What's the big deal?

[somebeachsomewhere]

I have been reading a lot of the posts about "smuggling" booze on cruise ships. Some are against it, some are for it.

 

My question is: What's the big deal if you do or don't?

 

Some people get real bent about someone "smuggling".

 

If you don't, then I commend you...

 

If you do, then I commend you...

 

My thing is, if I can save some $, I'm gonna do it. I personally think $6 for a beer is insane. I don't care how much the cruise costs. Someone who likes to drink beer while their on vacation, might need CPR when they get their bar bill with prices like that. At best their gonna have some splainin' to do for the wife.

 

Soooo... all of you professional cruisers out there, I'm looking for all of the tricks of the smuggling trade. Thank you.

[Coralc]

It is against cruise line policy, but I don't think it is a big deal if other people wish to bring alcohol onboard one way or another. It's why I don't participate in the numerous alcohol smuggling threads. Beer drinkers...I think we are stuck buying it. I can't think of an effective beer smuggling strategy, unfortunately. :)

[lahrbrat]

I wouldn't smuggle booze on, but I honestly don't care if others do it. :D

[Mikew0805]

It does not bother me if someone brings/smuggles on booze, it just bothers me that there are some posters on CC that promote it, defend it etc., and then complain about the guy/girl on the other side of the dining room, that did not dress the way they thought they should. :p :D

 

I think that is a run on sentence, but I am too tired to fix it! :rolleyes:

[Piperpals]

We buy our fair share (and more) on board but bring on wine and scotch (single malt) of course to enjoy in our room. I am going to subject myself to a slew of comments about following rules, respecting others and 'what happens if it breaks in the luggage'.

 

Only take white wine, doesn't stain. Put in empty water bottles, tighten lid, put in heavy duty zip lock bags. Put bottles into shoes in center of luggage. never had a problem (but you never know).

 

Was on our second cruise and at dinner with a lady on her 45th cruise, she may have been about 75-80. She says "let me tell you how to do it: I buy a large bottle of Welches Grape juice and Welches White Grape juice, dump out the juice and fill with red wine and white wine. Carrry bottles on with you. No one is going to bother an old lady with 5L of grape juice in her hands". Brilliant.

 

We have taken Princess and Celebrity before and they allow you to bring some wine in your carry on. We are doing RCI shortly and they don't allow any carry on. So not sure how this will pan out.

 

Cheers,

[ancldaca]

I don't quite get the smuggling either. Prices on board are similar to those of major cities where we don't think twice about it. That said, I do believe that the lines need to become more pragmatic about their on-board sales. Just let people buy a bottle of hard alcohol per person in their shops to take back to the room. I remember my Alaska cruise, back last century, where I bought a bottle of Stoli in the Sun Princess' shop and it was just the right for the whole cruise for those pre-dinner drinks.

 

I bet that most people that smuggle are indeed doing it for the convenience of having something in their cabin.

 

When I sail on Princess, you can buy (half sized) bottles for the rooms which are delivered by Room Service. The prices are a tad high but this seems to work if you go by the lower rate of alcohol smuggling threads over on the PCL boards...

[cookieeater]

I watched a special on CNBC regarding cruising . . . . the cruise industry makes their profits from booze, gaming and excurisions . . . therefore, they are able to discount the cabins and draw passengers on board.

[temple1]

It does not bother me if someone brings/smuggles on booze, it just bothers me that there are some posters on CC that promote it, defend it etc., and then complain about the guy/girl on the other side of the dining room, that did not dress the way they thought they should. :p :D

 

I think that is a run on sentence, but I am too tired to fix it! :rolleyes:

 

I think we tend to get caught up in our own prejudices. There are probably quite a few anti smuggling folks who see no problem with people wearing a &6%( t-shirt with cutoffs and flip flops on formal night. At the same time there are probably more than a few with their own stash of night caps in their cabin who enjoy dressing up every night and don't care to see the above ensemble during their dinner. :eek:

 

Name the onboard offense and there will be quite a few posters on one side or the other of the debate. Sometimes they are on the same side, other times they are in opposition. That is just the way it goes - a cruise ship is just a reflection of every day life.

[ziggypup]

Yeah, to each is own. I'm not a big drinker, but I do enjoy a glass of wine or two throughout the evening. I bring two bottles with me in my check-in luggage and never had a problem. I'm not doing it because I am trying to save a dollar, but RCCL just doesn't sell what I like on board.

[snorkelman]

do a search. there are plenty of threads out there on this topic. This really has been discussed and lots of advice has been given.

[cb at sea]

While most folks would NEVER think of carrying their own liquor into a nightclub or bar, almost everyone who stays in a hotel for more than a night or two has their own "portable bar"--and there are no "rules" against that. I think that's what gets everyone in an uproar (and justifiably so, IMO!). The ship is a "hotel" venue with bars and restaurants and such.

You should be able to bring into your room whatever you wish. Folks will still go to the bars and order their drinks--it's simply much more fun drinking in a public atmosphere than sitting alone in your little cabin!

[indyguy65]

My guess as to why you can't buy it on the ship and consume it in your room has to do with the shops being duty-free. I could be wrong, I'm not a big drinker but I think thats the deal with booze and cigarettes onboard.

[Teeara]

Was on our second cruise and at dinner with a lady on her 45th cruise, she may have been about 75-80. She says "let me tell you how to do it: I buy a large bottle of Welches Grape juice and Welches White Grape juice, dump out the juice and fill with red wine and white wine. Carrry bottles on with you. No one is going to bother an old lady with 5L of grape juice in her hands". Brilliant.

