Worst case scenario for sneaking on alcohol.

[GlenandVal]

a few years ago when we were boarding the ship in Los Angles we saw someone bring wrapped boxes I mean they were gift wrapped like ti was a gift for someone

 

I bet for him self as they were unwrapped and was a case of beer

[sunsurf]

a few years ago when we were boarding the ship in Los Angles we saw someone bring wrapped boxes I mean they were gift wrapped like ti was a gift for someone

 

I bet for him self as they were unwrapped and was a case of beer

 

 

LOL!!! How embarassing!

[tinacolada]

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?

 

 

Gee, the last time I checked, they allowed CAMERAS onboard (unlike alcohol) and the beautiful ocean is a pretty darn good backdrop so that it a pretty bad example. As far as using their laundering facilities, I come prepared with enough clothes, believe you me. I would always tip for services RENDERED, I don't gamble (OH NO :eek: lost revenues, maybe I shouldn't cruise!) and since lobster is my fav thing, damn right I just may order a 2nd (that's NOT against the "rules" is it?!)

Oh, and as far as shore excursions, there are ALOT of people who purchase them off ship to yep, you guessed it, SAVE MONEY! OMG are the elitists gonna start a thread to chastise these people too? Give me a break. Why don't all the people that don't agree, just mind their own business and let Carnival deal with it if it's such a profit-breaker for them?! Oh and speaking of business, WE RUN A BUSINESS THAT DOESN'T RIP PEOPLE OFF, don't know about you though...apparently you make alot more money than we do :p

Originally Posted by 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?

[Grover-Lee]

My DH and I took booze in our luggage on our first cruise thinking we'd use our travel mugs. But we didn't, we ordered many 'drinks of the day' (well I did, I can't remember what DH drank that week). We drank our booze in our room when we wanted to relax on the balcony or after a long day by the pool. ;) We ended up leaving some of our booze there. So our next cruise we'll take some with us but not as much.

[tinacolada]

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.

That's a good point and another way of looking at it!

[julieanne]

Gotta love it! I love these threads! ;)

[AllieInMD]

That company is out of business - and I do believe one of the main reasons is that they were no longer allowed to deliver booze to the ships.

 

 

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.

[AllieInMD]

no kiddin - saw in another thread a poster who's never had a seapass bill under $10,000 - yes - TEN THOUSAND!

 

if I had that kinda money as disposable income, I wouldn't worry about sneaking booze on the ship either

 

people like that have no sense of reality of how regular people live

 

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

[tinacolada]

My DH and I took booze in our luggage on our first cruise thinking we'd use our travel mugs. But we didn't, we ordered many 'drinks of the day' (well I did, I can't remember what DH drank that week). We drank our booze in our room when we wanted to relax on the balcony or after a long day by the pool. ;) We ended up leaving some of our booze there. So our next cruise we'll take some with us but not as much.

Yes, I plan on buying alot of the 'drinks of the day' mmmmm, but we too would also like to have our own bottle or two to enjoy a drink before dinners, on our balcony at night, etc. I really don't think that's going to hurt anyone...

[AllieInMD]

hey - on another thread somewhere - I was told that I was STEALING from RCCL, it's crew, and it's stockholders if I brought liquor onboard. They were comparing it to - no lie - armed robbery of a bank, stealing a motorcycle, etc. How insane is that? They see some great moral issue and feel morally and ethically superior. I was talkin to SO about this Saturday while on a 2 hr drive - he said "are they crazy!??!"

 

 

 

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.

[tinacolada]

no kiddin - saw in another thread a poster who's never had a seapass bill under $10,000 - yes - TEN THOUSAND!

 

if I had that kinda money as disposable income, I wouldn't worry about sneaking booze on the ship either

 

people like that have no sense of reality of how regular people live

 

Yep, I hear ya.

 

"a poster who's never had a seapass bill under $10,000 - yes - TEN THOUSAND!"

WHOOAAA, that's crazy... but it must be nice! :cool:

[julieanne]

So I read the rest of the pages and had a good laugh. I just wanted to say that on our last RCCL cruise, the average drink was around $6, some drinks were $10. This is high. My main thought? It really isn't costing me more to cruise now (except for the fuel surcharge), than it did 4 years ago. The price of the drinks has gone up considerably though, and I do not believe it's due to smuggling, sneaking or any other phrase you'd like to call it! LOL! I think that there are so many ships out there vying for your business that they are keeping rates almost status quo, but raising amenities. As for bottle service, when JBOY was in business, she wouldn;t deliver to the Port of Galveston. Having contacted Carnival prior to our last cruise out of Galveston, the rep was very rude. His exact words to me were "oh, I know what you want". I said "yes, I would like to buy a bottle of liquor from the line to keep in our cabin, what are you implying?". He changed his tone of voice very quickly. I would most definitely order bottle service 100% of the time, if the lines offered it. I can say RCCL, Carnival, Oceania all allow wine or champagne for sailaway. It just boggles my mind why they think a bottle of vodka is different than a bottle of wine! ;)

[sunsurf]

people like that have no sense of reality of how regular people live

 

 

sure the do. I'm not trying to "stir the pot", but I know many people who have worked extremely hard to get to where they are today. They go on luxury vactions and spend alot of money because they CAN afford it.

