Worst case scenario for sneaking on alcohol.

[tinacolada]

how's that...its pretty clear in the contract that it is against the rules...you have purchased a service, if you dont abide by the obligations of the service the servicor (word?) can elect not to extend the service to you

Ya, but would it really be worth it to them to do that?They're going to lose potential revenues from those cruisers like another poster commented. Besides a company's rules and a the law are 2 different things.

[tinacolada]

I have 4 bottles of my favorite poisons delivered by a bon voyage gift basket service that delivers to the ship. I have rum, tequila, vodka, and cognac (along with chocolates for DW) in a basket waiting for me when I get to my cabin.:D The alcohol is purchased at ABC store prices, and I include a nice tip to the service for the delivery. I get my alcohol much cheaper than the ship would charge, and keep within the rules as well.;)

 

GOOD idea but I'm surprised they allow you to keep the liquor and not hold it till the end of the cruise. That's food for thought though.

[tinacolada]

So....why do people "sneak" booze anyway? I don't get it. Is it because they don't want to spend the money on alcohol while cruising??

I have known/heard of people that enjoy indulging in alcohol alot on a cruise and at the end their cruise is not as memorable because their alcohol bill can be upward to $800+!! NO LIE. It's simply because they inflate the price of their drinks by at least 300% and for most people that enjoy several drinks onboard, it's just too much. I would still buy some of their drinks onboard but NOT hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth. What a way to put a damper on your vacation.

[tinacolada]

The last part of the sentence is actually the best argument I've heard yet as why this shouldn't be done. Thank you :)

Oh ya, like there's not people that don't drink alcohol and still go on cruises................moot point.

[tinacolada]

This is a hot topic on these boards sense I have been visiting only for the last couple of months. I assume it is always a heated debate. I am still waiting on someone to actually prove that someones booze spilled out of their suitcase, made it's way through someone elses suitcase, and ended up ruining some clothes. That is just insane IMO. Anyone that is going through the trouble of 'sneaking' a bottle of booze onboard probably is going to make sure that said bottle doesn't break. If they have any sense, they are going to use plastic anyway.

 

I plan on 'sneaking' a bottle, maybe even a 12pack in the Coke box' because I basically don't like the fact that booze costs so much onboard. They are already going to make a killing on me in the casino, they will make a killing off me in those fruity drinks the wife likes, they will make a killing off me in just about every area. If I can 'sneak' a few beers or a bottle of Parrot Bay in my luggage (which won't see a airline as we live in S.A. departing from Galveston) then I am going to try. If they find it, so be it. No worries. If they don't, my wife and I can enjoy a few drinks late at night without running around the ship looking for one.

 

This is our first cruise and a gift to my wife for two deployments in the sandbox. The last worry we will have is a bottle of booze being found in our luggage. I take that back...the last worry will be having said bottle break and ruining someone elses luggage.

 

It is crazy what people will worry themselves over. "Don't sneak booze in because it may break causing the booze to leak through all your clothes, out of your suitcase, then make it's way through my suitcase onto my clothes." Must be nice to worry about such trivial things. Being military with a spuse deployed in a forward area, we have a few more things to worry about then someones luggage. Why don't we just buy all our booze onboard? Good question. Think about it for a while. OK, ok, here is a hint. Even though fighting for everyones rights back here at home is something we do with great respect and honor, doesn't pay all that well.

 

Well said. Say "thank you" to your wife for everything's she's done and hope she's home for good, if not hope she stays safe!:)

[TMWTim]

Thanks tinacolda. These posts are entertaining to say the least LOL.

[tinacolada]

DH & I live in Ohio where the cost of living is nowhere near the col in California, New York or DC. The cost of a domestic beer onboard cruiselines we've traveled is only about $1 more than we pay at our local American Legion Post which is a private bar.

 

We don't eat out much at restaurants with a bar but did so with friends a few weeks ago. The price of a domestic beer at that restaurant was $4.75. Mixed drinks started at $5.75 for a simple mixed drink made with well water and went up from there.

 

Dianne

But did you "live" at the restaurant for a week?! If you had, you wouldn't have been able to afford drinks, especially on "out to sea days". ;) Geez everyone-give it a break. If money is no object to you, you can always buy MY drinks onboard! :D

[98Charlie]

OK, this is one of the things I want clarified. My husband said his friend takes bottles of wine onboard and it's OK but I thought I read somewhere that they allow one bottle of champagne or wine on Carnival. So do you know what the limit is?

