Taking alcohol on board

But I maintain the view that it will be very easy to take on 2 litres per adult - 1 in each suitcase going in via the hold and 1 each in your hand luggage. The new restriction does not stipulate that the 1 litre must be one or the other, which means that you can do either. And as there is no way that they can tally the two, you can do both!

 

I seem to be in a minority of one who agrees with the new policy but has spotted the glaring loophole in it!

Unless you pack booze in rumrunners any bottles will easily be picked up by xray.This happens on most lines.

Yes, but my point is that hold luggage and hand luggage are NOT scanned together by passenger. They will see a bottle in your hold luggage and they will see a bottle in your hand luggage. But these are done at separate places and at different times and there is no tally between the two. They are relying on the fact that 99% of passengers will just comply or fail to spot this loophole.

Yes, but my point is that hold luggage and hand luggage are NOT scanned together by passenger. They will see a bottle in your hold luggage and they will see a bottle in your hand luggage. But these are done at separate places and at different times and there is no tally between the two. They are relying on the fact that 99% of passengers will just comply or fail to spot this loophole.

I am sure that P&O realise that there will be some people who will try to beat the system, we don't know yet how this will work, maybe any cases that have bottles in them will be sent to a naughty room to be reclaimed by the owner.

Hopefully the people who do this will be very small minority. :D

Yes, but my point is that hold luggage and hand luggage are NOT scanned together by passenger. They will see a bottle in your hold luggage and they will see a bottle in your hand luggage. But these are done at separate places and at different times and there is no tally between the two. They are relying on the fact that 99% of passengers will just comply or fail to spot this loophole.

Hi,got it.This is a unique scenario because all the other lines insist that all booze is carried in hand luggage and anything in suitcase is not allowed,cheers,Brian.

I am sure that P&O realise that there will be some people who will try to beat the system, we don't know yet how this will work, maybe any cases that have bottles in them will be sent to a naughty room to be reclaimed by the owner.

 

Hopefully the people who do this will be very small minority. :D

Even if people do get 2 bottles onboard it is a drop in the oceon compared to what some people previously brought onboard.The biggest affect will be when these people can bring nothing onboard when they are in the ports during the cruise.

Wow. I started reading this thread then found there were 23 pages after I had got through about 7.

Just had our first P & O cruise - thoroughly enjoyed it - but travelling by train we didn't even think about taking bottles thinking we ould buy on board. There was an offer on and we were going to buy a couple of bottles for the cabin to be told it would be held till the last day, and we had been told the same at the shop on board. Some are saying on here though that we can buy bottles from the steward for the cabin. How does that work please? Seems weird that you can buy off the steward to drink in the cabin but have it confiscated if bought from the shop. We didn't want to risk it so had nothing to drink in the cabin.

Gill

Wow. I started reading this thread then found there were 23 pages after I had got through about 7.

Just had our first P & O cruise - thoroughly enjoyed it - but travelling by train we didn't even think about taking bottles thinking we ould buy on board. There was an offer on and we were going to buy a couple of bottles for the cabin to be told it would be held till the last day, and we had been told the same at the shop on board. Some are saying on here though that we can buy bottles from the steward for the cabin. How does that work please? Seems weird that you can buy off the steward to drink in the cabin but have it confiscated if bought from the shop. We didn't want to risk it so had nothing to drink in the cabin.

Gill

The buying off the steward is room service and we all have the choice to buy alcohol or soft drinks that way to drink in our cabins.

I don't mind that alcohol being taken on board is being restricted. I've always found that P&O have a wide choice of wines at competitive prices (one of the reasons that we stopped sailing with Cunard was the ridiculous prices plus gratuity :mad: ).

As long as P&O don't hike their prices and don't add on any gratuitous gratuities ;), then it won't make a difference to us. Having said that, over the past 2 years we have noticed the price of wine across the fleet slightly increasing with each cruise we take................

I think that it’s highly unlikely that you’d be called to Reception if you have a bottle in your lugggage. As far as I can tell, the new rules do not specify that the bottle must be taken on as hand luggage. I suspect that those who are desperate to take alchohol on board will get wise to the fact that each adult will be able to take on 2 litres - one each in hand luggage and one each in hold luggage. There would be no practical way that they could establish that you had done that, even if they wanted to (which they won’t). They will rely on the fact that most passengers (especially Brits) will be compliant. The new policy doesn’t bother me one jot and we just won’t bother to take any alcohol on board, but what’s the worst that can happen? In the highly unlikely event that you are rumbled, you just get the extra bottle back at the end of the cruise.

Selbourne, I believe that is the system that operates on Fred Olsen where there is a Zero alcohol rule and other cruise lines who have been operating this system for a while now. I guess P&O security will be on training courses with them. It will be interesting to see how it works in practice - and as you say, the worse that can happen is that you have to wait until the last evening to collect it.

I confess to not having read all 22 pages. I did wonder whether I should post or not, you can tell I'm a newbie!!!!

Bartswife - no, that does not show you are a newbie at all. It shows you are very smart!!!!:) :D

maybe any cases that have bottles in them will be sent to a naughty room to be reclaimed by the owner.

