How hard is it to bring alcohol on a cruise ship?

Question

I'm going on a Royal Caribbean cruise this weekend, they say you can't bring your own alcohol, I want to anyway just to save some money. Is it hard to sneak it on? any suggestions?

Answer 1

I don't think they have shipboard inspection of luggage. But why not buy the liquor on the ship? It is tax free and probably cheaper than land bought stuff. Save money that way and not worry.

Spartawo...

Answer 2

I went on the cruise w/ r. car and I filled two water bottles with vodka and rum and got away with it.  Also our dinner mates put two actual alcohol bottles and a 12 pack of beer and they got away with that.   I would probably do it my way to be safe, but I don't think it matters too much, they can't check all the bags.

Answer 3

Yes, we always bring our own booze on board.  I pour Vodka into empty plastic Club Soda bottles, then put that into a zip lock bag.  Pour your darker liquors into employ Coke or Pepsi bottles.  Then place them in your CHECKED IN baggage.  Do not attempt to walk on the ship with it.  We have never had a problem and have been on dozens of cruises.

Answer 4

Must be pretty easy, the bars on th eboats are full of the stuff.

Answer 5

They do check your luggage, kind of poke around and check for big stuff. The best way is to get a small bottle, like a fifth that has a plastic lid, and put it in your waistband. You have to step thru a metal detector but they don't pat you down. If you're traveling with a female she can stick it in with her toiletries or undergarments in her suitcase. No guard will be poking around in a pile of girls undies. Even if you get caught, the worst they can do is take it and hold it for you til you disembark.

Answer 6

It wouldn't be hard to sneak it on in your luggage, but there's a good chance it will be broken because the crew is not gentle with your luggage.

Also, your cabin steward will see and may report it.

Any that you purchase on the ship or in ports of call will be stored and returned to you at the end of the cruise.

Your best bet is to drink heavily in the ports of call. Almost every cruise stops someplace with a "rum-runner" trip. That is a boat that takes a group out to swim and snorkel and on the return trip provides all you can drink punch.

One other suggestion if your going to drink. When you meet your steward ask him not to put chocolate candy on your pillow. On my last cruise I woke up 3 days and had candy in my hair.

Answer 7

my hubby and i have traveled on ncl lines and carnival and the look in your bags as you go off the boat to go on tours if you buy some while visiting the mainlands they take it from you and put your name and room number on it than at that point they give it back before you leave. also when you leave the boat they asked us the amount of the booze total if it is over a certain you have to pay some type of taxes on it. buy on the ship in the duty free shoppes where it is tax free. also try to buy the drink of the day which is cheaper and don't buy the one in the souvior cups it cost more for the cups and you have no place pack them any way.

Answer 8

You probably can get away with small amounts, but only if you hide it well. I know they do search the suitcases a bit. You will have to take a chance that they won't find it. If they do find it, I think they just take it away from you. I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure I remember seeing that happening to people when we took our cruise (on RCCL). Is it really that important to you?

Answer 9

it's not hard you can bring on board and they take it then give it back the last night your on board

Answer 10

Royal Carribean does either hand searches or Xray of your bags, both checked and carry on.  They will find it and throw it away.

Answer 11

they have it on board

Answer 12

I would'nt bother, they will have plenty for you to drink on board!

Answer 13

it isn't hard at all in fact on my last cruise which started in PR they sold it right at the boarding port and we bought a few bottles and put them in our carry on bags and had no problem  getting it on but you can only get away with this at the embarking port.... they do xray your bag but they are more concern with looking for drugs and weapons not a few bottles of booze cause for every 1 cabin that sneaks booze in there are  30 or more  that didn't,,, so the bar still makes money and at the end of the cruise we usually leave what ever is left over to the room steward......

