O.K- I got the REAL scoop on security,liquor,etc

[Kathylovescruises]

I had been reading for days now the "New Teeth in Liquor" and other "how to smuggle booze" threads. Several posters mentioned tipping the luggage handlers extra as they promise to deliver the bags right to your room, or promise that they will get your booze thru the x-ray machine.

Comments like this actually had me concerned about lax security. I made 10 calls to different people at NCL,as well as several to a relative who is in a high -level postiton with a federal agency and knows of such things.

 

ANYWAY-

 

You leave your bags outside the terminal. The all then go into a big warehouse to await screening. THE MAN YOU GIVE IT TO NEVER TOUCHES IT AGAIN AND CANNOT ENTER THE SHIP! Just want to stress that. NCL currently employs a private security company which has to adhere to federal regulations. NCL personnel are also there to watch for liquor bottles. Sometimes it is backed up and busy so the alcohol is not so much on the screeners mind and they may let a bottle pass here and there. They are looking for other things, thank goodness!

 

Also, there are unannounced spot checks by the TSA and the Coast Guard in various ports- Miami is one of the big concerns- and no hanky -panky with the bags is allowed.

According to NCL , they are aware that many times alcohol does get thru ( one lady told me some FUNNY stories- a man forgetting he had the rumrunner in his shorts pocket, going thru the scanner and sitting down on his suitcase and having the rum runner burst...). Alcohol is not the biggest concern- keeping dangerous devices off the ship is. They are well aware of the ice tea bottle, the mouth wash bottle, rum runners, putting shoes on top of bottles- they probably read the boards as well! But they do know that a certain amount of booze is going to come thru. they can , also, refuse your passage if you get caught-it is apparantly in the cruise contract.

 

After the luggage is X-rayed, certain bags are segregated for further search or for the "naughty room" The bags that clear security go to a secure holding area where only NCL employees and those with security clearance can enter. The room steward is responsible for getting your bag to your cabin.

 

So- tip the cranky guys out front all you want- they do NOT enter the ship and CANNOT personally deliver your bag to your cabin. I still tip them-no that it has ever kept my bags form lookingl like they went thru a smalll war on the way to my suite!

 

Hope this helps some one else out there who may have been concerned that security can be fooled by high heel and pillows!

 

Have a sparkling night

 

K

[Postman1963]

I have always taught my children, my wife, and myself that it is always easier to lie when you are telling the truth. Spend a few bucks and get a stress free bar set up and if you need more then that then take the rum runner with you on your body.

 

AJ

[LOWTYD]

Great post. It's funny how everyone comes up with their own way to 'hide" their stash..like they are getting away with something. It does feel good when you don't get caught:D Thanks for the blow by blow. It was very interesting and informative.

[Suni99]

Great post, lots of time spent, just gave more information on how the smugglers can get it in better tho.;)

[gcarla]

Nice that you got all that information, but as many here have pointed out, your bags always go through a number of steps from curbside to your cabin. No big secret.

 

All you have to do is look over the side of the ship and you will see the massive amounts of luggage in racks waiting to be loaded onto the ship. And the people loading it do not follow it aboard.

 

Silly people thinking otherwise.

 

PS - If anyone really thinks security is that tight, you are being fooled. For example, the airports allow only 3 oz liquid containers in your luggage. BUT, if you have many many more ounces, or even a quart on your person, you can walk right through. Feel safer now?

[Toyz711]

things were a little different in seattle (which may have changed since)...we took our luggage to the lady at the x-ray machine..after she saw our tickets, our luggage was put through the x-ray and another porter took the luggage to the carts marked "aft" or "foreward" (for the gangways to be used).

the porter only took the luggage as far as the gangways, then NCL crew took over. but the luggage was x-rayed as soon as it made it to the area.

the person at the x-ray did give it a good look-see before allowing the porter to take it.

some ports do things a little different, depending on space/time.

