Bringing duty free liquour home

[TWG_ag]

Given the new rules regarding airplan liquid carry-ons, how are the ships and duty free stores telling you to bring home purchases. I know you can check the boxes, but I am not sure about that. We head out in a 10 days, so let me hear your experiences and suggestions please. Thanks in advance for your help.

[cb at sea]

I know there are boxes that you can buy to ship home your cheap liquor, but paying for these "extras" sort of defeats the purpose of buying the stuff in the islands, doesn't it!?

If you're only bringing home a little bit, and can fit it in your checked luggage without going over the weight limit, then that's the way to do it.

Personally, I wouldn't even bother! I'm not sure the savings is worth the effort--considering what the entire cruise costs!

[skiiergirl]

I know there are boxes that you can buy to ship home your cheap liquor, but paying for these "extras" sort of defeats the purpose of buying the stuff in the islands, doesn't it!?

If you're only bringing home a little bit, and can fit it in your checked luggage without going over the weight limit, then that's the way to do it.

Personally, I wouldn't even bother! I'm not sure the savings is worth the effort--considering what the entire cruise costs!

 

I agree. Typically we don't buy it to have to "drag" home. We did buy some Barbados Crisma liquer this go around though as gifts. Just two bottles. I just wrapped up reallly, really, well in tissue paper. Then I "double bagged" it in the jumbo ziploc bags. Then I wrapped our "worst" clothing around it and put it in one of the suitcases. I just made sure that there wasn't anything really "good" in there that would get "ruined" if the bottles broke.

 

Unless it is something special though.....I agree it isn't worth the hassle you go through.

[dolphincruiser404]

I stopped purchasing liquor in the islands unless I am either:

 

1 - on a land vacation and can buy it in the airport on the way home. The regulations now state if it is purchased in the airport that it can be brought on the plane as a carry on.

 

2 - if I am on a cruise that is porting out of Florida. We live here and always drive to the port.

 

Otherwise, I don't really think it is worth the hassle.

[suezyq50]

We just got off the Sovereign. We weren't asked if we needed special wrapping. I was somewhat surprised. We drove, so we just handled our own.

[Gilby77]

We purchased 9 L of alchol on the Voyager this last week. We bought 6 in St. Thomas and 3 onboard the ship.

 

When we purchased in St. Thomas we purchased at AH Rise and their claim is that their boxes are strong enough to put in your checked luggage.

 

When we got our alchol on the last day of the cruise, both boxes (AH and Cruise ships) where really stong. We had large duffle bags as our luggage and put some clothes on the bottom and on the sides and the top. I put the 6 (all in 1 box) in mine and the 3 (1 box) in my wifes luggage and they made it from Miami, FL to Fargo ND without any problems.

 

We packed them in the check on and left them outside our cabin the night before, even though they tell you to carry out your alchol. No problems packing them.

 

Our bags where over weight by a few pounds but the airline didn't say anything about it. One was 2 pounds and one was 5.

 

 

So if you have the room, or bring an extra bag just for that you would be fine. The main thing to remember is that if you are going to check the box as one of your luggages (which is possible) just make sure it is wrapped in something, they won't ship it in just the box ????????? One lady on our flight had already checked her 2 bags max and they told her that she could wrap the alchol and check it, she did this and then they told her that it would be $80 for the extra bag to check. She had room in her luggage where she could have put it, she ended up giving someone at the airport about $100 worth of expensive scotch.

[weechloe]

Just back yesterday from the Jewel. All alcohol must be in your luggage and cannot be carried on the plane in your bag. If it hasn't been checked in your luggage it is confiscated. You are only allowed to carry on three ounces of fluid and in a zip loc bag.

[gkrebs]

I jsut got back from Jewel also. 2 bottles went into the luggage, 4 went into the box the ship store gave to me. checked my luggage and liguor box at the airport and it arrived safe and sound. We flew airtran and my god what a pile of luggage on the carousel. So much it was falling off. And the booze was still intact. The only thing to worry about packing it in your luggage is if you are honest and declare what you bought and have gone over your limit, the customs officals might want to charge you the duty on it. They were going to make us open our bags to show them the 2 bottles in there, but decided to let us go without any further hassle. But I did find out something interesting about how they charge the duty. Its by the proof of the liguor. So if you make a list of what you have with the proofs of each bottle, this will make paying the duty alot simpler.

[jdsprod]

After drinking it all week during a recent business trip there, bought two bottles of Malbec at the Buenos Aires airport. They delivered it to the jetbridge as we were boarding. After customs and immigrations in DFW, had to put the two bottles in my checked suitcase before re-checking it. Could not carry it on the connecting flight.

[dougp26364]

We've just returned from our Radiance 6 night W. Carib. cruise. It was the first time we purchased alcohol while onboard to bring home.

 

As for the duty, they were NOT going by the proof of the alcohol but by the amount you purchased. In our disembarkation documents, we were asked to meet with customs in one of the conference center lounges at 07:00. Since we had over 2 liters, I went down as I did not want to be crossways of customs over 375 ml more booze than the 2 liters we were allowed.

 

Once there I was asked how many passengers in my family and home much alcohol (volume) we were bringing home. We were never asked what brand, proof or anything else. We were not asked to show the alcohol but we were asked to bring our receipts with us (they didn't request to see them once there).

 

According to the initial customs agent we met with, if we had less than $10 in duty to pay, they waived the fee. In my case he just signed my customs decleration form and sent me on my way. Another CC member was in front of me and she was 4 liters over her limit. He calculated that her duty would be $7 and change and sent her on her way as well. There were 4 people in front of us that were over the $10 limit in duty and they were asked to wait in the conference center. I am not certain if they got more in depth there about the type of alcohol or what proof alcohol it was. All I know is that I was never asked what type nor were we requested to bring the alcohol with us to where we were to meet the customs officials. Just our decleration forms, proof of ID and receipts.

 

As for packing the bottels. I was not impressed with how RCI had packaged our products. We had purchased 2 liters of Bailey's the first night and they gave us a 375 ml bottle of Sherriden's Coffee Liqour free (that's what put us over). The box had the Baily's on either end with the smaller Sherriden's bottle in the middle. There was a lot of room for them to move around in that box.

 

I padded the bottles and empty space in the box with newspaper, then put the box in the suitcase surrounded on all sides by clothing. Everything made it home fine but my suitcase was beat all to heck this trip. When I saw it come off the carousel at home, I thought I'd have a problem. So the suitcase might not have lived but the booze did. Go figure.

[PSCruiser]

I've brought home liquor twice since the new rules with no problems. Pack the bottles in the usual carrier box, and put the box in the center of a suitcase, surrounded by clothing as padding. We check this suitcase and no breakage yet.