Thinking about smuggling in liquor?

[BBT]

I think RC should take some of the liquor patrol security off this detail and assign them to be on the look out for Ralphie the yappy dog.

 

Well, that's going to be the coming thing, don't you think? Dog smugglers.......

 

"Well, we called you down, Sir, because your bag was panting." :D

[time4u2go]

22 shots, wow, for a seven day tour that is all of 3 drinks a day for one person. Serious safety risk, not!

 

Do you really think everybody that's going to do this is going to ration it out that way?

 

It could also be 22 drinks in one day. Quite a safety risk.

[Ocean Boy]

You probably believe everything people tell you. Companies lie all the time. Or they hire outsourced telephone reps who lie for them and give them deniability. If it was about safety that would trump the bottom line and they would throw the people off the ship rather than just confiscate it, so its bottom line revenue protection.

 

I agree with you. If it were really about safety you would have to walk further to get a drink than you do to get food. There are bars everywhere on the ship and just in case it is a little too far to walk they have employees to hawk and get drinks for you.

 

I have no problem with this being a bottom line issue. I just get tired of all the other excuses that are offered.

[Pushka]

Do you really think everybody that's going to do this is going to ration it out that way?

 

It could also be 22 drinks in one day. Quite a safety risk.

 

You could also drink the equivalent alcohol from the bar on a day and they would keep selling it to you as long as you kept swiping your card. The alcohol policy is nothing more than revenue protection but mention "safety risk" and the nambies say yes, its for our safety.

[time4u2go]

You could also drink the equivalent alcohol from the bar on a day and they would keep selling it to you as long as you kept swiping your card. The alcohol policy is nothing more than revenue protection but mention "safety risk" and the nambies say yes, its for our safety.

 

Nope, they can cut you off if they feel you've had too much.

[Ocean Boy]

Nope, they can cut you off if they feel you've had too much.

 

You don't even have to go to the bar. You can simply have a perfectly sober spouse or friend go by you drinks all day long. There are plenty of ways to get all of the alcohol that you want. There are just way too many bars to frequent for anyone to make much notice of how much someone is buying.

[scubacindy]

Sounds like a good idea (at least during spring break) might be to put the shampoo, mouthwash, contact lens solution, etc. in the carry-on bag.

 

That makes sense, now for those flying in on the same day please open the luggage and transfer all the liquids that you were not allowed to carry on the plane into the carry on bag. Better idea, bring a spare carry on bag or tote bag to move the liquids into before giving the luggage to the porters for the ship.

 

Travel has gotten way to complicated. I do not want to go stand in line because of some Spring Breakers or others that insist on smuggling in alcohol. We do not and I will not, but I do have to bring my own shampoo, conditioner, contact lens solution. Guess I will take my own advice and move them into another bag when we get off the plane.

 

:D

[Pushka]

Nope, they can cut you off if they feel you've had too much.

 

We can go tit for tat if you like but the bottom line is that if you want to buy alcohol on board then there are plenty of ways you can do this. You can get just as smashed drinking the paid for alcohol as the stuff you could bring onboard. One method is encouraged because it earns rcl money, the other is banned. And the only difference is money. Not safety.

 

That makes sense, now for those flying in on the same day please open the luggage and transfer all the liquids that you were not allowed to carry on the plane into the carry on bag. Better idea, bring a spare carry on bag or tote bag to move the liquids into before giving the luggage to the porters for the ship

:D

Honestly, in a crowded international airport after a flight and waiting to be transferred to the ship most people have better things to do than faff around putting their ordinary shampoos etc into a container just so that their bags can be safety delivered to their cabin because of over zealous policing of liquids.

[scubacindy]

We can go tit for tat if you like but the bottom line is that if you want to buy alcohol on board then there are plenty of ways you can do this. You can get just as smashed drinking the paid for alcohol as the stuff you could bring onboard. One method is encouraged because it earns rcl money, the other is banned. And the only difference is money. Not safety.

 

 

Honestly, in a crowded international airport after a flight and waiting to be transferred to the ship most people have better things to do than faff around putting their ordinary shampoos etc into a container just so that their bags can be safety delivered to their cabin because of over zealous policing of liquids.

 

Totally agree that is why the :D Actually I am flying in a day early and will move things around to my carry on so I have the swim suit might as well move the shampoo and conditioners too.

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

[Ken and Audra]

You hit the nail on the head!

I think for most of course not all but for most it has nothing to do with not being able to afford buying drinks on the ship. Its more about the convenience if I want to have a drink in my room before or after dinner that I dont have to run up to a bar and go buy one. I am sure they have the younger crowd that sneaks in on because they dont want a high bar bill but I think majority of the people that bring couple of bottles of wine or a bottle of booze still have a high bar tab.