Why would they do this? They haven't said that the 1 litre per person can't be taken on board in hold luggage, so many people will legitimately take their 1 litre on board that way to save carrying it. Others will carry their 1 litre on as hand luggage. My point is that some people will do both and there is absolutely no way that P&O will know!

I stress that the new policy doesn't bother me and I probably just won't take any alchohol on board, but I am finding it amusing, given how irritated that everyone seems to be by this new policy, that I seem to be the only person who has worked out how easy it would be to work around it :confused:

Why would they do this? They haven't said that the 1 litre per person can't be taken on board in hold luggage, so many people will legitimately take their 1 litre on board that way to save carrying it. Others will carry their 1 litre on as hand luggage. My point is that some people will do both and there is absolutely no way that P&O will know!

 

I stress that the new policy doesn't bother me and I probably just won't take any alchohol on board, but I am finding it amusing, given how irritated that everyone seems to be by this new policy, that I seem to be the only person who has worked out how easy it would be to work around it :confused:

Having heard how the other cruise lines seem to work it successfully, I can quite believe they will make it work ..... however, if people try and abuse this allowance too, they will obviously get wise to that pretty quickly and will simply prohibit ALL alcohol.

It is through people abusing their very reasonable policy that we have arrived at this tightening up in the first place.

PS Selbourne - we duly appoint you 'Alcohol Policy Monitor' on your next cruise after 1 Feb 18 to tell us all how it works ;)

Wow. I started reading this thread then found there were 23 pages after I had got through about 7.

Just had our first P & O cruise - thoroughly enjoyed it - but travelling by train we didn't even think about taking bottles thinking we ould buy on board. There was an offer on and we were going to buy a couple of bottles for the cabin to be told it would be held till the last day, and we had been told the same at the shop on board. Some are saying on here though that we can buy bottles from the steward for the cabin. How does that work please? Seems weird that you can buy off the steward to drink in the cabin but have it confiscated if bought from the shop. We didn't want to risk it so had nothing to drink in the cabin.

Gill

This is the current in cabin price list. They are Ltr. Bottles. You order them from room service. We have done this for years and have only ever taken any drinks on board on 2/3 occasions.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you for the replies and price list for the cabin. I never saw one of those on our 29 Oct Aurora cruise, but can see our steward now when we go back on her 6 Dec. I won't try carrying bottles to the ship in luggage anyway as it is a struggle with the cases on the train without worrying about bottles in them. Just fancied a bottle for the cabin as we get ready for the evening.

Gill

Selbourne, I believe that is the system that operates on Fred Olsen where there is a Zero alcohol rule and other cruise lines who have been operating this system for a while now. I guess P&O security will be on training courses with them. It will be interesting to see how it works in practice - and as you say, the worse that can happen is that you have to wait until the last evening to collect it.

Anyone who puts bottles in their suit cases are risking them breaking when the cases are thrown around during embarkation.

Is it worth your clothes being covered in glass and alcohol?.

Anyone who puts bottles in their suit cases are risking them breaking when the cases are thrown around during embarkation.

Is it worth your clothes being covered in glass and alcohol?.

For us definitely not !! :)

Anyone who puts bottles in their suit cases are risking them breaking when the cases are thrown around during embarkation.

Is it worth your clothes being covered in glass and alcohol?.

Done it loads of times, usually on the return leg when we have unused bottles of complimentary Champagne. Well wrapped in clothing in the middle of the case. Never had a problem.

Done it loads of times, usually on the return leg when we have unused bottles of complimentary Champagne. Well wrapped in clothing in the middle of the case. Never had a problem.

We have a bottle and a half at home.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Done it loads of times, usually on the return leg when we have unused bottles of complimentary Champagne. Well wrapped in clothing in the middle of the case. Never had a problem.

Its okay when you are coming home because all your clothes are ready to be cleaned anyway.

Why would they do this? They haven't said that the 1 litre per person can't be taken on board in hold luggage, so many people will legitimately take their 1 litre on board that way to save carrying it. Others will carry their 1 litre on as hand luggage. My point is that some people will do both and there is absolutely no way that P&O will know!

Selbourne, I apologise if someone has already replied in this vein, I haven't read through all the pages, but I seem to recall that on our first cruise with RCI, which has a "no bringing alcohol on board" policy, they stated that luggage would be scanned and if a passenger was found to have brought on drink they would have to open their suitcase for the offending item to be removed, which would then be confiscated until the end of the cruise. It would be laborious, but if people have brought alcohol on board in hold luggage, P&O could then ask to check their hand luggage to ensure they aren't flouting the rules. Presumably they could go back through the hand luggage scans (again time consuming). If they enforce the policy strictly at the start, people might be deterred in the long run, then requiring less effort on P&O's part.

Its okay when you are coming home because all your clothes are ready to be cleaned anyway.

