Bringing Alcohol aboard on EU cruises

[Giladj]

I know all the standard cruise line rules about bringing alcohol on board. When we sailed Carnival earlier this year to Norway and northern capitals we learned that when a ship is sailing from or to EU ports those rules are not enforceable. There was much talk about this on our roll call. 

 

because I was not certain of this I did bring on one small bottle of spirits in our embarkation pony of Dover UK. No problem. I also brought wine (both boxed and bottles) on board in Alesunde Norway. Since alcohol is so much cheaper in Germany I brought on both spirits and wine in our two German ports. It was scanned but not confiscated or even mentioned. Since this was a B2B cruise I also bought some in the duty free shop at the end of the first cruise and it was delivered to my cabin and available to me for the second cruise. I am considering a British Isles cruise for the fall and wondering if I can forgo the whole free at sea thing. 

 

Does anyone have personal experience with this same situation on NCL? The cruise lines will not affirm or deny this by the way.

 

Thanks

[Asawi]

I don't have any experience one way or the other of this. But surely the cruiseline is in their full right to set their own rules what to allow and not? I live in EU and I have no knowledge of businesses not being able to set (and enforce) their own restrictions. (Of course they can't allow anything that wouldn't be allowed otherwise, but restrict - surely!)

[zqvol]

20 minutes ago, Giladj said:

I know all the standard cruise line rules about bringing alcohol on board. When we sailed Carnival earlier this year to Norway and northern capitals we learned that when a ship is sailing from or to EU ports those rules are not enforceable. There was much talk about this on our roll call. 

 

because I was not certain of this I did bring on one small bottle of spirits in our embarkation pony of Dover UK. No problem. I also brought wine (both boxed and bottles) on board in Alesunde Norway. Since alcohol is so much cheaper in Germany I brought on both spirits and wine in our two German ports. It was scanned but not confiscated or even mentioned. Since this was a B2B cruise I also bought some in the duty free shop at the end of the first cruise and it was delivered to my cabin and available to me for the second cruise. I am considering a British Isles cruise for the fall and wondering if I can forgo the whole free at sea thing. 

 

Does anyone have personal experience with this same situation on NCL? The cruise lines will not affirm or deny this by the way.

 

Thanks

Where did you learn that the rules can't be enforced? That was a CCL decision, NCL can make their own decision.

[Giladj]

It is my understanding that EU laws prohibit cruise lines from prohibiting this. Again it was news to me and pleasant to actually experience it myself. 

 

I would think that if they could enforce their prohibition rules all cruise lines would. I have never seen CCL miss an opportunity to extract money from their guests. 

 

So I am still looking for someone who has experienced on NCL what I experience on CCL.

 

Thanks 

[KeithJenner]

Firstly, you are talking about EU rules when referring to cruise from the UK. The UK is not part of the EU. Unless you are boarding somewhere like Amsterdam?

 

I am certainly not aware of any legal reason why a company can’t enforce a corkage policy. It is within the cruise lines rights to not allow you to bring alcohol onboard.

Edited August 6, 2023 by KeithJenner

[insidecabin]

EU/UK Ports where the port security does the scanning they tend not to care about liquids in the bags, checked or carry on.

 

Unlikely the ship then rescans every checked  bag they don't do the carry on.

 

NCL allow wine no corkage if you have the package.

[CruiseMH]

I can`t imagine that the EU prohibits any kind of corkage fees.I live in germany and guess i know the Eu quite well and i highly doubt that there is such a rule/law.

Unfortunately i don`t have any personal experience cause i never wanted to bring some alcohol on board any ship in Europe.

 

[sailingships]

6 hours ago, Giladj said:

It is my understanding that EU laws prohibit cruise lines from prohibiting this. Again it was news to me and pleasant to actually experience it myself. 

 

I would think that if they could enforce their prohibition rules all cruise lines would. I have never seen CCL miss an opportunity to extract money from their guests. 

 

So I am still looking for someone who has experienced on NCL what I experience on CCL.

NCL is different from Carnival. With Carnival without an alcohol package you can bring wine and spirits on board at every UE port without a corkage fee. NCL only allows wine or champagne and charges $15 for .75 litre and $30 for 1.5 litres or free if you have the package.

 

In the UDE 

Edited August 7, 2023 by sailingships

[steamboats]

12 hours ago, Giladj said:

It is my understanding that EU laws prohibit cruise lines from prohibiting this.

 

Nope, EU does not prohibit the cruise lines from prohibiting this.

 

All bags are scanned and alcoholic liquids are taken in various EU ports. It´s just a matter of enforcement. 

 

steamboats

[wbljustin]

Just got back from a 9-day Western Med on the Epic. Bought limoncello and was ready to turn it in. Scanner saw it, he yelled something ahead to someone, went to the corkage table and they said, move along. The table is there to take alcohol or something, but no one seemed to care about our alcohol. No one checked for our Unlimited Bev. Package or anything. Wine only? Lazy workers? Didn't know it was alcohol? (How do you not know? It looks like a wine bottle.)

