I wonder if it will be harder to sneak alchohol on board

[galavant3]

In 6 (I know that isn't many compared to a lot of you!) cruises, we have never traveled with or met anyone that brought their own beverages on board, alcohol or otherwise. It could be that we just aren't running into these folks but my guess is that most can't be bothered. So, maybe the affect on the bottom line isn't all that great to begin with. I'm sure it is more of an issue with specific times of year and itineraries.

[Leejnd4]

First, let me just say how refreshing it is to see a thread on booze smuggling that has made it to the third page WITHOUT any of the usual attacks on those of us who do it. :) :) :)

 

Second, about this:

 

In one way I was mortified and in another I was outraged that they went thru our things. Guest Relations denied that anyone went thru our cabinets even though we had the letter from bar personnel. They insisted that only liquor left out would be subject. Not so. They said that they would have the Bar Mgr. contact us. Never happened and it was too time consuming to pursue it. Not to mention that we were in the wrong for having alcohol in the cabin.

 

I would be beyond outraged - I would be apoplectic. I would consider it to be a major intrusion to have anyone go through my personal belongings in my private cabin, and then TAKE things that don't belong to them! It's bad enough that they rifle through our suitcases and confiscate our legal belongings - but I can overlook that because they have a good reason to be searching them for weapons. But I would be livid at anyone intruding on my room and rifling through my stuff - especially if I'd specifically told them not to. If I put that "Do Not Disturb" sign on my cabin door, I expect my room to be left alone.

 

It would be different if they had some valid reason to suspect something illegal going on - drugs or weapons or some such thing. But for them to breach my privacy that way is simply unacceptable. Can you imagine a hotel doing that?

 

If that ever happened to me, I would never cruise this cruise line again. They would lose my business for good.

[patnolen]

We used to bring 16 oz. of vodka in a water bottle to have a drink while getting dressed for dinner. We lost it once when they searched our luggage getting on the Mariner. Several people lost theirs on that cruise which was during spring break and we haven't tried again since. I remember once when we had to take a bus to Miami and people had brought coolers ful of liquor and beer and no one said anything.

 

But I agree with other posters that it's because of the accidents and the cruise line being blamed for them. They have no control of how much someone drinks if they brought their own. I'm sure that like our local bars, if someone seems to have had too much to drink they'd be cut off, but if you have it in your cabin there's no controlling it.

[TampaJack]

I just spent 6 years in Strategic Planning and Gov't Affairs of a $3 billion company - now I'm a marketing analyst for them - figuring out how to position ourselves to make sure we don't go under.

 

I don't know where you ever got the idea that I said any company would NEVER do anything.

 

The rest of it - we have a difference of opinion.

 

Allie, I'm enjoying this debate!

 

Since you've worked for a $3b company, especially in marketing and public relations, then you know firsthand how long it takes to make a company-wide move.... months. Usually MANY months.

 

The economy tanked less than a couple months ago, and recently the lines have done some major fare-slashing (not on my Dec cruise unfortunately, but I can't believe how low they are in Australia for example). So, the cruise lines have only had barely a month to start planning how to make up for the revenue shortfalls.

 

Given how long it tends to take large corporations to implement new policies (or enforcements), and how many countless internal meetings are required, we can expect something to happen in the next few months... if it's going to happen at all.

 

I'm pleased to hear that you think it's a possibility. At least I think that's what you mean by your sentence above "I don't know where you ever got the idea..."

 

And as for the difference of opinion, it sounds like we're not THAT different. You feel it's a possibility but very unlikely. I think it's a possibility but more likely.

 

We will know in a few months. Let's compare notes then! One of us will be right, and I definitely hope it's you!:)

[bommarkm]

I was on AOS last week and our rum runners made it on just fine.

[tap_out]

My last cruise I brought on a decent amount of booze. But still managed to have roughly a $200 bar tab. I like everyone else likes to have the freedom to drink in my room be4 we go out to dinner or the shows.

