Noordam Alcohol Policy

[northeastcruiser]

I read that you cannot buy alcohol on board the ship or off the ship and bring it to you suite to consume. We have done this in the past on Empress of the Seas, and there was no problem. You could purchase it in the shop on board.

 

What are options if you want a drink while sitting on your balcony during the afternoon or just before dinner other than going to the bars? I know there is a mini bar in the rooms, but I want to understand the alcohol policy more clearly.

 

Any input or advice?

[dividedsky319]

Any input or advice?

 

You can bring wine or champagne onto the ship... which I was really excited to find out! Since we're driving to NYC, it'll be easy for us to bring along a case of wine with us...

[CDRMark]

One can absolutely purchase alcohol onboard for in-cabin consumption. (But from ships services, NOT from the duty-free shop). Indeed, you may contact ship's services prior to boarding and ask that it be there waiting for you.

HAL asks that no alcohol other than wine be brought onboard.

Cheers and have a great cruise.

Mark

[sailor5552]

That's great that you can bring wine on board.....I read elsewhere on cc for HAL, that you have to bring what they stock if you bring your own so that there's no corkage fee. Where can you find that out?

[SmileHMB]

Put a plastic bottle of booze in your CHECKED IN luggage. Went right through. Do not carry it on.

[dakrewser]

That's great that you can bring wine on board.....I read elsewhere on cc for HAL, that you have to bring what they stock if you bring your own so that there's no corkage fee. Where can you find that out?

 

You'd better start reading more carefully :)

 

There's no limit to which wines or how many of each you bring. There's no corkage fee for anything you consume in your cabin. You will pay a corkage fee for any bottles that a) you bring aboard yourself and b) you consume in the dining room - doesn't matter whiether it's stocked by the line or not.

[dividedsky319]

If you can bring wine on board... wouldn't you think it'd be fairly easy to uncork a bottle of wine, drink it, fill it with vodka, then put the cork back in?

[SnorkelBear]

You may also purchase liquor from room service for very fair prices. Not as cheap as duty free, but very reasonable. I believe it was $29 for one litre of Gin and three cans of tonic. Much more convenient than smuggling, but the selection is somewhat limited if you are fussy about what pickles your liver.

 

Even if you bring wine that is on their list, I believe you still have to deceive to avoid the corkage. I brought wine to dinner each night and each night I was asked if I brought the bottle on board. I told the truth and paid a corkage each night.

[dakrewser]

If you can bring wine on board... wouldn't you think it'd be fairly easy to uncork a bottle of wine, drink it, fill it with vodka, then put the cork back in?

 

Yes. That doesn't make it right or ethical, however.

[dividedsky319]

Yes. That doesn't make it right or ethical, however.

 

I didn't say it was ;) I just meant that I'm surprised they allow you to bring on wine, since it would fairly easy to put something else in the bottles. Not saying I will, just that it seems to be an easy method to break the rules.

[Chivalrygirl]

I didn't say it was ;) I just meant that I'm surprised they allow you to bring on wine, since it would fairly easy to put something else in the bottles. Not saying I will, just that it seems to be an easy method to break the rules.

 

I would suggest that "rules" are made to be "broken". Some rules being so damn ludicrous. :D

[Navy_Chief]

You'd better start reading more carefully :)

 

There's no limit to which wines or how many of each you bring. There's no corkage fee for anything you consume in your cabin. You will pay a corkage fee for any bottles that a) you bring aboard yourself and b) you consume in the dining room - doesn't matter whiether it's stocked by the line or not.

 

Someone forgot to tell the staff on the Noordam Dave, they did not charge my brother a corkage fee for a bottle of Berringer's White Zifindel because the ship carries it in their sellars and I read the same thing in the binder that is in the stateroom.:D as a matter of fact, they chilled it for us as the wives didn't drink it all in one night. :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Order through ship services -- cheaper than ordering on-line.

[jtl513]

It just amazes me that people who are spending a minimum of $1000 per person ... and usually a lot more ... worry so much about paying the ship's price for alcohol! I'll bet a lot of these same people will drop a lot of money in the casino and/or the spa too, and think nothing of it! :D

[Jsipes]

When one purchases Alcohal to drink in one's room , does on get scalped on the price of the bottle ???

[zdude]

When one purchases Alcohal to drink in one's room , does on get scalped on the price of the bottle ???

 

I do not think so. The first cruise I thought to bring a bottle of alcohol and the price difference between a good liquor store and ship services was so small it was easy to justify not having to carry it.

[nurseblissful]

what kind of plastic bottle would you put your booze in that would not leak? a mayo jar? tacky. listerine bottle? ugh. this is making me laugh. come up with some good "storage" solutions. :D i just stocked the bar in our room, bought a soda and coffee card and only spent $200 (and that includes flowers). so it really isn't that much. they are very accomodating. enjoy your cruise. lauri

[Seago2]

what kind of plastic bottle would you put your booze in that would not leak? a mayo jar? tacky. listerine bottle? ugh. this is making me laugh. come up with some good "storage" solutions. :D lauri

 

Mini water bottles that they give out on the plane. Fill them with vodka and put them in the mesh sides of your kids' backpacks- or your own.

 

Remember, this is a "flame free" thread. Just answering the question.

[nurseblissful]

screw cap or sipping cap, at your discretion....lol:eek:

[gizmo]

It just amazes me that people who are spending a minimum of $1000 per person ... and usually a lot more ... worry so much about paying the ship's price for alcohol! I'll bet a lot of these same people will drop a lot of money in the casino and/or the spa too, and think nothing of it! :D

 

I don't think they "worry" about the ships prices. I think it is more principle.

[noblepa]

If you want to find out how to smuggle hard liquor on board, go lurk in the Carnival board. There is always at least one thread going on about this. It will be one part information, two parts flame war, but you can find out the good ways and bad ways to try this.

 

Before anyone flames me, I don't smuggle liquor onto the ship. I like to travel light. If I could, I'd leave home with nothing but my cruise documents, my passport and one or two credit cards, and buy everything (including clothes) as I needed them. So carrying the extra weight of a bottle or two of liquor is simply not worth it to me.

 

That said, I suspect that the ban is not very strictly enforced. On our Mexican Riviera cruise, we bought a bottle of Tequila that my wife liked at a place we stopped on an excursion in Cabo San Lucas. When reboarding the ship, it was in a plastic shopping bag, but was clearly visible as a bottle of SOMETHING. I placed it on the conveyor to the shipboard x-ray machine, fully expecting the uniformed security guy to at least ask what it was, and confiscate it. No one said a word. I kept my mouth shut, picked it up and returned to our cabin. We didn't drink it on board. In fact, its still sitting, unopened, on our liquor shelf. Don't ask, don't tell!

 

I've also heard that the corkage fee is often waived. I've never brought a bottle of wine to the dining room, either, but many posts here have said that their waiters/wine stewards didn't bother charging the fee. Others have been charged. I think it depends on the mood of the somelier.

 

Paul Noble

[SmileHMB]

Don't use a listerine bottle, the mint flavor goes right into the booze. Malibu rum comes in a plastic bottle sealed nice and tight. As far as catching you. NCL really looks, you would have to change the bottle. Carnival and HAL haven't heard much catching. On Carnival I did purchase booze while shopping and walked right on with it. No I didn't open it either, just didn't want to worry about it making back to my room later on. Oh, and I don't gamble or ever go to the spa.