[Ms belp]

I don't know what airline you fly on but Southwest has always checked my baggage. I once forgot a Zippo lighter I bought before the Stardust was demolished. They found it, pulled me out of line, searched my carry-on and found it. I had to go mail it home. I didn't mind; I was glad they were so thorough. I really get tired of people thinking they are clever getting away with sneaking things on, planes or ships. Don't they realize the ramifications of what they are doing? :( Obviously not.

[jzerocsk]

Don't they realize the ramifications of what they are doing? :( Obviously not.

 

What are the ramifications, though?

 

If it's all about preventing alcohol from getting on the ships so they can sell you more then it seems like all of the mass market cruise lines have pretty much made it clear that they'll catch what they can but they aren't sweating over what gets through.

 

If the ramifications are showing terrorists and other would-be mean people all of the glaring holes in the system, suffice it to say they already know.

[newmexicoNita]

Nice that you got all that information, but as many here have pointed out, your bags always go through a number of steps from curbside to your cabin. No big secret.

 

All you have to do is look over the side of the ship and you will see the massive amounts of luggage in racks waiting to be loaded onto the ship. And the people loading it do not follow it aboard.

 

Silly people thinking otherwise.

 

PS - If anyone really thinks security is that tight, you are being fooled. For example, the airports allow only 3 oz liquid containers in your luggage. BUT, if you have many many more ounces, or even a quart on your person, you can walk right through. Feel safer now?

of course there are times when something gets overlooked, but as a rule your comments are untrue..I have never gotten through security with anything in my carry on that should not be there, including things I forgot about like many of us. Yes, our bags do go through quite a few stages before reaching the cabin but not as many as you may think. From the curbside to the inside on a cart, then through a security check. From there it is checked by NCL for booze or whatever and put on the ship to be delivered to your cabin. Tipping the porter does nothing, that much I agree with...

 

Kathy, thanks for taking the time to check this out..

 

Nita

[franu]

the airports allow only 3 oz liquid containers in your luggage.

The 3 oz. limit is only for carry-on luggage. On my flight last week, I was told to put my medical creams, gels and liquids into a separate bag, of whatever size is necessary, as they are exempt from the limits. Now I will have 2 zip-lock bags on each trip.

 

I have been on many cruises but my luggage was taken from my pre-cruise hotel and was brought to my cabin so I am in a quandary about tipping baggage handlers. In fact, as I have never sailed NCL before, who and how much do I tip before I get to my cabin? I will be assisted by wheelchair in the embarking and debarking process and am comfortable regarding those tips.

 

Please help me prepare for appropriate tipping for our 2 bags. Thank You

Fran

[canadarose]

I agree that it's much easier to buy the bar set-up, and the cost is not outrageous. The trouble of trying to get liqour on-board is not worth the saving.

[Greymeowsr]

of course there are times when something gets overlooked, but as a rule your comments are untrue..I have never gotten through security with anything in my carry on that should not be there, including things I forgot about like many of us. Yes, our bags do go through quite a few stages before reaching the cabin but not as many as you may think. From the curbside to the inside on a cart, then through a security check. From there it is checked by NCL for booze or whatever and put on the ship to be delivered to your cabin. Tipping the porter does nothing, that much I agree with...

 

Kathy, thanks for taking the time to check this out..

 

Nita

 

I agree. Thanks from me to Kathy as well, though I would never smuggle anything onboard on purpose. Shoot for the price we pay for the cruise, trips ashore, nightlife, cover-restaurants, the price of booze is almost insignificant.

[Greymeowsr]

I agree. Thanks from me to Kathy as well, though I would never smuggle anything onboard on purpose. Shoot for the price we pay for the cruise, trips ashore, nightlife, cover-restaurants, the price of booze is almost insignificant.

 

 

OH, and gambling. Can't believe I forgot that!

 

Thomas

[Suni99]

LOL, very true about the casino:p

[Tutone56]

I have been searching NCL's site without success. How do you order a bar setup and what's the approximate cost?

[frankhi]

I guess I don't get it, when your getting on the ship (after your flight) what's to stop you from putting vodka, rum, gin, etc. in a waterbottle in your carry on?

