Hopefully...this will be the LAST booze thread

[CapeCodGuy]

:D Like many here, I think there are far too many threads relating to how to smuggle booze onboard. After reading the first one it's clear....check it in, don't carry it on. We're sailing LOS in early March and believe it not I'm still confused.

 

Our last cruise was in Sept. 2000 on HAL so I'm not sure if my past experience is relevant, but on our last cruise there was a large sundry store that sold a wide selection of liquor that could be purchased at any time and brought to your room. Sure, the prices weren't as good as when you hit the islands, but they were duty free and thus LOTS cheaper than you will find tax-laden alchohol in any state in the USA. ( 750 ml. Absolute was 10 bucks for instance) My ship's deck plan shows a large room titled "Liquor & Sundries" on the Main Deck. Can't I buy my Vodka and cordials there, saving money and the hassle of pouring Drambui into a mouthwash bottle, wrapping it in duct tape, putting it in double ziplock bags, wrapping that in bubblewrap and two towels, and then stuffing the whole mess between my socks and underwear in my checked in baggage? Sure would save a ton of hassle.

 

Oh, my 1997 Brunello Montalcino? Where's the heck's my ducktape?

[Merion_Mom]

No, you can't. If you buy booze in the ship's Liquor Store, they will deliver it to you the last night of your cruise. They will not let you take it with you when you purchase it.

 

If you want your own bottles of alcohol, you will either have to pay room service prices (take out a second mortgage!), or smuggle. The other choice, of course, is to buy your booze by the drink, at the plethora of bars sprinkled liberally around your ship.

 

Bon Voyage.

[Coralc]

You used to be able to purchase bottles on board, and for an additional $9, you could take them back to your stateroom. That policy changed last August.. 2005. Onboard liquor purchases are held until the last night of the cruise. (except, apparently for San Juan...;) Only my personal opinion, but I still wonder if poor Mr. Smith had something to do with the change in policy. :)

[Leejnd4]

You don't really think, by any stretch of the imagination, that this will be the last booze thread? Oh my, that's so funny it hurts! :D

 

LeeAnne

[CruiseFever]

I wonder if you could buy booze on one cruise, save the boxes, and say you were returning it when you tried to ......nevermind, that would still be smuggling

 

I am here to report that I tried the buying bottles of booze from room service on Royal Caribbean and Princess. The sea of guilt that was washed away by doing it "the right way" was no match for the ocean of pleasure I would have had without those extra charges on my shipboard account at the end of the cruise.

 

I think there are two types of booze smugglers: Closet Smugglers and Cheesy Smugglers.

 

Closet Smugglers you never hear about. They bring anywhere from a bottle of something they can't get aboard which really pleases them and makes their cruise special, to a full bar set up. But it's all done in the privacy of their cabin. They might walk out of the cabin with a drink in hand but while in public spaces they do make purchases from the various booze outlets that abound on the ship. Yes it's less expensive but convenience is also a big factor for them.

 

Cheesy Smugglers are the ones that spoil it for everyone, the ones the cruise lines can't sleep at night about and the one's that keep Closet Smugglers in the closet. It's not so much what they bring that makes them different, it's how they go about it. Rolling on coolers, box wine in the dining room, requesting to stop the movie while they run back to the cabin for a beer; this is the spirit of the Cheesy Smuggler. In all fairness, they might be doing it because they just can't find what pleasures them, Captain Morgan in a plastic bottle suitable for use on deck, from room service.

 

Yes, I predict this will not be the last thread on this topic

[Lauriebugg]

LOL, I doubt this will be the last booze thread, and I hope not I always learn something new. :)

 

So from ALL the threads I have read through lately... I come to this conclusion - perhaps the best way money wise to have a glass or two of wine in your stateroom without having anything confiscated is to have a company like Well Wishers deliver a bottle to your room as a "gift" in the cabin. This is what I came up with for our cruise in July. Any thoughts or dissenting opinions?

[pxy cda]

LOL, I doubt this will be the last booze thread, and I hope not I always learn something new. :)

 

So from ALL the threads I have read through lately... I come to this conclusion - perhaps the best way money wise to have a glass or two of wine in your stateroom without having anything confiscated is to have a company like Well Wishers deliver a bottle to your room as a "gift" in the cabin. This is what I came up with for our cruise in July. Any thoughts or dissenting opinions?

 

See my post - answers to alcohol questions - RCCL does allow two bottles of "unique" wine for stateroom consumption - corkage fee $9 per bottle.

[Driftwoodgal]

Chris,

 

I love your post about the types of smugglers;)

 

pbhunt,

 

When we were in San Juan last year they took our purchases from us. I am not sure if things have changed, but they took my bottles from me and then lost them. They weren't returned on the last night of our cruise. Just a tip for those that have checked bottles, make sure you have your receipt from the shop and also the tag that the ship gives you when they take your bottles. I had both so they substituted Sheridans for my lost bottles as they didn't have Bacardi Limon on the ship.

[CruzinSuz]

See my post - answers to alcohol questions - RCCL does allow two bottles of "unique" wine for stateroom consumption - corkage fee $9 per bottle.

