RCCL Alcohol Policies After 7/28 and 8/10 Part II - MERGED

[Merion_Mom]

Phil, others are reporting that bottles packed in their checked bags are still not being taken.

 

If you want to carry it on openly, and have RC store it for you, so that you can carry it off again and directly onto your next cruise, I doubt that you would have a problem with that.

 

I assume that you are a member of Crown & Anchor. Send them an email, explaining that you want to do this. They will (I hope) send you an email saying that it's ok, as long as you don't expect them to give you your bottles on board. Take a copy of this email with you.

 

Good luck.

[sonomaphil]

Phil, others are reporting that bottles packed in their checked bags are still not being taken.

 

If you want to carry it on openly, and have RC store it for you, so that you can carry it off again and directly onto your next cruise, I doubt that you would have a problem with that.

 

I assume that you are a member of Crown & Anchor. Send them an email, explaining that you want to do this. They will (I hope) send you an email saying that it's ok, as long as you don't expect them to give you your bottles on board. Take a copy of this email with you.

 

Good luck.

 

Mom, you've been very helpful! Thanks!

 

It would be out first cruise on RCI. A "sample" if you will. I signed up online but nothing more.

[Wilson]

I am going Sunday on Freedom..unless Ernesto changes our plans...but I will be putting several small bottles of champagne in my luggage for am mimosas on my balcony as I have done in the past...they are small and can actually look like shampoo bottles on x-ray if you pack them with toiletries...so I will give it a try......what the hey....

 

Plus of course the ever popular bottle of Zephyrhills water partially drunk will be in my carry on.....wink wink...any clear liquour of course is substituted..........for me vodka.........but anything works.......after my trip I will advise...........how it went.......

 

lee

 

Well...did you get the champagne on? Please update. Thanx

[azjacque]

We had NO problem bringing on wine, champagne and a bottle of vodka two weeks ago on the Rhapsody. I just bubble wrapped it and put them in double ziploc bags in our checked luggage (we even flew to Houston with the stuff in the bags). We brought the wine to dinner and our waiter did NOT charge a cork fee. On the last night we gave our last un-opened cabernet to our bar gal Tania...she was thrilled.

 

I don't feel bad bringing this stuff on as my husband and I managed to run up a HUGE bar bill.

[CaesarsNcruisin4me]

I wouldn't worry and just bring your own with you. I just arrived home on November 28th from my b2b's aboard the Radiance and the Freedom. I brought 15 bottles of wine with me and just packed it in a wine shipping box (plain box with egg cartons made for wine bottles inside) and checked it onto the ship without disguising the box in any way and it made it on both ships. I like to have a good bottle of wine with dinner and I like to share with my tablemates. I brought it into the dining room with no problems. I will post a pic showing the box.

 

The box came with me from Canada on three flight segments with no problems at all. The airlines marked it as fragile and I had to declare it as wine and sign that I would not hold the airline responsible for breakage. This label was clearly visable on the box when I checked it onto the ship and it arrived safe and sound in my stateroom!

 

Plus I also packed 1 bottle of Rum and 1 bottle of Vodka in my checked luggage which also made it to my stateroom with no troubles. I had put the Rum and Vodka into the Rum Runner flasks that I had purchased online.

 

In fact while shopping in ports I purchased 3 bottles of Rum at the Rum Factory on the 1st cruise and placed the bag on the x-ray machine upon reboarding and then simply picked it up on the other side and took it back to my stateroom. I did the same thing on the second cruise with the bottle of Tequila that I purchased in Cozumel. I wasn't stopped either time from doing so.

 

 

[First Time Cruiser 06]

Hello,

 

I'm 20 and from Canada, and I am going on my first cruise on Grandeur of the Seas next week. In Canada the drinking age is 19, so I have been legally drinking for some time now. I understand that RCI's drinking age is 21, and I have been reading some of the posts and its not looking good as far as me having some drinks while on board. Now I don't go crazy, I would just like to have some liquor in my room for a drink before dinner (obviously I won't be able to drink in the dining room) or a few in the evening. I'm wondering what happens if a minor tries to bring liquor on board in checked baggage; is there a harsher peanalty if a minor is caught? I know that they could take it without giving it back, and that doesn't really concern me, but would they ever kick you off the ship? Also, is it really strict at the bars when it comes to ID's? I guess I'm just kinda wondering what to expect in that general department. Any help would be appreciated!

