Liquor purchases inside San Juan terminal

[KellyJean]

We were in the Sept 1 sailing of the Fascination.  We purchased sodas and 2 bottles of wine before we got to the port.  When we arrived at the terminal there were several places in the terminal to buy liquor and sodas.  My friend saw a lady carry 6 bottles of liquor in 3 paper bags that she purchased in the terminal through security and onto the ship without any problem.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I'm assuming it was duty free but wish we had known in advance so we could have bought a bottle to take to our room.

 

[coevan]

hard to fathom, did you actually see liquor bottles, or a friend saw someone. They are way to strict, admittedly SJU is not the strictest we've sailed. BTW the liquor in the terminal is NOT inexpensive, like other duty free ports.

[Elaine5715]

20 minutes ago, KellyJean said:

We were in the Sept 1 sailing of the Fascination.  We purchased sodas and 2 bottles of wine before we got to the port.  When we arrived at the terminal there were several places in the terminal to buy liquor and sodas.  My friend saw a lady carry 6 bottles of liquor in 3 paper bags that she purchased in the terminal through security and onto the ship without any problem.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I'm assuming it was duty free but wish we had known in advance so we could have bought a bottle to take to our room.

 

Yes, it is possible to side step the liquor collection crew if they are distracted but they may also collect you if you get pass them.  There isn't an exception to bringing on liquor from San Juan.  You are supposed to turn it in

[KellyJean]

16 minutes ago, coevan said:

hard to fathom, did you actually see liquor bottles, or a friend saw someone. They are way to strict, admittedly SJU is not the strictest we've sailed. BTW the liquor in the terminal is NOT inexpensive, like other duty free ports.

My friend saw the lady enter the security line with 3 paper bags containing 2 bottles of alcohol in each one.  She said she heard the lady tell security at the X-ray machine that she just bought them in the terminal and she walked onboard with them after going through security.  

 

If you couldn't carry it on the ship why would they be selling it in the terminal?  This was the first time I've seen alcohol and packs of soda being sold inside the terminal.

[KellyJean]

5 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Yes, it is possible to side step the liquor collection crew if they are distracted but they may also collect you if you get pass them.  There isn't an exception to bringing on liquor from San Juan.  You are supposed to turn it in

 

I did not see any tables set up anywhere between security and the gangway.  I supposedly was supposed to show my wine to someone after security but there wasn't anyone to show it to.

[tallyho8]

I have been to San Juan several times and have bought a bottle of liquor in the port and brought it straight to may cabin a few times. They are vary slack about enforcing liquor rules. It is almost like they own a share in the liquor store. 

 

But beware, they were giving a free tasting of a very nice liquor which was quite exquisite so we wanted to purchase a bottle. They told us that security was taking the bottles so they had some packaged up already in rum runners for the same price and they guaranteed the rum runners would get by them. We were thrilled when we got past security with the rum runners and stored them in our cabin. At sailaway we mixed ourselves a couple of drinks to celebrate, toasted ourselves on the balcony, and took a big ole swig. UGH! ROT GUT! I wonder how many people they swindle each day into paying exorbitant prices for that rot gut they tricked us into buying. Karma strikes again......

[TVLady3]

I recently bought 2 bottles of liquor in the San Juan terminal. I had to put the bag through the X-ray machine and then was directed to a separate table to have it tagged and taken from me. I did receive a receipt and it was delivered on the last night of the cruise. 

I might add it was a real bargain, which was 2 bottles of Captain Morgen White Rum at $8.80 a bottle.

[lennythenose]

We purchased a couple of bottles in the terminal last time we were in San Juan. Put them thru the X-ray and then actually had to look for the table to turn them in. No one was watching and it would have been easier to take them to the cabin actually. 

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, KellyJean said:

 

I did not see any tables set up anywhere between security and the gangway.  I supposedly was supposed to show my wine to someone after security but there wasn't anyone to show it to.