[CruisnGram]

I guess I don't get it, when your getting on the ship (after your flight) what's to stop you from putting vodka, rum, gin, etc. in a waterbottle in your carry on?

 

There's nothing to stop you. However, although I've never seen it personally, people on the boards say that security is wise to the water bottle trick and that they will open the bottle's and sniff them to make sure they are water.

 

CG

[vegasres]

This is really enlightening. Since we're not drinkers, the liquor thing is a moot point, but in my mind is it worth going to the 'naughty room' if you get caught? Or is it just the thrill of trying to outsmart the people who are trying to keep us safe? I don't know how many bottles of booze people take on board, but at $15 per bottle (I think I read that somewhere), and you take 7 bottles on board, you're talking $105 total. To me, with what you're paying for the cruise, another $105 is not a big deal. Again, because I don't drink, maybe I'm all wet, and it's more than $105. I also don't know how many bottles you would take, but would it be more than 1 a day?

[Globaliser]

Since we're not drinkers, the liquor thing is a moot point, but in my mind is it worth going to the 'naughty room' if you get caught?

If you get caught, you have to go to the naughty room because otherwise you don't get the piece of luggage that the alcohol was in. As I understand it, you don't have to pay, though. You can just give it up.

[chemist661]

I don't know how many bottles of booze people take on board, but at $15 per bottle (I think I read that somewhere), and you take 7 bottles on board, you're talking $105 total. To me, with what you're paying for the cruise, another $105 is not a big deal. Again, because I don't drink, maybe I'm all wet, and it's more than $105. I also don't know how many bottles you would take, but would it be more than 1 a day?

 

The $15/bottle corkage are only for bottles of wine. Beer & hard liquor can't be brought on board. They are retained until the morning of the last day of the cruise. (New England/Canada cruise was the morning of departure. Alaska cruise out of Seattle was the night before departure). We paid $15 corkage for a local bottle of wine bought in Halifax. Better than the grossly overpriced California/other bottles of wine sold on the ship that would cost at home starting at $6-8.

 

One complaint is that NCL does not sell Peroni beer. (Italian). We would pay corkage to drink some Peroni on the boat. They won't let us bring it on, even if we were willing to pay corkage. :mad:

[Greymeowsr]

I guess I don't get it, when your getting on the ship (after your flight) what's to stop you from putting vodka, rum, gin, etc. in a waterbottle in your carry on?

 

As you enter the ship you put your carryon through an X-ray machine and they can see everything you have inside.

 

Thomas

[Greymeowsr]

I have been searching NCL's site without success. How do you order a bar setup and what's the approximate cost?

 

Depends on what you order. I think it's like $60-$80 per Liter bottle. If you go back to the Norwegian Cruise Line thread and use the search function at the top of the thread, you can search "bar setup" and find lots of info about how to do it. You need the name of your vessel and you'll e-mail the event coordinator on the vessel. I don't do it because I don't drink much in the room.

 

Thomas

[4 cruisers]

It's Nanette from the Orient Lines Board! I see you're going to give NCL a try! We have enjoyed all of our cruises with NCL (actually all of our cruises on EVERY line so far:D ). We are going on the Pearl for the first time Nov. 2nd (just a little over a week away!). We were on the Jade to the Mediterranean in June and had a blast! Took our son and his girlfriend. This next one is just Bruce and I.

 

You just find a stevedore to take your luggage at the curb....we give them aprox. $3- per bag (consider it insurance;) ). You normally won't even see the person who brings your luggage to your room (kind've like the "luggage fairy! LOL!). If we do see them, we give them a couple of dollars and they are pleasantly surprised.

 

An NCL tip is that you don't have to go to the buffet for lunch upon boarding...the main dining room is open! We find that a really nice relaxing way to enjoy lunch after the hassle of boarding!

 

I don't have your email anymore, but here's mine...nanantunez@mac(dotcom) but actually .com of course! Glad to keep in touch!

 

Nanette

[ejdl4]

buy a case pof bottled water empty a few of them fill with vodka, gin or whatever looks like water. put it back in the case without tearing the plastic. remember you can carry on cases of water and soda.

[frankhi]

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