[Ken and Audra]

On the Freedom of the Seas??? That's not what we've been reading. Some who have bought wine packages had to fight with staff at the Windjammer just to get the bottles they ordered and after arguing with them for an hour, got 2 of the bottles they had bought and had to bring them to the room themselves. We're buying the wine package and are hoping what you say is the case.

Yes, they certainly do. You can order your drinks without ice and then just add it when you are ready to drink. You can also purchase a few shots from a bar and carry them to your room in a water glass to use when you want. Room service will deliver as many bottles of wine as you wish along with corkscrew, glasses and ice bucket.

[lori450]

Just for intersest sakes -- what about all the other cruise lines who allow a cabin bar setup . On Carnival we had a litre of Vodka waiting in our cabin -- $40 . Celebrity you could also have a similar bar setup - more expensive , but we took their full beverage package which was amazing value. if you like a sip. On Norwegian we had a barsetup in our cabin ,a bottle of gin and a bottle of tequilla -- similar price to Carnival. No drama . We still bought lots at the bars , but it was nice to have a drink in our cabin and not even think about bringing anything in our luggage .From memory we left half the bottles for the cabin crew. We were also allowed to bring a bottle of wine each onboard in our hand luggage. We were treated like adults . :D

 

I can't speak to the other lines, but the Celebrity package is VERY expensive and since so many people buy it, there is no motivation to provide enough servers. I was appalled and the difficulty people had getting a drink. On RCI you always see barservers walking around. None on Celebrity. Our tablemate ordered a drink after waiting a half an hour for a bar server (a half hour after he asked the waiter to get a bar waiter). His drink came after we finished dessert. This happened three days in a row. By the fourth night they stopped coming in the dining room. So, you may be able to pay for a package, but good luck getting a drink.

Oh, and on Celebrity you're allowed to bring two bottles of wine. So I brought it and my luggage was taken to their naughty room. I opened it, showed them it was the legit two bottles of wine and then had to lug my suitcase up to my cabin.

[CMurph]

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I'm throwing in my 2 cents worth. No matter how much I would like to bring along my own alcohol, and no matter what drives the cruise line to make & enforce the rules...bottom line is the rule is there and they reserve the right to deny boarding for not abiding by the rules. Read the alcohol policy under the FAQs. There is no doubt of their rights to search all luggage, water bottles, mouthwash bottles, etc., confiscate it, if it contains alcohol, & possibly deny boarding. I personally haven't heard of it happening, but I wouldn't want to be the first one they decide to refuse to let board. It simply isn't worth taking the chance.

[iwannacruznow]

Indeed. And pay for my time on the queue just because they don't like my shampoo or nasal spray.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Put your mouthwash,shampoo,nasal spray in rum runners. Problem solved.:D

[Ldyandrea]

One more time. Is anyone tried Rum Runners?

 

Yes, I've used them successfully on 3 different cruiselines without a problem. I generally don't bother for short cruises, but for week long trips, I have done so.

[Pushka]

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I'm throwing in my 2 cents worth. No matter how much I would like to bring along my own alcohol, and no matter what drives the cruise line to make & enforce the rules...bottom line is the rule is there and they reserve the right to deny boarding for not abiding by the rules. Read the alcohol policy under the FAQs. There is no doubt of their rights to search all luggage, water bottles, mouthwash bottles, etc., confiscate it, if it contains alcohol, & possibly deny boarding. I personally haven't heard of it happening, but I wouldn't want to be the first one they decide to refuse to let board. It simply isn't worth taking the chance.

 

Sigh. Their rule is about not bringing alcohol on board. That does not mean they have to zealously police that to the extent that a bottle of mouth Freshener, one bottle, takes me to the naughty room. If I have several bottles then of course I would look like I was smuggling in contraband, but one bottle is perfectly valid and not an indication that I am breaking their rules.

 

Might have to try the rum runners for shampoo - iwannacruise now; f I am going to end up in the naughty room I might as well have some fun with them while I am at it.

[CMurph]

Sigh. Their rule is about not bringing alcohol on board. That does not mean they have to zealously police that to the extent that a bottle of mouth Freshener, one bottle, takes me to the naughty room. If I have several bottles then of course I would look like I was smuggling in contraband, but one bottle is perfectly valid and not an indication that I am breaking their rules.