Also, I had been under the impression that you can not take sodas, waters, and I assume that would include mixers onboard. But again, I have read several posts where people are taking that stuff in, even in their carry-ons. So is this exceptable now or??? Is there a limit as to what and how much you can bring? I thought when I cruised on Carnival in '04, that you couldn't even take pre-purchased water bottles onboard, let alone sodas, being that they want you to buy their unlimited soda card for kids, etc. If you know, please let me know so I can plan accordingly. I was going to pack a couple bottles of booze in our luggage but wanted to take mixers to go with it since I doubt if it is available to purchase in the ship's liquor stores. Thanks!:D

 

Here's a snip from the Carnival Web Site (Click Here For The Link):

Bringing Alcohol On Board - Embarkation

 

Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages onboard. However, guests 21 years of age and older only may bring one bottle (750ml) of wine or champagne, per person, on board only during embarkation at the beginning of the cruise. A $10 corkage fee per bottle will be charged should you wish to consume this wine in the main dining room; $14 corkage fee per bottle in the Supper Club. Guests may bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages. All prohibited alcohol, additional quantities of wine/champagne or excessive quantities of non-alcoholic beverages will be confiscated and discarded without compensation.

So the Carnival rule is one bottle of wine or champagne per person and a small amount of non-alcoholic beverages at embarkation.

 

Any alcohol purchases at ports of call are subject to being held by Carnival until the end of the cruise.

 

Our experience on various lines with buying alcohol in the ports has been:

• Held by the cruise line.
  
• Ignored by the screener.
  
• Told to leave it with the cruise line but there was no one to take it so we kept it with us.
  
• Line so long to turn in the bottle that we just walked past them and on to our cabin.
  

You just never really know until you bring it on board.

 

Charlie

[tinacolada]

From past "sailings" I can say that I do not think that me brining my own "beverages" onboard saved me any money. In fact I think it cost me money. Starting with the bottle of run that I had left in my laptop bag purely by accident. (I had the bag in my trunk and was taking the bottle from a party back home and put it in the bag in my truck, so if I was stopped I'd have less hassle) however when boarding the ship it was taken... with no hassle from me, nor embarrassment. The bottles (yes "S") that were in my luggage were left in place. how ever I feel that because I had the bottles in my room I was more apt to order the "daily special" at 9am - 5pm everyday. Had I not had my room supply I would have been more reserved in my ordering of drinks. By the cruise line enabling me to take my own liquor on my cruise I spent over $900 on a 7 day cruise. If I did not have my own liquor I would have spend less then $500. So by then letting me take my own booze in board, I spent more money because I was loose in my spending.

 

Ummm, sorry to say, but that doesn't make any sense...really :confused:

[TMWTim]

From past "sailings" I can say that I do not think that me brining my own "beverages" onboard saved me any money. In fact I think it cost me money. Starting with the bottle of run that I had left in my laptop bag purely by accident. (I had the bag in my trunk and was taking the bottle from a party back home and put it in the bag in my truck, so if I was stopped I'd have less hassle) however when boarding the ship it was taken... with no hassle from me, nor embarrassment. The bottles (yes "S") that were in my luggage were left in place. how ever I feel that because I had the bottles in my room I was more apt to order the "daily special" at 9am - 5pm everyday. Had I not had my room supply I would have been more reserved in my ordering of drinks. By the cruise line enabling me to take my own liquor on my cruise I spent over $900 on a 7 day cruise. If I did not have my own liquor I would have spend less then $500. So by then letting me take my own booze in board, I spent more money because I was loose in my spending.

 

 

That almost makes me forget the "I don't want you to smuggle in booze because it might break and ruin my clothes". This thread just gets better and better. :D

[98Charlie]

But did you "live" at the restaurant for a week?! If you had, you wouldn't have been able to afford drinks, especially on "out to sea days". ;) Geez everyone-give it a break. If money is no object to you, you can always buy MY drinks onboard! :D

The comment was not made to say that anyone should or shouldn't BYOB. Just a statement that common drinks on board are not significantly more expensive than they are here in the midwest. When compared to prices that we have paid in departure port cities they can be nearly the same.

 

What does happen on a cruise is that people are able to drink whenever they want. On an average work day I doubt that there are many who have a Bloody Mary with breakfast, a little drink at 10:00, a beer with lunch, a foo-foo at 3:00, a high ball while getting dressed for dinner, split a bottle of wine with dinner, a cocktail before the show, and one more at the piano bar before grabbing a nightcap and retiring for the evening.:D

 

When you compare that to a normal day at home (work all day, have dinner and too tired to turn the twist cap on a bottle of beer), it's easy to see why some of the bar bills are so high.

 

There was a thread some time ago about "Your Largest Bar Bill". Holy Cow! Folks were talking $1,000 plus:eek:

 

Charlie

[tinacolada]

Here's a snip from the Carnival Web Site (Click Here For The Link):

 

So the Carnival rule is one bottle of wine or champagne per person and a small amount of non-alcoholic beverages at embarkation.

 

Any alcohol purchases at ports of call are subject to being held by Carnival until the end of the cruise.

