Embarkation alcohol allowance

[Fionatritton]

I note it is 2l per couple. Does this mean I can take 4 x 50cl bottles or is it 1 bottle only each up to 1litre ? How heavily is it policed ? I wouldn't bring more but I'd like to have more choice in smaller sizes ie. gin, Baileys, Malibu and Amaretto 

Edited August 25, 2020 by Fionatritton

[wowzz]

Good to get back to the old chestnut!

The policy is a bit confusing, but my reading is that it is one litre per person, in any format.

As to being policed, the security staff are not employed by P&O,  and are looking for knives, guns etc, not alcohol. Read into that what you  may. 

[Fionatritton]

Am I right in thinking if they aren't happy they would just take it off you till end of cruise ? We are unlikely to drink that much anyway as we will be having the 12 bottle wine package for our 7 night cruise for 2 😁. Just like a little tipple predinner and before bed 

 

if it goes of course. It's Iona in December 🙄

Edited August 25, 2020 by Fionatritton

[wowzz]

They are not checking for alcohol, so how would they know to take it off you?

[Denarius]

1 hour ago, Fionatritton said:

Am I right in thinking if they aren't happy they would just take it off you till end of cruise ? We are unlikely to drink that much anyway as we will be having the 12 bottle wine package for our 7 night cruise for 2 😁. Just like a little tipple predinner and before bed 

 

if it goes of course. It's Iona in December 🙄

AS wowzz correctly states, the port security staff - those at the port entrance - are concerned only with potential terrorism. Those inside the ship however, are P&O employees. If you bring alcohol onboard at any port of call you will be asked to declare it at a desk just after internal security, where it will be taken from you and a receipt given. The impounded drinks will be returned to you on the night before disembarkation. P&O are not concerned about you taking alcohol bought onshore home with you, they just do not want you to consume it on their ship.

[wowzz]

18 minutes ago, Denarius said:

AS wowzz correctly states, the port security staff - those at the port entrance - are concerned only with potential terrorism. Those inside the ship however, are P&O employees. If you bring alcohol onboard at any port of call you will be asked to declare it at a desk just after internal security, where it will be taken from you and a receipt given. The impounded drinks will be returned to you on the night before disembarkation. P&O are not concerned about you taking alcohol bought onshore home with you, they just do not want you to consume it on their ship.

On our last cruise, there was no check of your bags of any type as you entered the ship  (the scanners as you entered the terminals were manned  by local personnel). 

You could quite easily take on board the odd bottle of gin or a couple of bottles of wine with no trouble at all.

[Splice the mainbrace]

Princess have a similar policy of only allowing 1 bottle per person per cruise. However we didn't have a problem taking on board 1 bottle of wine each at every port of call.

 

However when we boarded at Sydney we had one wine each in hand luggage and one extra in a suitcase  which they detected during the scanning of embarkation luggage . The case arriving at our cabin was delayed for several hours and had a sticker on it when it did saying that they had detected it, they didn't confiscate it though! 

[ann141]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

On our last cruise, there was no check of your bags of any type as you entered the ship  (the scanners as you entered the terminals were manned  by local personnel). 

You could quite easily take on board the odd bottle of gin or a couple of bottles of wine with no trouble at all.

I think it varies as we have been to ports and people are obviously carrying alcohol which they have purchased ashore onboard and no one has stopped them. Other times (on the same cruise and possibly because a senior member of staff has been present)people have been stopped and had the bottles taken from them to collect at the end of the cruise

[davemorton]

So how so the other cruise lines that sail from Southampton police it, the lines that have a zero policy on taking your own on board? 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, davemorton said:

So how so the other cruise lines that sail from Southampton police it, the lines that have a zero policy on taking your own on board? 

Being blunt, they rely on pax obeying  the rules.

[davemorton]

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Being blunt, they rely on pax obeying  the rules.

Ahhh, just when reading some of the American forums, they are obsessed with rum runners and the like. 

[No pager thank you]

The official rule is a single 1 litre bottle of spirits or wine per passenger at embarkation only.  This also technically means that you cannot take on board various miniatures, even if the combined liquid level is 1 litre or less, the rationale being to encourage on board consumption at the higher price point.

 

A few points to note:

 

-- Frequently, the P&O security staff choose to be less than assiduous in enforcing their policy, meaning that limited amounts can be additionally introduced at any port.  If they choose to implement their policy, it is just returned to you the day before disembarkation.

-- Any alcohol purchased from the on board duty free shop is supplied to you the day before disembarkation as well.

-- Bottles of spirits can be purchased from Room service at a premium, but much less than purchasing the same volume from an on board bar.

-- What has been said about the Southampton security staff is correct in my experience.  There is also nobody in particular checking the combined  carriage of alcohol in any hand luggage one takes, relative to what is safely stored in each suitcase.

 

The P&O rules are less stringent than the American lines (some of whom scan items like empty shower gel where people secrete vodka etc), but are generally seen as being a petty and overbearing attempt to stop vast quantities being brought on board; a solution looking for a problem etc.  I have also heard senior staff refer to the policy as being "petty, largely unenforceable, and badly thought out." All correct.

 

However, Carnival's rules are Carnival's rules.  Up to you how you interpret this type of petty rule🤔😉

Edited August 25, 2020 by No pager thank you
Typo

[wowzz]

22 minutes ago, davemorton said:

Ahhh, just when reading some of the American forums, they are obsessed with rum runners and the like. 

And I think the issue is that in the US the cruise lines use security staff that are specifically instructed to identify bottles, rum runners etc.

In the UK, the security staff are not beholden to the  cruise line, and work to specific  parameters,  which do not include alcohol. 

