All You can Drink Cruise? Are you in?

[Moemg]

The only thing I wonder about is how do you folks who take your own spirits/wine aboard get past the luggage scanner? You know, the one that "catches" all the bottle/boxes before you board?

We cruise quite often and know not to even try, since we've seen a lot of folks in line have their "stash" pulled (but returned at the end of the cruise).

On Holland America & Princess cruises you can carry on as much wine as you want .On Carnival you can carry on a bottle of wine per person.

 

[Original Wally]

I seem to recall that it was VERBOTEN to bring your own alcohol on board. Did you have any issues on that Wnat cruise line

I'm in.

My last cruise in 2006 was a 7 day Grand Mediterranean. I carefully packed (leak proof), and declared to airport security at all points, a duty free 3L box of white wine in my check-in luggage. I made wine coolers in a plastic cup I brought along, using the free fruit juice mixes or paid for real fruit juice at the bar. I still had some wine left at the end of the cruise.

If there had been a beverage package deal like this, I would have jumped right on that. If I wanted a virgin fruit drink or a real stinger, no big deal either way. I don't drink soda except for the occasional ginger ale or root beer.

 

[friar1610]

I've been on 3 cruises:

- Norwegian Cruise Lines: very strict about scanning for alcohol and, I suppose, other contraband when you return to the ship. I never ever tried to sneak anything onboard. Drinks in the lounges were a bit pricey. I'm primarily a beer and wine guy; my wife is primarily a wine gal. We would pay for one each before dinner and order the house wine (which didn't appear on the wine list) to have with dinner.

- Uniworld (river cruise): No checking what you brought on board. I bought vodka to bring home (cruise was in Russia) but could have easily consumed it on board with no difficulty. There was a lounge with moderate priced drinks. Beer and house wine was free during dinner (and maybe with lunch; I'm not sure as that's too early for me.)

- Alaskan Dream Cruises: Again, no checking what you brought on board. They charged for drinks in the lounge (moderate prices.) One free beer or glass of house wine per person with dinner. You paid for second glass.

On Norwegian and Alaskan Dream the best deal seemed to be to buy the house wine by the bottle, have them put your name on it, and use it over a couple of meals.

 

[rescueme]

On Holland America & Princess cruises you can carry on as much wine as you want .On Carnival you can carry on a bottle of wine per person.

We did the Alaska train/ship with H.A. They did check for spirits/wine in the luggage (took it and returned it on the last night).

Have yet to go on Princess, but all our other cruise lines used always did a check before going on board.

 

[Moemg]

We did the Alaska train/ship with H.A. They did check for spirits/wine in the luggage (took it and returned it on the last night).

Have yet to go on Princess, but all our other cruise lines used always did a check before going on board.

According To Holland Americas web site
Guests can bring wine and/or champagne on board at embarkation or purchased in port. A corkage fee of US$18.00 applies to wine and champagne brought to the shipboard restaurants or bars for consumption. Wine and/or champagne brought on board cannot be consumed in any public venue. If a guest is drinking a beverage carried on board and in a public venue they will be asked to return it to their stateroom.

 

[Buckeye]

I forgot I was able to carry a bottle of 5 y/o anejo tequila back onto the ship in Cozumel during our Carnival cruise. It had some corrugate wrapped around it and it was in a bag. As we came back onto the ship, I set the bag on the scanner belt and the guy on the other side handed it back to me.

I expected them to take it and return it on the last night but they didn't. I didn't want to open it on the cruise. It's the good stuff and needs to be enjoyed with good friends! DH doesn't care much for tequila but he was a good sport at the tequila "diorama" and did a little tasting.

 

[Meadbh]

On my recent (January 2012) cruise I used to take a walk around the decks a couple of times a day. There was a "smoking" bar on the route. Every single time I went by there was a middleaged woman drinking and smoking there. She appeared to have poor circulation and breathing and looked a little blue from lack of oxygen. Other than the sea view, I wonder what she got out of her cruise that she couldn't have had at home. Sad, really.....

 

[Buckeye]

On my recent (January 2012) cruise I used to take a walk around the decks a couple of times a day. There was a "smoking" bar on the route. Every single time I went by there was a middleaged woman drinking and smoking there. She appeared to have poor circulation and breathing and looked a little blue from lack of oxygen. Other than the sea view, I wonder what she got out of her cruise that she couldn't have had at home. Sad, really.....

She may have "had" to go with a group. Being a heavy smoker, her options for moving around the ship are very limited. I hate cigarettes. They have enslaved my mother, too.

 

[Marc]

I only cruise on all inclusive cruise lines. When you think of bloody mary before lunch, wine or beer at lunch, pre-dinner cocktails, wine at dinner, after dinner cocktails; it sure adds up.

It is so much nicer having it already included so you don't have to worry about whose round it is or signing chits all the time.

Marc

 

[ziggy29]

According To Holland Americas web site
Guests can bring wine and/or champagne on board at embarkation or purchased in port. A corkage fee of US$18.00 applies to wine and champagne brought to the shipboard restaurants or bars for consumption.

This is fairly common. The main point to note is that they will usually take possession of the bottle, mark it with your cabin number, and will serve it to you in the dining room. If you don't finish the bottle, they will take it again to serve to you on another day.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I only cruise on all inclusive cruise lines. When you think of bloody mary before lunch, wine or beer at lunch, pre-dinner cocktails, wine at dinner, after dinner cocktails; it sure adds up.

It is so much nicer having it already included so you don't have to worry about whose round it is or signing chits all the time.

Marc

Wasn't that the attraction of the all-inclusive lines, "Drink all you want". And now the mass-market lines are digging into that turf. What is this world coming to ?

I suppose if there are people standing at attention, ready to get you a drink then it would be all too easy to "go overboard" on the alcohol. I suspect though that the quality of wine and other alcohol available on the all-inclusive lines is much better than the swill passed off on Carnival.

So whether you pay up front for an all-inclusive line or pay $50 or $60 a day it's way more than I would ever consume.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I watched a good Samaritan semi drunk nurse tend to a 40 something woman who vomited all over herself and passed out. I would have been tempted to roll her into the pool.

Did you get any photos ?

That's when you know you've had a really good vacation. When you vomit on yourself and pass out !

 

[MichaelB]

This thread so reminds me of a recent concert. We sat on the lawn, where people typically picnic before the show. Alongside sat a women, alone, and before the show she drank an entire bottle of wine. She fell asleep (or passed out) and slept through 2 1/2 hours of amazing Carlos Santana.

 

[HFWR]

This thread so reminds me of a recent concert. We sat on the lawn, where people typically picnic before the show. Alongside sat a women, alone, and before the show she drank an entire bottle of wine. She fell asleep (or passed out) and slept through 2 1/2 hours of amazing Carlos Santana.

At least she didn't talk through the entire show...