bring booze on board

[TERESAh]

Does anyone know if the Star has a beverage package and if so,, how much and can you purchase it prior to the cruise?

[LadyPandora407]

They don't always find it! We walked on board with 2 bottles that we purchased at Kmart in Hawaii. The bottles went through security and nothing was said.

 

@OP: Rum runners are used by people who smuggle their hard liquor on board. There's plenty of threads on CC with people who have been successful in getting their booze on board without being caught.

 

They also had a check point in SF port and we walked right past the table and to check in. If you bring on board more than 2 bottles of wine, Princess will charge you a corkage fee per bottle.

 

rum runners: http://www.rumrunnerflasks.com/

 

Is it possible there are different rules for State Side ports like Hawaii than say Caribbean Cruises? I know all of our cruises have been Eastern and Western Caribbean and they have taken all bottles purchased on shore as soon as we reboarded and held them until the night before disembarkation.

[LadyPandora407]

Princess does not carry my liquor brand of choice so I have no other option if I want to enjoy my brand of choice...

 

My husband has the same problem, Princess use to carry Appleton's Rum on it's ships until they merged with Carnival, now they only carry some of the lower priced rums. They also have become somewhat heavy handed making the drinks since the merger. I honestly wish they would go back to the way they were before they merged with Carnival. The liquor was better and so were the drinks. ;)

[AE_Collector]

I too wish they had some better rum options. We just made Elite and now get the Mini Bar Setup and there is no Rum in it or available. The lack of Rum amazes me for a company with such a large presence in the Caribbean, never mind that Rum is the "official" drink of being at sea (Navy). When I asked on our last cruise when we got the setup for the first time they did quickly offer to let us trade the 8 mini bottles for a .375 of rum but I think the only option they had was Bacardi white which didn't appeal much more than the Gin and Vodka that we also never drink. They might have Cruzan rum available in .375 as well. Myers, Appleton or Mount Gay would have made it a quick decision for us.

 

Terry

Edited June 2, 2014 by AE_Collector

[caribill]

Does anyone know if the Star has a beverage package and if so,, how much and can you purchase it prior to the cruise?

 

a) soda package

b) soda and more package

c) All inclusive bar package

 

See descriptions of all 3 at http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/cellars_culinarydelights/princess_cellars/index.jsp

[dorisis]

The current Princess prices for alcoholic beverages are about one-half the price of most on-shore bars, restaurants, or hotels in most metropolitan cities.

 

Certainly one can by a bottle of booze and drink it at home at less cost than going out, but if you go out to a bar or restaurant you expect to pay more because the establishment must pay rent, people, insurance, stock, etc. and try to make a profit. Of course you could smuggle a bottle of booze into the restaurant or bar – but then soon the restaurant or bar would go out of business.

 

Perhaps, some see the business aspect and others either don’t see it or don’t care.

 

Some of us spent our lives in professions that hold honesty and integrity as the basis for all we did or did not do. Others see things quite differently. Each of us is a product of his/her background and experience that yields a moral code and those codes differ. Some see absolutely nothing wrong in breaking the rules others neither will or can. So be it.

 

Truer words were never spoken. We drive to Ft Lauderdale on the toll way and stay at or slightly below the speed limit. It is almost like we are standing still with most cars going above the limit.

[CI66774]

Truer words were never spoken. We drive to Ft Lauderdale on the toll way and stay at or slightly below the speed limit. It is almost like we are standing still with most cars going above the limit.

 

I didn't "smuggle" mine onboard at the various ports. The bottles were visible to all and I just placed them in the plastic tubs and they went through the machine. Princess just waved them on. I expected Princess to take them and keep them until the end of the cruise but they let me keep them.

Edited June 2, 2014 by CI66774

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I guess we've just been lucky all these years putting our liquor in our carry on bags. We just utilize any shape of bottle other than the original (which they're looking for) and have never been caught once. They've got to many bags to check to spent too much time on each person so the odds are in our favor. :)

[Cauzneffct]

Is it possible there are different rules for State Side ports like Hawaii than say Caribbean Cruises? I know all of our cruises have been Eastern and Western Caribbean and they have taken all bottles purchased on shore as soon as we reboarded and held them until the night before disembarkation.

 

I'm not sure if its different "rules" or just different enforcement. Alcohol I purchased on a Baltic Sea cruise was waved on no questions asked. Beer I bought in Chile was held till the end of the cruise, but beer I bought in Argentina was waved on no problem.

[Cauzneffct]

I actually feel sorry for cruise lines in respect of "smuggled" booze. Not because of the effect on their bottom line but because they have to abide by the laws of the country under which the cruise was booked.

If their t&cs say they can confiscate items and return them at the end of the cruise they should be ok, but under UK law if they "permanently deprive" someone of their personal property - confiscate - then the company and the person who took the action is culpable under UK law for theft if they ever return to its jurisdiction.

Companies have the money to contest such actions in court, but is it fair to ask - for example - a security officer from India to risk two years in prison?

 

Here's how I responded to your similar post from January:

 

I'm not sure that's true, or at least not as absolute as you make it out to be. I did a quick google search and this came back regarding a festival in Cornwall next August. http://www.boardmasters.co.uk/tickets/2013-terms-and-conditions/ I would assume that it is not unique.

