Bringing Own Wine

[Outofhere]

We're booked on the Serenade to Alaska in June and was wondering if the cruiseline allows you to bring your own wine on board to keep in your cabin?

[krmlaw]

Iev only sailed Caribbean, but no, they dont allow it. But some "smuggle" it onboard. We use rum runner flasks with no problem.

[HorrorFan]

You cannot take any alcohol onboard (without smuggling it), but you can buy bottles of wine onboard to take back to your cabin. Not bottles of alcohol though.

[AMR40509]

In the past I have not had a problem doing this. Last week on Vision out of LA, they took my two bottles and I never got them back. My checked bag showed up at the room w/ a number "2" written on it (2 bottles) and a note inside saying how to claim them when back in LA the next week if I wanted to bother with it.

[CaribeDiver]

We're booked on the Serenade to Alaska in June and was wondering if the cruiseline allows you to bring your own wine on board to keep in your cabin?

 

Of course RCI doesn't allow you to openly bring any alcohol on board ship. But, most people that do, bring it in their checked luggage. If you are going to bring bottles and not one of the better boxed versions, then pack it very securly and put it in multiple ziplock bags in case it breaks. Be sure to wait until you get to your port of departure to pack them. And if you do this you will be considered a SMUGGLER so...

 

Come join us!:)

 

CRUISE BOOZE SMUGGLERS of AMERICA

 

Founder, head bartender, new drink tester: CaribeDiver

CEO: bambidrummer

President: KLFHNGR

Vice-President: bigal115

Secretary: shelbylook

Treasurer: Daycare Provider (No Sippy Cups Allowed:D )

Research & Product Development: wolfcathorse

Legal Council: doublegator

Legal Co-Council: RetireeWannbee

Head of Bar Security: rummenroman

Bar Security Guard 1: 1cruisedoggie

Bar Security Guard 2:

Bar Security Guard 3:

Skallywag: PSCruiser

Lazy Drunkard: hoogie

Scoundrel: um5xno1

Swab: wyattm

Scoundrel:

Swab:

Scoundrel:

Swab:

Scoundrel:

Swab:

Scoundrel:

Swab (Keg tapper): marklynpa

Tequila Wench: libertybelle41

Head Beer Wench: karena1

Asst. Head Beer Wench: Sillyjilly

Beer Wench: Tralynn222

Beer Wench: lablvr2

Beer Wench: susibell2

Beer Wench: Janet Foster

Beer Wench:

Beer Wench:

Rum Wench: #1packerfan

Whiskey & other hard liquors Wench: wolfcathorse

Wine Wench: noahsmom

Wine Wench: NYNY10022

Wine Wench: Katink

Wine Wench: KatieGator (Welcome!)

Wine Wench:

Wine Wench:

Wine Wench:

FooFoo Martini Maven: perischacknow

Rum cake baker and other alcohol absorbing goodies: Becciboo

 

Our next meeting is...I forgot!:p

 

Please be welcomed to join our group. We are equal opportunity smugglers!:p

 

We're baaaaaaack!:eek:

[gerif]

If you're not real picky, consider boxed wine - there are boxes that hold the equivalent of 1-1/2 bottles and fit nicely in a carry-on or checked bag and do not, of course, set off "flags" like a bottle would.

[cruisePRN]

Many of the posts say "most people do it" smuggle. I don't smuggle and I find it unbelievable that "most" people are dishonest smugglers. I would think MOST people follow the rules. These dishonest smugglers probably complain the loudest when they find chair hogs at the pool and WANT others to follow the rules :mad:

[cruisegirl1]

For us – the purpose of bringing wine is to drink some special wines while enjoying the cruise. My husband is a vintner and wine collector so we have an extensive collection. The bottles we used to bring all had some special meaning to us. At times we would purchase wine knowing we would enjoy it on a future cruise. We loved the years of paying corkage and enjoying the selection with dinner

 

Unfortunately box wine is not a solution for most. It is at best mediocre and probably not a viable solution for any serious wine drinker. It is simply a solution for those who want to bring alcohol just to save money. Rum runner flasks are also no solution as one would not want to open the wine till it was to be consumed.

