?? about rum runners

[stones902]

Looking to go on my first cruise in a couple of months....do you personally have to walk through a metal detector or an x-ray machine when getting on the boat for the first time? I ask wondering why you don't just put the rumrunner in your pocket or on your person rather than in your luggage?

 

They have different sizes of RR. The smaller ones are great to fit into the pockets of cargo shorts. The larger bladders (which will hold 750 ml easily) would need to be packed into your checked luggage.

 

It is important that if you are flying with a RR in checked baggage, you need to sqeeze as much air as possible from the bladder and leave space at the top to compensate for changes in air pressure.

[SpartyOn813]

They have different sizes of RR. The smaller ones are great to fit into the pockets of cargo shorts. The larger bladders (which will hold 750 ml easily) would need to be packed into your checked luggage.

 

It is important that if you are flying with a RR in checked baggage, you need to sqeeze as much air as possible from the bladder and leave space at the top to compensate for changes in air pressure.

 

What about putting it in your carry on as you board the ship? Will they see it on their X-ray? And I still can't figure out how people have bypassed the lines rebounding the ship at ports and gotten their alcohol through that they purchased in port!

[Delaware123]

They have different sizes of RR. The smaller ones are great to fit into the pockets of cargo shorts. The larger bladders (which will hold 750 ml easily) would need to be packed into your checked luggage.

 

It is important that if you are flying with a RR in checked baggage, you need to sqeeze as much air as possible from the bladder and leave space at the top to compensate for changes in air pressure.

 

Thanks so much for the tip.....so they don't pat you down when getting on the ship or anything? Going to order the RR today!

[Paul65]

Thanks so much for the tip.....so they don't pat you down when getting on the ship or anything? Going to order the RR today!

 

Not yet, but the folks who insist on sneaking alcohol on this way might eventually result in us all be subjected to a pat-down.

[stones902]

Thanks so much for the tip.....so they don't pat you down when getting on the ship or anything? Going to order the RR today!

 

No just x-ray bags and walk through a magnetometer. No pat down.

[Happy ks]

Every year this subject comes up regarding rum runners. I think the cruise lines hire extra help during spring break season to search luggage (watch on xray machines) for smuggled alcohol.

 

Other times of the year...not so much.

 

Sequim88 I agree completely with your last sentence.

[stones902]

What about putting it in your carry on as you board the ship? Will they see it on their X-ray? And I still can't figure out how people have bypassed the lines rebounding the ship at ports and gotten their alcohol through that they purchased in port!

 

I believe it is difficult, but not impossble to detect a RR in a carry on. I have gotten them through but it depends on the skill of the screener.

 

My advice is to bring two smaller RR's and put them in your pockets. 2 small RR's will hold the equivalent of a 750 ml bottles contents.

[gerif]

You can absolutely bring the leftover wine from dinner back to your cabin. Or you can have a bottle delivered from room service. Or you can get one from a bar and bring it back to your cabin.

 

If you are packing the bladder from boxed wine in your suitcase, please secure it in a heavy-duty plastic bag as they have been known to rupture (happened once at home - thankfully, it was white wine but it sure was a mess).

[Sequim88]

Sequim88, what ship were you on? Curious if it is just certain ships that are more diligent in searching..... also, did you mean you put the RR in the lining of the checked luggage?

 

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See below. Out of San Juan. Not at Spring Break time. Can't compare enforcement other than the incident with the 250ml bottle in my cargo shorts. Even then they did not seem to concerned but then this was day before the last day so I suppose they figured why bother.

 

Thing that floored me most was the four leftover cans of Medalia beers in my backpack when we first boarded. Went right through xray with no comment at all. I fully expected to lose those but figured only other option was leave them at hotel or pour them out so no real risk.

 

Rum Runner was a first for us this trip and worked as advertised. Our suitcases all have a lining with a zipper so I just stuck them in there where a casual hand search would not see them without completely emptying the contents.

 

If the ports adopt back-scatter xray technology it could be the end for Rum Runners though. Those can be set to detect specific organic compounds - like ethanol. Forget bombs, RCI would scan for booze! :rolleyes:

[ccnwater]

sequim, sorry again..so you put the RR in your carryon? we r sailing AOS week before easter..

 

MI64, what ship were you on? we plan on bringing power strip and listerine, which i hear you can be called to naughty room, even if it is legit listerine! wondering if it is better to carryon these items, instead of checked? I am trying to avoid going to collect my checked luggage for any reason!

[ml64]

sequim, sorry again..so you put the RR in your carryon? we r sailing AOS week before easter..

 

MI64, what ship were you on? we plan on bringing power strip and listerine, which i hear you can be called to naughty room, even if it is legit listerine! wondering if it is better to carryon these items, instead of checked? I am trying to avoid going to collect my checked luggage for any reason!

 

We sailed on the Enchantment of the Seas. They just checked the power strip to make sure it was OK (hubbie used the technical term...) and then gave it right back to us, which we used to plug in all the gadgets.

