those styrofoam-cardboard box combos for shipping wine on an airline!

 

Mura

[mjobtx]

The little research I just did on "wine shipper" cases -- and I emphasize it was little -- showed that most of them are styrofoam containers inside boxes. I wouldn't want to use them shipping to Europe from the U.S.! One source asked me where I was shipping to/from but only considered shipments between U.S. states (which probably would be okay).

 

I wouldn't want to trust those styrofoam cases -- I've been ordering wine from a couple of internet sources which ship in those cases, and everything has been received in perfect condition. But I wouldn't want to trust an airline with such packaging material. So if I were going to ship enough bottles to make it worth it, something like the VinGuard would be the way I would go.

 

Speaking of shipping, and somewhat off-topic, a few weeks ago I ordered a glass beer mug which was based one a series of wine glasses which had etchings based on water colors that our guide on an African safari had made from EBay. Our trip was back in 1987. I ordered a number of the wine glasses at the time of our trip but have been trying to restock thanks to my husband's vision problems leading to his breaking number of them! (These are no longer available.) I was delighted with the beer mug even though it was only one.

 

The seller shipped it meticulously wrapped ... but somehow USPS managed to deliver it to me totally shattered. At least insurance came through ...

 

Of course, this glass (while a pretty heavy glass, much heavier than the wine glasses in the series) was in its turn much lighter than a typical wine bottle.

 

Even so ... I wouldn't trust one of those styrofoam-cardboard box combos for shipping wine on an airline!

 

Mura

 

I wouldn't and don't use a wine shipper. If you search for wine suitcase, you will get different responses. Our cases are suitcases specifically designed to carry wine safely and securely. Anyone that has received a shipment of wine and I receive many over the course of the year, see that the Styrofoam is usually cracked or partially broken by the time the wine arrives. While you might use them more than once, the integrity is not there. You might find a video on the http://www.vingardevalise.com website amusing. It shows a fully loaded case being rolled down a flight of stairs.

[marylovestotravel]

We are travelling through Munich to connect and I simply emailed the airport and they connected me to security,

 

They sent me confirmation that we can pick up our duty free in Canada and carry it on through as long as we follow the rules.

 

If I understand it correctly most of the EU seems to follow these rules, so as long as you are entering from a non EU country you can pick up duty free and carry it through on connection.

 

That would be a cheaper alternative that buying at the airport IMO.

 

Here is the pdf that they attached for me in case it helps anyone else.

 

[ATTACH]367442[/ATTACH]

 

Hi Jacqui,

 

We did that a few years ago, buying our duty free at Vancouver airport and connecting through Frankfurt to Rome. There were no problems as long as you tell the cashier that you will be connecting to another flight in Europe. They will bag it in a special bag. The receipt needed to be showing and the time elapsed had to be reasonable with the trip. (no elapsed time of 7 days!) We had no problems. But... there is an excellent duty free in Frankfurt (probably Munich too-you can probably check their catalogue online) and we ended up buying a couple more bottles there, but I don't remember if the price reflected a tax difference or if it was just good. Once you are in the Eurozone, I don't think duty free applies?

 

In 2013 I did the same in reverse, buying my duty-free before arriving in Edmonton. The security tested the atmosphere in my bag and declared it had no nefarious chemicals and passed me on for my connection to Vancouver.

 

Hopes this helps.

 

And for people investigating protective cases for their wine/liquor, my son got a couple of Pelican cases which he claims you can drive over. :eek:

 

Mia

[mjobtx]

I just spoke to a customer service rep at Oceania and asked him about the limits of bringing wine on board. He told me that I was limited to 3 bottles. However that information is not present anywhere that I can find on the Oceania website and it isn't in the Oci terms and conditions document I received. Apparently the policy is a well hidden one which had I arrived with my usual case of wine would have cost me dearly and it would certainly have made me extremely angry at Oceania for enforcing a policy no one knows about.

 

The agent said he would send me a copy of the policy. We shall see. It seems quite unusual to limit us to bringing on 3 bottles of wine at the same time we are visiting wineries on some of our excursions. If ever a policy needed to be changed and certainly published in plain sight, this is one of them.

[Mura]

Technically that IS the policy but it's never been enforced that I know of. While I haven't brought on more than a few bottles myself, plenty of people have posted here that they did so without any problems at all. (And you aren't the first to ask this question by any means.)

 

I think this is just a "self-protective" measure in case they have difficulties with a passenger. You really should not worry.

 

While I don't normally bring on a case of wine, I did bring 4-5 bottles of wine and a magnum of vodka on to the ship on our last cruise (boarded last April in Lima, Peru) without any problems at all.

 

Mura

[mjobtx]

Technically that IS the policy but it's never been enforced that I know of. While I haven't brought on more than a few bottles myself, plenty of people have posted here that they did so without any problems at all. (And you aren't the first to ask this question by any means.)

 

I think this is just a "self-protective" measure in case they have difficulties with a passenger. You really should not worry.

 

While I don't normally bring on a case of wine, I did bring 4-5 bottles of wine and a magnum of vodka on to the ship on our last cruise (boarded last April in Lima, Peru) without any problems at all.

 

Mura

 

I am troubled by the fact that they have an unpublished policy that could force someone to discard several hundred dollars worth of wine. Below is the policy as published in the FAQs on the website and below that, the policy as sent to me by the agent. The differences are significant.

 

In FAQs on the website: What is your alcohol policy?