[curley23]

I bought the rumrunner flasks on line also. I had 6, 32 ounce flasks. I had wine in 2, Rum in 3, and Jack Daniels in the other 1. I put them in a big Ziplock storage bag, they don't leak but just in case. I brought a extra suit case with cranberry juice and pineapple juice. Had Malibu Baybreezes in my daughters room. We did buy some frozen drinks where you could keep the glass and used them to make our drinks. Carried them around all the time. When we ran out of booze. Got off at the port, went to the liquor store filled them up again, put them in my beach bag, they are not detectable in the x-ray machine, and took them right to my room. Works like a charm. If they would drop the price of the alcohol a little maybe you could afford to drink more, buy the time you tip and are paying for 3 or 4 people in your family for a week gets expensive. The cruiselines didn't think twice on passing the cost for fuel to us when prices went up. So I think they should make it like a All Inclusive where the alcohol is included. Pay a little more and not worry about it. But that will never happen. Just my opinion.

 

This will just be MO. While bringing what you want and taking the risk of having it taken away is your business, if you can't afford the true reality of what you will spend on a cruise vacation, with everything, then maybe you should adjust the vacation to something that meets your budget, instead of taking revenue away from the cruise line. If you don't agree with their policies, there are other places you can spend your $$.

[Tranquil Waters]

This will just be MO. While bringing what you want and taking the risk of having it taken away is your business, if you can't afford the true reality of what you will spend on a cruise vacation, with everything, then maybe you should adjust the vacation to something that meets your budget, instead of taking revenue away from the cruise line. If you don't agree with their policies, there are other places you can spend your $$.

 

I know, I can't sleep nights thinking about people taking revenue away from RCI! :rolleyes: I wonder if RCI stays awake nights thinking about the revenue they take away from me ($20+ for a photo, $40+ for a $12 bottle of wine, etc)....... :eek: :p

[curley23]

I know, I can't sleep nights thinking about people taking revenue away from RCI! :rolleyes: I wonder if RCI stays awake nights thinking about the revenue they take away from me ($20+ for a photo, $40+ for a $12 bottle of wine, etc)....... :eek: :p

 

They are in business to make money, that is what businesses do. I don't see Not for Profit stamped anywhere in their literature. No one holds a gun to ones head and makes them pay. If you you don't like it, don't buy it. If you think they are such a bad company, why give them your money in the first place, then whine about it. Go elsewhere if you think it is so bad.

[Tranquil Waters]

They are in business to make money, that is what businesses do. I don't see Not for Profit stamped anywhere in their literature. No one holds a gun to ones head and makes them pay. If you you don't like it, don't buy it. If you think they are such a bad company, why give them your money in the first place, then whine about it. Go elsewhere if you think it is so bad.

 

And the posters here are in the business of protecting their money, that is what people do. As for "don't buy it" - they aren't (much to your dismay apparantly). :D :D :D

[curley23]

And the posters here are in the business of protecting their money, that is what people do. As for "don't buy it" - they aren't (much to your dismay apparantly). :D :D :D

 

I could really care less if someone wants to bring a truckload to the pier. If you can get it on, so be it. What I do not agree with are the lame excuses for doing it. there is no real justification. Why say anything. If you were going to go out for dinner say at Ruths' Chris, or Morton's etc, and you could afford the meal, but not the drinks what would you do, sneak your own, I doubt it, you would go somewhere that you afford so you could have both. Same applies here. It would be nice if we could all have it the way we want it, but not have to pay. I don't agree with RCI's policies, however I don't complain about them, or try to get around them. If the time comes and I feel they are so bad, or wrong, then I'll quit cruising with them. If I smuggled my own stuff, I sure wouldn't admit it to anyone either.

