Wine in carry-on, but

[Motorin]

Hi, I'll be cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale going from airport. I understand Princess allows one bottle per person allowed in carry-on (required to be in carrry-on), but of course that would not be allowed in air carry-on. Can anyone suggest how to best take advantage of BYOB?

[SuiteTraveler]

When taking the taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal, have your taxi stop at any drugstore or grocery store or liquor store along the way and buy your wine there.

[jeph]

1) I have often taken wine in CHECKED luggage, although the airlines like to know about it, and know that it's specially sealed and padded-- as will you, of course, since nobody wants their clothing soaked in wine! The check-in person at the departure airport will provide "FRAGILE" stickers for that bag.

 

When you get to Ft Lauderdale, you can transfer the bottle(s) into a carry-on.

 

2) If you want to use the "buy on arrival" strategy, many people have mentioned that there's a Total Wine, which has a giant selection, just north of the port. In that case, order ahead of time online so you can swoop in for a quick pickup on the day and minimize the taxi's waiting time.

 

Incidentally, I cruised with Princess out of San Francisco last winter-- and brought FIVE bottles aboard, courtesy of my brother, who lives out there and has a huge collection. They'll charge a corkage fee of $15 a bottle right as you check in at the pier. (Just be sure they don't charge for the bottles a second time when they're opened in the dining room-- sometimes the left hand of management doesn't know what the right hand is doing!)

Edited November 18, 2015 by jeph
add info

[cae4740]

How does the cruise know if you have wine or alcohol in your luggage? Do they search your bags? I just bought a cruise with MSC and I have some questions. Is there a forum for me to ask questions about that cruise line? I don't even know if my gratuities are included in the price I paid. They were never mentioned.

[Hlitner]

How does the cruise know if you have wine or alcohol in your luggage? Do they search your bags? I just bought a cruise with MSC and I have some questions. Is there a forum for me to ask questions about that cruise line? I don't even know if my gratuities are included in the price I paid. They were never mentioned.

 

Most (if not all) cruise lines are now Xraying all passenger luggage. In fact, in Port Everglades (Ft Lauderdale) they actually built separate xray facilities that are usually located between 2 piers so that they can serve multiple ships.

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

How does the cruise know if you have wine or alcohol in your luggage? Do they search your bags? I just bought a cruise with MSC and I have some questions. Is there a forum for me to ask questions about that cruise line? I don't even know if my gratuities are included in the price I paid. They were never mentioned.

 

Most (if not all) cruise lines are now Xraying all passenger luggage. In fact, in Port Everglades (Ft Lauderdale) they actually built separate xray facilities that are usually located between 2 piers so that they can serve multiple ships. If they detect suspicious looking items (like wine bottles or boxes) the luggage is normally held onboard in a secure area and the passenger is notified to report to retrieve their luggage (which will usually be searched in their presence).

 

Hank

[jocap]

How does the cruise know if you have wine or alcohol in your luggage? Do they search your bags? I just bought a cruise with MSC and I have some questions. Is there a forum for me to ask questions about that cruise line? I don't even know if my gratuities are included in the price I paid. They were never mentioned.

 

Yes, your bags are X-rayed.

If you go back to the index and look quite near the top, you'll see Cruise Lines. MSC has a page on that index.

I doubt that gratuities will be included in the price- ask your travel agent or ring MSC.

[taglovestocruise]

How does the cruise know if you have wine or alcohol in your luggage? Do they search your bags? I just bought a cruise with MSC and I have some questions. Is there a forum for me to ask questions about that cruise line? I don't even know if my gratuities are included in the price I paid. They were never mentioned.

 

It doesn't matter if it's wine or alcohol, neither is allowed in checked baggage, when you run your carry on through the check in scanner they can tell a lot by the shape of the bottle.. If gratuities were not mentioned then they probably are not included.