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Bringing liquor back onto plane


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I was wondering what the rules are on airlines regarding the liquor you bring back from a place like St. Thomas, since they have all those rules about liquids. Can you still bring the liquor with you as carry-on? or do you have to check it with your luggage?

 

It has been a while since we've flown to our embarkation port (past 2 cruises from NYC), so I don't know how that's being handled these days. We usually just buy 4 liters of Bacardi or Don Q light rum because wife makes coquito (Puertorican egg nog) during the holidays.

 

We're sailing on the Liberty this Saturday, and can't wait.

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Do the shops in St. Thomas ship liquor for you? I highly doubt it. Otherwise, I'd have to find a place in Miami to ship those bottles before our flight back.

 

Thanks for the info.

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You have to check it in your luggage. You cannot take liquids over 3oz on the plan as a carryon.
Not entirely correct. Anything you buy in the airport post-security is able to be carried on.
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I was wondering what the rules are on airlines regarding the liquor you bring back from a place like St. Thomas, since they have all those rules about liquids. Can you still bring the liquor with you as carry-on? or do you have to check it with your luggage?

 

It has been a while since we've flown to our embarkation port (past 2 cruises from NYC), so I don't know how that's being handled these days. We usually just buy 4 liters of Bacardi or Don Q light rum because wife makes coquito (Puertorican egg nog) during the holidays.

 

We're sailing on the Liberty this Saturday, and can't wait.

 

You have to pack it in your checked luggage. The airlines are very strict about that. Be sure to bring bubble wrap and a couple of those extra large ziplock bags.

 

Pack them in the center of the bag with clothing all around them.

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On your flight back, if you do not have a direct flight, you can not take duty free liquor. We bought Duty free Liquor in the airport in Ireland no problem We landed got our luggage went through customs then sent our luggage on and went to get on our next flight. We had to go through Security again and they took our Irish Wiskey. So it is safer to buy it and pack it very well in checked luggage.

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I noticed last time I was in the shop on Valor, somebody ahead of me bought a lot of liquor.

 

The cashier put the bottle in a plastic/rubber bag and she had a machine that blew air in the bag....like a balloon.

 

I don't know if they have those machines on all ships now, but they do on Valor.

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On your flight back, if you do not have a direct flight, you can not take duty free liquor. We bought Duty free Liquor in the airport in Ireland no problem We landed got our luggage went through customs then sent our luggage on and went to get on our next flight. We had to go through Security again and they took our Irish Wiskey. So it is safer to buy it and pack it very well in checked luggage.

 

It would be more accurate to say you cant carry on duty free liquor bought the airport, if you have to go through Security again.

 

If you fly from San Juan, buy duty free liquor at the airport and have a stop that doesnt require doing through security again, you are golden.

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I was wondering what the rules are on airlines regarding the liquor you bring back from a place like St. Thomas, since they have all those rules about liquids. Can you still bring the liquor with you as carry-on? or do you have to check it with your luggage?

 

It has been a while since we've flown to our embarkation port (past 2 cruises from NYC), so I don't know how that's being handled these days. We usually just buy 4 liters of Bacardi or Don Q light rum because wife makes coquito (Puertorican egg nog) during the holidays.

 

We're sailing on the Liberty this Saturday, and can't wait.

 

You can not take it in your carry on so you will have to put it in your checked luggage. You can actually purchase bubble wrap for bottles. I used that to ship wine back from Sanoma Valley. (UPS has them) This will not only protect the bottle but should contain the liquid should they break.

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In addition, my one flaw in my packing theory is the case where TSA would do a inspection. My experience tells me that when they do, they open the suitcase, rifle through it, jam everything back in and would undo any carefull packing I would have done. There were times that I wondered why I folded and packed clothes when I might as well jammed everything in to start with.

 

Regarding Tink71's comment, that one baffles me as to why they would have taken the whiskey. Unless it was a carryon and not packed in your checked luggage?

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We got wine carriers from Magellans, they have the bubble wrap in them, shaped like a bottle, and sealed against liquor spill. they are reusable. We then put it in a large zip bag and roll it with clothes in our checked luggage. We have never had a breakage problem on the plane

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Regarding Tink71's comment, that one baffles me as to why they would have taken the whiskey. Unless it was a carryon and not packed in your checked luggage?

The only way you can take on duty free liquor bought at the airport is as a carry on, since the shops are after security screenings and checked luggage drop off.

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It would be more accurate to say you cant carry on duty free liquor bought the airport, if you have to go through Security again.

 

If you fly from San Juan, buy duty free liquor at the airport and have a stop that doesnt require doing through security again, you are golden.

Exactly, there are a *few* airports that, depending on the gate location of your connection, would require rescreening. Houston-IAH and Las Vegas, just to name two. *Most* of the time though, you'll be fine.
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I may be way off base here, but I heard that if you buy liquor in one of the shops in St Thomas that they will pack it for you extra securely and then you can check it on the plane as regular baggage.
For which you would be charged an additional checked bag fee. Depending on how many pieces that you have already checked, this might could be a hefty sum.
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I was wondering what the rules are on airlines regarding the liquor you bring back from a place like St. Thomas, since they have all those rules about liquids. Can you still bring the liquor with you as carry-on? or do you have to check it with your luggage?

 

It has been a while since we've flown to our embarkation port (past 2 cruises from NYC), so I don't know how that's being handled these days. We usually just buy 4 liters of Bacardi or Don Q light rum because wife makes coquito (Puertorican egg nog) during the holidays.

 

We're sailing on the Liberty this Saturday, and can't wait.

 

The answer is that it is a big IT DEPENDS.

 

If you buy liquor at a duty free store AFTER you clear security you can take it on the plane with you, BUT if you have not yet cleared customs (in STT and SJU you clear customs before you clear security and do not clear again on the mainland) then you will clear customs on the mainland and have to re clear security so you can't bring it.

 

Flying from STT or SJU if you buy it at the gate you are good to take it all the way home with you in your carry on (if you are flying to the mainland US).

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My last cruise I bought a bottle of Drambuie and for an extra 50 cents that put it in a sleeve that they inflated. It worked great, but it did take up a lot of room.

 

On my arrival home I found a large sticker attached to the sleeve that said it had been TSA inspected. But they had not actually opened the bottle.

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The only way you can take on duty free liquor bought at the airport is as a carry on, since the shops are after security screenings and checked luggage drop off.

 

duh! I guess the obvious escaped me...... :o

 

And TSA never open the bottles.

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