 

Not sure about the Listerine. If you bring a new sealed bottle I'm sure it would be fine.

[GCurry]

I just got mine the other day. Ordered them through Amazon and had them within 2 days with normal shipping!

I have a feeling the people saying they got caught with rum runners are the cruise critic police trying a different tactic of saying they don't work.

My last cruise I put 2 - 1/5s in each bag and they went through ok.

When "Big Red" didn't show up after we sailed on the Voyager Feb. 13th, I called Guest Service who told me it was in the "Naughty" room. This turned out to be the ship's conference room and was full of suit cases.

They asked me if it had alcohol I replied yes it did and opened it.

They took a fairly obvious Rum Runner with Bailey's, but didn't search much after that. They destoy Rum Runners they confiscate BTW.

So the rest, of which there was a plentitude all in Rum Runners, I wheeled back to the cabin.

 

The point being, they can detect Rum Runners.

I think we'll be returning to Carnival Corp. ships for this and other reasons not having to do with alcohol. They seem to make their margin without practices of this nature.

Carnival Corp. must use a different business model?:)

[Sequim88]

sequim, sorry again..so you put the RR in your carryon? we r sailing AOS week before easter..

 

We filled the RRs at the hotel the night before and distributed them (one large two small) throughout the suitcases. Two of which were airline carry-ons but we checked them at the port for going on to the ship. The backpacks that we actually carried on to the ship did not have RRs in them - but did have the beer cans.

 

Looking back I wonder if they might have detected at least one of the RRs because our bags all were delivered one at a time through the day and into the evening. The last not arriving until after 8pm. Did not look like they had been opened but if they were perhaps stowing the RRs out of sight in the lining avoided them being seen.

 

Another thought about detection of the Rum Runners... The instructions say to leave some space for expansion on airplane. But once at sea level this is not necessary and will allow a sloshing sound when shaken. We squeezed all the air out of ours so they made no sound.

 

Week before Easter? Expect VERY high scrutiny and extra detection efforts around Spring Break times.

[Trekker954]

. I would put wine in one but wonder if it will stay OK throughout the cruise.

 

I do put wine in my RR if I decide to take it for that trip (usually on longer cruises). I open it the morning of embarkation and pour it then/pack it and hope for the best. My last cruise I left Feb. 19, and we didnt' finish it, so it came back home with me. I opened it and finished it last night while on my patio and it tasted just fine. RRs are very good storage as well as all the things its advertised to do.

[cruisinck]

My son and his girlfriend just left on Navigator yesterday. He packed 3 of the large RR. He put one in a shoe,one wrapped in jeans with the opening near the button and the third on the bottem with his toilletrie bag on top. I wondered if they would make it because they are both 21 but all three arrived.:rolleyes:

[Paul65]

My son and his girlfriend just left on Navigator yesterday. He packed 3 of the large RR. He put one in a shoe,one wrapped in jeans with the opening near the button and the third on the bottem with his toilletrie bag on top. I wondered if they would make it because they are both 21 but all three arrived.:rolleyes:

 

Phew! That's a relief that your son and his gf will have access to all that extra booze. :)

[stones902]

BTW, I am convinced that luggage is spot checked rather than every piece being screened. Our last couple of cruises have been on Freedom class ships which hold about 3,600 passengers. If each pax has 1.5 pieces of checked luggage on average that's 5,400 pieces. Our last few cruises, I was amazed to have had all of our luggage delivered to the cabin by 2:30 PM. There is no way everything can be screened properly and delivered that quickly.

 

I never quite understood the luggage screening thing anyway. You can't bring a small pocketknife but can get a 6" steak knife in Chops or Portofino?

[JudiK]

My son and his girlfriend just left on Navigator yesterday. He packed 3 of the large RR. He put one in a shoe,one wrapped in jeans with the opening near the button and the third on the bottem with his toilletrie bag on top. I wondered if they would make it because they are both 21 but all three arrived.:rolleyes:

 

Having just returned I am not getting the need to carry so much booze.I am not a teetotaler by any stretch(averaged about 3-4/day) and I found the drinks strong and reasonably priced

I bought a bottle of wine at the first dinner, had a glass, and brought it back to my cabin

Had a nice glass of wine throughout the cruise while getting ready

Met a gal at the muster drill the first day who smuggled in a bunch of rum runners

every time I ran into her she either was drunk or was very happy

Why would anybody want to go through the cruise drunk?

[reallyitsmema]

BTW, I am convinced that luggage is spot checked rather than every piece being screened. Our last couple of cruises have been on Freedom class ships which hold about 3,600 passengers. If each pax has 1.5 pieces of checked luggage on average that's 5,400 pieces. Our last few cruises, I was amazed to have had all of our luggage delivered to the cabin by 2:30 PM. There is no way everything can be screened properly and delivered that quickly.

 

I never quite understood the luggage screening thing anyway. You can't bring a small pocketknife but can get a 6" steak knife in Chops or Portofino?