[Leejnd4]

This will just be MO. While bringing what you want and taking the risk of having it taken away is your business, if you can't afford the true reality of what you will spend on a cruise vacation, with everything, then maybe you should adjust the vacation to something that meets your budget, instead of taking revenue away from the cruise line. If you don't agree with their policies, there are other places you can spend your $$.

 

The flaw in your statement above is that we are not "taking revenue away from the cruise line. We are bringing onboard our legal, personal belongings that we bought elsewhere. They are not entitled to the money we spent on our legally purchased beverages. They didn't own them...someone else did, and we chose to make our purchase there, rather than on the ship.

 

If you are concerned that we might end up spending less on board than we would have if we didn't bring our own - that may be true. But then, that's also true for anyone who does ANYTHING to save money on their cruise - whether its booking private excursions rather than the ship-sponsored ones, or not buying their overpriced photographs, or even bringing our own toothpaste rather than buying their marked-up toothpaste from the gift shop.

 

The bottom line is, the cruise line is not entitled to any of our money, beyond the cruise fare. Consequently, we are not taking anything away from them. They didn't have a right to our drink dollars anyway. We are 100% entitled to choose NOT to spend our money on their alcoholic beverages, if we don't want to.

 

You are correct that we are free to take our cruise business elsewhere. But why should we? We like their product in most other respects. The aspects we don't like, we do what we can to deal with, to enhance our vacation experience. Some things we can't do anything about - like the fact that their food has gone downhill lately. Other things we CAN do something about - like the fact that they don't carry the alcoholic beverages we wish to drink. So we bring our own, being careful to avoid detection so they won't take it away. Simple as that. :)

[Leejnd4]

I could really care less if someone wants to bring a truckload to the pier. If you can get it on, so be it. What I do not agree with are the lame excuses for doing it. there is no real justification. Why say anything. If you were going to go out for dinner say at Ruths' Chris, or Morton's etc, and you could afford the meal, but not the drinks what would you do, sneak your own, I doubt it, you would go somewhere that you afford so you could have both. Same applies here. It would be nice if we could all have it the way we want it, but not have to pay. I don't agree with RCI's policies, however I don't complain about them, or try to get around them. If the time comes and I feel they are so bad, or wrong, then I'll quit cruising with them. If I smuggled my own stuff, I sure wouldn't admit it to anyone either.

 

Your comparison to sneaking booze into a restaurant is not valid. Here's why:

 

Argument: It’s the same as bringing your own food to a restaurant, or your own booze to a bar.

 

Response: This is only true IF you bring your smuggled booze into a restaurant or bar to drink, without paying a corkage fee. This is NOT true if you drink your smuggled booze in the privacy of your cabin.

 

I agree that it is wrong to bring smuggled booze into a bar or restaurant on a ship – just as it would be to do so on land. But this has no bearing whatsoever on those of us who bring our wine or alcohol to drink in our cabins.

 

The appropriate comparison in that case is a hotel room. And I doubt anyone here has ever heard of a hotel telling its guests that they cannot bring their privately-purchased beverages into their room – even if the hotel has a bar or restaurant that sells it.

 

But just for the record, even passengers who do bring their smuggled booze into a bar or restaurant are doing nothing illegal…just as it’s not illegal on land. It IS inappropriate, however, and I urge booze smugglers to keep their privately purchased alcohol out of the dining/drinking venues onboard – just as they would on land.

 

Note that many people bring bottles of wine into fine restaurants such as Ruths Chris. These restaurants permit this. That's what corkage fees are for.

 

As for your problem with people discussing it in here: Please be aware that discussions about booze smuggling are permitted in Cruise Critic. Many cruisers do it, and we like to share stories, tips and ideas. We prefer to be able to have these conversations without people jumping in to tell us that we shouldn't talk about it. If you have no interest in it, there's not much reason for participating, is there?

[hayward]

I have read all the information on the rum runners...my husband says that they can throw you off the cruise before it starts if any liquor is found in your baggage. Is this true....I would only drink in the room prior to dinner where it is more relaxing and of course we always purchase drinks outside of the cabin.