 

Our experience on various lines with buying alcohol in the ports has been:

• Held by the cruise line.
  
• Ignored by the screener.
  
• Told to leave it with the cruise line but there was no one to take it so we kept it with us.
  
• Line so long to turn in the bottle that we just walked past them and on to our cabin.

You just never really know until you bring it on board.

 

Charlie

Thanks Charlie, that's what I thought I read before but I've been hearing so many different personal experiences. I just wonder what they mean by a "small amount" of non-alcoholic, that's pretty vague for sure.

Thanks again for the info.

[98Charlie]

Thanks Charlie, that's what I thought I read before but I've been hearing so many different personal experiences. I just wonder what they mean by a "small amount" of non-alcoholic, that's pretty vague for sure.

Thanks again for the info.

We've brought 12 packs of Coke® on baord before with no problem. You'll see threads where passengers have just slapped a luggage tag on a case of soda or water and it arrives with their luggage.

 

Charlie

[tinacolada]

That almost makes me forget the "I don't want you to smuggle in booze because it might break and ruin my clothes". This thread just gets better and better. :D

 

Yep it is cheap entertainment. Much cheaper than if you were to go to the movies and buy popcorn and a coke...and def cheaper than buying drinks onboard a cruiseship!! lol :D

[TMWTim]

The comment was not made to say that anyone should or shouldn't BYOB. Just a statement that common drinks on board are not significantly more expensive than they are here in the midwest. When compared to prices that we have paid in departure port cities they can be nearly the same.

 

What does happen on a cruise is that people are able to drink whenever they want. On an average work day I doubt that there are many who have a Bloody Mary with breakfast, a little drink at 10:00, a beer with lunch, a foo-foo at 3:00, a high ball while getting dressed for dinner, split a bottle of wine with dinner, a cocktail before the show, and one more at the piano bar before grabbing a nightcap and retiring for the evening.:D

 

When you compare that to a normal day at home (work all day, have dinner and too tired to turn the twist cap on a bottle of beer), it's easy to see why some of the bar bills are so high.

 

There was a thread some time ago about "Your Largest Bar Bill". Holy Cow! Folks were talking $1,000 plus:eek:

 

Charlie

 

True. Point being, why do the non drinkers give a darn if the 'drinkers' want to find a way to save a few bucks. I don't get it. If I want to find out the best way to bring in a bottle of booze for the wife and I to enjoy out on our balcony at night why would a non drinker even chime in with why this is bad? Their opinion doesn't matter in this subject. Are they flipping the bill for our cruise? Is what we are doing in any way shape or form messing with their trip? It makes no sense to me. Someone asks about bringing a bottle on board and how not to get caught and the non drinkers feel the need to chime in giving their thoughts on it.

 

It is like "hey how is the rough seas in Jamaica in May?" Non drinker..."The seas are flat just don't try and smuggle in a bottle of booze"...

 

 

Crazy.

[98Charlie]

True. Point being, why do the non drinkers give a darn if the 'drinkers' want to find a way to save a few bucks. I don't get it. If I want to find out the best way to bring in a bottle of booze for the wife and I to enjoy out on our balcony at night why would a non drinker even chime in with why this is bad? Their opinion doesn't matter in this subject. Are they flipping the bill for our cruise? Is what we are doing in any way shape or form messing with their trip? It makes no sense to me. Someone asks about bringing a bottle on board and how not to get caught and the non drinkers feel the need to chime in giving their thoughts on it.

 

It is like "hey how is the rough seas in Jamaica in May?" Non drinker..."The seas are flat just don't try and smuggle in a bottle of booze"...

 

 

Crazy.

JMHO part of it is that we are at least semi-anonymous on the net. Things that you would never say face-to-face come out much easier for some. Kind of an internet highway version of road rage:p

 

There are those who are also self appointed guardians of the rules as long as it doesn't effect them. "No smuggling booze, dress for dinner, etc. Oh, but I need to bring my iron to keep my clothes nice so I won't follow that rule."

 

The only argument regarding how one passengers smuggling effects another passenger that I have seen here that makes any sense at all is "lost revenues because of smuggling must be made up somewhere so it eventually costs us all more to cruise". IMHO it is true but a very small part of any cost increases on the part of the cruise line.

 

Another reason that the regulation is there is to aid in controlling the underage and early-age (21-28 +/-) drinkers who, if permitted access to unlimited alcohol, could pose a danger to themselves and others.

 

For my part bring what you want.

 

Charlie

[tinacolada]

 

"The only argument regarding how one passengers smuggling effects another passenger that I have seen here that makes any sense at all is "lost revenues because of smuggling must be made up somewhere so it eventually costs us all more to cruise". IMHO it is true but a very small part of any cost increases on the part of the cruise line."

