Why bother with rum runners?

[snorkelman]

I smuggle on booze every cruise. 20+ cruises and have never been caught. I just load down an entire suitcase with whatever I am bringing and have it all bubble-wrapped and hand it to the porter. This time it is 3 bottles of wine, a bottle of liquor, one mixer, two twelve packs of beer, and either 1-2 twelve packs of soda. Might need 2 suitcases for this amount of stuff. I have read the other thread about people seeing "lost" suitcases that supposedly have been flagged when they go through the Xray machines, but I am still not sold on that given my experiences.

 

Why bother buying plastic rum runners? I can see if you are at a ball game and want to mix some booze in the bathroom stall, but why in the world would you put booze in a weird-shaped plastic container and pack it in your suitcase? You are kidding yourselves if you think that these are invisible to X-ray machines...

 

I am looking forward to the responses.

[julieanne]

;) ;) Nobody ever said they were "invisible", however, they are not easily discernible. We are traveling to South America in 2 months. We are out of season and the chances of them spotting/doing anything about liquor in the suitcase are small. However, the weight woul certainly prevent us from packing anywhere near what you are taking. Certainly you are near a port where you hand your bag to the porter to be able to do this. I don't have any problem with smuggling, but the magnitude of your smuggling made me LOL......

[snorkelman]

Last night I packed the above-mentioned booze and it took 2 suitcases to fit it all when bubble-wrapped. No sneakiness. No attempts to hide beer cans inside coke packages. I just bubble-wrapped the 12 packs (one of which was glass bottles with aluminum caps) and glass wine bottles.

 

Yeah, I can drive to the port. I will be boarding this weekend and will report back in a week as to my experiences.

[Ron & Kristy]

We just returned yesterday. We took two 32 oz rum runners with us. They were not detected and our bags arrived at our room in good time. On another note I also had two bottles of wine in my carryon that I was fully prepared to pay the corkage fee on. In fact I told the gal at security that I had them. She told me that I would have to pay the corkage fee and she picked up my carryon and walked over to the side. She stood there a minute...and I thought she was waiting for someone to come and collect the fee from us. Instead she motioned for me to come over, handed me my bag, winked at me, and said....your bottles of water are cleared, you can go, have a great cruise! I was totally surprised. In the case of the wine I was trying to be honest and pay the fee but the security person let me go through without paying. So there you go! :-)

[firefly333]

I think if they let you get thru the xray machine also depends on the time of year. We have done RCL the last two Easters and both times they were cracking down on all booze folks tried to get thru.

 

I got the idea those who do all the mouthwash bottles etc, arent fooling anyone, they know, only sometimes they look the other way, but not during spring break.

[simplelife]

I smuggle on booze every cruise. 20+ cruises and have never been caught.

 

I wonder how the responses would have been different if the OP had said "I hog deck chairs every cruise" or "I bring my diapered baby into the pool every cruise" or even "I have brought an iron on 20+ cruises""":confused: :D

[NanaOfBKM]

What cruise line were you on?

 

Marlene

[senior lady]

That's why we stay with Princess, as they let you bring wine on. We usually take a couple bottles of wine, 18 pk of beer, case of water. Never had a problem. Sometimes we even buy different beer in ports and take back on the ship.

[julieanne]

That's why we stay with Princess, as they let you bring wine on. We usually take a couple bottles of wine, 18 pk of beer, case of water. Never had a problem. Sometimes we even buy different beer in ports and take back on the ship.

We have done that also with no problems. I also believe it's the time of year. One thing I will say, we don't drink THAT much! LOL. Simplelife, some of us try to be pleasant regardless of the question.We carry the rumrunners because they are plastic, small and perhaps, not as detectable. Yes, we can afford our booze and we always have a good sized bar tab. I just think it's ridiculous that I should pay $80 for a bottle of liquor that costs me $16 at home just for an evening drink in my cabin.It does sound like Snorkleman left the clothes at home and just packed the booze though........LOL:D By the way, I usually pack an iron.......