 

Take my anecdote for what it is worth.

[Traveling Fools]

On our last NCL cruise last Nov, if you had the Unlimited Beverage Package you could board with a reasonable amount of hooch.  We brought some good champagne aboard for our sail away.

[Velvetwater]

We brought back a bottle of spirit from Flam Norway while on the Jade in 2017.

 

No-one said anything.

 

Seems to be a general Europe thing....not just EU

Edited August 12, 2023 by Velvetwater

[KeithJenner]

On 8/10/2023 at 2:58 PM, wbljustin said:

Just got back from a 9-day Western Med on the Epic. Bought limoncello and was ready to turn it in. Scanner saw it, he yelled something ahead to someone, went to the corkage table and they said, move along. The table is there to take alcohol or something, but no one seemed to care about our alcohol. No one checked for our Unlimited Bev. Package or anything. Wine only? Lazy workers? Didn't know it was alcohol? (How do you not know? It looks like a wine bottle.)

 

Take my anecdote for what it is worth.

Policing of this has always been very random. I've carried wine onboard a few times and have had to pay on about half of those occasions.

[KeithJenner]

16 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

On our last NCL cruise last Nov, if you had the Unlimited Beverage Package you could board with a reasonable amount of hooch.  We brought some good champagne aboard for our sail away.

Yes, that is the official stated policy now. However, the OP seems to be wondering whether they can avoid getting the beverage package.

[schmoopie17]

We bought two bottles of Limoncello in Rome the night before boarding our cruise. We strolled right onto the ship and nobody batted an eye.

[eileeshb]

I got a few mini limoncello bottles in Sorrento and there was nothing said when I got back on the ship at a time when there were very very few guests, so if they weren’t enforcing it then they may be even less likely to do so when they’re dealing with max capacity numbers returning from port.

I had one sailing where I got a naggin of rum in Tortola and others on the same excursion got even more, there was a massive queue at the gangway because a couple of NCL excursions ran late; so unless your alcohol purchase was in your hand as you passed through they just ignored it. 

[Traveling Fools]

7 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Yes, that is the official stated policy now. However, the OP seems to be wondering whether they can avoid getting the beverage package.

Thanks for the clarification! 

[ceasar13]

Just once, and we were quite surprised to have the liquor we were carrying onboard from a port completely ignored by the crew.  I don't remember whether we were on a Princess or Oceania cruise.  In either case, and this might be a bit of bad news, we had purchased a drinks package as is our custom.  From the perspective of the cruise line, I would strongly encourage passengers who have purchased a drinks package to buy liquor in ports, if only because it means they won't be drinking the boat's booze, but their own.  Just financial sense.

[Barb0617]

November 2021 I had a 375ml bottle of a liqueur purchased at a Spanish monastery visited before our embarkation in Barcelona, to bring home to my husband. Suitcase arrived several hours later than those of my sisters - card attached that luggage had been searched, bottle removed. Had to go poolside last evening of cruise to retrieve it. Glad to hear things have relaxed a little. And yes, I had the Free-at-Sea beverage package.

[KeithJenner]

23 hours ago, Barb0617 said:

November 2021 I had a 375ml bottle of a liqueur purchased at a Spanish monastery visited before our embarkation in Barcelona, to bring home to my husband. Suitcase arrived several hours later than those of my sisters - card attached that luggage had been searched, bottle removed. Had to go poolside last evening of cruise to retrieve it. Glad to hear things have relaxed a little. And yes, I had the Free-at-Sea beverage package.

The change allowing people to bring wine onboard if they have the beverage package is relatively recent (2022 I believe), so didn’t apply then.

[KKB]

On 8/6/2023 at 12:35 PM, Giladj said:

I know all the standard cruise line rules about bringing alcohol on board. When we sailed Carnival earlier this year to Norway and northern capitals we learned that when a ship is sailing from or to EU ports those rules are not enforceable. There was much talk about this on our roll call. 

 

because I was not certain of this I did bring on one small bottle of spirits in our embarkation pony of Dover UK. No problem. I also brought wine (both boxed and bottles) on board in Alesunde Norway. Since alcohol is so much cheaper in Germany I brought on both spirits and wine in our two German ports. It was scanned but not confiscated or even mentioned. Since this was a B2B cruise I also bought some in the duty free shop at the end of the first cruise and it was delivered to my cabin and available to me for the second cruise. I am considering a British Isles cruise for the fall and wondering if I can forgo the whole free at sea thing. 

 

Does anyone have personal experience with this same situation on NCL? The cruise lines will not affirm or deny this by the way.

 

Thanks

Just got offBreakaway Med cruise.

3 smaller bottles ( not the tiniest but maybe double that)  next to last day of cruise were flagged-seriously?

BUT they just say “ check in at table”

Needless to say, I did not stop (and they never knew…)I had the drink package & it was the next to last night!

So YES, it appears they will take it.🙄