 

I'm sorry but that's just bull---- and obviously a cop-out. So do you complain and expect the movie industry to simply raise their admission prices based on the fact that MANY people bring in their own drinks and snacks because it is such a rip-off to buy there? I don't think so. I suppose you've never sneaked any candy or anything into the movie theatres.

[sail7seas]

Nope...... I never have taken candy or anything into movie theaters. ;)

[richwmn]

 

"The only argument regarding how one passengers smuggling effects another passenger that I have seen here that makes any sense at all is "lost revenues because of smuggling must be made up somewhere so it eventually costs us all more to cruise". IMHO it is true but a very small part of any cost increases on the part of the cruise line."

 

I'm sorry but that's just bull---- and obviously a cop-out. So do you complain and expect the movie industry to simply raise their admission prices based on the fact that MANY people bring in their own drinks and snacks because it is such a rip-off to buy there? I don't think so. I suppose you've never sneaked any candy or anything into the movie theatres.

I don't sneak things into theaters or on cruise ships either.

Both are businesses, both make price judgments based on what the majority of customers are willing to pay for each part of the experience. If they can only get $7 for the ticket, they have to make up their cost/profit somewhere else. If the business doesn't return what the owners (stockholders) expect, the business goes away.

 

Rich

[songanddance]

Let's see - besides smuggling booze and soda and water -how about just asking he photo guy if you can use his backdrop and would he mind taking your picture with your camera. Then do all your wash in the sink and hang it on the balcony rail to dry. Take all of the daily gratuity money off your statement - never buy a shore excursion - bring your own casino chips - and bingo cards - that will really save money - At the same time always order doubles on lobster and prime rib nights - order room service on a daily basis but never tip -

 

I am sure if I worked at it I could come up with a few other ways to do the "Hi am cheap" routine - Doesn't anyone cruise any more who can actually afford the total trip?

[sunsurf]

Let's see - besides smuggling booze and soda and water -how about just asking he photo guy if you can use his backdrop and would he mind taking your picture with your camera. Then do all your wash in the sink and hang it on the balcony rail to dry. Take all of the daily gratuity money off your statement - never buy a shore excursion - bring your own casino chips - and bingo cards - that will really save money - At the same time always order doubles on lobster and prime rib nights - order room service on a daily basis but never tip -

 

I am sure if I worked at it I could come up with a few other ways to do the "Hi am cheap" routine - Doesn't anyone cruise any more who can actually afford the total trip?

 

 

LMAO!!!!:p

 

well said.

[richwmn]

Just curious -- Those of you who say that their "smuggled" beverages do not effect the cost of the cruise -- What kind of business do you run? What kind of job do you have?

 

Rich

[songanddance]

Just curious -- Those of you who say that their "smuggled" beverages do not effect the cost of the cruise -- What kind of business do you run? What kind of job do you have?

 

Rich

They don't run any businesses, they are all workers who think the company is ripping them off. Probably take home supplies for the kids for school, etc.

[CFitzRN]

They don't run any businesses, they are all workers who think the company is ripping them off. Probably take home supplies for the kids for school, etc.

 

Oh puhlease. I have never smuggled anything anywhere, and even I am finding your holier-than-thou attitude insufferable!

[cybx]

Let's see - besides smuggling booze and soda and water -how about just asking he photo guy if you can use his backdrop and would he mind taking your picture with your camera. Then do all your wash in the sink and hang it on the balcony rail to dry. Take all of the daily gratuity money off your statement - never buy a shore excursion - bring your own casino chips - and bingo cards - that will really save money - At the same time always order doubles on lobster and prime rib nights - order room service on a daily basis but never tip -

 

I am sure if I worked at it I could come up with a few other ways to do the "Hi am cheap" routine - Doesn't anyone cruise any more who can actually afford the total trip?

Here's something else some of you may not have considered. I'm not sure how the rest of you budget for a cruise but the last cruise I took, the next one I have booked, and how I budget major land travel goes like this. And these figures are just an example.

 

I set aside $5,000 for the cruise. Let's say me and my wife pay $2500 for our actual booking. Then before we even leave we spend $500 booking shore excusions. $300 for driving and parking at the cruise terminal and then we go ahead and set aside the money we are likely to tip, which should be about $200. That brings our budget for the rest of the cruise to around $1500. Knowing the way me and my wife spend money on vacation, I can gaurantee that nearly ever dime of that remaining $1500 will be spent, and almost all of it on the cruise ship. Maybe the money will be spent on overpriced massages, extra nights at the specialty resaturant or some fun time in the casino. Either way, that $1500 is going straight to the cruise line. Again, the numbers are just an example but you get the idea.

 

So if we were to bring booze aboard we would being doing it to add to the overall vacation experience and in the end it wouldn't be a cost saving measure, as our entire cruise budget would be spent by the end of the cruise no matter if booze was smuggled aboard or if it wasn't.