Best way to bring alcohol on board

[AnthonyD]

My wife and I are taking our first cruise and have a taste for Maker's Mark and so we have decided to bring a little on board for late nights on our balcony. We plan to use soft drink bottles to be inconspicuous. However, we don't want to get them confiscated at embarkation. Would the cruise line go so far as to restrict soft drink bottles or am I thinking too much? Finally should we pack them in our carry on or checked luggage? We can't wait to cruise for the first time. Thanks. Cheers!

[fireguy091]

Just to be safe I would put it in a plastic soda bottle and then in your checked luggage. They might take it out of carry on, so far no reports of it being taken out of checked luggage.

[justwaiting]

We packed our bottles in our suitcase, and they were the bottles the the rum came in. I also had little minature bottles for the plane and all got through. We bought the soda pass and filled the little bottles and brought to the pool and mixed our own. Believe me we still had a bad enough bill at the end of the trip, but it was fun and that is what you do one week of the year.

[pharaoh]

I think little mini bottles are okay. I heard under a pint is okay to go through? You might want to check on that.

 

Don't carry it in your carry-on luggage. It's better to put it in your checked luggage. And in all honesty, in the event that they search your luggage (as has happened to me on every trip I've taken in the last 5 years), it's better to conceal your alcohol in a bottle that isn't clear. I'm planning to hide a little bit in a shampoo bottle or something similar. You can't see through a shampoo bottle and it looks like... shampoo... hahah

[wannacruisemore]

I wrapped our booze in its original bottle with bubble wrap. Packed the bottles in checked luggage. No problem! We also took a roller ice chest packed some beer, sodas and water. Put a luggage tag on it. Also no problem.:)

[yogimax]

No wonder RCL stock is at a low! Seriously, my guess is that Royal Caribbean will begin to get serious and crack down on bringing drinks on board.

[iluvcruzin]

Best way to bring alcohol on board - CONSUMED. LOL. Just kidding :D

 

I've done the softdrink bottle thing before and wrap it in ziplock bags. There was a person on one of my group cruises that used large mouthwash bottles to hide it. I thought that was a good idea as the plastic was a bit stronger.

[RiverRev]

Let's see...

 

The guy that got drunk and fell off of the ship last week smuggled it on in mourhwash bottles. I guess they'll be look for those now, huh?

 

Why not just drink what's available. I honestly don't understand you folks.

[iluvcruzin]

Let's see...

Why not just drink what's available. I honestly don't understand you folks.

 

If the cruiselines would allow us to purchase and consume what they have in the shops onboard that would be great! No more smuggling for me. What I don't understand is why the rooms like the Royal Suite have a bar area to entertain YET, you can't purchase anything to serve. So.. if my friends and I want to have a party, we choose to bring our own.

 

As far as the kid (he certainly wasn't mature) who got drunk and fell off - That was sad by all means, but not a representation of the majority who cruise and drink responsibly and smuggle a bottle or 2 onboard. My 2 cents.

[AnthonyD]

Let's see...

 

The guy that got drunk and fell off of the ship last week smuggled it on in mourhwash bottles. I guess they'll be look for those now, huh?

 

Why not just drink what's available. I honestly don't understand you folks.

 

First, I like the convenience of having a flask for late night sipping on the balcony. Mini bars NEVER have enough of my favorite drink. Usually there is at most 1-2 minis of Maker's, then it has to be restocked or you have to choose something else to drink. Or you have to order drinks down to the room and wait for each round. Its easier to mix your own drink just the way you like it, just as you would at home, right there in the room. There is some savings involved too, but we plan to drop at least 100+ a day on drinks anyway. So for us its more fun to entertain ourselves with a handy supply of in room liquor. Who could argue with that. Got it now?

[rvrgirl]

I wrapped our booze in its original bottle with bubble wrap. Packed the bottles in checked luggage. No problem! We also took a roller ice chest packed some beer, sodas and water. Put a luggage tag on it. Also no problem.:)

 

Ditto! You must have been in our party:)

[critterchick]

I'm planning to hide a little bit in a shampoo bottle or something similar. You can't see through a shampoo bottle and it looks like... shampoo... hahah

 

They'll make you take it out and wash your hair to prove that it's shampoo, though.:rolleyes:

[sas80]

We've smuggles Maakers Mark onboard before.

 

Best way is to hand carry it while you are flying or, better yet, purchase it once you land.

 

In any case - simply take the bottle itself and slide it into the leg of a pair of jeans, then wrap the jeans around the bottle and make sure these pants are cushined on all sides of your suitcase.

 

If you feel the need, some bubble wrap can be added as extra cushion.

(but we havent had a bottle crack yet!)

 

Also, make sure that you put it into the luggage that you plan on giving to the porter, at the pier. And consider tipping him a bit better as your bag will be heavier.

 

If they find it, which I highy doubt, most likely they will confiscate it for the duration of the cruise and then give it back to you.

 

But we have never had them find anything (mostly because they dont look)

 

Happy Sailing!

