You MAY Still Bring Non-Alcoholic Drinks On RCI

[ponygirlgt1]

Not sure if anyone was joking about notes being written on prescription pads but just to clear the air....

 

As a nurse in a very large dr's office, our physicians write all kinds of "notes" on prescription pads. It is a quick and easy way to do an official "letter" as they already addressed, and have the physician ME/DEA# on them for verification if necessary. Generally we (nurses) write them out and the dr's sign them.

 

On another note....

It was REALLY fun when the airline restrictions came up about the NO liquid! I work in Urology and our patients that were flying that had urinary catheters were being refused boarding since they had "bags" of liquid on them (yeah, filled with urine...try taste tasting or smelling that one!).

We were writing and faxing notes all over the place.

[ponygirlgt1]

I just hope they let me bring my 2 bottles of water without a doctor's note. I don't think that is asking too much of them.

 

We are going on our first cruise on Enchantment in May.....please share details of your cruise! I am so excited and can't wait to go! Take lots of pics :D

[stanford's girl]

I don't drink soda but I do drink Safeway's Clear flavored sparkling water all the time. I'll be bringing that on the Vision with me next year and I'm hoping they don't take it. :)

[mommabean]

We are going on our first cruise on Enchantment in May.....please share details of your cruise! I am so excited and can't wait to go! Take lots of pics :D

 

Your catheter story was funny.

 

As for my cruise. I'll probably post a thread from the ship. Although with the generally slow speed of internet access on board, it may not be much. Don't worry. I always take too many pics.

[lawtyger]

My point is this: While you are correct in what you're posting...it really doesn't matter who's correct if the person at the dock is enforcing the policy differently. And folks on here need to know that the possibility exists that their non-alcoholic beverages "may" not get onboard. I for one will go ahead and try it. But I also appreciate knowing that the possibility exists that I might not make it onboard with the items...that way, I'm not caught off guard when and if it happens.

 

You're absolutely right, it ultimately boils down to what happens at the dock when you attempt to go through security.

 

However, people also need to know that cruise critic's FRONT PAGE news article the other day that "Carnival's not even the first line to implement such a restriction. In a little noticed policy shift, Royal Caribbean already prohibits bringing nonalcoholic beverages onboard". . . may not be completely accurate.

 

Reading that, it is very easy to come to the conclusion and that non-alcoholic beverages cannot be brought aboard when that is clearly not a written policy at this point (unless it has been found in one of the 73 other posts I guess I will be reading shortly), and as you stated, not a policy that is regularly enforced.

 

What I did was point out what the documents each passenger receives actually currently states. That can ONLY be helpful information - and clearly more accurate than "Royal Caribbean already prohibits bringing nonalcoholic beverages onboard." How someone uses this information is up to each individual person. I, for example, will attempt to bring some soda on board. If security attempts to take it, I will show them the language in my documents and express to them that since I'm apparently following the rules they established, I'd be upset if they took my small amount of non-alcoholic beverages. If they insist, I will happily board without my soda and enjoy a wonderful cruise.

 

As you said, "I for one would just like to have a definitive policy in place that is consistently applied across the board, and not just depending on what mood the RCI employee is in on that particular day." I totally agree. I surely won't be filing a lawsuit. Thus, maybe enough of us pointing out the only written policy on the subject will not only get our non-alcoholic beverages on board more often, but result in a regularly enforced written policy one way or the other.

[ponygirlgt1]

Your catheter story was funny.

 

Its funny now....but man was that a mess to deal with!

 

Have fun on your cruise....even though we are up in Ocala and only about 5 hours from port...I am jealous that you are SO close!

[lawtyger]

I took it a step further and emailed RCI recently. The following is what happened over a few days time:

 

Question:

With the medication I take, I only drink diet caffeine free cola. Is this available on the ship or am I allowed to bring some with me?

Answer:

We do have this item on board our ships and will be sent to your stateroom. Unfortunately you may not bring your own since we are able to get this item for you

Question:

Can you provide more details such as:

Is this actually diet caffeine free cola? ... not lemon-lime or something else, but cola. Can I safely assume that it is Caffeine Free Diet Coke that you carry? How will this arrive at my stateroom? Are you planning on charging me for providing it in my stateroom?