[julieanne]

sure the do. I'm not trying to "stir the pot", but I know many people who have worked extremely hard to get to where they are today. They go on luxury vactions and spend alot of money because they CAN afford it.

You've got that right! I consider every vacation a luxury! If I couldn't afford it, I would be staying home :eek: ! Of course, we don't spend $10K onboard..........About $800 in 2 weeks......that was the highest, with tours, massages, pictures and other stuff.....

[AllieInMD]

I have worked extremely hard to get where I am today too and I spend a lot more on vacations than my friends and peers. The difference is, I don't forget where I came from, or what it's like to be in that position - I KNOW that not all my friends can afford what I can - but I don't play high and mighty with them like many of the 'elitist' posters here do.

 

 

sure the do. I'm not trying to "stir the pot", but I know many people who have worked extremely hard to get to where they are today. They go on luxury vactions and spend alot of money because they CAN afford it.

[sunsurf]

You've got that right! I consider every vacation a luxury! If I couldn't afford it, I would be staying home :eek: ! Of course, we don't spend $10K onboard..........About $800 in 2 weeks......that was the highest, with tours, massages, pictures and other stuff.....

 

 

You've got the right attitude and I totally agree with you. Our shipboard account at the end of our past cruises has been pretty high, (not nearly as high as 10 grand). We buy some things on board...but its mostly on alcohol though. We meet people and have dinners and share great conversations over bottles of wine, etc. We'll buy rounds for others and they'll do the same. Do we regret spending our money that way? Nope! Do we come home broke? Nope! Did we have a great time? Oh yeah!!:D .

 

The way I look at is...the Brinks truck doesn't follow you to the grave, therefore we enjoy every single vacation whether its land based or cruise related to its fullest!!

[acc82]

man, did this board get heated?!? i do have to say here that some people have been misrepresented. some were saying that "non drinkers" are the ones that "don't smuggle" or are against smuggling booze onboard. This is a generalization. I drink on every cruise and never smuggle. I purchase probably 2-3 drinks a day as well as my husband and we get soda cards. And, get this, we are not "elitits" as you claim. We watch our budget because we return to real life when we get back.

I know that people will do what they will. This is fine, whatever. Like i said earlier, we are all adults here. But, even though some are arguing this point, it makes sense......the MAJORITY of the cruise ships Profits are made on alcohol. :-) so, if the alcohol isn't sold on board, the profits go down and cruise ship rates go up. making my cruise in the future cost more. so, if we'd all just bite the bullet for one week, maybe we'd all pay less in the end. plus, i really don't mind paying for the drinks in return for the AWESOME service i get, and yes, i still tip. :-)

[tinacolada]

So I read the rest of the pages and had a good laugh. I just wanted to say that on our last RCCL cruise, the average drink was around $6, some drinks were $10. This is high. My main thought? It really isn't costing me more to cruise now (except for the fuel surcharge), than it did 4 years ago. The price of the drinks has gone up considerably though, and I do not believe it's due to smuggling, sneaking or any other phrase you'd like to call it! LOL! I think that there are so many ships out there vying for your business that they are keeping rates almost status quo, but raising amenities. As for bottle service, when JBOY was in business, she wouldn;t deliver to the Port of Galveston. Having contacted Carnival prior to our last cruise out of Galveston, the rep was very rude. His exact words to me were "oh, I know what you want". I said "yes, I would like to buy a bottle of liquor from the line to keep in our cabin, what are you implying?". He changed his tone of voice very quickly. I would most definitely order bottle service 100% of the time, if the lines offered it. I can say RCCL, Carnival, Oceania all allow wine or champagne for sailaway. It just boggles my mind why they think a bottle of vodka is different than a bottle of wine! ;)

 

Ya, that was my husband's response. He doesn't understand how they can discriminate against liquor drinkers, but wine and champagne is OK...strange. :rolleyes:

I also don't see cruise ships going out of business because of this "lost revenue" from drinks from a small percentage of people that bring a little booze onboard. I think they make up for it pretty well in the CASINO! Besides, a dollar saved in one place can be used in another...