People arrive at the port very early. We have had our bags accepted by the porters as early as 10:30am. They have many hours to scan the bags. All the bags are screened. The cruiseline is very strict about alcohol at certain times of the year. Other times of the year, not so much.

[stones902]

People arrive at the port very early. We have had our bags accepted by the porters as early as 10:30am. They have many hours to scan the bags. All the bags are screened. The cruiseline is very strict about alcohol at certain times of the year. Other times of the year, not so much.

 

That's the time we usually arrive as well. There are several hundred folks in line at that point and they are filling the luggage bins as people arrive. How many screeners / x-ray machines do you think they have on the ship or in the terminals? I promise they do not load the bins, only to unload them to screen, and then reload the bins. It just doesn't happen.

 

I do believe that screening for liquor is probably higher during certain periods. That being said we have cruised 6 times in the past 12 months and have never been caught with a RR.

[Paul65]

How many screeners / x-ray machines do you think they have on the ship or in the terminals? I promise they do not load the bins, only to unload them to screen, and then reload the bins. It just doesn't happen.

 

No, I wouldn't think so. I always assumed they had a scanner that could look at a bin-load of luggage at a time.

[lrskier]

We boarded the AOS in January and cleared the port scanners with some cabin stash in our carry ons as usual.. THen........ as we left the gangway and went aboard the ship, not the usual greeting and elevators.. Doors were closed to the lifts and low and behold, another line with more SCANNERS. A new level of protection, cough cough, i mean DETECTION, they had the scanners right there to just give one more go at grabbing your STASH.. Several unlucky patrons who had purchased at the duty free at port not knowing immediately lost out to the detection crew - only to have those lovely purchases stored from them.

 

Are others of you also viewing this SCANNING as you enter the ship at embarkation???

 

Our friends had the RR and they came thru in the checked bags without any problem.. Yes, the onboard bill was around 1K per week, my stock keeps going up..

 

Soon to be D+ and I'll see some relief I am sure but still will take some houch on for medicinal use in my cabin. To more happy cruising and baby bottles of apple juice for the grandchildren aboard.. LOLOLOLOL

[tallcva3344]

BTW, I am convinced that luggage is spot checked rather than every piece being screened. Our last couple of cruises have been on Freedom class ships which hold about 3,600 passengers. If each pax has 1.5 pieces of checked luggage on average that's 5,400 pieces. Our last few cruises, I was amazed to have had all of our luggage delivered to the cabin by 2:30 PM. There is no way everything can be screened properly and delivered that quickly.

 

I never quite understood the luggage screening thing anyway. You can't bring a small pocketknife but can get a 6" steak knife in Chops or Portofino?

 

I am still laughing. They even took a pair of sizzers from me during check-in, and the first night I ate at Chops and they gave me a 6" steak knife. It was a HELLO moment!

 

The no booz ruling is dumb. At least let us have a bottle of wine or champaign in the room. They have become increasingly more commercial.

 

The last straw to me was on the Monarch while I went to the bathroom. While standing up I was a captured audiance to have to read 6" in front of my face, "come gamble in our casino, its fun and will make you feel great win or loose" (paraphased).

[summertime11]

I just wanted to share with all the alcohol smugglers going on a cruise. We had six in our group that all smuggled onto the Serenade of the Sea's, March 5th-12th . We put it in rum runners and water bottles with the camo caps on. No one got caught. I walked on the first day with a 1 liter water bottle with vodka in my carry on. I wrapped in a towel and had no issues.

Before getting on the ship we filled up water bottles and wrapped them in towels again. We didn’t issues didn't even look in the back pack. We had one person with out a back pack they tried to fill up a hard reusable water bottle and they shook it and seen it wasn't water. So they emptied it.

We talked to a few others on the ship that got there’s confiscated. They didn’t get in trouble. We got on to the ship at 2pm and it didn’t leave until 8:30pm. I’m not sure if they are easier the earlier you get on.

I hope this help’s some people out!

[barny747]

I just wanted to share with all the alcohol smugglers going on a cruise. We had six in our group that all smuggled onto the Serenade of the Sea's, March 5th-12th . We put it in rum runners and water bottles with the camo caps on. No one got caught. I walked on the first day with a 1 liter water bottle with vodka in my carry on. I wrapped in a towel and had no issues.

Before getting on the ship we filled up water bottles and wrapped them in towels again. We didn’t issues didn't even look in the back pack. We had one person with out a back pack they tried to fill up a hard reusable water bottle and they shook it and seen it wasn't water. So they emptied it.

We talked to a few others on the ship that got there’s confiscated. They didn’t get in trouble. We got on to the ship at 2pm and it didn’t leave until 8:30pm. I’m not sure if they are easier the earlier you get on.

I hope this help’s some people out!

 

You was very lucky, because if they had caught you with rum runners, yourself and all the people in your party would of been told to leave the ship, end of holiday, there was someone on another forum that can vouch for this as he was caught, think about £5000 down the drain, expensive drink....