I am a little suspicious when you state that I may not bring any along with me. I know there is a rule regarding alcohol, but where can I find the rule you are stating about soft drinks? I have never seen that one on any documentation or on your website before.

Answer:

Regarding your email below we do have Caffeine Free Diet Coke.

The inventory Manager and the Maitre'D will have your information and will be able to assist you on getting this item to your stateroom and this will be charged to your on board account. Unfortunately because we do provide coke products on board we do not allow guest to bring on their own. For the reason of that it might be taken from you at the pier.

Question:

If you are proposing charging this to my on board account I would like to know ahead of time how much you are proposing charging. I will not pay what I feel is an unreasonable amount for it. Please advise as to pricing.

Also, I would still like for you to direct me to where in your guidelines it states that I may it may be seized from me if I bring my own. The only thing I find is where it states that soda bottles may be seized if they are found to contain alcohol. Thanks for your time in helping me to understand this policy.

Answer:

Regarding your email below the amount for the sodas is 1.73 each can, however the ship has advised that if you would like you may bring this product with you in your suitcase, if you choose to. Please be advised that if you choose to bring it with you that it must stay in your stateroom at all times.

 

 

Hopefully that answers some questions that you all may have! ... and I do refuse to be billed $1.73 for each can of soda I want to drink.

 

Wow, thanks for taking the time to contact them and actually provide their answers in writing. Sounds like the doctor's note is unnecessary. Also sounds like they never cited to you a written policy prohibiting the non-alcholic beverage in your checked in luggage. The tone clearly changes after you asked them to show you the written policy on point. Unfortunately, I'll acknowledge that the actual security at the ship may not be so easily swayed since they are more in the mind set of "I'm security, do what I say" rather than customer service wanting to please you.

 

So if non-alcholic beverages are prohibited, but YOU can put them in your checked in baggage, are you supposed to inform someone that you have done so? I would assume not which begs the question, how will the scanning folks know that your particular luggage was approved for non-alcoholic beverages as thousands of pieces of luggage go by?

[lawtyger]

Hey all,

I just returned from Navigator and had a soft sided cooler with 2 cases of water and a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi. When my luggage was delivered, there was a note inside saying that they had checked my luggage and nothing was confiscated.

 

It seems that what one is told on the phone vs what really happens at the pier are sometimes two very different things....

 

That good to know. Again, I think there is a "rumor" policy out in hopes that people will hear about it (either via communication with RCI or forums such as this) and discourage people from bringing non-alcoholic items onboard. Yes, this non-written policy likely occassionally gets enforced, but it push comes to shove I doubt RCI customer service prefers to have unhappy cruisers out there when it is unable to point to a written policy on point (and cruisers have packed based on the information they received).

[lawtyger]

There is no requirement that a doctor write a note on a prescription pad. If the note is long enough, it wouldn't fit. A prescription pad is generally only required to get a prescription filled at a pharmacy.

 

I was thinking along the lines of when I first did Atkins. In order for it to be done correctly, nutrasweet/aspartame is not recommended. Only splenda or saccharin is supposed to be used. I used to take my own soda with me - diet rite - because at the time it was the only one I could find with splenda as a sweetener. I even took a 6 pack with me to Ireland and they were amused because they didn't even have splenda in that country at that time.

 

I wouldn't pay a doctor for a note for my need for splenda for my Atkins diet. I sure wouldn't expect a "prescription" for it. Not for a ship. I'd write my own note if need be. :D And I'd love them to tell me or anyone, "Nope, no good. It's not on a prescription pad", as if they are a pharmacy.

 

Just a quick thought - Seriously, how ridiculous is it that we are even talking about a "policy," written or otherwise, the requires doctor's note for things like caffeine, etc., in the first place. I mean, come on RCI, I'll be buying a soda card regardless which I understand entitles me to unlimited soda. . . it's not like I'm trying to bring onboard a full 7 days supply of non-alcoholic beverages.

