Taking alcohol on Princess

[Smartcookie]

Hi, no lectures please, I'm an experienced cruiser and an adult, my favorite line is Celebrity, but I have a cruise being held on the Caribbean Princess because it's a good deal and my sis and I are looking for a quick and inexpensive girls-only getaway.

 

If we want to bring 2 bottles of wine onboard, will they allow it? Do they paw through luggage to confiscate contraband alcohol? Thank you for the information! I've always wanted to try Princess.

[karena1]

Actually, unlike RCCL, you can each carry on a bottle of wine or champagne. Also, read down on the forum, there is a ton of info about taking alcohol on the ship. We do it all the time on RCCL and will do it on the Crown next month. Also, just so you know, from reading this forum, once you check in on Princess, but before you board the ship, there is a Duty Free Liquor store and you can buy liquor and take it right through the scanner with you and noone will take it away. So Princess appears to be pretty lenient. I am not taking my hubbies booze since I found out I can buy it at the store right before we board. I will buy it there and carry it on. My beer I will pack in our check in luggage and wait for it to arrive in our room. Have fun.;)

[gmann]

Yes you can take wine/champagne aboard. Check their website and I believe you'll find that this is so. Additionally, I have purchased alcohol at various ports of call have handed it to the gangway staff (just being honest with them) and have been told by them to just keep it.

[Smartcookie]

Thanks so much, I see the post now, I'll read it.

 

It's great that they have a shop that you can purchase then bring on! Is that in Fort Lauderdale? That really surprises me but that's wonderful that they allow it.

[karena1]

No, that shop is in San Juan. If you are going out of Ft. Laud, then just pack anything beyond the 2 bottles and send it through with your checked luggage and you will have it when you arrive in your room.

[okbowler]

there is a wine shop on Cordoba, I think, just outside of Port Everglades. from airport. Cab driver would be able to stop there on way from airport. Believe it is within walking distance from port. Good selection. It is called Total Wines, and I believe it has a website. Bill

[Colo Cruiser]

You can bring several bottles onboard with no problem but just remember the $15 corkage fee if you take it in the dining room. :)

[Smartcookie]

Thanks for the info, so, just to clarify, if I packed a bottle of rum in my checked luggage they won't confiscate it?

[readytogo2]

wine is fine (poet and don't know it :o) but if you want booze, that's a no no....but if you want to smuggle it onboard, check this out

http://lexicon.*****.com/lexicon/2005/03/how_to_smuggle_.html

[readytogo2]

not that I'd do it;)

[karena1]

Just pack it in your checked luggage, they won't say anything about it.

[Smartcookie]

Ahhhhh...got'cha...Can you walk onboard during embarkation with an open water bottle? ;) I haven't cruised in over a year, so I don't if the cruiselines have the same no liquids policy as the airlines.

[pudgy]

I had 2 mickies and a case of beer in my luggage. No problem. When I got to my room I put the beer in the fridge and two bottles on the counter. Nothing was said.

[SingerEsq]

Total Wine is just up the street from the FLL pier. It's great. We boxed up a case of wine and champagne, slapped a Princess luggage tag on it and away it went. Arrived in our cabin safe and sound.

[NthernLgts]

You should be fine.

[aadaneboy]

Just back from the Grand. Carried on 2 bottles of Champagne, 4 bottles of wine (2 red, 2 white) a bottle of rum and a bottle of vodka. My parents carried on 2 bottles of wine, bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum. Some was carried on (wine) and booze was in checked luggage. No issues. Just make sure if you put booze or wine in your checked luggage, that you have it in a ziplock and wrapped so it doesn't break and cause a mess of your clothes if something breaks!

 

Have a great trip!

 

And one more note----we ended up leaving the cruise with our 2 bottles of champagne, some vodka, and 2 bottles of wine! Guess we overestimated our cabin drinking!!! Still had a hefty bar tab at the end, but then again we were't bringing the booze to save money, just to have a drink or so while getting ready for dinner. ....guess I'm not as much of a lush as I thought I was:D

[joyride]

My DH and I have an interesting tradition. We usually pick a theme for our beverages for each cruise. For instance, when we went on a Fall Foliage trip to Canada -we enjoyed a good Canadian Whisky each night in our cabin as a before dinner drink. Mexician Rivera Cruise - Tequila, of course! On our last cruise out of San Juan - we bought some nice aged Bacardi at the factory pre-cruise and that was our drink. Funny, and not really fitting - we picked Mojitos for our last Alaska Cruise (well, it was summertime!)