 

Not sure if we’ll try to bring a bottle or two on the next cruise. While we did get our 2 bottles of wine back on debarkation morning back in March, I would hate the thought of having it confiscated and not returned.

 

While we would prefer our own wine , just as we do in any land hotel,or the many establishments in our state who offer a corkage, the idea of not having it is no major deal.

 

M

[Manny Bagadonuts]

Can't the people who want their own wine or liquor just take one of the other cruise lines that allow it?

 

I agree it is a stupid and unfair rule -- however you do agree to it when you book with Royal. It's a question of sticking to your word I think.

[ssbeagle]

You can bring bottled water on board but you cannot bring wine or liquor. They will confiscate it and give it back at the end of the cruise. My son tried to bring a bottle of champagne for sail-away but it was taken from him. He did manage to get a bottle of wine through and a couple of beers that he was giving away as a gift. This was just last week on the Voyager.

[Leejnd4]

Can't the people who want their own wine or liquor just take one of the other cruise lines that allow it?

 

Yes - and this is one the main reasons why I will no longer cruise on RCI. We too have an extensive wine collection, and we are also single-malt-scotch lovers...and our favorite brands are not generally found on cruise ships.

 

I do understand a cruise line’s interest in maintaining decorum on its ships…and if a line markets itself as the type of vacation that might appeal to people looking for a booze-soaked all-night party, then I can see the problem with allowing pax to BYOB. And if you have to enforce the no BYOB policy due to the behaviors of this category of pax, I suppose it’s just easier to make it consistent, so you not only deny the Spring Breakers from bringing on their bottles of get-drunk-quick-absinthe, you also prevent wine lovers from enjoying their collection, or Scotch lovers from bringing their favorite 15-yr-old single-malt to sip on their balcony.

 

But at my age, I don't appreciate being made to feel like a rebellious teenager, or worse, a criminal, for wanting to choose what *I* want to drink on my vacation. As far as I'm concerned, I paid my money for that cabin, which is my bedroom for the week - and I'm way too old for someone to be telling me what I can and cannot drink in my own bedroom. I do not consider it to be respectful to go rifling through my luggage and remove perfectly legal items that I bring with me for my private consumption.

 

But on the other hand, I agree that if this is a rule they choose to enforce, it would be disrespectful of me to attempt to thwart it. Hence, no more RCI cruises for me.

 

I know all of this has been said before ad infinitum, but we got into a discussion about booze smuggling in another CC forum and this thread caught my eye, so I thought it bore repeating. I used to cruise RCI, and pay the corkage fee to enjoy my favorite wines with dinner - but that is now no longer an option. Certainly RCI doesn't need my business, but it's a shame that this policy has essentially forced folks like me off this line, unless we wish to deny ourselves something that we normally enjoy greatly as part of a fine vacation.

[Cruise Junky]

Yes - and this is one the main reasons why I will no longer cruise on RCI. We too have an extensive wine collection, and we are also single-malt-scotch lovers...and our favorite brands are not generally found on cruise ships.

 

I do understand a cruise line’s interest in maintaining decorum on its ships…and if a line markets itself as the type of vacation that might appeal to people looking for a booze-soaked all-night party, then I can see the problem with allowing pax to BYOB. And if you have to enforce the no BYOB policy due to the behaviors of this category of pax, I suppose it’s just easier to make it consistent, so you not only deny the Spring Breakers from bringing on their bottles of get-drunk-quick-absinthe, you also prevent wine lovers from enjoying their collection, or Scotch lovers from bringing their favorite 15-yr-old single-malt to sip on their balcony.

