Do NOT try to smuggle or check wine in Miami

[connera3]

I am just off the Imagination in Miami and wanted to warn everyone to not attempt to smuggle anything or bring your wine in your checked bags. We had only 1 coke bottle filled with rum in our checked bags and it was confiscated. We had another checked bag with our 2 bottles of wine and they were also held until the end of the cruise. Apparently that policy was changed on 1/30 and although we were traveling that day and never received a notice of the change we were still supposed to know. We even provided out printed cruise documents to show that we were following the rules and they would not hear it. There were several people very upset about this but Carnival stood firm. Other than this snafu the cruise was awesome. Just wanted to wanted to get the word out asap before others waste money on booze that will be thrown out.

[lawskool10]

I thought wine was allowed. Was it because you had it in your checked luggage rather than carryone?

[Nunu]

They changed the policy about smuggling booze? :confused: What was the explanation given for holding the wine?

[winewanderer]

My documents for my April cruise just became available for printing.

 

In the rules section it says 1 bottle of wine person in carry on luggage only. Any extra wine or any alcohol in checked bags will be confiscated and returned on the last day.

[connera3]

Sorry that was confusing. They did not change the policy on smuggling booze so I accepted that risk when I put it in the bag and I am not upset about them trashing it. Although I was suprised as I have been on several other cruises and had no problem brining on some alcohol in the bag.

The policy on wine the day we left allowed for one bottle per person at embarkation with no further instruction. They changed the policy on our travel day to say that the wine needed to be carried on but there was no information on this at the port. Had we known, of course we would have carried on. Also, I thought it was weird that they say we could have carred on the wine but they made me dump my un-opened water bottle that I was trying to carry on!

[steveNcindy]

They changed the policy about smuggling booze? :confused: What was the explanation given for holding the wine?

 

The E-Docs for our cruise say to carry on the wine (2 750ml bottles) and not to put them in checked luggage.

[jsteinberg]

I am just off the Imagination in Miami and wanted to warn everyone to not attempt to smuggle anything or bring your wine in your checked bags. We had only 1 coke bottle filled with rum in our checked bags and it was confiscated. We had another checked bag with our 2 bottles of wine and they were also held until the end of the cruise. Apparently that policy was changed on 1/30 and although we were traveling that day and never received a notice of the change we were still supposed to know. We even provided out printed cruise documents to show that we were following the rules and they would not hear it. There were several people very upset about this but Carnival stood firm. Other than this snafu the cruise was awesome. Just wanted to wanted to get the word out asap before others waste money on booze that will be thrown out.

 

were your bags held or did they take the stuff out without you present? were your bags locked?

[Sparky2]

Also, I thought it was weird that they say we could have carred on the wine but they made me dump my un-opened water bottle that I was trying to carry on!

 

Why did they take away the water bottle? Especially if it was unopened. I always have a water bottle with me to drink while in line to board the ship. That doesn't make sense.

[connera3]

The bags were not locked. They were searched without my knowledge.

 

I have no idea what their problem was with my water bottle. I had it in the side sleeve of my back pack with the lid sealed and she said you need to drink that our dump it and rather than back up the line or cause a scene for $1 water bottle I dumped it. I tried to explain this in my battle over my wine but they didn't care.

[klmorg]

Bummer.

[Krissta]

So is it JUST Miami?

[firefly333]

Why did they take away the water bottle? Especially if it was unopened. I always have a water bottle with me to drink while in line to board the ship. That doesn't make sense.

 

Princess used to do that with unsealed, opened bottles, I guess because it could be something other than water once you break the seal.

[connera3]

The water bottle was sealed, brand new, unopened.

[Kurbanfan]

The water bottle was sealed, brand new, unopened.

 

 

Oh man there will be problems.........

[caribbean dreams]

they made me dump my un-opened water bottle that I was trying to carry on!

 

Thats odd, if it's sealed, u should be able to carry a bottle of water on......these unexplained rules are getting really stupid.

[travelntreats]

I am just off the Imagination in Miami and wanted to warn everyone to not attempt to smuggle anything or bring your wine in your checked bags. We had only 1 coke bottle filled with rum in our checked bags and it was confiscated. We had another checked bag with our 2 bottles of wine and they were also held until the end of the cruise. Apparently that policy was changed on 1/30 and although we were traveling that day and never received a notice of the change we were still supposed to know. We even provided out printed cruise documents to show that we were following the rules and they would not hear it. There were several people very upset about this but Carnival stood firm. Other than this snafu the cruise was awesome. Just wanted to wanted to get the word out asap before others waste money on booze that will be thrown out.

 

 

Sorry to hear of your "confiscation" issues of those adult beverages.

 

Regarding the 2 bottles of wine. Had you placed them in your carry on luggage rather than checked luggage, you would have been fine and they would not have been confiscated (per cruisline contract).

 

As for the "smuggled" liquor.....I won't comment or state my opinion on that one.