Answer 14

I'm not suggesting  that you do this, but just answering your questions... It's not hard.  You can put a couple of beach towels in your luggage -- roll them, don't fold them.  You can put plastic water bottles with vodka or tequila down in the roll.  Juice is free on the ships --- you can easily get glasses of orange and cranberry juice for mixers.  You can take on wine, but you're supposed to declare it.  They'll charge you a fee to open and serve it at your dinner table.  It's worth it, though, because the wines they'll sell you are at least triple what'd you pay if you brought your own.  Drinks are very expensive on a ship; it's one of their main sources of income.  If you buy alcohol on the ship or at a port, they'll deliver the bottles to your room on the day of your departure.

Answer 15

TRY WRAPING IT ON UR CLOTHES  NO ONE WILL KNOW

Answer 16

I just got back from a cruise, and I saw so much alcohol that was confiscated before the people were able to board the cruise ship that I would never try to sneak any through.  I saw one guy chugging Corona's before they put them in the barrel!  I bet the people have a huge party after they take all that booze away.

I would give you a 99 percent chance of not making it past the inspectors, as they go through each bag.

Good luck to you if you decide to try it.  If you sneak some past, email me and let me know how you did it!

Answer 17

Look in your travel booklet and you'll find a place that offers a wine opening service for a corking fee. You can bring your own wine to the dinner table and they will open and serve it for you for $10.00. This service is for people who wish to bring their own wine on board. (The wines on board ship are "average" and some people like to bring special bottles.) They do not advertise this service because they don't want everyone doing what you are thinking of doing.

So, you CAN bring booze (at least wine) on board. If you decide to try to bring something else on board, you'll need to "take care" of your cabin steward so s/he doesn't report it.

Pack bottles in several successive layers of ziploc bags. Then wrap padding (clothing or whatever) around it and put it in the center of your suitcase.

Do not try to go through security with booze on your person (IN your person is okay, though).

Onboard, buy the "drink deal". Its a large insulated cup that permits you to have all the refills of non-alcoholic drinks you'd like. Mixer! Don't take it back to the bar smelling of booze.

Don't drink and try dancing on the ship's rail.

Answer 18

I packed it with my shampoo and other tolitries and havent had an issue but be prepared if you get caught for trouble

Answer 19

Yes, they x-ray your bags every time you get on and off ship. They are really strict about that, because they want to charge you obscene amounts for onboard alcohol. Better just to drink on shore.

Answer 20

Depends upon how baggy your pants are.  I had a friend bring an entire six pack onboard our NAVY ship.  Imagine what you could do on a civilian vessel.

Answer 21

If you have rubbing alcohol for medical causes, they probably do not sell it on the ship, and with some excuse they let you

have it on their ship.

Just too strong by volume to drink without adding water to it.

Answer 22

You can buy alcohol on board so cheaply - I wouldn't risk getting thrown off the ship for it.  Duty free and all that - if you must drink - abide by their rules.  It's pretty hard to sneak on - but you might get away with it.  There are other reasons for your not taking your own - all of which have to do with your safety and the safety of others.

Answer 23

its pretty hard to get it on a cruiseships. because you go through so much security. why would you do that anyway. there is alcohol on the ship anyway.

Answer 24

Easy peasy on most cruises - they just want to make even more dollars.

On a river cruise in Portugal drinks could be brought into ones cabins but not consumed with restaurant meals.

However on finding that the wines on board cold be purchased at less than half price on shore I bought 6 bottles of a very nice "red".

All the "on-board wines" were marked with black felt-tipped pens so I "borrowed one and marked our bottles accordingly. No problem!

Answer 25

i bring 2 or 3 bottles of diet coke and Jack Daniels in my checked bags

Answer 26

hmmm...i wouldn't recommend it.

I mean if they ask you if you have any alcohol with you and you say no and they check you, you're screwed..no offense.

usually they're pretty strict with that kind of thing. So I would just try to scrape some extra money together for some lix on the cruise.

Answer 27

well, i saw someone pack plastic bottles of vodka( didn't know they made them until then, i think it was stoli or smirnoff) in suitcase

Answer 28

Dude, put a crowbar in your wallet and drink the ships booze.