Best way to bring souvenir alcohol onboard? Not for consumption!

[mousefan73]

Hi, We will be embarking in two weeks the Oasis from Civitavecchia. Beforehand we are spending a few days in Rome, a  good friend was recently there and asked we bring back some wierd bottle of liquor in the shape of an Italy boot.. funny actually.  I need to first check if this is liquor or some wierd wine.. if wine we can bring with as one of our bottles.. We are not bringing wine for us onboard as we have the drink package.

 

So WWYD? Here are our options

• Put liquor/wine bottle in checked luggage and hope it goes through? easiest method, time, effort wise if not flagged.
• If we get caught what happens to this bottle? will they completey take it away or give it back end of trip? How much time / PIA is it getting confiscated alholhol?
• If product is classified as wine, we simply bring on board in carryon, end of story
• If liquor, is there a process be embarking to legally hand this off for pick-up later? and is this process a PIA?  

 

I really do not want to invest any time this.. 

 

 

One final question. let's say we find a wine we looove in Italy and buy a case to take back home... is there a process also for this?   Challenge is we are doing our Italien travel and shopping pre-cruise. 

Thanks

[Biker19]

Bring the weird bottle in your carry on bag - if taken, you’ll get it back at the end of the cruise. The logistics of a case of wine is probably more hassle than it’s worth.  

[Snit13]

I have brought wine/liquor from many areas of the world during years of travel.  On ship sometimes they keep it until final day/night and other times they looked at what I had and could tell I was buying for the bottle not the contents and allowed me to keep it.  May depend on who is working the scanner at check-in.

 

Have not brought case on ship but have brought on airplane.....years ago.  Hope someone has an answer for you.  Did bring a number of bottles of wine back from So. Am.. when we did the Antarctic cruise.

[flamingos]

We had the same situation on our TA last year, bringing a bottle of American whiskey to a Welsh friend.  I had it wrapped in bubble wrap with a luggage tag on it, in my hand luggage, with the expectation that it would be taken and returned to us at the end of the cruise.  No one even noticed it, and we kept it in the safe the entire voyage.

[papaflamingo]

If it's considered wine you'll be able to carry it on board.   But it'll count as one of your two bottles.  If that doesn't matter, then no problem.  As others said, if it's liquor it'll be confiscated and given back on the last night of the cruise.

But here's a question and a thought.  You stated "I really do not want to invest any time this."  I don't blame you.  So don't.  I will assume you'll be flying home.  How do you plan to get the bottle on the plane.  What is the liquor?  Is it by chance Grappa?  Grappa is a wine, by the way.  Anyway, simply don't worry about it until you get off the ship, then at the Airport, assuming you're not driving and are flying international, go to Duty Free and see if they have it.  Odds are if it's Grappa, they'll have the bottle you're looking for.  That'll save you the hassle and you won't have to pack it in your luggage for the trip home, risking breakage.  If they don't, simply apologize to your friend and tell them you didn't find the bottle they wanted.  

Edited June 2, 2019 by papaflamingo

[SRF]

A case of wine can be an issue.  You need to check it, and it needs to be packed for travel.  

 

Also, you will need to declare it when you get to the US.  I have done it, but was traveling with a large Pelican case with foam lining, that was partially empty on the way home.

 

Better to bring a couple bottles, then see if you can get it here.

 

As for some bottles in your luggage, I have checked many bottles over the years.  I have lost 2.  One was a soft side luggage, where the bottle got packed in a corner, and they dropped it on the corner.  The second, just broke. I suspect a defective bottle.

 

On the way home, no big deal.  When I come home, most things need to be washed anyway. 🙂

 

 

[pstone1]

On a recent trip to Italy, we bought bottles of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and limoncello for friends and family.  Although our friends sailed through ship's security with their bottle of limoncello, security took ours.  No big deal as it was delivered by our cabin Steward the afternoon before our cruise ended.  We just roll bottles in jeans and heavier clothing and pack them in the middle of our suitcases.  Smaller bottles sometimes fit in shoes.

