First Princess Cruise - Wine Question

[ChevyCruiser]

We have our first cruise on Princess coming up, and was just wondering about their alcohol policy. I've cruised with Royal Caribbean, where they serach luggage for booze and confiscate it, and Celebrity, where they let you bring on two bottles of wine on embarkation day.

 

Can I take some wine on-board with me at embarkation?

 

I checked the Princess website and it seemed that hard liquor was a no-no, but wine and champagne seemed to be OK.

 

Thanks.

[chrysalis]

yes, it is fine...their "policy" states one bottle per person, but it appears that that is rarely enforced.

 

We have brought as many at 12 bottle with us, and carried them with us.

[LARGIN]

chrysalis is correct.. I usually bring around 6 bottles in my carryons with no problem

[sunshine426]

chrysalis is correct.. I usually bring around 6 bottles in my carryons with no problem

 

We will be sailing on the 31 of this month. Since I will have to opportunity to pick up some wine prior to sailing, I would like to do so. I know you cruise often, in your experience you have had no problems with 6 bottles? We are on a 10 day cruise and that would be the amt we would want to take.

[J&B in GA]

On a family reunion Princess Cruise a few years back, two members of my family brought several cases on-board at embarkation. They would bring 3 or 4 bottles into the dining room each evening to share and we would pay Princess the $10 corkage fee to have our waiter open and serve. Usually we were only charged once per night, not per bottle. We also enjoyed them in our staterooms prior to dinner, no corkage of course.

 

BTW - Any wine or liquor purchased in a foreign port and brought back on board will be held by the ship's personnel untill your last evening prior to disembarkation for U.S. Customs delclaration. :(

[LARGIN]

We will be sailing on the 31 of this month. Since I will have to opportunity to pick up some wine prior to sailing, I would like to do so. I know you cruise often, in your experience you have had no problems with 6 bottles? We are on a 10 day cruise and that would be the amt we would want to take.

No problems.. I intend to take 6 bottles on our 10 day cruise this month.. If you buy mid-price wines on you first 2 nights, odds are you won't have to pay corkage..

[chrysalis]

BTW - Any wine or liquor purchased in a foreign port and brought back on board will be held by the ship's personnel untill your last evening prior to disembarkation for U.S. Customs delclaration. :(

 

Only if you hand it in to them......I have never seen it taken from anyone in any port....and I have carried it on many, many times and never had a problem

[sultan_sfo]

Princess changed their rules roughly a year ago officially (though not strictly) limiting wine / champagne to 1 bottle per pax.

 

Princess does not hold "wine" brought from other ports of call. But still limits it to one bottle. Liquor is held.

 

...

On a family reunion Princess Cruise a few years back, two members of my family brought several cases on-board at embarkation.

...

BTW - Any wine or liquor purchased in a foreign port and brought back on board will be held by the ship's personnel untill your last evening prior to disembarkation for U.S. Customs delclaration. :(

[paul929207]

The Princess policy allows one bottle of wine per passenger, and no hard liquor. However, I have never heard of anyone having a problem carrying on what they wanted.

[tvaud]

BTW - Any wine or liquor purchased in a foreign port and brought back on board will be held by the ship's personnel untill your last evening prior to disembarkation for U.S. Customs delclaration. :(

 

Liquor purchased in a foreign port will be collected back on board, but wine and champagne will not. I bought a bottle of Cristal Champagne in St. Thomas for my birthday, which was packaged in a large liquor box. When I got back on board, no one even looked at it. I wasn't asked what was inside. I just strolled on board with it...and enjoyed it on my birthday.:p :D

[rdsqrl]

Liquor purchased in a foreign port will be collected back on board, but wine and champagne will not. I bought a bottle of Cristal Champagne in St. Thomas for my birthday, which was packaged in a large liquor box. When I got back on board, no one even looked at it. I wasn't asked what was inside. I just strolled on board with it...and enjoyed it on my birthday.:p :D

Now you celebrate your birthday the way I do!! Tell me, were there good prices on Cristal (and other brands) in St. Thomas? I won't be there on my birthday, but it'll be within 60 days of it and that's still within birthday-celebration time, as far as I'm concerned!

[J&B in GA]

Thanks to ALL the follow-up posters for keeping me honest. ;)

 

Thanks also to "sultan_sfo" for informing us of Princess'

change in wine policy, 1 bottle per Pax, if only in principle.

 

You're all correct, only Hard Liquor, not Wine or Champagne,

that's purchased in Ports will be held on board by Princess

until the night prior to disembarkation. :(

 

Bottom line, drink all you can on board and pay less duty !!! :D