 

Anyway, for our upcoming Crown Princess cruise we have selected blended Rum Drinks as our theme. I bought a great blender that is lightweight, crushes ice and is unbreakable (plastic) to take with us. I visited BEVMO tonight and found the coolest thing - they have Creme of Coconut in plastic squeeze bottles (like ketchup or mustard) - so I am all set. With my blender, creme of coconut, some nice Rum and Strawberries or other fruit - we are all ready for some Strawberry Coladas! YUM!!! :):)

 

I have always brought nice California wines on board for our in cabin enjoyment. A few years ago I bought one of those Princess expandable luggage bags in the ship store. 6 bottles of wine packed in styrofoam or bubble wrap fit perfectly in the bottom of one of those - and then I just pack snorkeling gear and stuff like that on top. I've never had a breakage or a problem.

 

In addition to this, we have bought wine at the port - in Italy or FLL and carried it onboard in the bag from the store - no problem. And it has been 4 or 5 bottles - not one or two.

 

Just so you all realize that I am not a TOTAL LUSH - we usually invite our fellow cruise critics over for a cocktail party during the cruise - we do not drink all of this by ourselves!!! :)

[thomasale]

sounds good to me

[Smartcookie]

Thank you all for your replies! I'm so glad to hear that Princess does not have the draconian policies on alcohol that other lines have (for instance, NCL). I hate being treated like a child rather than as a paying customer.

 

I think I'm going to really like Princess!

[Janet Foster]

My DH and I have an interesting tradition. We usually pick a theme for our beverages for each cruise. For instance, when we went on a Fall Foliage trip to Canada -we enjoyed a good Canadian Whisky each night in our cabin as a before dinner drink. Mexician Rivera Cruise - Tequila, of course! On our last cruise out of San Juan - we bought some nice aged Bacardi at the factory pre-cruise and that was our drink. Funny, and not really fitting - we picked Mojitos for our last Alaska Cruise (well, it was summertime!)

 

Anyway, for our upcoming Crown Princess cruise we have selected blended Rum Drinks as our theme. I bought a great blender that is lightweight, crushes ice and is unbreakable (plastic) to take with us. I visited BEVMO tonight and found the coolest thing - they have Creme of Coconut in plastic squeeze bottles (like ketchup or mustard) - so I am all set. With my blender, creme of coconut, some nice Rum and Strawberries or other fruit - we are all ready for some Strawberry Coladas! YUM!!! :):)

 

I have always brought nice California wines on board for our in cabin enjoyment. A few years ago I bought one of those Princess expandable luggage bags in the ship store. 6 bottles of wine packed in styrofoam or bubble wrap fit perfectly in the bottom of one of those - and then I just pack snorkeling gear and stuff like that on top. I've never had a breakage or a problem.

 

In addition to this, we have bought wine at the port - in Italy or FLL and carried it onboard in the bag from the store - no problem. And it has been 4 or 5 bottles - not one or two.

 

Just so you all realize that I am not a TOTAL LUSH - we usually invite our fellow cruise critics over for a cocktail party during the cruise - we do not drink all of this by ourselves!!! :)

I bring my Magic Bullet Blender.. works like a champ!

[jonesie]

Will you be rolling that ice chest onboard? What a funny picture!

[play21cw]

I saw that people mentioned they brought beer in checked luggage. How much did you bring, cans or bottles?

 

Would be be possible to get a 30 of cans onboard??

[MQU]

We put our scotch in ice tea bottles. Carried it own with a six pack of beer. no problems. Don't forget to pack your cork screw.

[VegasGreen]

stupid question, but you have to ask your steward for ice, correct? there aren't ice machines or anything... seems like that could be a problem... or am i missing something?

[sultan_sfo]

There is an ice dispenser in the Horizon Court (Buffet). /Sultan

 

stupid question, but you have to ask your steward for ice, correct? there aren't ice machines or anything... seems like that could be a problem... or am i missing something?