 

If you are considering a case or half case of wine from a vineyard, they will typically offer an option to ship it.  

[CntPAcruiser]

2 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

If it's considered wine you'll be able to carry it on board.   But it'll count as one of your two bottles.  If that doesn't matter, then no problem.  As others said, if it's liquor it'll be confiscated and given back on the last night of the cruise.

But here's a question and a thought.  You stated "I really do not want to invest any time this."  I don't blame you.  So don't.  I will assume you'll be flying home.  How do you plan to get the bottle on the plane.  What is the liquor?  Is it by chance Grappa?  Grappa is a wine, by the way.  Anyway, simply don't worry about it until you get off the ship, then at the Airport, assuming you're not driving and are flying international, go to Duty Free and see if they have it.  Odds are if it's Grappa, they'll have the bottle you're looking for.  That'll save you the hassle and you won't have to pack it in your luggage for the trip home, risking breakage.  If they don't, simply apologize to your friend and tell them you didn't find the bottle they wanted.  

 

Grappa is a distillate from grape pomace left over from wine-making, basically brandy (not wine).

 

I did a quick search, and the most common Italian liqueur in a boot-shaped bottle seems to be Limoncello. By carrying it on, you may get through security without it being noticed, but they may also find it and take it for the duration of the cruise. In that event, I would recommend saving the receipt from its purchase as well as taking a picture of the bottle and receipt in case Royal would damage or lose it while it is in their custody. Just as cheap "insurance."

[papaflamingo]

1 hour ago, CntPAcruiser said:

 

Grappa is a distillate from grape pomace left over from wine-making, basically brandy (not wine).

Thanks, didn't know that.  I actually have a bottle of Grappa that I bought in 2000. It was a Millennium Bottle with a blown glass ship inside.  Bought it for the bottle and never opened it.  😎

[pstone1]

1 hour ago, CntPAcruiser said:

 

Grappa is a distillate from grape pomace left over from wine-making, basically brandy (not wine).

 

I did a quick search, and the most common Italian liqueur in a boot-shaped bottle seems to be Limoncello. By carrying it on, you may get through security without it being noticed, but they may also find it and take it for the duration of the cruise. In that event, I would recommend saving the receipt from its purchase as well as taking a picture of the bottle and receipt in case Royal would damage or lose it while it is in their custody. Just as cheap "insurance."

 

I force the security person taking alcohol from me to write me a receipt and sign it for the same reason.  We often buy expensive liquor and definitely want a record.

[mousefan73]

So is it better to pack it in carryon or checked?

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, mousefan73 said:

So is it better to pack it in carryon or checked?

 

I'd go for carry-on.

[Snit13]

6 hours ago, pstone1 said:

On a recent trip to Italy, we bought bottles of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and limoncello for friends and family.  Although our friends sailed through ship's security with their bottle of limoncello, security took ours.  No big deal as it was delivered by our cabin Steward the afternoon before our cruise ended.  We just roll bottles in jeans and heavier clothing and pack them in the middle of our suitcases.  Smaller bottles sometimes fit in shoes.

 

If you are considering a case or half case of wine from a vineyard, they will typically offer an option to ship it.  

Take 2 gallon Ziploc bags and seal the bottles before you roll them in your jeans. That way if the do break the liquid will be in the plastic bag and not all over your clothes.

[John&LaLa]

Laura said no to the souvenir brownies in Amsterdam 🤣

[SRF]

1 hour ago, mousefan73 said:

So is it better to pack it in carryon or checked?

 

For air, it must be in checked.

 

Boarding a ship, I would have it in carry on.  If you check it, you may have to go to the naughty room to get your bag.

[Snit13]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

Laura said no to the souvenir brownies in Amsterdam 🤣

Have a cruise booked on Brilliance out of Amsterdam in June 2020.  Want me to bring you some brownies John?

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, Snit13 said:

Have a cruise booked on Brilliance out of Amsterdam in June 2020.  Want me to bring you some brownies John?

 

Sure, why not. Ice cream doesn't travel well.