As I say, no bottle has ever broken, going on or off, so it’s not been an issue. Frankly, the way we wrap them and place them in the middle of the case, the entire case would have to be crushed significantly for them to break (they wouldn’t break by being thrown around as they are so padded ), so If I felt so strongly that I wanted to get 2 litres per adult on board (which I don’t) then I am very confident that they would arrive on board unbroken. But just because it works for us doesn’t mean those of a nervous disposition or aren’t as confident of their packing skills need to follow suit ;)

But I maintain the view that it will be very easy to take on 2 litres per adult - 1 in each suitcase going in via the hold and 1 each in your hand luggage. The new restriction does not stipulate that the 1 litre must be one or the other, which means that you can do either. And as there is no way that they can tally the two, you can do both!

 

I seem to be in a minority of one who agrees with the new policy but has spotted the glaring loophole in it!

No its not a glaring loophole. suitcases are already scanned. hand luggage is already scanned. They will know who has bottles in hand luggage as you board. There then will be a lengthy wait for your suitcase, which having being scanned is found to have a bottle. You will think all is fine until no suitcase appears outside your cabin and you are asked downstairs.

No delay in boarding, but long delay in you getting your case.

If there are any delays it will be self inflicted by people who think they are very very clever (probably the same ones who caused this to be brought in)

Selbourne, I apologise if someone has already replied in this vein, I haven't read through all the pages, but I seem to recall that on our first cruise with RCI, which has a "no bringing alcohol on board" policy, they stated that luggage would be scanned and if a passenger was found to have brought on drink they would have to open their suitcase for the offending item to be removed, which would then be confiscated until the end of the cruise. It would be laborious, but if people have brought alcohol on board in hold luggage, P&O could then ask to check their hand luggage to ensure they aren't flouting the rules. Presumably they could go back through the hand luggage scans (again time consuming). If they enforce the policy strictly at the start, people might be deterred in the long run, then requiring less effort on P&O's part.

Keep in mind that P&O does NOT have a no alcohol policy, even now, so the RCI example isn’t relevant in this case. P&O does not say that you cannot bring your allowed litre in hold luggage, so would have no reason to do what you suggest. If people stop and think about how the security systems work they will realise that what I’m saying is correct. Unless P&O corrects their policy and says that the permitted litre must be brought on as hand luggage (which they don’t), then hold luggage will only flag up as an ‘issue’ if any individual case have more than one bottle and only then if they open it and find that both bottles are alcohol. So one bottle will never flag up. When you walk on the ship, the security check is separate to the Cruise card swipe. They will stop passengers who attempt to take on more than one litre of alchohol each as carry on luggage. They do not have the systems (or time, even if they did) to try to tally whether your hold luggage had a bottle of alcohol in it and then try to work out whether you are taking a bottle on board (when the card swipe is separate to the security scan).

Nobody need take my word for it, but I am 100% confident that this new system has a major loophole. And, as I have said before, the worst that can happen is that they hold a bottle until you disembark. But, believe me, they won’t as they will never know. ;)

Keep in mind that P&O does NOT have a no alcohol policy, even now, so the RCI example isn’t relevant in this case. P&O does not say that you cannot bring your allowed litre in hold luggage, so would have no reason to do what you suggest. If people stop and think about how the security systems work they will realise that what I’m saying is correct. Unless P&O corrects their policy and says that the permitted litre must be brought on as hand luggage (which they don’t), then hold luggage will only flag up as an ‘issue’ if any individual case have more than one bottle and only then if they open it and find that both bottles are alcohol. So one bottle will never flag up. When you walk on the ship, the security check is separate to the Cruise card swipe. They will stop passengers who attempt to take on more than one litre of alchohol each as carry on luggage. They do not have the systems (or time, even if they did) to try to tally whether your hold luggage had a bottle of alcohol in it and then try to work out whether you are taking a bottle on board (when the card swipe is separate to the security scan).

 

Nobody need take my word for it, but I am 100% confident that this new system has a major loophole. And, as I have said before, the worst that can happen is that they hold a bottle until you disembark. But, believe me, they won’t as they will never know. ;)

Selbourne exactly what are we talking about here, spirits, wine or beer?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

No its not a glaring loophole. suitcases are already scanned. hand luggage is already scanned. They will know who has bottles in hand luggage as you board. There then will be a lengthy wait for your suitcase, which having being scanned is found to have a bottle. You will think all is fine until no suitcase appears outside your cabin and you are asked downstairs.

No delay in boarding, but long delay in you getting your case.

If there are any delays it will be self inflicted by people who think they are very very clever (probably the same ones who caused this to be brought in)

Not true. The security scan is separate to the Cruise card swipe. Security will check that no person carries on more than one litre and confiscate any surplus. They do not record what each passenger carries on if it is legitimate, which one litre will be. Unless they stipulate that all alcohol must be brought on as hand luggage (which they don’t), then one litre in hold luggage is legitimate. They have absolutely no way of tallying the two unless they record, as you board, what every passenger legitimately takes on board as hand luggage. Can anyone seriously see that happening?

With all due respect, people are ‘over thinking’ this. And I repeat (again) that I have no intention of flouting it myself as we don’t drink that much alcohol. I’m just surprised that P&O hasn’t thought this through terribly well. But, then again, seeing as I appear to be in a minority of one who has worked out how to work around it but has no intention of doing so, compliance will clearly be 100% ;)