Question about bringing home liquor purchased on cruise

[IMXELITE]

Hi all,

 

I'm leaving out this week for my cruise and planned on bringing home about 6-8 bottles between me and my GF. We land back in Tampa on Monday but our flight is not until Tuesday morning. My plan was to bring a bottle shipper and use it as my second checked bag but with it containing hard liquor will it be allowed by tsa?

 

I thought about putting it in my luggage but I definitely would be over the weight limit if I did that.

[Clarea]

Hi all,

 

I'm leaving out this week for my cruise and planned on bringing home about 6-8 bottles between me and my GF. We land back in Tampa on Monday but our flight is not until Tuesday morning. My plan was to bring a bottle shipper and use it as my second checked bag but with it containing hard liquor will it be allowed by tsa?

 

I thought about putting it in my luggage but I definitely would be over the weight limit if I did that.

You can put liquor in checked bags.

[Kamloops50]

Safer to put liquor in your checked bag. Wrap bottle in a solid layer of bubble wrap.

[IMXELITE]

Thanks for the replies. I am hoping I can fit everything without it going over the weight limit.

[bouhunter]

We have brought home MANY bottles safely wrapped in dirty clothes over the years. No breakage yet:p

 

Perfectly fine with TSA in checked bags.

[msuspartanbigten]

Nevermind, I misread it!

[SRF]

You may want to check the legal limits for bringing back alcohol from outside the US without paying duty.

 

Just saying.

[cruisinfanatic]

Hi all,

 

I'm leaving out this week for my cruise and planned on bringing home about 6-8 bottles between me and my GF. We land back in Tampa on Monday but our flight is not until Tuesday morning. My plan was to bring a bottle shipper and use it as my second checked bag but with it containing hard liquor will it be allowed by tsa?

 

I thought about putting it in my luggage but I definitely would be over the weight limit if I did that.

What would they care? Just any other fluid in checked luggage

[njkruzer]

Be careful how you pack the bottles. Standing by luggage carousel in Newark once when a person picked up his bag and it reeked! No mistaking what it was. Not sure if bottle broke or if somehow the liquid seeped out. Unless you are stopping in St. Thomas you are limited in how much you can bring in duty free and even then you are required to bring in at least one bottle made in St. Thomas. We've stopped bringing back alcohol unless driving home.

[IMXELITE]

Thanks for the info guys! I plan on buying some tequila from my stop in Mexico as well. I'm prepared to pay tax on the bottles that are over the limit.

 

Also I am prepared for the transport as I have hard sided luggage and purchased wineskins which act like a sealed bubble wrap around each bottle.

[ReneeFLL]

Safer to put liquor in your checked bag. Wrap bottle in a solid layer of bubble wrap.

Liquor can ONLY go in checked baggage when flying in the US. It cannot be in carry ons.

 

.......... Unless you are stopping in St. Thomas you are limited in how much you can bring in duty free and even then you are required to bring in at least one bottle made in St. Thomas. We've stopped bringing back alcohol unless driving home.

 

What are you talking about? Since when did you have to bring back a bottle made in St. Thomas? That just isn't true. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the info guys! I plan on buying some tequila from my stop in Mexico as well. I'm prepared to pay tax on the bottles that are over the limit.

 

Also I am prepared for the transport as I have hard sided luggage and purchased wineskins which act like a sealed bubble wrap around each bottle.

 

If you are concerned about the weight, try putting anything heavy in a backpack or carry on. Cram as many clothes in there or what ever you can to free up some weight in your checked luggage so you can put the liquor in there. Also, you can only bring it back in checked luggage. TSA rules for liquid in carry on luggage are below.

"You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item."

As for bringing back liquor thru Customs it all depends on who that certain person is. Some are sticklers and others not so much. On one of our cruises that had 8 port stops in the Caribbean we ended up with 21 750ml bottles. Unfortunately I'm not exaggerating. :( It definitely wasn't planned. Mike was keeping track of what we were buying and then lost the paper. Why he wasn't putting that info on his phone is beyond me because that's what he always does. Anyway when they were delivered the night before we both nearly fell over. We couldn't believe it. Then it was how in the world are we going to be able to carry it all off the ship since it was just the two of us. It wasn't easy. :eek: We were also worried about the fees since we didn't know what they would be. Now we both keep track of what we buy. The funny thing is when we went thru Customs the guy looked at the form and sort of chuckled. We knew we were in for it, but all he did was to wave us thru. We were very surprised because Mike had listed every one of them. Last thing he needs is to lie to Customs and possibly lose his job. There are some liquors that are not available in the US and only in the Caribbean so we do like to get those and not the typical common stuff. We also didn't have to deal with flying since we docked in Ft. Lauderdale where we live. Enjoy your cruise and just pack them well.