 

That truly is brilliant! And technically she's right. It IS grape juice. Just the fermented kind ;):D

 

Theresa

[HorrorFan]

One argument you always hear on these threads is that drink/beer prices aren't much different than you see in any land bar or restaurant.

While that is true, it is also true that you don't spend 7, 10, 14 DAYS steady in a land bar or restaurant. At least I hope you don't. You buy a drink or three and are done. On a ship they have you as a captive audience, you are paying those prices hour after hour, day after day if you choose to drink. I don't think it would kil them to give a break on pricing under those circumstances, but they aren't likely to.

[mimisandy]

I have brought wine onboard once. It was not to 'save' money. It was because it was spanish wine bought at La Boqueria (market) in Barcelona. Since we were going on a cruise to many countries with wonderful wine (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey), I thought it would be nice to have 'local' wine with dinner each evening. We wiere more than happy to pay a corkage fee. However, RCCL would not allow us to bring it to the dining room so for us it was discussion over. We didn't buy anymore local wine. We had it for lunch on tour and then bought a bottle in the dining room at night. It wasn't a big deal either way. We didn't really care to have it in our room as we are not huge drinkers. Just a glass with dinner is fine with us.

[Moondawgie]

While most folks would NEVER think of carrying their own liquor into a nightclub or bar, almost everyone who stays in a hotel for more than a night or two has their own "portable bar"--and there are no "rules" against that. I think that's what gets everyone in an uproar (and justifiably so, IMO!). The ship is a "hotel" venue with bars and restaurants and such.

You should be able to bring into your room whatever you wish. Folks will still go to the bars and order their drinks--it's simply much more fun drinking in a public atmosphere than sitting alone in your little cabin!

 

CB, that's not necessarily true. I worked at Hilton and they DO have a rule about brining in food or alcohol because they sell it. They can have security confiscate it if they see it coming in (operative words see it). If a hotel (or in this case cruise ship) sells alcohol, they will try to protect their revenue (understandably!) by not allowing BYOB. Restaurants that do not sell alcohol have a BYOB policy.

 

The reason prices are so high is BECAUSE of the smugglers not despite them.

[somebeachsomewhere]

The reason prices are so high is BECAUSE of the smugglers not despite them.

 

I disagree, it's like gas prices. Supply and demand, only on a cruise ship the demand for booze will always be high so they don't have to reduce their prices. They will always have vacationers who enjoy drinking while they are vacationing. It's not rocket scienstry.

[aggie1]

If anyone can tell me a cruise line that has Seagrams VO then I will buy from the ship. NO ONE DOES!!! That is why I bring my own only for the room. We still frequent the bars.

[mudscraper]

If anyone can tell me a cruise line that has Seagrams VO then I will buy from the ship. NO ONE DOES!!! That is why I bring my own only for the room. We still frequent the bars.

Holland America does.

 

$29.90 One liter bottle You can bring unlimited wine or champagne onboard also.

 

See you onboard.

 

 

Rich

[Cruise Junky]

My guess as to why you can't buy it on the ship and consume it in your room has to do with the shops being duty-free. I could be wrong, I'm not a big drinker but I think thats the deal with booze and cigarettes onboard.

 

They're not related. Most other lines you can order a bottle for your room. It's going to cost you more than whats offered in the duty free store. RCI is the only line that doesn't allow you to buy a bottle of hard stuff for your room and doesn't allow wine/champagne to be taken on.

[temple1]

CB, that's not necessarily true. I worked at Hilton and they DO have a rule about brining in food or alcohol because they sell it. They can have security confiscate it if they see it coming in (operative words see it). If a hotel (or in this case cruise ship) sells alcohol, they will try to protect their revenue (understandably!) by not allowing BYOB. Restaurants that do not sell alcohol have a BYOB policy.

 

The reason prices are so high is BECAUSE of the smugglers not despite them.

 

I've seen you post this before. When I make a reservation at a Hilton - at what point do they inform me if I dine in my room it must be from room service and I cannot mix a drink other than from the mini-bar? I've stayed in Hiltons, Hyatts, Marriotts, Crowne Plazas etc - I have never encountered this little rule. I suppose if they see a 20 something bringing in a case of Jack Daniels they might put out an alert to security, but other than that - what can they do?

 

But I have also attended conventions and large gatherings at hotels with several hospitality suites set up by different groups =- not using hotel bar set ups. No one ever said anything.

 

I also seem to recall ordering carryout from a local restaurant at one of the NYC Marriotts and no one blinked.

[bubbadog]

Just do a search,on smuggling booze,and about 15,000 pages should come up on this topic:rolleyes:

[Cruise Junky]

Just do a search,on smuggling booze,and about 15,000 pages should come up on this topic:rolleyes:

 

Now where's the fun in that? ;)

[somebeachsomewhere]

I can't think of an effective beer smuggling strategy, unfortunately. :)

 

I was considering buying a case of pop, disguarding the pop, adding a case of Miller Lite and resealing the case. I haven't heard of any cruise lines that confiscate pop. How does that sound for a crafty little "smuggling" move.

[Cruise Junky]

I was considering buying a case of pop, disguarding the pop, adding a case of Miller Lite and resealing the case. I haven't heard of any cruise lines that confiscate pop. How does that sound for a crafty little "smuggling" move.

 

Real men don't drink Miller Lite ;)