[crb04]

 

On another note....

It was REALLY fun when the airline restrictions came up about the NO liquid! I work in Urology and our patients that were flying that had urinary catheters were being refused boarding since they had "bags" of liquid on them (yeah, filled with urine...try taste tasting or smelling that one!).

We were writing and faxing notes all over the place.

 

Yikes, poor pax...:(

 

Am curious though, if any of our legal eagle members can shed some light for me--How do medical conditions and situations like that mesh with current HIPAA and ADA laws? Does the Patriot Act and homeland security guidelines supersede...?

[lawtyger]

I inquired directly to customer relations at RCCL and they sent me back an email regarding my question. Below is their email:

 

Thank you for your e-mail. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your inquiry.

 

Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean International does not allow guests to bring their own beverages onboard. This includes: liquor, wine, beer, soda, or self produced products (example: home made wines). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Thank you for choosing Royal Caribbean International.

 

Sheila Whedon

Customer Service Representative

 

[THREAD ID:1-3YI9M4]

 

I can't help but think that RCI bets on, and knows, that individuals will do exactly what you did and ask, and of course their first response is "No." Then, you happily move on and simply say "shucks, that stinks."

 

However, others like Mohavemommy (on page two) e-mailed essentially the same question, followed up with a second e-mail inquiring into the details and asking for the written policy, and then followed up again since they ignored the request to point the written policy out. Instead, they altered their initial answer and said it could be brought on in the carry on.

 

That's the difference in their approach, and that's the difference in the ultimate result. It appears clear from other posts, and now this post, that the majority of people that bring non-alcholic beverages in their checked in bag successfully do so.

[lawtyger]

We're going to look into this again, but I can assure you that we obtained this information directly from Royal Caribbean and we did not simply call the Customer Service phone number to ask. Stay tuned,

 

Laura

 

I have no doubt the information came directly from RCI and cruise critic accurately reported exactly what they were told. I don't believe my post was taken this way, but to clarify, I certainly didn't mean cruise critic was negligent in their reporting :)

 

As my last comment on this subject, the current written policy says what is says and does not appear to prohibit the non-alcoholic items we all want to bring. However, after reading the full thread, I certainly plan to pack my reasonable amounts of non-alcoholic items in my check in baggage. Hopefully, it won't be taken but if it is, it sounds like it would be the exception, rather than the rule.

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful cruise whether it is next week or months away and good luck if you attempt to bring non-alcoholic beverages aboard. It certainly sounds like it is extremely rare to hear that they will be confiscated from your checked in baggage.

[mohavemommy]

I don't drink soda but I do drink Safeway's Clear flavored sparkling water all the time. I'll be bringing that on the Vision with me next year and I'm hoping they don't take it. :)

 

Wow... I would like to know the answer to that one too. I am planning a cruise on the Vision next year also and would sure hate to go a week without my choice of drinks. :p

[mohavemommy]

I can't help but think that RCI bets on, and knows, that individuals will do exactly what you did and ask, and of course their first response is "No." Then, you happily move on and simply say "shucks, that stinks."

 

However, others like Mohavemommy (on page two) e-mailed essentially the same question, followed up with a second e-mail inquiring into the details and asking for the written policy, and then followed up again since they ignored the request to point the written policy out. Instead, they altered their initial answer and said it could be brought on in the carry on.

 

That's the difference in their approach, and that's the difference in the ultimate result. It appears clear from other posts, and now this post, that the majority of people that bring non-alcholic beverages in their checked in bag successfully do so.

 

I do plan on printing out my email and placing a copy of it on top of my soda! :D

[boltnut55]

I put two bottles of water in my carry on... with my CPAP machine which does use water, and it went through the x-ray machine, and no one said anything; this was coming on board for the first time from San Pedro. I had an empty bottle from a port back on the ship as well as a 1/2 filled bottle both visibly sticking out of my fanny pack, and no one said anything. The fanny pack and bottles went through the x-ray machine.

 

All of us who were soda drinkers... all decided not to drink soda on the cruise, so we didn't bring any on the ship.