If you attempt to carry on 12 bottles of wine, then the port security staff won't stop you, but even the most cursory check at the entrance to the ship will catch you. But two bottles of wine in your carryon bag - really, no one cares. 

[Adawn47]

16 hours ago, No pager thank you said:

The P&O rules are less stringent than the American lines (some of whom scan items like empty shower gel where people secrete vodka etc), 

Wow. The mind boggles🙄. I can't believe people actually do that, it wouldn't even enter my head.😲

Avril

[wowzz]

14 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Wow. The mind boggles🙄. I can't believe people actually do that, it wouldn't even enter my head.😲

Avril

It tends to be the younger "party " crowd who use rum runners. I don't think many of us here fall into that definition.  I'm quite happy with 2 or 3 bottles of claret! 

[Clodia]

18 hours ago, davemorton said:

Ahhh, just when reading some of the American forums, they are obsessed with rum runners and the like. 

I have rum runners; they really work well. If I want something that the ship doesn't sell then I may use them. Wrapped in clothing they are not easily identifiable by scanners. That is the point. More popular spirits are sold at good prices onboard for drinks on the balcony. I suspect I may be doing more balcony drinking on my next cruise rather than try to find seats in a bar.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Clodia

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, Clodia said:

I have rum runners; they really work well. If I want something that the ship doesn't sell then I may use them. More popular spirits are sold at good prices onboard for drinks on the balcony. I suspect I may be doing more balcony drinking on my next cruise rather than try to find seats in a bar.

I'm afraid I'd rather do without than go through all that kerfuffle. Blimey! What a todo just for a drink.

Avril

[Fionatritton]

Thanks wowzz, I'll just stick with two big bottles then - I'm not really into breaking rules when it comes to the crunch ! 
 

whatever is a rum runner ? 

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, Fionatritton said:

whatever is a rum runner ?

I haven't a clue. I'm hoping some pirate on here will pop up and tell us.

Avril

[AnnieC]

Here you are, Avril, Amazon's finest offering. I'd heard of them but had no idea what they looked liked: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Binocktails-Rum-Runner-Flasks-Cruise/dp/B00FJU0PSI

 

Even better: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Binocktails-Bev-Brella-Secret-Umbrella-Flask/dp/B01MDUDJGV/ref=pd_bxgy_2/259-8688736-2598566?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MDUDJGV&pd_rd_r=72277599-e58f-43f5-a5e7-b641d8511678&pd_rd_w=XHsAo&pd_rd_wg=xV7Nt&pf_rd_p=dcf35746-0212-418b-a148-30395d107b2d&pf_rd_r=3BV0B86SVK25F9BWDY2R&psc=1&refRID=3BV0B86SVK25F9BWDY2R

 

Good heavens, their ingenuity knows no bounds: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-Flaskings-Bev-Can-Secret-Spray-Flask/dp/B01279M0P4/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/259-8688736-2598566?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01279M0P4&pd_rd_r=84bf8c1f-1cdd-4061-9a28-24fb0d7c8b8e&pd_rd_w=alZi8&pd_rd_wg=CwGXL&pf_rd_p=dcf35746-0212-418b-a148-30395d107b2d&pf_rd_r=X9PNMCK1XYAESSTFKJW2&psc=1&refRID=X9PNMCK1XYAESSTFKJW2

Edited August 26, 2020 by AnnieC

[Fionatritton]

Hmm swigging gin out of a plastic pouch doesn't really fit with my "cruise holiday" mental image 😦

[Fionatritton]

Surely the cost of that last flask which only holds 4 doubles plus the cost of the alcohol itself outweighs the savings 

[AnnieC]

We used to joke about designing a long thin evening bag, with a pouring hole at one end, just big enough to conceal a wine bottle - desperate measures are needed when looking at Cunard's wine prices.🤣.

 

Having looked at Amazon, I imagine there's one out there for sale already.

[Adawn47]

13 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

Here you are, Avril, Amazon's finest offering. I'd heard of them but had no idea what they looked liked: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Binocktails-Rum-Runner-Flasks-Cruise/dp/B00FJU0PSI

 

Even better: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Binocktails-Bev-Brella-Secret-Umbrella-Flask/dp/B01MDUDJGV/ref=pd_bxgy_2/259-8688736-2598566?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MDUDJGV&pd_rd_r=72277599-e58f-43f5-a5e7-b641d8511678&pd_rd_w=XHsAo&pd_rd_wg=xV7Nt&pf_rd_p=dcf35746-0212-418b-a148-30395d107b2d&pf_rd_r=3BV0B86SVK25F9BWDY2R&psc=1&refRID=3BV0B86SVK25F9BWDY2R

 

Good heavens, their ingenuity knows no bounds: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-Flaskings-Bev-Can-Secret-Spray-Flask/dp/B01279M0P4/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/259-8688736-2598566?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01279M0P4&pd_rd_r=84bf8c1f-1cdd-4061-9a28-24fb0d7c8b8e&pd_rd_w=alZi8&pd_rd_wg=CwGXL&pf_rd_p=dcf35746-0212-418b-a148-30395d107b2d&pf_rd_r=X9PNMCK1XYAESSTFKJW2&psc=1&refRID=X9PNMCK1XYAESSTFKJW2

What on earth possess people to do this? They pay out all that money for a cruise just to save a few pennies on drink. Goodness me, it's unbelievable, for once in my life I'm lost for words🤣

Avril

[AnnieC]

Is it to save the price of the first drink or two in the bar on the American lines that ban taking any alcohol on board? Can't see the point either - drinking in the cabin does nothing for me when there are lovely bars. Very early on we took a couple of bottles of wine onto Cunard (where there's no limit on taking alcohol on board) and brought it home with us at the end of the cruise.