 

In pertinent part:

 

44. Prohibited items for the festival site:

• Glass
  
• Any spirits
  
• Glass of any kind, including perfume and cologne bottles, beer bottles, jars or drinking vessels
  
• Portable laser equipment and pens
  
• Megaphones
  

Any items confiscated will not be available for collection on exit from the festival and will be destroyed.

[donaldsc]

Does Princess allow ..let's say rum to be taken onboard at embarkation for use in your room:)

 

This was the very first hit obtained by typing "Princess Alcohol FAQ" into Google -

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/experience.jsp

 

The answer quickly and easily obtained by using Google is obvious, clear and unequivocal.

 

DON

Edited June 2, 2014 by donaldsc

[Balloon Man]

Here's how I responded to your similar post from January:

 

I'm not sure that's true, or at least not as absolute as you make it out to be. I did a quick google search and this came back regarding a festival in Cornwall next August. http://www.boardmasters.co.uk/tickets/2013-terms-and-conditions/ I would assume that it is not unique.

 

In pertinent part:

 

44. Prohibited items for the festival site:

• Glass
  
• Any spirits
  
• Glass of any kind, including perfume and cologne bottles, beer bottles, jars or drinking vessels
  
• Portable laser equipment and pens
  
• Megaphones
  

Any items confiscated will not be available for collection on exit from the festival and will be destroyed.

 

"And we also reserve the right to remove all money from your wallet and not give it back to you". Must be OK 'cos it's in the T&Cs. Absolute naivety. Sorry: I don't mean to be rude but you shouldn't be so gullible.

 

Now if the T&Cs said "Everybody must enter the site/ship standing on one leg and singing the National Anthem" it could be enforced because neither are against the law of the land. At least in the UK.

 

When you enter a contract with a cruise company it is written under the law of the land in which the contracting company is domiciled. My contracts are with the UK subsidiaries of the cruise companies and are subject to UK law. That is UK civil law.

 

If somebody was to murder me at sea then under criminal law the jurisdiction of the "home" of the ship would be paramount, unless it occurred in a country's national waters. But I personally wouldn't care!

[Cauzneffct]

"And we also reserve the right to remove all money from your wallet and not give it back to you". Must be OK 'cos it's in the T&Cs. Absolute naivety. Sorry: I don't mean to be rude but you shouldn't be so gullible.

 

Now if the T&Cs said "Everybody must enter the site/ship standing on one leg and singing the National Anthem" it could be enforced because neither are against the law of the land. At least in the UK.

 

When you enter a contract with a cruise company it is written under the law of the land in which the contracting company is domiciled. My contracts are with the UK subsidiaries of the cruise companies and are subject to UK law. That is UK civil law.

 

If somebody was to murder me at sea then under criminal law the jurisdiction of the "home" of the ship would be paramount, unless it occurred in a country's national waters. But I personally wouldn't care!

 

I'm not sure how pointing out that even in the UK, it appears that companies state that prohibited items will be confiscated and destroyed makes me naïve or gullible. If you've got cases in which such companies have been sued (or criminally charged for theft) for following through on such terms, it would be a more effective argument than setting up straw men.

[golfb4cruzing]

OP, it's hit or miss on the luggage. Don't listen to this board. If you are willing to gamble, and place in checked luggage, with possibility of losing it, then proceed. Your only loss is the price of the booze. You don't get sent to time out or detention.

[George C]

OP, it's hit or miss on the luggage. Don't listen to this board. If you are willing to gamble, and place in checked luggage, with possibility of losing it, then proceed. Your only loss is the price of the booze. You don't get sent to time out or detention.

 

Chances are you will not be caught I have brought on booze for last 25 or so cruises on all major lines and have not been caught, but since they now have unlimited drinking packages, I will just take a small bottle for a nite cap

[Momma Mojito]

OP, it's hit or miss on the luggage. Don't listen to this board. If you are willing to gamble, and place in checked luggage, with possibility of losing it, then proceed. Your only loss is the price of the booze. You don't get sent to time out or detention.

 

This is what I'd do

[Balloon Man]

I'm not sure how pointing out that even in the UK, it appears that companies state that prohibited items will be confiscated and destroyed makes me naïve or gullible. If you've got cases in which such companies have been sued (or criminally charged for theft) for following through on such terms, it would be a more effective argument than setting up straw men.

 

If you can't understand that national laws override t&cs invented by a company to protect its own interests then I can't help you.

 

Whether somebody would ask for criminal action to be taken against a cruise line that had confiscated a bottle of spirits is, however, a good question. Would I go to the trouble of trying to persuade the UK police to prosecute Princess because they had "permanently deprived me" of my property? Probably not.

 

But what you have to ask yourself is if somebody entered your home and took a bottle of spirits would you call the police? The offence is exactly the same.

[antsp]

No - and they WILL find it, confiscate it and destroy it.

 

They also now have begun the alcohol check point in Port Everglades and require you to show them your wine and champagne bottles. They record how much you have.

 

The check points at fort laudedale are a joke, pass through security, if wine is observed they ask you to go to a make shift table where you declare your wine. At this point they ask for your cabin number. No evidence is requested on you actual cabin so pick a letter A to F and a random number. I'm sure it goes on.