 

But at my age, I don't appreciate being made to feel like a rebellious teenager, or worse, a criminal, for wanting to choose what *I* want to drink on my vacation. As far as I'm concerned, I paid my money for that cabin, which is my bedroom for the week - and I'm way too old for someone to be telling me what I can and cannot drink in my own bedroom. I do not consider it to be respectful to go rifling through my luggage and remove perfectly legal items that I bring with me for my private consumption.

 

But on the other hand, I agree that if this is a rule they choose to enforce, it would be disrespectful of me to attempt to thwart it. Hence, no more RCI cruises for me.

 

I know all of this has been said before ad infinitum, but we got into a discussion about booze smuggling in another CC forum and this thread caught my eye, so I thought it bore repeating. I used to cruise RCI, and pay the corkage fee to enjoy my favorite wines with dinner - but that is now no longer an option. Certainly RCI doesn't need my business, but it's a shame that this policy has essentially forced folks like me off this line, unless we wish to deny ourselves something that we normally enjoy greatly as part of a fine vacation.

 

Completely agree with every word you said!! We no longer cruise RCI for the exact same reasons.

[crb04]

Yes - and this is one the main reasons why I will no longer cruise on RCI. We too have an extensive wine collection, and we are also single-malt-scotch lovers...and our favorite brands are not generally found on cruise ships.

 

I do understand a cruise line’s interest in maintaining decorum on its ships…and if a line markets itself as the type of vacation that might appeal to people looking for a booze-soaked all-night party, then I can see the problem with allowing pax to BYOB. And if you have to enforce the no BYOB policy due to the behaviors of this category of pax, I suppose it’s just easier to make it consistent, so you not only deny the Spring Breakers from bringing on their bottles of get-drunk-quick-absinthe, you also prevent wine lovers from enjoying their collection, or Scotch lovers from bringing their favorite 15-yr-old single-malt to sip on their balcony.

 

But at my age, I don't appreciate being made to feel like a rebellious teenager, or worse, a criminal, for wanting to choose what *I* want to drink on my vacation. As far as I'm concerned, I paid my money for that cabin, which is my bedroom for the week - and I'm way too old for someone to be telling me what I can and cannot drink in my own bedroom. I do not consider it to be respectful to go rifling through my luggage and remove perfectly legal items that I bring with me for my private consumption.

 

But on the other hand, I agree that if this is a rule they choose to enforce, it would be disrespectful of me to attempt to thwart it. Hence, no more RCI cruises for me.

 

I know all of this has been said before ad infinitum, but we got into a discussion about booze smuggling in another CC forum and this thread caught my eye, so I thought it bore repeating. I used to cruise RCI, and pay the corkage fee to enjoy my favorite wines with dinner - but that is now no longer an option. Certainly RCI doesn't need my business, but it's a shame that this policy has essentially forced folks like me off this line, unless we wish to deny ourselves something that we normally enjoy greatly as part of a fine vacation.

 

Perfectly stated, and agree it is a shame. You'd think we would be the type of pax that most cruise lines would try to attract. Unfortunately, as soon as we've exhausted our visa points, we too will be bidding farewell to RCI for the same reasons. We don't smuggle either, and I can't believe I'm bothering to post to another booze thread, but on the chance that RCI does actually read these boards, I'd like them to know why they lost our patronage also...

[coloradospringscruiser]

Yes - and this is one the main reasons why I will no longer cruise on RCI. We too have an extensive wine collection, and we are also single-malt-scotch lovers...and our favorite brands are not generally found on cruise ships.

 

I do understand a cruise line’s interest in maintaining decorum on its ships…and if a line markets itself as the type of vacation that might appeal to people looking for a booze-soaked all-night party, then I can see the problem with allowing pax to BYOB. And if you have to enforce the no BYOB policy due to the behaviors of this category of pax, I suppose it’s just easier to make it consistent, so you not only deny the Spring Breakers from bringing on their bottles of get-drunk-quick-absinthe, you also prevent wine lovers from enjoying their collection, or Scotch lovers from bringing their favorite 15-yr-old single-malt to sip on their balcony.

