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Bringing wine on board at the ports you visit


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Hi,

We're travelling on the Princess Dawn in January, visiting New Zealand. I read that we can bring one bottle of wine each on board when we embark, but are we able to buy wine in New Zealand and bring it on board to consume in our room?

Thanks

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Hi,

We're travelling on the Princess Dawn in January, visiting New Zealand. I read that we can bring one bottle of wine each on board when we embark, but are we able to buy wine in New Zealand and bring it on board to consume in our room?

Thanks

 

Cruise lines usually confiscate wine when bought to ports . Even for use in your cabin. They have no guarantee that you won't bring a glass of your wine to the MDR.

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The official policy from Princess is that you can only bring one bottle of wine per person on board at embarkation only. Any wine in excess of this will incur a $15 per bottle corkage charge.

 

From what I have observed, this rule is not applied consistently and at some ports, passengers take on wine and even spirits. I was stunned at being able to take on spirits. You could ask a security officer before disembarking if you can bring a bottle of wine on board. I also suspect that ports where the local security do the screening it is likely there will be less interest in wine carried on board compared with ports where the screening is done on the ship. In Auckland the screening is done on shore.

 

Have a great cruise.:)

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We did the round Australia cruise last December on the Diamond Princess and had no trouble bringing one bottle of wine each as often as we needed (for consumption in cabin only). Our bags went through their scanners and no one said a word. I did notice a desk for passengers to go to who had cartons of wine purchased from the wineries in the Margaret River area.

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We did the round Australia cruise last December on the Diamond Princess and had no trouble bringing one bottle of wine each as often as we needed (for consumption in cabin only). Our bags went through their scanners and no one said a word. I did notice a desk for passengers to go to who had cartons of wine purchased from the wineries in the Margaret River area.

That is how it was on the Diamond in February. :)

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Whereas I'm pretty sure they were taking them last month.

It does change depending on the staff. I was told it is the Hotel Director who sets the rules, not the security staff. On one cruise where I was chatting to the Head of Security, I asked him the policy. He told me he didn't care what I took on, but the Hotel Department would. :)

 

That is why I suggest people ask the security people at the gangway on their particular cruise.

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All about the Food & Beverage Dept on the ships meeting their alcohol sales targets set by the Carnival Corp bean counters in the US of A. They want you to buy theirs of course not byo, hence the 1 bottle rule at embarkation Although saying that, the policy is not consistently enforced, particularly on the Princess ships operating outside Australia/NZ or as I call them 'The American Princess Ships' NOT Sun/Dawn/Sea Princess.

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All about the Food & Beverage Dept on the ships meeting their alcohol sales targets set by the Carnival Corp bean counters in the US of A. They want you to buy theirs of course not byo, hence the 1 bottle rule at embarkation Although saying that, the policy is not consistently enforced, particularly on the Princess ships operating outside Australia/NZ or as I call them 'The American Princess Ships' NOT Sun/Dawn/Sea Princess.

I have been on a few Australian-based Princess ships where the rule is not enforced.:)

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I have been on a few Australian-based Princess ships where the rule is not enforced.:)

True, as I have seen on Sun Princess and Dawn Princess. There is no consistency in enforcement of the Princess byo policy and that is the problem.

 

If you want to take on any booze, carte blanche and with the full approval of the cruise line, try P&O UK, I was recently on Aurora/Oriana and no problems bringing on scotch and vino for medicinal purposes in the cabin. The Poms would riot if P&O UK stopped that concession. But we still bought our pre dinner cocktail in the lounge and our bottle of fine wine with dinner in the MDR. Lubbly Jubbly. Our wine steward loved our table of 8, 4 bottles of vino per night.

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I have seen it all ways, where they allow the extra bottles through, where they have charged the $15 per bottle and where they have taken the wine for holding until the end of the cruise. It really depends on the particular staff and port security directives at the time. Pot luck:D

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True, as I have seen on Sun Princess and Dawn Princess. There is no consistency in enforcement of the Princess byo policy and that is the problem.

 

If you want to take on any booze, carte blanche and with the full approval of the cruise line, try P&O UK, I was recently on Aurora/Oriana and no problems bringing on scotch and vino for medicinal purposes in the cabin. The Poms would riot if P&O UK stopped that concession. But we still bought our pre dinner cocktail in the lounge and our bottle of fine wine with dinner in the MDR. Lubbly Jubbly. Our wine steward loved our table of 8, 4 bottles of vino per night.

 

Cunard is also the same. There is really no limit!

 

Chez

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True, as I have seen on Sun Princess and Dawn Princess. There is no consistency in enforcement of the Princess byo policy and that is the problem.

 

If you want to take on any booze, carte blanche and with the full approval of the cruise line, try P&O UK, I was recently on Aurora/Oriana and no problems bringing on scotch and vino for medicinal purposes in the cabin. The Poms would riot if P&O UK stopped that concession. But we still bought our pre dinner cocktail in the lounge and our bottle of fine wine with dinner in the MDR. Lubbly Jubbly. Our wine steward loved our table of 8, 4 bottles of vino per night.

 

Makes for a merry table each night.;)

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