You just missed it.  They are always there

[Bill_R]

Back in the olden days this port for whatever unspoken rule allowed you to drag as much alcohol on board. It was don't ask don't tell situation. You can search this topic but  when we traveled from this port was told just put it in a carry on bag and don't flaunt it. Had no problem getting it onboard.

 

[Elaine5715]

21 minutes ago, Bill_R said:

Back in the olden days this port for whatever unspoken rule allowed you to drag as much alcohol on board. It was don't ask don't tell situation. You can search this topic but  when we traveled from this port was told just put it in a carry on bag and don't flaunt it. Had no problem getting it onboard.

 

It depends on Security. It isn't unusual for Security to watch you to make sure to go to the Beverage Collection table after they scanned your items. 

[shoptom]

On 9/21/2019 at 11:33 PM, Elaine5715 said:

You just missed it.  They are always there

 

I have gotten back early to where they had to call someone to come take my rum, so no, they are not always there.

[LittleYiaYia]

This coming February will be our 8th sailing out of San Juan. Each time we have embarked at the pier in OSJ.  We usually board early with our two bottles of allowed wine, and drop off our bags, and then disembark.  Sometimes we do this 2 or three times, bringing 2 bottles of wine each time.  I prefer white Sangria over red and the only store I have been able to find it in is the one in the terminal.  Each time we purchased a bottle of wine at the terminal, we were stopped before we even got to security.  They had a security officer standing between the door of the store and security and he checked our bags from the store each time. Each time we had a paper bag from the store  I guess we could have put the bottle in our carry on, and he may not have even known we had purchased anything in the store.

[K&RCurt]

I have always had my bottles of alcohol noted while going through security and then being directed to the table to turn them in.

 

One thing I will note, for a better selection and much lower prices go to the SUPERMAX grocery store on Plaza de Armas (intersection of Calle San Franciso and Calle De La Cruz) in OSJ.  On our first trip to OSJ a kind Police Officer told us this was the place to go, to avoid the liqueur stores in or near the port as they charged far more than the SUPERMAX.  

[cdm289]

I bought a cheap bottle of wine at CVS across the street in Puerto Rico.  I never had a chance to buy a bottle to carry on at embarkation as our flights were very late (arrive day of cruise versus the night before as planned).  I thought for $7 I would take a chance to sneak it on.  I didn't want to check it and then pick it up on the last day as I didn't need the hassle of taking a $7 bottle of wine home.  After xray, they said alcohol go to the table.  There was so many people in that area that I just kept walking and walked right up the stairs.  

 

Funny part was that I got to my room and it was a terrible bottle of wine.  I don't think I even had a second glass.  

 

I have bought miniature liquor bottles before at other ports that were in my backpack.  They were not to drink as my son likes to collect them but they never questioned me or stopped me.  

[Stinger-pr]

Used to be that when larger Carnival ships were home ported in San Juan (Valor, Liberty, etc) they used an elevated gangway to board the ship. This gangway snaked back and forth a few times and had no security cameras inside. The table where they took your liquor was located on board the ship on the veranda deck right where the gangway met the ship hence, you could bring a bunch of booze, cut off the tag that was put on by the X-ray people or simply change it to another bag or stash it in a backpack before you reached the end of the gangway and no one would notice. Now, with a smaller Fantasy-class ship, the gangway is a straight shot from the dock to the door on deck 7 and the desk is located right outside the doors from the X-ray machines, I'd say not even 20 feet away. While it's possible someone could sneak by while they are dealing with other passengers, it's quite difficult because they usually have someone else keeping an eye for those passengers coming from the X-ray area. Not impossible but, you know... 

 

Oh and BTW, San Juan is just another stop for those passengers who boarded the ship in Barbados and that terminal is also used by other ships when calling in PR. Old San Juan is not really a duty-free port so that store is mainly targeted for those passengers traveling through, not those embarking in SJ.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Stinger-pr