 

But at my age, I don't appreciate being made to feel like a rebellious teenager, or worse, a criminal, for wanting to choose what *I* want to drink on my vacation. As far as I'm concerned, I paid my money for that cabin, which is my bedroom for the week - and I'm way too old for someone to be telling me what I can and cannot drink in my own bedroom. I do not consider it to be respectful to go rifling through my luggage and remove perfectly legal items that I bring with me for my private consumption.

 

But on the other hand, I agree that if this is a rule they choose to enforce, it would be disrespectful of me to attempt to thwart it. Hence, no more RCI cruises for me.

 

I know all of this has been said before ad infinitum, but we got into a discussion about booze smuggling in another CC forum and this thread caught my eye, so I thought it bore repeating. I used to cruise RCI, and pay the corkage fee to enjoy my favorite wines with dinner - but that is now no longer an option. Certainly RCI doesn't need my business, but it's a shame that this policy has essentially forced folks like me off this line, unless we wish to deny ourselves something that we normally enjoy greatly as part of a fine vacation.

 

Precisely why we go with HAL now. Nothing better than a single malt on your own balcony or a nice vintage in the dining room

[cruisePRN]

RCL isn't trying to appeal to older, wine conissours, it's a mass market family line. I like RCL when I sail on her and i like X when I sail on them and I like princess when I sail on them, each offering a different experience.

[crb04]

RCL isn't trying to appeal to older, wine conissours, it's a mass market family line. I like RCL when I sail on her and i like X when I sail on them and I like princess when I sail on them, each offering a different experience.

 

Um, OUCH!:D ...and completely wrong assumption, at least in our case. :rolleyes:

 

We are well-educated professionals in our 'barely' 40s (me) ;) to mid-40s (DH), vacation with our children 90% of the time, our current hobbies include: wakeboarding, surfing, scuba diving, and in-line skating, and we also happen to enjoy fine wine and spirits, especially while on vacation...though we ARE at the stage in life we DO have a little extra money and time to spend on the pleasures we enjoy. Our teen children have enjoyed our recent cruises on Royal very much and will miss all the activities, as will we. There are not as many things for any of us to do onboard Crystal and Seabourn, but we also do active land vacations, so I guess we'll manage to survive on our future vacations together somehow...;)

 

So, the cheerleaders and loyalists can make all the excuses they like. As was said by a previous poster, certainly RCCL doesn't need our business, but I still believe it IS indeed a shame that they are losing repeat pax with our interests, in our socioeconomic demographic. It is an opinion I am certainly as entitled to as anyone else posting in this thread.

 

Happy sailing to you...

[Crosboro]

Many of the posts say "most people do it" smuggle. I don't smuggle and I find it unbelievable that "most" people are dishonest smugglers. I would think MOST people follow the rules. These dishonest smugglers probably complain the loudest when they find chair hogs at the pool and WANT others to follow the rules :mad:

 

I smuggle, and could care less about chair hogs. If I want to sit, I watch for a bit and sit where no one has been for some time. The only thing I complain about on a cruise it that it's over too soon.:cool:

[yogimax]

I find it incredulous that people make their cruise decisions on the basis of bringing alcohol onboard.

 

If I were an executive of RCCL, I would totally disregard this factor and rather focus in the profit potential of onboard sales and the limitation of insurance liability arising from the actions of inebriated passengers.

[Leejnd4]

Um, OUCH!:D ...and completely wrong assumption, at least in our case. :rolleyes:

.