[stevesul]

You're probably spending as much money on all this bubble wrap then the low cost of the leak proof, reusable Rum Runners.

 

They are flexible so you can stuff them in odd places (sneakers, etc.) in your bag so they don't take up too much space. Many people don't live near a port and fly in so you're heavy bar suitcase is not an option.

 

The thought of mixing booze in a bathroom stall at a ball game is gross.

 

It does give me a chuckle on the amount of beverages you are bringing. 3 bottles of wine, case of beer, bottle of liquor and a case of soda. I hope you are tipping the porter well. :)

[fann1sh]

Like KPalmer7, I go with a cruise line that allows you to bring your own: Holland America. Unlimited wine and champagne. In December, we hosted a sailaway party, plus brought post-cruise wine we didn't want to leave in an overheated car in FLL: 3 cases. Not a blink from HAL.

 

To those of you who haven't cruised Princess or HAL, consider how much money/anxiety you could save by openly bringing your own.

 

At least on the HAL board, there are lots of threads for the best/cheapest local wine stores, especially ones which feature pre-order by internet, so your order is boxed and ready for quick pick up.

 

Some people carry it aboard themselves. Others slap a luggage sticker on it, and leave it for the porters. Very few broken bottles ever reported.

[changingcruiser]

I have heard that people wrap beers as a present with wrapping paper and a bow and then stick the present in their checked luggage. Is this still happening without getting caught?

[AllieInMD]

HAL is a lot more expensive than the mass market lines like Carnival and RCCL - and they don't really appeal to families like the mass markets either.

 

 

To those of you who haven't cruised Princess or HAL, consider how much money/anxiety you could save by openly bringing your own.

[senior lady]

I've used the "rum runners" also on other cruise lines, and never had a problem.

[satxdiver]

Snorkelman I want to go on the next cruise with you. You have a complete bar in your stateroom! When I cruised on the Princess, I brought a bottle of wine for every night. On the HAL I brought wine aboard and bought more bottles at port stops. In both cases I also brought my good friend Jack along.

 

The RCL is supposedly aggressive about not letting alcohol aboard. I had been doing what you do and just wrapping the bottles (yes more than one) in bubble wrap so that they would not get broken and put them in my suitcases. The last cruise I used the RR. Those actually worked better since they were more compact and not glass so they were easier to pack. I found that the smaller ones worked quite well for carrying around in my day bag. As for the xray, the shape of the bottle is what will give them away if they are looking. I personally have not been summoned to the infamous "naughty room" not have I known anyone who has. It has been reported on these boards however by others who have had the opportunity.

 

We were coming back from our second port of call and boarding the ship. There was a young couple in front of us (20's). The male had a plastic bag that clearly had two bottles of alcohol in it - they were clinging as he walked. He got to the xray and tried to give the bag to security. They told him to put it through the xray. On the other side he looked at the bag probably thinking that they were going to take it. They told him to get his possessions and he did. There was no liquor collection table. I went into the elevator with them and others. He had a smile on his face - someone was going to have a happy night! So much for the alleged crackdown on liquor brought onboard.

[snorkelman]

I'm back and happy to report another successful cruise bringing on booze in its original containers. $4.45 in bubblewrap. By the way, the 3 wine bottles were each 1.5 liters.

[Ron & Kristy]

I'm back and happy to report another successful cruise bringing on booze in its original containers. $4.45 in bubblewrap. By the way, the 3 wine bottles were each 1.5 liters.

 

Hi Snorkelman, I'm very curious, which cruise line did you just go on?

 

Kristy

[KAWS]

I smuggle on booze every cruise. 20+ cruises and have never been caught. I just load down an entire suitcase with whatever I am bringing and have it all bubble-wrapped and hand it to the porter. This time it is 3 bottles of wine, a bottle of liquor, one mixer, two twelve packs of beer, and either 1-2 twelve packs of soda. Might need 2 suitcases for this amount of stuff. quote]

 

I'd say you've been very very lucky on your 20+ cruises then. Last March we sailed RCCL and it was my friend's first cruise ever and he had a bottle smuggled as you describe in his bag, along with a bottle of orange juice that his wife had stuck in there absentmindedly. Well sure enough -- he got sent to the naughty room and they took his booze and his juice.