[sept10dsm]

I put two bottles of water in my carry on... with my CPAP machine which does use water, and it went through the x-ray machine, and no one said anything; this was coming on board for the first time from San Pedro. I had an empty bottle from a port back on the ship as well as a 1/2 filled bottle both visibly sticking out of my fanny pack, and no one said anything. The fanny pack and bottles went through the x-ray machine.

 

All of us who were soda drinkers... all decided not to drink soda on the cruise, so we didn't bring any on the ship.

We, too, have had no problem. I think problems arise when people try to bring in excessive amounts. We always bring a 12 pack for the excursions and have had no problem. Good idea about not drinking soda. It's one of the worst things for you. The high fructose corn syrup in regular soda is very, very bad for you and if you watch how it's made, you would never drink it agian. Glad that you, too, had a good experience bringing your water!!

[mohavemommy]

...... and if you watch how it's made, you would never drink it agian.......

 

... what about where a hamburger originates? :D

 

 

Has anybody recently cruised and had soda taken?

[forpaws]

I can't help but think that RCI bets on, and knows, that individuals will do exactly what you did and ask, and of course their first response is "No." Then, you happily move on and simply say "shucks, that stinks."

 

However, others like Mohavemommy (on page two) e-mailed essentially the same question, followed up with a second e-mail inquiring into the details and asking for the written policy, and then followed up again since they ignored the request to point the written policy out. Instead, they altered their initial answer and said it could be brought on in the carry on.

 

That's the difference in their approach, and that's the difference in the ultimate result. It appears clear from other posts, and now this post, that the majority of people that bring non-alcholic beverages in their checked in bag successfully do so.

 

And this is exactly the stuff RCI does that makes me nuts - they have a "policy," but it's enforced differently among pax depending on the amount of fuss they make, and as I stated before, depending on the mood of the employees at the pier.

 

C'mon RCI, you're surely making plenty off the soda passes, individual sales, and the alcohol sold on board! Most of us don't even bring any liquids on board because of the extra weight it generates in hauling our bags. Give the pax who want to bring something onboard a BREAK!

[shipknotshore]

[quote=mohavemommy;9810990

 

Has anybody recently cruised and had soda taken?

 

I'm curious about that too. I'd like to bring on cran-cherry juice. They don't even have cranberry juice when I ask for it from room service most of the time. I know they have it in the bars, but they always send a note back saying they don't have it.:confused:

[MikeyLSU]

Just got off the GOS yesterday. We brought 2 water bottles, a 12 pack of can diet coke and a 6 pack of bottled coke.

 

Delivered to our stateroom with no problems.

[careywv]

Just got off the GOS yesterday. We brought 2 water bottles, a 12 pack of can diet coke and a 6 pack of bottled coke.

 

Delivered to our stateroom with no problems.

 

Did you put in your checked luggage?

 

My DH and I are Pepsi drinkers. We can't do Coke, and we were thinking of bringing a 12-pack on board with us.

 

Thanks for sharing. :)

[MikeyLSU]

Did you put in your checked luggage?

 

My DH and I are Pepsi drinkers. We can't do Coke, and we were thinking of bringing a 12-pack on board with us.

 

Thanks for sharing. :)

 

Yeah, we put it all in our checked bags.

[jaddsnana]

I emailed RCI 2 days ago about bringing a case of water on board and they emailed me this morning saying it was not allowed.

[mommabean]

I emailed RCI 2 days ago about bringing a case of water on board and they emailed me this morning saying it was not allowed.

Once again it seems as if the head doesn't know what the tail is doing. Apparently plenty of people are bringing it on board anyway.

 

I got off the ship in Key West and went and bought 2 12 packs of soda and carried them right back on without a bag. I asked before I got of if this was allowed. They said I could bring back any food or drink that I wanted as long as it wasn't alcohol or already prepared food. So, I bought a bag of chips, too, for our cruise critic balcony sail away from Key West party.

[mstelly]

How bought a "Class Action" on all of the prohibited items taken not being justified????

I'm in!