 

I'm with you. Mid-(well, okay, late ;) ) 40's, big into scuba diving, river rafting and skiing, and I would rather stick needles in my eyes than sit around and play canasta with the blue-hairs. But I feel I've earned the right to choose my own selection of beverage to consume in the privacy of my own bedroom. We brought our teens with us on our last RCI cruise (2006) and we all had a great time. I brought a few bottles from my cellar, carried unhidden in a rolling bag, and wasn't stopped. But I understand that now they would confiscate it, with a good chance that I wouldn't get it back (according to reports I've read in here). That would not be acceptable to me...nor would the possibility of being denied boarding if I attempted to smuggle. Not that I have any problem with it, or with anyone who has the cajones to try it - but I spend way too much time planning my vacations to have it all go down the tubes and get tossed out on my keister because I was caught trying to bring my favorite single-malt in a mouthwash bottle! But those of you with the guts to try, hey, more power to ya. ;)

 

I find it incredulous that people make their cruise decisions on the basis of bringing alcohol onboard.

 

If I were an executive of RCCL, I would totally disregard this factor and rather focus in the profit potential of onboard sales and the limitation of insurance liability arising from the actions of inebriated passengers.

 

yogimax, that is by no means the only criteria I use to make my cruise decisions. But, to be honest...YES, I find it offensive to be told that I cannot bring something that belongs to me into my own bedroom. So I choose not to patronize a company that has that rule. My only point is that I find it a shame that this cruise line will not accommodate my perfectly reasonable desire. But I accept it...and cheerfully take my business elsewhere.

 

As for what RCI executives are doing - clearly they are doing exactly what you describe. Although personally I think it's short-sighted, not to mention draconian. I can assure you that there are many others like me whose business they have lost due to this policy. There ARE other mass-market cruise lines that have reasonable liquor policies that accommodate pax like me without compromising ship safety.

[yogimax]

 

YES, I find it offensive to be told that I cannot bring something that belongs to me into my own bedroom.

 

Guns?

 

Yes, the example is extreme. On the other hand, who sets the policy and do they have the right to set the policy?

 

The obvious answer is the cruise line and yes, when you sign the contract for the cruise, you are agreeing to abide by the policies of the cruise line.

 

Nuf said... enjoy your future cruises on Holland America.

[Leejnd4]

Guns?

 

Yes, the example is extreme. On the other hand, who sets the policy and do they have the right to set the policy?

 

The obvious answer is the cruise line and yes, when you sign the contract for the cruise, you are agreeing to abide by the policies of the cruise line.

 

Nuf said... enjoy your future cruises on Holland America.

 

Uh...ya...extreme (and invalid) comparison. Deadly weapons vs. beverages?

 

Of course they have a right to set their own policies...as I have a right to dislike their policy enough to no longer patronize them.

 

I haven't been on HAL myself. My last few cruises were on Windstar and Regent, and my next one is on Silversea - all lines that happen to have policies that accommodate my personal vacation desires. I'm sure I'll have a fine time.

[crb04]

Uh...ya...extreme (and invalid) comparison. Deadly weapons vs. beverages?

 

Of course they have a right to set their own policies...as I have a right to dislike their policy enough to no longer patronize them.

 

I haven't been on HAL myself. My last few cruises were on Windstar and Regent, and my next one is on Silversea - all lines that happen to have policies that accommodate my personal vacation desires. I'm sure I'll have a fine time.

 

Ridiculous comparison, but nothing I haven't come to expect from some on these boards. We have acquaintances who simply cannot believe we spend money on a vacation where they TELL us when to eat...ah well, different strokes and viewpoints make the world go 'round, right? ;)

 

We hope to try Silversea or Regent after our upcoming Princess cruise with our neighbors (they are Princess cheerleaders):rolleyes: . Seabourn was an AMAZING cruising experience (unbelievable service and amenities) for surprisingly not much more than we would have paid for RCI for their most similar itinerary in that timeframe. The downside is that Seabourn's average age bracket was indeed somewhat older than we hoped for. It definitely won't keep us from booking again...after we save up our pennies. ;) Maybe we'll run into you sometime...would be happy to share one of our favorite wine selections... :D

 

Happy sailing folks...:)