 

And those rum runners are NOT detectable. That's why we use them all the time now.

[fann1sh]

To those of you who haven't cruised Princess or HAL, consider how much money/anxiety you could save by openly bringing your own.

 

HAL is a lot more expensive than the mass market lines like Carnival and RCCL - and they don't really appeal to families like the mass markets either.

 

February 2009 - 7 day from Florida, Caribbean itinerary. Some prices...

 

Carnival Valor - inside $529, outside $729, balcony $1029

 

RCCL Freedom of the Seas - inside $699, outside $1149, balcony $1299

 

HAL Veendam - inside $549, outside $789 balcony(suite) $1499

 

HAL Eurodam - inside $699 outside $799 balcony $999

 

As for "not appeal to families"...are you listening to TA's who haven't cruised for 25 years? You don't think that HAL is just for seniors, do you :eek:? Come over to the HAL boards. However...

 

"A man convinced against his will,

is of the same opinion still."

[KuffMUp]

And those rum runners are NOT detectable. That's why we use them all the time now.

 

Not quite correct. They can be seen. Today, as a little "practice session" for one of my security deputies, I brought a small packed suitcase in with some "contraband" so see if he could spot it. I also brought along a rum runner and stashed it in the bottom of my suitcase. Ran it through twice, changing positions. First time - invisible. Second time - the cap was clearly visible. Then he asks me, what would happen if you filled it? Good question. Ran to the nearest sink and filled it with water. Stuck out like a sore thumb :eek:. I started to panic at that point, knowing RCCL will xray my bags unlike Carnival (unless they have started since I sailed last). We tried putting it all kinds of ways. I couldn't hide the darn thing. On the bottom, on the top, in between layers of clothing, on the side. It didn't matter. The whole time my employee is laughing his #*% off because his boss is trying to figure out how to hide booze to smuggle on a cruise and getting more and more panicked because I can't hide the darn thing. One even suggested I pack my bullet proof vest and put it in that. Great idea. What happens when they ask, mam, why do you have a bullet proof vest in your baggage? I dunno, in case the natives get restless?:confused:

[ruffs]

It's hard to say, but I'm guessing your deputy is trained to look for that kind of thing and motivated to find it whereas the people at the port might not be as interested. Good luck, I'm sure you'll have a great time either way.

[KuffMUp]

My deputy is trained to look for guns, knives, explosives. Surely not rum runners. I am sure that the port personnel are trained to not only find guns, knives, explosives, but to also pinpoint smuggled alcohol. I was actually surprised at what it looked like. I had always guessed they would be nearly invisible because of the composition of the flask compared to clothing, etc. (organic material). Boy did it glow bright orange!:eek: Maybe some dock xray personnel don't care and let it go through but they are certainly easy to spot.

[Neiner]

what if you wrapped the RR in tin foil? Would that make it worse?

[KuffMUp]

The tin foil will change the color to blue instead of orange. I don't know if some of the orange would show through or not. The colors intensify with density. So the foil, not being very dense, would probably be light blue at best.

 

It is fun and challenging to interpret xrays. Some items can be difficult if you are looking at them for the first time (like a collapsable umbrella). And you have blue, green, orange, and black colors. It certainly is a challenge at times.

 

It is possible that they didn't show up on our last cruise as it was one to Alaska. Lots of dense clothing in there. Jeans, sweatshirts, coats. That might have been enough to hide them.

[G2912c]

Kuffmup...... you crack me up !!!!!! I have smuggled on Carnival with no issues and no RR's.... and we've had friends smuggle on RCCL with no issues.... guess it just depends on luck!!!!

 

TO the person who started this post.... GOOD QUESTION!!!!!!!! Love all the answers!!!