The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages will be limited to guests aged 21 years or older. Oceania Cruises will refuse and prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to guests under the age of 21 years. Guests are kindly reminded to consume alcohol in moderation. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to prohibit and retain all alcohol bought ashore for consumption on board the vessel.

 

Policy sent by the agent but nowhere to be found on the website: Alcohol Policy

The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages will be limited to guests aged 21 years or older. Oceania Cruises will refuse and prohibits the sale or service of alcoholic beverages to guests under the age of 21 years. Guests are kindly reminded to consume alcohol in moderation. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to prohibit and retain all alcohol bought ashore for consumption onboard the vessel. Beer and liquor cannot be brought on-board by guests.

The maximum of 3 bottles of independent wine (per stateroom, per cruise) can be brought on-board for the duration of the cruise. This includes guests flying with their own wine, or purchasing it on shore. We ask that guests let us know they are bringing wine on-board so the ship can be advised. Guests are welcome to enjoy their wine in the comfort and privacy of their stateroom or suite, or, if they prefer, may enjoy their wine in one of the ship’s dining rooms. Any wine consumed in the dining room or a public area will be subject to a corkage fee of $25.00 per bottle. There is no corkage fee for wine purchased onboard or as part of our Bon Voyage Gift Program.

[Mura]

I understand your concerns but I will reiterate that if you were to have problems in this connection, you'd be the first. Plus the customer service reps are often not as aware of real life on the ships ...

 

In addition, I just noted the "please advise the ship" that you are bringing on alcohol. I've never done so, that's for sure, and I haven't needed to. If you are bringing on a case, it might be a good idea to do so however.

 

I'm sure that some of the people who have brought on a case or two will chime in here.

 

Mura

[mjobtx]

I understand your concerns but I will reiterate that if you were to have problems in this connection, you'd be the first. Plus the customer service reps are often not as aware of real life on the ships ...

 

In addition, I just noted the "please advise the ship" that you are bringing on alcohol. I've never done so, that's for sure, and I haven't needed to. If you are bringing on a case, it might be a good idea to do so however.

 

I'm sure that some of the people who have brought on a case or two will chime in here.

 

Mura

 

I do hope someone with experience bringing on more than 3 bottles chimes in. You can't imagine how angry I would be if I had to discard several hundred dollars worth of wine at the port. I do not see the wisdom nor the value in the policy. Surely Oceania isn't that greedy. At the very least, I would like to have a waiver. I am going to try to speak to a supervisor on Monday but often they don't really know anything either.

[Mura]

Have you done a general search on the topic? I've seen many posts over the years on this subject ... just not so many right here and now!

 

Drop me a line if you'd like to discuss this further in private, I don't want to tie up the thread.

 

Mura

[Goldmann]

I do hope someone with experience bringing on more than 3 bottles chimes in. You can't imagine how angry I would be if I had to discard several hundred dollars worth of wine at the port. I do not see the wisdom nor the value in the policy. Surely Oceania isn't that greedy. At the very least, I would like to have a waiver. I am going to try to speak to a supervisor on Monday but often they don't really know anything either.

 

We have completed 12 O cruises...we regularly bring case(s) of wine on each trip. We have never had any issue nor have we ever heard of anyone being barred from bringing the same aboard. We have never pre notified. We have had asst. cruise directors carry our case to our room. A search will reveal frequent CC discussion on this topic. Equally we have never read of any lost bottles. You will read lots of interpretations of the three bottle contract clause. Newbie 60 will offer the same re their experience. They bring a hell of a lot more than do we. Hi Jan.

 

John

[mjobtx]

We have completed 12 O cruises...we regularly bring case(s) of wine on each trip. We have never had any issue nor have we ever heard of anyone being barred from bringing the same aboard. We have never pre notified. We have had asst. cruise directors carry our case to our room. A search will reveal frequent CC discussion on this topic. Equally we have never read of any lost bottles. You will read lots of interpretations of the three bottle contract clause. Newbie 60 will offer the same re their experience. They bring a hell of a lot more than do we. Hi Jan.

 

John

 

That's comforting. I always travel with a case, sometimes two. Newbie 60 and you sound like my kind of people.

[Goldmann]

That's comforting. I always travel with a case, sometimes two. Newbie 60 and you sound like my kind of people.

 

We four have shared some wonderful wines and would be happy to expand the tasting panel to six should the opportunity present. If you search the CC threads on this topic the consensus will be yes, the contract states something about three bottles. The consensus will further reduce to it's there should O need to enforce non-adult behavior occassioned by excess consumption. per earlier post we have never seen nor heard of anytime there was any such action. Our experience: adults acting as such results in a non event.

 

John

Edited November 14, 2015 by Goldmann
Can't spell

[mjobtx]

We four have shared some wonderful wines and would be happy to expand the tasting panel to six should the opportunity present. If you search the CC threads on this topic the consensus will be yes, the contract states something about three bottles. The consensus will further reduce to it's there should O need to enforce non-adult behavior occassioned by excess consumption. per earlier post we have never seen nor heard of anytime there was any such action. Our experience: adults acting as such results in a non event.

 

Jihn

 

Hope we cross paths then. Happy to contribute to the cause. I didn't see your name on the roll call for our up coming cruise so I guess it won't happen this time. Maybe next. This time Cape Town to Buenos Aires with a side trip to Mendoza. Plan to take back a couple of cases of stuff I can't get in Texas or for that matter anywhere in the U.S. I love my wine suitcases. They have made travel with wine so much easier.