[cruiseguy1016]

Liquor can ONLY go in checked baggage when flying in the US. It cannot be in carry ons.

 

This is not totally correct. You cannot carry bottles of liquor through the security checkpoint. Once you are past the security checkpoint at the airport, you can purchase alcohol in the airport and carry it on the plane with you.

[Wine-O]

This is not totally correct. You cannot carry bottles of liquor through the security checkpoint. Once you are past the security checkpoint at the airport, you can purchase alcohol in the airport and carry it on the plane with you.

 

This discussion is about purchasing alcohol on a cruise, not at the airport once cleared thru security. Ergo, the OP can only put his liquor in checked baggage and not carry on.

 

Personally, if I were to purchase 6-8 bottles and not flying out the same day I would head to a UPS store and have them properly wrap and ship the bottles to my home. 6-8 bottles are very heavy, so it would be cheaper to ship than pay excess weight for your luggage.

[zellmo]

This is not totally correct. You cannot carry bottles of liquor through the security checkpoint. Once you are past the security checkpoint at the airport, you can purchase alcohol in the airport and carry it on the plane with you.

 

 

Not entirely correct, If you are at a United States airport flying to another airport in the States you cannot purchase Duty Free liquor. You have to be departing from an International Airport going to the United States to purchase Duty Free.

[matj2000]

Unless you are stopping in St. Thomas you are limited in how much you can bring in duty free and even then you are required to bring in at least one bottle made in St. Thomas.

 

 

Where does this stuff come from?

Do the people who post this truly believe it?

Edited January 10, 2018 by matj2000

[cruiseguy1016]

Not entirely correct, If you are at a United States airport flying to another airport in the States you cannot purchase Duty Free liquor. You have to be departing from an International Airport going to the United States to purchase Duty Free.

 

I have purchased alcohol many times in the San Juan airport and brought it home with me. I have never payed duty on it. Maybe because I'm only buying two bottles? I assume SJU is a United States airport. Is SJU considered an international airport?

[steveru621]

Where does this stuff come from?

Do the people who post this truly believe it?

 

It is absolutely correct. Duty free is limited to 2 liters. UNLESS you are purchasing in USVI. Then if you purchase a bottle made on the islands you can then bring 5-6.

 

Before you criticize posters you might want to check your facts.

[zellmo]

I have purchased alcohol many times in the San Juan airport and brought it home with me. I have never payed duty on it. Maybe because I'm only buying two bottles? I assume SJU is a United States airport. Is SJU considered an international airport?

 

 

Yes, it's not part of the " Continental" United States. I have also bought liquor there also. Prices were only a buck or two more than St Martin.. Paying that was better than lugging it from the cruise.

[steveru621]

I have purchased alcohol many times in the San Juan airport and brought it home with me. I have never payed duty on it. Maybe because I'm only buying two bottles? I assume SJU is a United States airport. Is SJU considered an international airport?

 

Not international for the USA.

 

Just another exception carved out for the islands. Just like the exceptions for USVI.

[George C]

We bought a couple of bottles of Johnny walker blue last month no problem just putting it in checked luggage

[njkruzer]

Where does this stuff come from?

Do the people who post this truly believe it?

 

This is what we've always been told. Maybe the rules have changed.

[lele100]

Where does this stuff come from?

Do the people who post this truly believe it?

 

This is true actually, it applies to any USVI

 

per cbp website:

 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to enter the U.S. with up to five liters of alcohol duty-free as part of your exemption - as long as at least four liters were purchased in the insular possession, and at least one of them is a product of that insular possession. Additional bottles will be subject to a flat duty rate of 1.5% and subject to Internal Revenue Service taxes.

[njkruzer]

On cbp page now.

 

Cbp "will allow you to enter the U.S. with up to five liters of alcohol duty-free as part of your exemption - as long as at least four liters were purchased in the insular possession, and at at least one of them is a product of that insular possession. " St. Thomas is an insular possession. I am not crazy or making this up. Be careful of what you say.

[matj2000]

It is absolutely correct. Duty free is limited to 2 liters. UNLESS you are purchasing in USVI. Then if you purchase a bottle made on the islands you can then bring 5-6.

 

Before you criticize posters you might want to check your facts.

 

 

I guess I should.

However I have purchased liquor on almost every cruise.

Never in St.Thomas.

Never once had an issue with bringing it back.

But I don't think I have ever said or declared anything to customs..

[Wine-O]

It sounds like the OP's ship arrives Tampa, and he flies out the following day. His only option is ship it or pack it in his checked luggage.

 

I've brought back up to 6-7 bottles purchased on the ship, and I always declare it at customs. I just get waived thru, and an occasional rolling of the eyes and waived thru. I guess if I had several cases I would be stopped and ordered to pay the duty, but it's too much time and paperwork to worry about 6-7 bottles.