how much liquor do you buy? liquor questions!

[ennjay]

How much liquor can you/do you usually purchase either on board ship or in ports, if you live within driving distance of the port? I ask because I think I remember seeing a limit on how much alcohol you can carry in from abroad (1 or 2 L?) but I've definitely seen people buying more either on board or at ports.

 

If you're indeed buying more than the allotment, do you just hide it and hope nobody notices (I personally have never been checked by customs coming off the ship), or do you declare it and have to pay a duty on it? (And, if you have to pay a duty, how much is the duty? Does the cost of the duty make the cheap prices of purchasing it in the Caribbean not worth the trouble??)

 

Does NCL (or other cruise lines) limit the amount you can buy in their duty-free shop, or is it your problem how you get it back ashore?

[samtig]

Cruise lines don't limit how much you buy in their stores. It's strictly a Customs issue. We always bring back more than the allotment - anywhere from 6-10 bottles - limit has been 2. We always declare it on the Custom's form, we have been checked, and they just wave us on through, not having to pay duty. Even if we were required to pay, we were told it's only around $2.00 ea. (but I'm not certain on that) and we think would be worth it. We cruise out of New Orleans, Galveston, and Houston and none of them required us to pay duty. Think they're too busy looking for more important things to worry about it!

[ddoll]

It's one bottle per adult over the age of 21. We were traveling with our two sons who were 19 and 21 and they checked carefully.

Well...they didn't search, they just asked us how many bottles and then checked the boy's ID's to be sure the 21 yr old could indeed have a bottle.

[samtig]

The Western Carribbean is 2 bottles per adult.

[samtig]

Should have said, unless they've changed it since December. lol

[RoofingPrincess]

I bought 3 or 4 bottles on my last cruise; I think the limit was 1 liter, with one more if you bought it in the Virgin Islands.

I was standing in line on the ship on the last day - I forget what they called it, but it was for people who had stuff to declare - and an RCI employee came down the line, telling people that if liquor was the only reason they were in line and they had 5 liters or less, they were OK and could leave.

Customs guy on shore barely looked at my form and waved me through - it's been that way on every international trip I've taken.

[bankerbabe]

We too always buy more than the allotted one bottle each. We always declare it and they always just waive us on through the line. As previously stated, I'm sure they have more important things to worry about than my Grey Goose. That said, from what we were told in the duty-free shop, the charge (should they enforce it) is minimal and still makes the purchase worthwhile - especially with the whacky liquor laws in Oregon.

[suezyq50]

We get two bottles each. I like to check local prices before we go. Lets me know if it is worth carrying it.

[newmexicoNita]

How much liquor can you/do you usually purchase either on board ship or in ports, if you live within driving distance of the port? I ask because I think I remember seeing a limit on how much alcohol you can carry in from abroad (1 or 2 L?) but I've definitely seen people buying more either on board or at ports.

 

If you're indeed buying more than the allotment, do you just hide it and hope nobody notices (I personally have never been checked by customs coming off the ship), or do you declare it and have to pay a duty on it? (And, if you have to pay a duty, how much is the duty? Does the cost of the duty make the cheap prices of purchasing it in the Caribbean not worth the trouble??)

 

Does NCL (or other cruise lines) limit the amount you can buy in their duty-free shop, or is it your problem how you get it back ashore?

No, the cruise lines could care less how much you buy: it you are stopping in St Thomas you can bring back 5 liters per person if one is rum from the country. Others have a limit of 1 liter per person, but even if you have to pay duty, often it is worth it. We fly, have to pack ours very carefully in our luggage and still buy as much as we can because booze here in NM is very expensive. You have never been checked, neither have we. Even when we list what we have. My daughter did get busted once and still the duty really wasn't much. NMnita

[caprcorn28]

It's completely worth it to buy liquor - even if you have to pay the duty - which we never have!

 

We have ALWAYS declared exactly how much we had - in fact had the boxes right with us and plopped them up on the table.

 

This last Spring it was quite a powerful experience actually - we put our boxes up, handed the Customs Agent all of our family's passports, our declaration document thingy, all he did was smile and say "Welcome Home" and stamped the passports!! It was pretty cool!

 

You're better off just being honest!!

[cah14522]

I realize this isn't an issue if you drive to/from the cruise dock, but how do you get the liquor back if you're flying home? In the past, I would carry on the standard liquor carriers with four bottles in each, with one in each hand. Now, I don't believe you are allowed to carry any liquids onboard the plane - so how to get it home? Is it safe to pack / check liquor and will the bottles come through unbroken?

[cah14522]

delete - duplicate post