 

I agree, one bottle of mouthwash shouldn't take you to the naughty room. The problem is they cannot tell when they x-ray the luggage what the bottle contains. They know all the tricks, and some people DO put just one bottle of alcohol in their luggage, Uncle Bob takes another, Aunt Susie another... That is why the cruise documents specifically mention they have the right to check these items. As long as people continue to try to sneak in their booze this way, those of us that aren't may pay the price by a trip to the naughty room.

[hammo]

Sorry to hear you had an unhappy time with drinks on Celebrity Lori450 .

We had the complete opposite on our cruise on Solstice in January. Our sommelier in the MDR ( we had 2 table waiters and a sommelier/wine waiter for each meal ) had our bottle of bubbly popped as we sat down - on the first night we told him to have it ready each night as soon as he saw us walk in and he did.), we ordered different wines for each of the 4 courses - all of which came on time. We also had a separate drinks waiter come to our table to check if we would like a mixed drink from the bar . All he needed to see was our card - no signing .If we were unhappy with a particular wine we would just call him over and order something else.

The beverage package was approx $60 per day . For that we could have whatever drinks we wanted all day including premium and specialty coffees and teas , softdrinks and bottled waters - even redbull and vitamin waters , premium spirits ( greygoose vodka , chivas ,tanqueray , liqueurs etc ) a selection of 30 different martinis from the martini bars , a nice selection of wines , and whatever beer took your fancy . Did I mention the cocktails ? - whatever cocktail you wanted. I think this was great value - and prepaid so no bar tab waiting outside the room on the last day . We also got to try some drinks we would not normally have ordered . Sitting in the lounge after a show and sipping 18yr old Macallan was a nice way to end the day - that was included in the beverage package. No need to worry about rumrunners or the naughty room ( I have been to the naughty room on a cruise for having a dangerous corkscrew in my luggage! ). In my opinion everyone was happy - Celebrity got my money for the beverage package - it seemed that a large percentage of cruisers also had one judging by the number of people getting drinks and just showing their sea card and by my maths I got more than I paid for ( a happy cruiser ) I will definitely buy the beverage package on our next Celebrity cruise.

Anyway each to his/her own .

We will buy our drinks on Voyager - probably drink less and order the wine we would rather pay for than the wine we would rather drink - I hate paying $65 for a $25 bottle. Maybe I will buy a wine package . It will be sad that we cant mix a drink in our cabin as we have done on Norwegian and Carnival , or pop our own choice of French Champagne in our cabin on a night or two as we have on Princess, ( yes I am too lousy to pay the exorbitant price the cruiseline wants for those bubbles ) but thats the breaks. For us drinks are a part of the fun on a cruise . I realise that for some they are not.

Royal Caribbean have their alcohol policy - it should not come as a surprise though that the naughty room will always be a sad feature of their cruises. All they would need to do is to allow a modest bar setup for your cabin ( after all, they get the money upfront for this ) and/or allow you to bring aboard a bottle or two of wine for your cabin. No big deal --I also appreciate that not everyone will agree with this -- I must say though that I find it amusing when people get uptight when someone doesn't conform to their own set of values or prefernces particularly when it comes to a topic such as this..I'm pretty sure I can guess who would not have fun cruising with me and visa versa..:):D:)

[lori450]

Sorry to hear you had an unhappy time with drinks on Celebrity Lori450 .

We had the complete opposite on our cruise on Solstice in January. Our sommelier in the MDR ( we had 2 table waiters and a sommelier/wine waiter for each meal ) had our bottle of bubbly popped as we sat down - on the first night we told him to have it ready each night as soon as he saw us walk in and he did.), we ordered different wines for each of the 4 courses - all of which came on time. We also had a separate drinks waiter come to our table to check if we would like a mixed drink from the bar . All he needed to see was our card - no signing .If we were unhappy with a particular wine we would just call him over and order something else.

The beverage package was approx $60 per day . For that we could have whatever drinks we wanted all day including premium and specialty coffees and teas , softdrinks and bottled waters - even redbull and vitamin waters , premium spirits ( greygoose vodka , chivas ,tanqueray , liqueurs etc ) a selection of 30 different martinis from the martini bars , a nice selection of wines , and whatever beer took your fancy . Did I mention the cocktails ? - whatever cocktail you wanted. I think this was great value - and prepaid so no bar tab waiting outside the room on the last day . We also got to try some drinks we would not normally have ordered . Sitting in the lounge after a show and sipping 18yr old Macallan was a nice way to end the day - that was included in the beverage package. No need to worry about rumrunners or the naughty room ( I have been to the naughty room on a cruise for having a dangerous corkscrew in my luggage! ). In my opinion everyone was happy - Celebrity got my money for the beverage package - it seemed that a large percentage of cruisers also had one judging by the number of people getting drinks and just showing their sea card and by my maths I got more than I paid for ( a happy cruiser ) I will definitely buy the beverage package on our next Celebrity cruise.