 

But you say "before others waste money on booze that will be thrown out", but yet right above that statement in your post you say "ONLY 1 coke bottle filled with rum that was "confiscated" and two bottles of wine that were "also held" until the and of the cruise".

 

Seems to me nothing was thrown out ! You took the risk with the rum and got caught just as others probably have in the past and before the new luggage policy outrage came about.

[T&Dcruisers]

Anyone else just off a cruise that has had probelms like this? I'm not concerned about bringing "smuggled" goods on, I'm now more concerned with them taking legit items from checked luggage, such as flavored water or pop. Do we have to carry these items on too. But then the OP had issues with an unopened bottle of water.

 

I will say, since this is a "new" thing for Carnival, I have a feeling some employees have reinterpreted or "misinterpreted", if you will, the rules, such as making the OP pour out the water. Hopefully, by the time I cruise in March, they will have this suff figured out.

[zqvol]

I am just off the Imagination in Miami and wanted to warn everyone to not attempt to smuggle anything or bring your wine in your checked bags. We had only 1 coke bottle filled with rum in our checked bags and it was confiscated. We had another checked bag with our 2 bottles of wine and they were also held until the end of the cruise. Apparently that policy was changed on 1/30 and although we were traveling that day and never received a notice of the change we were still supposed to know. We even provided out printed cruise documents to show that we were following the rules and they would not hear it. There were several people very upset about this but Carnival stood firm. Other than this snafu the cruise was awesome. Just wanted to wanted to get the word out asap before others waste money on booze that will be thrown out.

 

Sorry but I have to disagree that the policy on the liquor has changed. The rule has always been no alcohol allowed on board. As far as the wine, that is unusual. I wonder if it is because it was in your luggage instead of carried.

[connera3]

The rum was thrown out as it should have been.

 

The policy change was regarding wine and if it needed to be carried on. Our e-docs printed before 1/30 had no indication they it needed to be carried on. This change was after we left and we were never notified of the change. The wine was returned on the last day. My issue is that they should have notified us that they wine needed to be carried on.

 

I only mention the rum because I know that I felt confident based on my past experiences and those of others on this board that only one small bottle of rum would be no problem and that is no longer the case.

 

I did not realize I would catch such a hard time for trying to help some folks avoid the same mistakes.

[Kurbanfan]

The rum was thrown out as it should have been.

 

The policy change was regarding wine and if it needed to be carried on. Our e-docs printed before 1/30 had no indication they it needed to be carried on. This change was after we left and we were never notified of the change. The wine was returned on the last day. My issue is that they should have notified us that they wine needed to be carried on.

 

I only mention the rum because I know that I felt confident based on my past experiences and those of others on this board that only one small bottle of rum would be no problem and that is no longer the case.

 

I did not realize I would catch such a hard time for trying to help some folks avoid the same mistakes.

 

I appreciate the info:)

[gargoyle999]

Is the crack down on alcohol resulting in anybody having issues with bringing soda onboard? The allowed qty for that hasn't ever been specifically defined.

[hlb76]

We where im Mia 1/23 boarding the ship. We did not smuggle anthing one but our case od water and 2 12 packs of pop made it on fine in checked bags. I am pretty sure I had a big bottle of water with me as well in my back pack. It was open I had been sipping it all the way into the terminal. I had no issues.

 

So either the policy was not in effect about open water bottles that day

I was lucky and the ppl around me did not care

OP had someone that had a chip on there shoulder.

 

It will be interesting to see hwta everyone else had experienced.

 

BTW how was IMAGINATION? We have cruised her twice and miss her.

[meme2manthajoe]

Why did they take away the water bottle? Especially if it was unopened. I always have a water bottle with me to drink while in line to board the ship. That doesn't make sense.

 

They made me dump my water bottle last year boarding the Glory. They said it was Carnival policy. I dumped it, it was just water, no big deal.

[zqvol]

We where im Mia 1/23 boarding the ship. We did not smuggle anthing one but our case od water and 2 12 packs of pop made it on fine in checked bags. I am pretty sure I had a big bottle of water with me as well in my back pack. It was open I had been sipping it all the way into the terminal. I had no issues.

 

So either the policy was not in effect about open water bottles that day

I was lucky and the ppl around me did not care

OP had someone that had a chip on there shoulder.

 

It will be interesting to see hwta everyone else had experienced.

 

BTW how was IMAGINATION? We have cruised her twice and miss her.

 

Policy changed the weekend of January 30th

[kelz66]

The bags were not locked. They were searched without my knowledge.

 

I have no idea what their problem was with my water bottle. I had it in the side sleeve of my back pack with the lid sealed and she said you need to drink that our dump it and rather than back up the line or cause a scene for $1 water bottle I dumped it. I tried to explain this in my battle over my wine but they didn't care.

 

Did you ask them what happened to your diamond jewelry and travelers checks that were also in that bag that are now missing?

LOL

:p:rolleyes:;):D