Alcohol brought onboard from port?

[jenniferwirtz710]

On Carnival Vista, when we boarded in Athens and ended in Barcelona, we were able to buy alcohol in port and bring it on the ship to drink.  We were told IF the cruise originates in Europe, it's ok.  I'm wondering if that's just a Carnival policy or if it applies to Princess, too?  I just booked Regal in 2020 and we originate (and end) in Southhampton.  It would be great to be able to buy wine in port and take it back to our room with no fees or having it taken until the last day!

[Grburkart]

https://www.princess.com/customer_care/contact/alcohol_onboard/

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=40

 

Some will tell you you’re free to do so. I say hmmm. The above sites tell the story. 

 

Glenn

 

 

[paul929207]

Princess allows each adult to bring on one 750 ml bottle of wine with no corkage fee. All other bottles are subject to a $15 corkage fee.  No other alcohol can be brought on.

[kerryincork]

Alcohol can be brought on, but not drunk. On port days once you go past the scanner there is usually a crew person at a table. You can give them the alcohol and they will give you a receipt. It will then be delivered on the last night of the cruise or you collect it. Obviously you can't drink this alcohol.

 

 But a time or two I have come back on board and there has been no one to give it to. So I just took it to my room. I only buy  bottles of booze for gifts, so I don't drink the stuff. But once it is in your room, there is no way they can monitor you. This is a pretty rare occurance, but does seem to occur more often on European cruises🤔

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by kerryincork
Grammar

[floridalover5623]

They'll collect it as you board the ship & hold it for you but most times you can walk right past the desk & carry it to your cabin. In only one port recently (Grand Cayman) did they require liquor be shipped directly to the ship & wouldn't sell you liquor unless you paid the duty on the bottle.

Maybe it's becoming a new technique requested by the cruise lines to keep people from sneaking liquor on board? 

[justafem]

Many times we've been back on the ship earlier than they've had the table set up.  We take the booze to our room, where it's up to us whether to drink or not.  

 

Only one time have I even been asked to stop at the table and again, there wasn't even a table set up.  

 

Take this as you care to.

 

Happy sailing!

[floridalover5623]

46 minutes ago, justafem said:

Many times we've been back on the ship earlier than they've had the table set up.  We take the booze to our room, where it's up to us whether to drink or not.  

 

Only one time have I even been asked to stop at the table and again, there wasn't even a table set up.  

 

Take this as you care to.

 

Happy sailing!

I've noticed the same thing for years now.

The thing I didn't appreciate last cruise was in Grand Cayman where they shipped the liquor back to the ship the cabin steward just left my two bottles in the hall way next to my door where anyone could have walked away with it. It was in the middle of the afternoon on the last sea day, no one around & people were either packing or at the pool.

Not good. 😠  Suppose someone walked off with the box?

I seriously doubt Princess would make good on the missing items.

[dcrow72]

10 hours ago, jenniferwirtz710 said:

On Carnival Vista, when we boarded in Athens and ended in Barcelona, we were able to buy alcohol in port and bring it on the ship to drink.  We were told IF the cruise originates in Europe, it's ok.  I'm wondering if that's just a Carnival policy or if it applies to Princess, too?  I just booked Regal in 2020 and we originate (and end) in Southhampton.  It would be great to be able to buy wine in port and take it back to our room with no fees or having it taken until the last day!

We embarked in Barcelona this past summer.  There is a liquor store after security, where you board the ship.  There is no way for anyone to stop you from buying and carrying on there.  I cannot speak for Athens, but I bought a couple of bottles of wine and carried it right on through.  

[Grburkart]

2 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

I've noticed the same thing for years now.

The thing I didn't appreciate last cruise was in Grand Cayman where they shipped the liquor back to the ship the cabin steward just left my two bottles in the hall way next to my door where anyone could have walked away with it. It was in the middle of the afternoon on the last sea day, no one around & people were either packing or at the pool.

Not good. 😠  Suppose someone walked off with the box?

I seriously doubt Princess would make good on the missing items.

I make light of the situation and I’m only trying to be facetious by saying you’re complaining about something that never happened. That’s funny!

 

Glenn

[voljeep]

10 hours ago, Grburkart said:

https://www.princess.com/customer_care/contact/alcohol_onboard/

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=40

 

Some will tell you you’re free to do so. I say hmmm. The above sites tell the story. 

 

Glenn

 

 

Glenn ... posters are posting about real-life ship experiences that they have had ...