 

P.S. RULE OF THUMB: IF YOU DRINK MAKE SURE YOU STAY AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF THE SHIP!

 

bad things seem to happen to drunk people who get too close to the side of the ship.... :rolleyes:

[sha88]

No wonder RCL stock is at a low! Seriously, my guess is that Royal Caribbean will begin to get serious and crack down on bringing drinks on board.

 

Especially when we bring it up here all the time.:D

[skyking]

You know whats funny??? On all my cruises I have never went to any trouble to hide anything. Simply put the original full bottle into my checked bag. I have never had a problem with breakage either. I try to buy the stuff already in the plastic bottle, but it does not always work this way, but again never an issue...AS a matter of fact I have one bag just for mixers and soda's..AGAIN never had a problem.

 

Tim

[pharaoh]

They'll make you take it out and wash your hair to prove that it's shampoo, though.:rolleyes:

 

Haha well then at least my hair will be freshly washed for the embarkation pictures :D

 

Except that its not shampoo. Which I just realized. Because I am an airhead. hahahaha. *shuts up now.*

[time4u2go]

Am I missing something here? Isn't this strictly against the rules?

[coskat]

As with all rules cruise related be they smuggled alcohol, Formal dress, kids in adult areas or Portofino's apparently they are made to be broken and should only be selectively applied when they personally affect us. After all "we've paid a lot for this vacation and we should be able tol do whatever we want":rolleyes: The cruise lines can't win: make rules, people break them sometimes with serious consequences and they are blamed for not enforcing the rules, enforce the rules and they catch hell for that too. Is it ok to allow some smuggling by responsible adults who want a particular brand of drink on their balcony but try and stop that which has obviously led to tragic results? It is a no win situation.

[pharaoh]

This is only slightly related, but do the bartenders on board ever cut people off once they've obviously reached their limit? Obviously this would be irrelevant if the person smuggled on their own alcohol, but I'm just wondering if RCI trains their bartenders to cut off guests who have had more than their fair share to drink.

 

 

I worked in Disney World and we were trained to cut people off.... and on a few occasions I actually had to do it.. can you believe it?! haha

[Cruise-Nut]

Am I missing something here? Isn't this strictly against the rules?

 

No time4u2go you are correct. There is just a bunch of people that can't follow rules and think they are above the law. It is ashame that we can't follow the rules and do what we are supposed to.

[yogimax]

Especially when we bring it up here all the time.:D

 

Guess you are not a stockholder!:)

[BearySweet2Cruise]

Smuggling alcohol is not because the person is poor or even cheap, in my mind.. I view this as a person pays thousands of dollars to go on the trip and a seapass bar bill can easily add several hundreds more. Now that is VERY significant after already paying the cruise fare..I do not drink much, and do like to buy the drinks at the pool for sail away, but throughout the rest of the time, I would rather bring ONE 20.00 bottle of something I will drink, (which could possibly turn into maybe a couple hundred if I bought separately at 6.95 a dring, times how ever many the bottle could serve...if bought separately, and would rather allow the kids to have that money to spend on the ship.. all by bringing one 20.00 bottle, potentially saves 100-200 in individual drinks, and the kids have shopping money.. Makes great sense to me..

so I see no harm done.. the ship still gets their money in other things we do, casino, several drinks that are bought on board, and kids shopping in the stores... so where is the harm here? I see none..

JMHO

[time4u2go]

Smuggling alcohol is not because the person is poor or even cheap, in my mind.. I view this as a person pays thousands of dollars to go on the trip and a seapass bar bill can easily add several hundreds more. Now that is VERY significant after already paying the cruise fare..I do not drink much, and do like to buy the drinks at the pool for sail away, but throughout the rest of the time, I would rather bring ONE 20.00 bottle of something I will drink, (which could possibly turn into maybe a couple hundred if I bought separately at 6.95 a dring, times how ever many the bottle could serve...if bought separately, and would rather allow the kids to have that money to spend on the ship.. all by bringing one 20.00 bottle, potentially saves 100-200 in individual drinks, and the kids have shopping money.. Makes great sense to me..

so I see no harm done.. the ship still gets their money in other things we do, casino, several drinks that are bought on board, and kids shopping in the stores... so where is the harm here? I see none..

JMHO

Actually it does affect others. Money not spent on drinks sold on the ship turns into less gratuities for the employees and less revenue for the cruise line. This then results in higher prices for all of us because this lost revenue has to be made up somehow.

[BearySweet2Cruise]

Actually it does affect others. Money not spent on drinks sold on the ship turns into less gratuities for the employees and less revenue for the cruise line. This then results in higher prices for all of us because this lost revenue has to be made up somehow.

 

That is why we give extra tips to our servers and stewards.. not a problem and it does not affect you at all. We pay our bills and tips and you pay yours...

[time4u2go]

That is why we give extra tips to our servers and stewards.. not a problem and it does not affect you at all. We pay our bills and tips and you pay yours...

But the overall cost of things would be lower if the ship brought in more revenue at the bars. This is just common sense.