:)

[Merion_Mom]

Hello,

 

I'm 20 and from Canada, and I am going on my first cruise on Grandeur of the Seas next week. In Canada the drinking age is 19, so I have been legally drinking for some time now. I understand that RCI's drinking age is 21, and I have been reading some of the posts and its not looking good as far as me having some drinks while on board. Now I don't go crazy, I would just like to have some liquor in my room for a drink before dinner (obviously I won't be able to drink in the dining room) or a few in the evening. I'm wondering what happens if a minor tries to bring liquor on board in checked baggage; is there a harsher peanalty if a minor is caught? I know that they could take it without giving it back, and that doesn't really concern me, but would they ever kick you off the ship? Also, is it really strict at the bars when it comes to ID's? I guess I'm just kinda wondering what to expect in that general department. Any help would be appreciated!

:)

You are correct that the drinking age on board is 21. I don't know what the actual practice has been, but their website and documents say that they can DENY BOARDING to anyone underage caught trying to bring alcohol on board.

 

I don't know about you, but *I* wouldn't want to become the poster boy for THAT!

 

And yes, I have seen them checking IDs at the bars. Others have reported being able to flummox the bartenders.

[First Time Cruiser 06]

Thank you.

I understand RCI's policies regarding the repercussions of violating the guest policy, and that the maximum punishment is disembarkment, but I more interested in the general practices of the staff. Do people get kicked off very often?

[Merion_Mom]

Since the whole written policy (the really strict part) is new since the summer, there hasn't been much experience with it.

 

Good luck finding someone underage who got caught with alcohol and posts on Cruise Critic about his or her experience.

 

:)

[Borat]

Thank you.

I understand RCI's policies regarding the repercussions of violating the guest policy, and that the maximum punishment is disembarkment, but I more interested in the general practices of the staff. Do people get kicked off very often?

 

I find it HIGHLY UNLIKELY that you will be denied boarding or thrown off the ship if caught with alcohol. Im sure the only way that possibly could happen is if the passenger gets loud and decides not to listen. Could anyone out there honestly imagine being denied boarding because of a bottle of alcohol in your luggage?? come on guys...some people dont know the rules...what if youre a first timer and dont know the policies? not everyone is on cruisecritic and knows these policies...i really believe they would kindly tell you it isnt allowed on their ships, even though a lot of ppl get through security with it in the first place. BOTTOM LINE - RCCL certainly isnt looking to end anyones vacation unless they feel the passenger is dangerous and a threat to other passengers...why would they want to deny the $$$ of the passenger...sure to spend a lot onboard.

 

have fun on your cruise next week...some bartenders really dont care, and will hook you up for a little tip here and there...yes this does work sometimes, sorry folks who think it wont!

[Dave85]

Some bartenders care far more than others. I'm basing this off of my experience as an 18-20 year old under the old policy where 18-20s could drink beer and wine. Under the old policy (wondering if they still do this?) you'd only have 1 hole punched in your card if you were 18-20 and could drink.

 

Getting back to your question, the majority of bartenders would look at my card, see one hole, and go ahead and get me my drink. A very small minority of bartenders were so lax that they'd serve underage people, although I very very rarely ever saw that. And yet there were some bartenders (a larger minority) that were a total pain in the ***. They would see the 1 hole in the card, and insist on checking "The List", a printout that was at every bar of the names of everyone on the ship 18-20 who's parents signed the waiver to make sure there was some mistake. This was an enormous waste of time in my opinion, but some of them consistently did it.

 

I understand 100% that the most important thing for most of these bartenders (and rightfully so) is keeping their job, but in all honesty I always found that latter group of bartenders to be obnoxious. I'm now 21 and when I go on the Jewel in a few weeks I'm sure I'll be hasseled by some overzealous bartenders/wait staff because I look young, but such is life. I'll still be on a cruise and I won't let it bother me since regardless of the hassel, I'll still actually be 21. :rolleyes: