taking booze on the cruise

[mrdrdoso]

sailing out of nj in april, and on ncl we could bring our wine and liquor on the boat. how does rcl feel about it. My daughter wants to bring beer but i have major concerns with that and security. She's 21 and has her own cabin and is trying to curve her bar bill, not saying i agree but at least i can tell her what others opinions are. thanks.:D

[wrp96]

RCCL's official policy is they do not allow you to bring any type of alcohol onboard the ship. Whether or not you want to smuggle is up to you.

[wolfcathorse]

RCI's policy changed August 2006 to banning BYOB and it has been the source of angst among many CC members here.

[cb at sea]

Most folks who "smuggle", do so with hard alcohol, not beer. A small amount goes a longer way than beer does! More compact....

She can try--but they may catch her. They do state that they can kick her off the ship--not sure if they've ever done that, but it's within their right.

Just tell her to budget for her beer drinking! It's not any more expensive than in most bars on land!

[Retired LEO]

This is RCI's official policy

 

 

Q: Can I bring liquor (from home or from a port)onboard?

 

A: Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports-of-call or from Shops On Board will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the sailing.

 

Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under age 21, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests under the age of 21 will not have alcohol returned to them.

 

Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.

[TravelerThom]

This is RCI's official policy

 

Q: Can I bring liquor (from home or from a port)onboard?

 

A: Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports-of-call or from Shops On Board will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the sailing.

 

Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under age 21, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests under the age of 21 will not have alcohol returned to them.

 

Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.

I had never noticed the:

 

Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.

 

What ARE the TSA guidelines for transporting liquids on a ship? Are there any? I have been to www.TSA.gov and if there are guidelines for ships I couldn't find them.

[i am aware that if you are flying to your departure port you have to comply with TSA's air travel rules on liquids, but are there TSA rules that apply to liquids on ships?]

[beachchick]

sailing out of nj in april, and on ncl we could bring our wine and liquor on the boat. how does rcl feel about it. My daughter wants to bring beer but i have major concerns with that and security. She's 21 and has her own cabin and is trying to curve her bar bill, not saying i agree but at least i can tell her what others opinions are. thanks.:D

 

When was your cruise? On NCL, wine is a yes (if you pay a $15/bottle consumption fee), but hard liquor is a no. In fact, they scan luggage and hold any that has "suspicious" items (large bottle shapes, for example) in the so-called naughty room. NCL does not allow hard liquor to be brought onboard by pax, but that doesn't mean that some don't get away with it. The NCL rules are quite specific about it and have been for quite some time. I know that beer is also a no on NCL, which seems weird considering they allow wine. But I guess they've determined that some pax would abuse the system and try to bring on kegs or something.

 

beachchick

[Leejnd4]

And now back to reality...:rolleyes:

 

1. TSA guidelines have absolutely nothing to do with cruise ships. You are not bound by TSA guidelines on a cruise ship. I cannot for the life of me imagine why that was even brought up in this context. It is completely inapplicable.

 

2. It is true that, unlike every other major cruise line, RCI policies disallow ALL alcoholic beverages to be carried onto the ship. But note that these are corporate policies, NOT TSA's, or any other governmental entity's, rules. They are not laws. They are simply policies established by a for-profit corporation.

 

3. Passengers smuggle booze onto RCI ships on every single cruise. Enforcement is spotty at best, and there are ways to ensure that your personal choice of beverage makes it into your cabin. Visit the Money Saving Tips board and post a question there - you will get many responses from members who will be happy to help you.

 

4. Among the literally thousands of reports here in Cruise Critic of passengers smuggling alcoholic beverages onto cruise ships, there is not one single verified report of a passenger being denied boarding for attempting to smuggle booze. Not one. The worst that will happen, IF you get caught, is that your booze will be confiscated. If it's in its original container, it will be marked and held for you until the end of the cruise. If it is in another container, it will be thrown out. That is, IF you get caught.

 

5. Many passengers bring beer onboard - although I would agree that when it comes booze smuggling, beer is not the best bang for the buck. But there are some techniques you can use. Again, for tips on how to bring your own preferred beverages into your private cabin, post a question on the Money Saving Tips board, and you will get lots of help. :)

[supergran]

Where is the money savings tips board please?

[silentbob007]

I don't think that anyone has said that smuggling = getting kicked off, just that it is in the books and some unfortunate person could have the dubious distinction of being the first.

[TravelerThom]

And now back to reality...:rolleyes:

 

1. TSA guidelines have absolutely nothing to do with cruise ships. You are not bound by TSA guidelines on a cruise ship. I cannot for the life of me imagine why that was even brought up in this context. It is completely inapplicable.

 

2. It is true that, unlike every other major cruise line, RCI policies disallow ALL alcoholic beverages to be carried onto the ship. But note that these are corporate policies, NOT TSA's, or any other governmental entity's, rules. They are not laws. They are simply policies established by a for-profit corporation....

Leejnd

 

You do understand that it is RCI that brought up TSA? RCCL Suite Life was giving a direct quote from http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do;jsessionid=0000f05YhwhhipA6FofDzpxXDiZ:12hbioan0?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqSubjectName=Onboard+Policies&faqId=260&faqSubjectId=333&faqType=faq ; even the bolding was RCI's. Under Title 49 of the US Code TSA is responsible for security in all modes of transportation. Even though most of us are using cruise ships primarily as destinations rather than transportation, I feel confident that the government would lump it into transportation. Given all that, how confident are you in claiming that "TSA guidelines have absolutely nothing to do with cruise ships"? You may be right, but can you provide a source for this claim?

 

Whether there is any TSA involvement or not, I do THINK [and I feel that this agrees with the thrust of your remarks] that it is RCI that is screening for and confiscating liquor, and that this is driven by a combination of desire to minimize exposure to situat ions like the George Smith IV case, and a desire to maximize bar profits. BTW RCI [like all Cruise lines] profits in the "Onboard and other" category [products sold onboard (including liquor), insurance premiums, cruise tours and related credit card fees] to a very high degree. According to RCL's 2007 Annual Report revenue in this category was over four times expenses [$1,722 million revenue vs. $406 million expenses, for a profit of $1,316 million], and they are obviously willing to have rules and search luggage to protect those profits. Note that RCL's entire 2007 stated Net Income was $603 million, clearly "Onboard and other" is what is keeping RCL afloat:) [pun intended].

 

Thom

[curley23]

Well if she is looking to take about a case, just have her bring an extra $100 or so instead. This way she she won't have her beer taken away, she'll be able to afford to purchase it on the ship, and won't have to feel guilty about breaking the rules, and cheating the ship out of their revenue.

[Hot Pocket Hank]

Hello everyone! I have kinda a similar question. Will they let you on the boat if you have been drinking? My partner and I want to pound some wine coolers and get wrecked before we set sail. We are just afraid the TSA men might be meanies and not let us board.

[reallyitsmema]

Hello everyone! I have kinda a similar question. Will they let you on the boat if you have been drinking? My partner and I want to pound some wine coolers and get wrecked before we set sail. We are just afraid the TSA men might be meanies and not let us board.

There aren't any TSA men at the pier but you do have to pass through security. You also are going to have to check-in and get your seapass cards. If you get "wrecked" before you set sail, why don't you wait until you are on board? No reason to miss your first cruise because of too many "wine coolers" for breakfast.

 

If I remember correctly from your other posts, you are sailing on the Mariner. You can get to the pier around 11 and be at the pool bar by 11:30.

 

Get on board safely and then start your vacation.:)

[Evilgrin72]

Most folks who "smuggle", do so with hard alcohol, not beer. A small amount goes a longer way than beer does! More compact....

She can try--but they may catch her. They do state that they can kick her off the ship--not sure if they've ever done that, but it's within their right.

Just tell her to budget for her beer drinking! It's not any more expensive than in most bars on land!

 

 

Yes it is.

[Hot Pocket Hank]

you are probably right! We just want to party as soon as we can and get chatty with everyone we meet.