The wine carry-on policy for Princess Cruises says one bottle?

Question

Is this per person for the entire cruise? Or per person per port of call? How do you carry it on--in your hand or in your checked luggage? We will be on the Emerald Princess in Greece/Italy this summer. I have read they really don't look for wine in the checked bags...is this true? Help!!!

Answer 1

I haven't proved this myself, but I think from what I have seen on the Princess Cruises that I have been on, that you can bring a bottle of wine on board at each port of call.

I have seen bottles of spirit and cases of wine being confiscated and held until the end of the cruise but single bottles of wine and cans of beer have been allowed.

It has been two years since I have been on a Princess Cruise but the gangway crew searched the hand luggage on the dockside each time you returned to the ship and then it was scanned on-board. Perhaps they have stopped doing that now? It may just depend on who is on duty at a particular time at the gangway or what the security state is at the time.

Your checked bags are scanned in the port terminal before being put on board. You can see everything that is inside the case in glorious colour, plastic bottles and containers included.

If you bring a couple of bottles of wine back to the ship and you don't get it through, they hold it for you until the end of the cruise. You get it back.

Answer 2

We have taken as many as 8 bottles of wine on a princess cruise, but not in our carry on. Now they are trying to crack down on bringing your own wine. We pack it in the middle of our luggage and wrap it in bubble wrap, each bottle. Never had any problems. Bring a corkscrew also and enjoy it in your cabin. When you bring it to your dining table, they charge a pretty high corkage fee, but once is just fine. They do not check your checked luggage for wine. Imagine trying to check 2,000 passengers luggage. That would be at least 4,000 pieces of luggage. They have to get it all on the ship in a matter of hours. Our next cruise we will probably bring 2 or 3 bottles, that's about it. We always bring some as we live in the wine country of California

Answer 3

Take the lady above me advice, I have cruised with Princess bout 5 times and have always brought about 5 bottles of wine. We wrap them in clothes in the middle of our luggage and we are set.  The same goes for alcohol.

Answer 4

The wine policy is not very specific on bringing wine on board except that it allows one bottle per person age 21 or older, and the wine must be consumed in your cabin or a corkage fee applies (they charge you to open it for dinner).

I have been on many cruises including three with Princess and have never carried wine on in hand or carry on.  But I do know that everything that you carry on goes through an airport type scanner at the pier, both when you initially board AND as you return at each port.  I know that any alcoholic beverages that you purchase in ports will be confiscated and returned to you the last morning of the cruise; had that done.

All of the cruise lines, including Princess, say that bringing alcoholic beverages on board is prohibited and that they will look at scans of your luggage to determine prohibited liquor.  But I am not sure if anyone knows how closely they watch what's in scanned luggage.  I never carry on wine but I do carry on a couple flasks with my favorite drinks in my checked luggage.  Its for certain that any thing you carry on will be spotted and confiscated.

Answer 5

Take as much as you want in the small bottles...hide them in your luggage in sip lock baggies.  roll them up in your clothes, shoes...I took stuff I could mix with juice like vodka, rum, tequila.  wine is okay.  They took people's liquor when they bought it at ports, so don't plan on drinking it if you buy it at a port.  I wouldn't carry anything on that they could see, as far as liquor goes.