[Leejnd4]

I have read all the information on the rum runners...my husband says that they can throw you off the cruise before it starts if any liquor is found in your baggage. Is this true....I would only drink in the room prior to dinner where it is more relaxing and of course we always purchase drinks outside of the cabin.

 

The most definitive response to this question is: CAN they throw you off the ship if they catch you smuggling booze? Yes - their policy includes this as an option. WILL they? NO.

 

There are literally thousands of reports in Cruise Critic of passengers bringing their own alcoholic beverages on board cruise ships, including many cases in which they got caught. There is NOT ONE report of anyone ever being denied boarding or tossed off the ship.

 

IF you get caught, all that will happen is that your liquor will be confiscated. If its in the original container, it will be held until the end of the cruise, and then returned to you. If it is not in its original container (i.e. a rum runner), it will be discarded.

 

However, you should know that it is almost unheard of for people to get caught with rum runners - provided they don't do anything stupid like pack them in the same suitcase as an actual bottle of booze. :)

[reallyitsmema]

I have read all the information on the rum runners...my husband says that they can throw you off the cruise before it starts if any liquor is found in your baggage. Is this true....I would only drink in the room prior to dinner where it is more relaxing and of course we always purchase drinks outside of the cabin.

Yes, they can deny you boarding if they find smuggled alcohol since it is against their policy.

[Leejnd4]

Yes, they can deny you boarding if they find smuggled alcohol since it is against their policy.

 

Please note: as posted above, theoretically they CAN, as their stated policy allows that. But history has shown that they WON'T. They will simply confiscate the booze.

 

If any cruise line were to get into the practice of denying boarding for people attempting to smuggle normal amounts of alcohol (a few bottles or less) onto cruise ships, they would find themselves leaving huge crowds of passengers at the gangplank - and they would lose massive amounts of customers, and be inundated with very bad PR.

 

Dozens upon dozens of passengers attempt to bring liquor on every single cruise. Sometimes security is rigid about confiscating any bottle they can find. Other times they are very lax, and only take those that are blatantly carried aboard.

 

Again, the worst thing that will happen to you is that you will lose your booze. You won't lose your cruise. (Hey, that rhymes!) :D

[vtoria98]

When we went on the Carnival Glory in Sept 07 we had a bottle o Crown Royal in our carry on, we also had a cooler WITH ICE and champagne in it. We were getting married on the ship. The PORT security took our bottle of Crown Roayl and let us go with wine and Champangne. The cruise line does not have the time or manpower to search through everyones bags.

 

As for taking away revenue, my husband and I are avid drinkers on vacation and we regularly take our own beer and still can spend upwards of 1K on the bar alone, now tell me where is RCI losing money on us? There are MANY posters on this board that will tell you that their spending on an entire 7 day trip is less than $100-$200.

[Leejnd4]

When we went on the Carnival Glory in Sept 07 we had a bottle o Crown Royal in our carry on, we also had a cooler WITH ICE and champagne in it. We were getting married on the ship. The PORT security took our bottle of Crown Roayl and let us go with wine and Champangne. The cruise line does not have the time or manpower to search through everyones bags.

 

As for taking away revenue, my husband and I are avid drinkers on vacation and we regularly take our own beer and still can spend upwards of 1K on the bar alone, now tell me where is RCI losing money on us? There are MANY posters on this board that will tell you that their spending on an entire 7 day trip is less than $100-$200.

 

The PORT security took your booze? Um...I'm not sure that's legal, as there are no port-based rules or laws against carrying alcohol onto a ship. It is the CRUISE LINE that has rules about alcohol - and those rules are about bringing it to your CABIN, not onboard the ship. Many people purchase locally made alcoholic beverages (wine, rum, whatever) to bring home with them, and the cruise line ALLOWS this - their policy is that they will hold it for you until the end of the cruise, and then return it.