 

I think the corkage fee is 12 or 15 dollars now. You can take wine on board without a problem as long as you pay the corkage fee. I always take a box of 'fine' wine for the cabin. Black Box, it's very good!

[Lauriebugg]

How do you pack the boxed wine in your luggage so it doesn't bust? Target has some nice smaller boxed wine I thought of maybe trying???

[MGoBlue2]

How do you pack the boxed wine in your luggage so it doesn't bust? Target has some nice smaller boxed wine I thought of maybe trying???

It's in a strong flexible plastic container inside a cardboard box, you could probably drop it off the top of the ship onto the pier and not have it break.

[Coralc]

I believe that Ckrobyn is the poster that mentioned a liquor store inside the San Juan pier area AFTER the metal detectors. We have not boarded there ourselves.:D

[CapeCodGuy]

I believe that Ckrobyn is the poster that mentioned a liquor store inside the San Juan pier area AFTER the metal detectors. We have not boarded there ourselves.:D

 

When we sailed Princess out of San Juan there was indeed a duty-free liquor store beyond security. You placed your order and they delivered it to your stateroom once the ship reached international waters.

 

now THAT was easy.

[stanford's girl]

No, you can't. If you buy booze in the ship's Liquor Store, they will deliver it to you the last night of your cruise. They will not let you take it with you when you purchase it.

 

If you want your own bottles of alcohol, you will either have to pay room service prices (take out a second mortgage!), or smuggle.

I'm going on the Monarch in May and have a question. I knew that you can't buy booze in the ship's store to consume in your room anymore. But if I want a bottle, I can order it from room service and drink it in my room? And if that's the case, doesn't anyone know what a bottle of Stoli or Absolute costs??

 

Thanks in advance. :) Last time we were on the Explorer, the policy hadn't changed yet.

[Silashenry]

Am looking for someone that has actually bought booze in San Jaun and carried it onboard AOS TIA

[Texas_Diver]

Last booze thread??

 

ROFL!

 

D.

 

:D

[Cape Cruiser 2007]

These threads are sooo entertaining!

what lengths people go through. LOL

[Driftwoodgal]

When you are in San Juan you can buy your liquor duty free at stores at the pier. When you board the ship, we were on the Brilliance, they take your liquor from you and store it until the last night of your cruise. They will not let you take it back to your cabin, nor will they deliver it to you that day. RCL policy is getting stricter about booze.

 

The policy was the same on our Brilliance 2005 cruise and our 2006 cruise last month. They had the same policy on the Majesty last month as well. They have someone at a card table right after the X-Ray machine and metal detectors that checks your purchases. We did have someone on our cruise that put a bottle in their backpack and they brought it back to their room.

 

You are allowed to bring back any type of cokes or water that you buy while in port.

 

I don't know about the room service and a bottle of liquor, but you can buy the wine package, which we did, and bring a bottle back with you to the room. The bottle of wine cost $8.00 at home and you are paying $28.75 for it in the wine package. We bought the Platinum package that cost $287.50 for 10 bottles of wine, that includes the 15% gratuity.

[BobBeaSea]

Hopefully the Last booze thread?.........God, I hope not!!!:D

[Merion_Mom]

I'm going on the Monarch in May and have a question. I knew that you can't buy booze in the ship's store to consume in your room anymore. But if I want a bottle' date=' I can order it from room service and drink it in my room? And if that's the case, doesn't anyone know what a bottle of Stoli or Absolute costs??

 

[/quote']I don't know the precise prices, but I wasn't really kidding when I said "be prepared to take out a second mortgage." For the price they charge for a bottle from room service, you might as well buy by the drink in the bars.

[cage keeper]

I hope it.s not the last either, because I'm still confussed.:confused:

 

Chris, CruiseFever, Could you be one of the comedians on our cruise? You'r very funny. Thanks for the laugh.:D :D :D

[critterchick]

I'm going on the Monarch in May and have a question. I knew that you can't buy booze in the ship's store to consume in your room anymore. But if I want a bottle' date=' I can order it from room service and drink it in my room? And if that's the case, doesn't anyone know what a bottle of Stoli or Absolute costs?? [/size']

 

Thanks in advance. :) Last time we were on the Explorer, the policy hadn't changed yet.

 

All they offered through the room service menu in September was drinks by the glass or some lousy wines by the bottle. You could, however, call room service and see what they'll do - I know that I've had some luck buying bottles of wine off the main dining room list on other ships, just had to wait for the dining room to be open so they could get it. I wouldn't hold my breath about the bottles of hard liquor, though.

[cage keeper]

Waiting to hear from more smugglers just getting back. We don't go till Aug, 6, but want updates. I think I will become a smuggler on my first cruise.:p See what reading these boards has done to me?:eek: :D :D :D

[BobBeaSea]

Waiting to hear from more smugglers just getting back. We don't go till Aug, 6, but want updates. I think I will become a smuggler on my first cruise.:p See what reading these boards has done to me?:eek: :D :D :D

 

That's the spirit!!!