On-board packaged alcohol sales.

[SiliconCruiser]

As I understand it, packaged alcohol can be purchased at the gift shop as a duty-free item for delivery to your stateroom on the last night of the cruise.  On our last cruise in July, we were also told on the last day of the cruise that bottled alcohol purchased from the gift shop could be taken directly to your cabin.  I was wondering if this was also an option that was available to passengers on b2b cruises, where the purchase would be delivered or brought back to the cabin on the last night of each segment.

[1025cruise]

For B2B, they are supposed to hold until the end of the second cruise.

[KreinKrunker]

48 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

For B2B, they are supposed to hold until the end of the second cruise.

Maybe they are supposed to, but we have never had it happen.

[JimmyVWine]

If the goal is to have the alcohol delivered to your cabin for immediate consumption, you can just order a bottle from room service and have it delivered. You can order online in advance of the cruise and a gift card will be delivered to your cabin and you can call room service to have it delivered before sailaway. 
 

Conversely, if the goal isn’t to have the bottle delivered for immediate consumption, then it doesn’t matter when in the cruise the bottle is delivered. Incidentally, are the prices in the gift shop low enough to make it worthwhile to buy bottles there to take home as compared to duty free shops in ports? I’ve never compared but I’ve always assumed that there are no bargains or unique offerings on board. 

[Thrak]

I once priced a liter of Bushmills Irish Whiskey in the ship store. I thought being duty free it would likely be a good deal. It was actually more that I would have paid at Trader Joe's including tax. As for the original question regarding B2B I have never done it myself but have seen numerous posts stating that the liquor purchased on the first leg was indeed delivered on the last night of that leg. Nobody knows how things will work now...

[Mike45LC]

I don’t know how the prices compare, but any booze I can buy at home I won’t burden myself with having to carry home from the cruise.  What would I save, $10??

 

I will only buy booze aboard or ashore if I can’t get it at Trader Joe’s. There used to be a Mount Gay rum, called something like Sugar Cane Anejo that could only be purchased in Barbados.  Wonderfully smooth!

[caribill]

4 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

If the goal is to have the alcohol delivered to your cabin for immediate consumption, you can just order a bottle from room service and have it delivered. You can order online in advance of the cruise and a gift card will be delivered to your cabin and you can call room service to have it delivered before sailaway. 
 

 

The packaged alcohol in the gift shop costs considerably less than the bottles from room service.

 

So if someone on a b2b can get a gift shop bottle to the cabin the last evening of the first segment, then it will be there for the entire second segment (unless emptied first).

[caribill]

6 hours ago, SiliconCruiser said:

On our last cruise in July, we were also told on the last day of the cruise that bottled alcohol purchased from the gift shop could be taken directly to your cabin.  I was wondering if this was also an option that was available to passengers on b2b cruises....

 

Theoretically the rule is "no."

 

However, that would mean the employee processing your order would have to know if you were going to be on the next segment.

 

Pre-Medallion you could check out two ways. First was inside the shop where when ringing up the sale they could notice the b2b.

 

Second was at the tables in the hallway where they would write down the necessary information and enter it into the computer later. Thus if purchased in the hallway they would not know if you were continuing on to the next segment.

 

With the Medallion, it would be much easier for the clerk to know you are on a b2b. But I have no knowledge of this being paid attention to or not.

[JimmyVWine]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

 

The packaged alcohol in the gift shop costs considerably less than the bottles from room service.

 

So if someone on a b2b can get a gift shop bottle to the cabin the last evening of the first segment, then it will be there for the entire second segment (unless emptied first).

I suppose I am looking bigger picture and logistics.  If I wait until the midpoint of my B2B to get my cheaper bottle, then on the first half of my B2B I did not have the benefit of that bottle and had to purchase drinks from the bar.  I am guessing that:

(7 days of bar drinks + 7 days of self-made drinks from Gift Shop bottle) > (14 days of self-made drinks from room service bottles)

 

Of course, if one has a drinks package, then neither the bar drinks nor the self-made drinks matter.

Edited August 31, 2022 by JimmyVWine

[SiliconCruiser]

I should have been clearer in my initial posting.  I was looking for actual real-world experiences.

It is not a matter of cost, just convenience (but not at room service pricing.)  I know that liquor on board generally costs more than on shore.  After initial embarkation, Princess security is pretty lax about what is brought back onto the ship as long as it isn't an actual security risk.  Contrary to consumer interpretation of Princess' web site, passengers routinely bring back bottles to the ship (water, soda, juice, wine, liquor).  They also routinely bring back canned beverages to the ship (sparkling water, soda, beer, canned cocktails, etc.)  On our last cruise, I don't even recall seeing the alcohol table at the re-entry points during port calls. 

But one Princess security officer told me he as going to have to confiscate my Swiss Army knife because I couldn't have a knife on board.  He backed off when I mentioned that the blade was less than 2.5"

But thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

[SiliconCruiser]

20 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

I don’t know how the prices compare, but any booze I can buy at home I won’t burden myself with having to carry home from the cruise.  What would I save, $10??

 

Um ... I wasn't planning on bringing any of it home 😉

[Mike45LC]

1 hour ago, SiliconCruiser said:

Um ... I wasn't planning on bringing any of it home 😉

In that case, enjoy!

[Shelly97060]

My last B2B in July they were letting people take the bottles with them to their cabins on the afternoon of last day of the cruise.  This may have been a one off as this was my first time asking about it so your mileage may vary. 

[MissP22]

Liquor purchased off the ship is generally cheaper, unless Princess is running a special sale where they offer 2 bottles at a discounted price. I didn't see any sale last March/April so right now that may be a thing of the past.

In the past years Princess used to honor any price you found off the ship if you took a photo of the exact item (assuming Princess stocked it) and presented it to them at the counter when making the purchase. The photo has to show both the size and price.

An additional 10% was applied if you were Elite. (although this may also be gone?)

Getting a photo on shore is becoming harder to do since the shop owners are wise to people taking photos and will stop you as soon as you pull out your phone.

You have to be quick. 😉