 

But there are no PORTS that disallow bringing liquor. There are many cruise lines that have NO restrictions on bringing alcohol into your cabin - none of the luxury lines do. So there is no reason for any port authority to confiscate your legally purchased belongings.

 

Sounds like you got ripped off!

[bigmohes]

I usually get the little bottles like on the airlines. I wear a speedo so it's real easy to carry one tucked in the front, it looks exactly like a little........well you know, the only problem is that i do have to go back to the room everytime I want a drink, so what I generally do is leave my book and towel on my lounger by the pool to save it. Sometimes I'm gone for hours before me and my little bottle return.

 

 

 

Somewhat disturbing:eek:

[Leejnd4]

Somewhat disturbing:eek:

 

LOL! Yeah, this guy's posts to booze threads are always highly entertaining - as he means them to be. :D That's what I love about him - he doesn't take himself (or the topic) too seriously.

[vtoria98]

The PORT security took your booze? Um...I'm not sure that's legal, as there are no port-based rules or laws against carrying alcohol onto a ship. It is the CRUISE LINE that has rules about alcohol - and those rules are about bringing it to your CABIN, not onboard the ship. Many people purchase locally made alcoholic beverages (wine, rum, whatever) to bring home with them, and the cruise line ALLOWS this - their policy is that they will hold it for you until the end of the cruise, and then return it.

 

But there are no PORTS that disallow bringing liquor. There are many cruise lines that have NO restrictions on bringing alcohol into your cabin - none of the luxury lines do. So there is no reason for any port authority to confiscate your legally purchased belongings.

 

Sounds like you got ripped off!

 

No big deal, our friends that got off the ship after the wedding got it back. They said they were to take all liquor from carry on bags, they caught it as we went through the metal detectors.

[Goofyisme]

One quick question. Why does this rule exist?

[Leejnd4]

One quick question. Why does this rule exist?

 

It may be a quick question - but unfortunately, there is no quick answer. That's because none of us here work for the cruise line, and can say for sure what their reasoning is behind the rule. We can only speculate.

 

MY theory is that it is a purely profit-motivated rule. They disallow bringing booze onboard in order to force passengers who wish to imbibe, to buy it from them. Alcohol is one of their biggest profit-generators, so they will do anything they can to increase sales. The booze rules are an attempt to enact a self-serving monopoly on the sale of alcohol.

 

Others theorize that it is due to previous problems with over-consumption, or due to insurance. I believe that neither of these are valid. One, if someone wants to get drunk, they will find a way. Anyone can order drinks for their room, or they can move from bar to bar. Second, given that most cruise lines allow SOME alcohol to be brought onboard, and any have NO restrictions whatsoever, I do not see how it can be an insurance issue.

 

I'm sure you will hear theories from others.

[G'ma]

The PORT security took your booze? Um...I'm not sure that's legal, as there are no port-based rules or laws against carrying alcohol onto a ship. It is the CRUISE LINE that has rules about alcohol - and those rules are about bringing it to your CABIN, not onboard the ship. Many people purchase locally made alcoholic beverages (wine, rum, whatever) to bring home with them, and the cruise line ALLOWS this - their policy is that they will hold it for you until the end of the cruise, and then return it.

 

But there are no PORTS that disallow bringing liquor. There are many cruise lines that have NO restrictions on bringing alcohol into your cabin - none of the luxury lines do. So there is no reason for any port authority to confiscate your legally purchased belongings.

 

Sounds like you got ripped off!

 

Not illegal at all. Carnival's rules about bringing alcohol onboard is laid out very well in their policy, on the ticket contract and in the documents passengers received.

 

"A liquor and beverage consumption policy was created in order for Carnival to be able to control the liquor consumption of minors and the quantities consumed that lead to the disruptive behavior of others on board.

 

Liquor and Beverage Policy

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."

When the rules are known ahead of time, and someone decides to do it anyway, they have no complaint about the consequences.