Anyway each to his/her own .

We will buy our drinks on Voyager - probably drink less and order the wine we would rather pay for than the wine we would rather drink - I hate paying $65 for a $25 bottle. Maybe I will buy a wine package . It will be sad that we cant mix a drink in our cabin as we have done on Norwegian and Carnival , or pop our own choice of French Champagne in our cabin on a night or two as we have on Princess, ( yes I am too lousy to pay the exorbitant price the cruiseline wants for those bubbles ) but thats the breaks. For us drinks are a part of the fun on a cruise . I realise that for some they are not.

Royal Caribbean have their alcohol policy - it should not come as a surprise though that the naughty room will always be a sad feature of their cruises. All they would need to do is to allow a modest bar setup for your cabin ( after all, they get the money upfront for this ) and/or allow you to bring aboard a bottle or two of wine for your cabin. No big deal --I also appreciate that not everyone will agree with this -- I must say though that I find it amusing when people get uptight when someone doesn't conform to their own set of values or prefernces particularly when it comes to a topic such as this..I'm pretty sure I can guess who would not have fun cruising with me and visa versa..:):D:)

 

My apologies, I did not mention that our sommelier was a delightful, accomodating woman. It was bar service that we horrendous on both of our Celebrity cruises. I am glad to hear that you had a better experience, though.

[time4u2go]

I agree, one bottle of mouthwash shouldn't take you to the naughty room. The problem is they cannot tell when they x-ray the luggage what the bottle contains. They know all the tricks, and some people DO put just one bottle of alcohol in their luggage, Uncle Bob takes another, Aunt Susie another... That is why the cruise documents specifically mention they have the right to check these items. As long as people continue to try to sneak in their booze this way, those of us that aren't may pay the price by a trip to the naughty room.

 

Thank you CMurph. Some don't understand that as you pointed out, if there's a bottle of "mouthwash" in EVERYONE'S suitcase, then it could be more than just the innocent bottle here and there.

[Pushka]

Thank you CMurph. Some don't understand that as you pointed out, if there's a bottle of "mouthwash" in EVERYONE'S suitcase, then it could be more than just the innocent bottle here and there.

 

Oh please, one litre of "alcohol" per person on a 5 - 7 day trip does not a drunkard make! :rolleyes:

[time4u2go]

Oh please, one litre of "alcohol" per person on a 5 - 7 day trip does not a drunkard make! :rolleyes:

 

Believe it or not, the person doesn't have to ration it out over the entire length of the cruise. They actually could drink it all in one day. I don't know why you can't seem to comprehend that.:rolleyes:

[America097]

I will be really annoyed if they sniff my contact solution....don't they know it can be easily contaminated? I think asking them to replace a bottle would be reasonable!

 

So I can put the large bottles of liquids in my carry-on? What about spray air freshener- I bought some glade spray after reading what to bring lists posted on here.

 

Does anyone know if they have sweet tea vodka on board?

 

Also, in case I do decide to try to bring some alcohol, I walk through a metal detector but it does not detect liquids, right? I am going through Port Canaveral.

 

Has anyone had success smuggling in the last week or so? My husband is worried they won't let me board if I get caught. What is the likelihood of that happening?

 

If that is the case- I will just not bring it.

[Langley Cruisers]

Has anyone had success smuggling in the last week or so? My husband is worried they won't let me board if I get caught. What is the likelihood of that happening?

 

I have been a member here for many years and I do not recall ever reading that someone was denied boarding due to their smuggling alcohol. Having said that, not all cruise passengers post on these boards so it could have happened. The cruise line has guidelines in place for protection and safety (and some would say, to make money but that's not my point). If I am going on a cruise ship, I abide by their rules. If I am going on an airline, same thing, hotel same thing. It just makes sense.

 

Additionally, if your husband is concerned, then I would think that in of itself would be enough reason for you not to smuggle. You can be thrifty in other areas or just budget the cost of drinks into your cruise vacation. The ship's prices are not out of line with what you'd pay at a restaurant or nightclub, really.

 

In the end it's your decision but you must know that if you smuggle and get caught, you can't get upset about it. You knew going in and you chose to take the risk.

.

[joejoe 59]

One more time. Is anyone tried Rum Runners?

 

Yes, but out of Aus. but shouldnt make any difference. It was on Rhaps. & also P&O. No problems.:) In checked luggage.