[tinacolada]

hey - on another thread somewhere - I was told that I was STEALING from RCCL, it's crew, and it's stockholders if I brought liquor onboard. They were comparing it to - no lie - armed robbery of a bank, stealing a motorcycle, etc. How insane is that? They see some great moral issue and feel morally and ethically superior. I was talkin to SO about this Saturday while on a 2 hr drive - he said "are they crazy!??!"

 

Simply put, yes they are crazy......they must be to say something so absolutely asinine.

(Asinine–adjective

1.foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid: It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements.

2.of or like an ass: asinine obstinacy; asinine features.)

Well said dictionary ;)

 

They just ain't getting the point...what can you do? But I know what they can do-MYOB!!!!!!!

[tinacolada]

man, did this board get heated?!? i do have to say here that some people have been misrepresented. some were saying that "non drinkers" are the ones that "don't smuggle" or are against smuggling booze onboard. This is a generalization. I drink on every cruise and never smuggle. I purchase probably 2-3 drinks a day as well as my husband and we get soda cards. And, get this, we are not "elitits" as you claim. We watch our budget because we return to real life when we get back.

I know that people will do what they will. This is fine, whatever. Like i said earlier, we are all adults here. But, even though some are arguing this point, it makes sense......the MAJORITY of the cruise ships Profits are made on alcohol. :-) so, if the alcohol isn't sold on board, the profits go down and cruise ship rates go up. making my cruise in the future cost more. so, if we'd all just bite the bullet for one week, maybe we'd all pay less in the end. plus, i really don't mind paying for the drinks in return for the AWESOME service i get, and yes, i still tip. :-)

 

Talk about generalization! So you think everyone that "smuggles" booze onboard does not BUY any drinks on the ship??? Whatever made you think that? Most people I know that do in fact bring a couple bottles onboard also buy drinks in addition and their bar tab is enough to help out the poor cruise line-lol! You don't even know if they would make up for the drinks that they would have had with their own liquor buy purchasing them, do you?Perhaps they just wouldn't be drinking as much. Generalization you say?

Do you people really think that they would raise their rates strictly because some people bring their own booze onboard?? Then I guess they would have to do the same because of all the excursions that cruisers are purchasing OFF THE SHIP too right? Or is that different because that's what you do? Geez, let's not be so naiive and narrow-minded folks.

The bottom line is: If you like paying for all of the overpriced drinks on board, be my guest, but DON'T get on our cases for choosing to only purchse some of them...period. (I'm also referring to all of the others out there who have put their 2 cents in.) :rolleyes: Boy, maybe Carnival will change their policy one day to allow bringing booze onboard like some other cruiselines do and then what would everyone be saying? I can only imagine :eek: .

[tinacolada]

Tim-where have you been the last couple days? I miss your logical input.

[RetireeWannabee]

...But, even though some are arguing this point, it makes sense......the MAJORITY of the cruise ships Profits are made on alcohol. :-) so, if the alcohol isn't sold on board, the profits go down and cruise ship rates go up. making my cruise in the future cost more.

Please hook me up with a reference to the majority of cruise ship profits coming from alcohol sales.

[sail7seas]

Actually, we've been told the biggest profit source for onboard spending is the Art Auctions. They make even more on that than the casino and liquor sales.

[qorc]

hey - on another thread somewhere - I was told that I was STEALING from RCCL, it's crew, and it's stockholders if I brought liquor onboard. They were comparing it to - no lie - armed robbery of a bank, stealing a motorcycle, etc. How insane is that? They see some great moral issue and feel morally and ethically superior. I was talkin to SO about this Saturday while on a 2 hr drive - he said "are they crazy!??!"

 

Not crazy. Just morons.

 

the last time I checked, buying drinks is optional, not mandatory. I'm not "stealing" from anyone.

[qorc]

what I'm trying to get around is the fact that people are willing to spend $$$ to book a cruise, $$$ to get the cabin they want, $$$ for a plane ticket to get them to the cruise port...but yet are not willing to spend the money onboard for alcohol??:confused:

 

I smuggle some booze - and no it doesn't leak - I use Rumrunners - you'd need a really sharp knife to pierce them, and I wrap them up in T-shirts with rubberbands, so that won't happen anyway.

 

What I object to is ridiculously high prices for mixed drinks. I'm not required to buy them.

 

if you want to pay those prices -- be my guest. I choose not too. So what if I bring my own on? I wouldn't be buying their drinks if I didn't. I would merely go without. Thus, I'm not depriving the cruiseline of a dime by doing it.

 

so get off your high horse. there's not enough oxygen up there.