 

you are quoting from a site that is well known for not enforcing its' own "policies"

[Grburkart]

12 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Glenn ... posters are posting about real-life ship experiences that they have had ...

 

you are quoting from a site that is well known for not enforcing its' own "policies"

That’s correct. The old adage “buyer beware” comes into play here. 

By reading the the posts, the policy is inconsistent at best. I quote from the site to give the OP the information to do what he/she wants to do with it. 

I didn’t make up the rules and it seems they don’t apply to certain people. But the rules are there nonetheless. Everyone is responsible for their own decisions. 

 

Glenn

[Shmoo here]

6 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

n only one port recently (Grand Cayman) did they require liquor be shipped directly to the ship & wouldn't sell you liquor unless you paid the duty on the bottle.

That's how it's been for at least as long as we've cruised.  The liquor laws in Grand Cayman are different.  Any alcoholic purchases must be delivered to the ship (buyer can't carry out of store to ship). 

 

Now, I've read reports of some of the liquor stores close to the dock an employee would walk with the buyer to the gate, and once the buyer has entered the terminal, hands the purchase through the fence directly to the buyer.

 

 

[floridalover5623]

7 hours ago, Grburkart said:

I make light of the situation and I’m only trying to be facetious by saying you’re complaining about something that never happened. That’s funny!

 

Glenn

I'm sure it's happened to some people over the years & I only wonder how Princess handled the loss.

Other than Grand Cayman I just bypass the check in desk & secure my purchases in my cabin. 

Feel free to check your purchases with Princess if you like.

Edited February 15, 2019 by floridalover5623

[satxdiver]

They appear to be pretty much non-observant at the liquor table.  So if you have it in another container like a back pack and not in a store sack where you bought it, you most likely will be able to keep walking with your purchase to your cabin.  

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

On 2/15/2019 at 5:14 AM, paul929207 said:

Princess allows each adult to bring on one 750 ml bottle of wine with no corkage fee. All other bottles are subject to a $15 corkage fee.  No other alcohol can be brought on.

Would that be the same allowance for a B2B cruise booked as 14 days but is also sold separately as 2 - 7 day cruises or would you be allowed another 750 ml bottle for the 2nd leg ?

[chrysalis]

13 minutes ago, D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL said:

Would that be the same allowance for a B2B cruise booked as 14 days but is also sold separately as 2 - 7 day cruises or would you be allowed another 750 ml bottle for the 2nd leg ?

In our experience, it is  twice the allowance....

[Colo Cruiser]

On 2/14/2019 at 9:25 PM, jenniferwirtz710 said:

On Carnival Vista, when we boarded in Athens and ended in Barcelona, we were able to buy alcohol in port and bring it on the ship to drink.  We were told IF the cruise originates in Europe, it's ok.  I'm wondering if that's just a Carnival policy or if it applies to Princess, too?  I just booked Regal in 2020 and we originate (and end) in Southhampton.  It would be great to be able to buy wine in port and take it back to our room with no fees or having it taken until the last day!

In our experience on Princess.........

Every ship and every cruise every port handles this differently. Staff change, supervisors change etc.

Other than the free allowance at embarkation there is no way to predict what they will do for your cruise.

We have had it both ways in Europe on Princess.

All you can do is try.

[Bethcb]

On 2/14/2019 at 8:25 PM, jenniferwirtz710 said:

On Carnival Vista, when we boarded in Athens and ended in Barcelona, we were able to buy alcohol in port and bring it on the ship to drink.  We were told IF the cruise originates in Europe, it's ok.  I'm wondering if that's just a Carnival policy or if it applies to Princess, too?  I just booked Regal in 2020 and we originate (and end) in Southhampton.  It would be great to be able to buy wine in port and take it back to our room with no fees or having it taken until the last day!

We have brought on wine in ports all over the world on Princess. Never did they even mention a word to us. We never brought more than 2 at a time and just put it in our backpack. I do see they confiscate hard liquor, but never wine. At least that's our experience. 

 

[Bethcb]

7 hours ago, D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL said:

Would that be the same allowance for a B2B cruise booked as 14 days but is also sold separately as 2 - 7 day cruises or would you be allowed another 750 ml bottle for the 2nd leg ?

On back2back cruises, on the last night of the 1st leg, we buy alcohol in the gift shop on board. They allow us to carry it to our room. Then we have your alcohol for the 2nd leg. Even when our cruise card indicated we were on the back 2 back, the store staff never stopped us from taking it to our cabin.