TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Afloat Sneaking liquor on Cuise Ship

I'm sure no one on THIS Forum would violate ANY rules or regulations, but have you heard of the success or failures of getting liquor on board Cruise Ships by using the Rum Runners Cruise flasks that are on sale? They are small flexible bags that one would fill with "water", and they are undetectable by the x-ray machine when packed in the luggage.
Our last cruise (Dec 30, 2016 on NCL), they would not allow us to carry on our case of water due to a recent change in NCL rules. So, our next cruise we plan on trying to use the Rum Runner bags to get some "Water" on board.

It depends on the cruise line. In the old days when we cruised a lot, there was no problem just putting liquor in a checked bag. If you are talking just one bottle of liquor, most cruise lines you can just buy it for in cabin consumption. Not really worth trying to sneak it these days, as they check too closely.

No Carol, NCL won't allow anything except one bottle of wine, which they charge you a corkage fee, plus gratuity (total about $27.00), if you declare it at embarkation. If you pack it, and don't declare it, they will confiscate it.

Ask me how I know. Also, we had a case of bottled water, and some diet Cokes (only Pepsi is avail on board -yuucckkk!), which they would not allow through checkpoint.
So we had to throw it all in the garbage can (along with everyone else's).

NCL is probably the worst about confiscating things, in my experience... Just give in and pay them for alcohol...

Agree with you. Not worth the hassle for a couple of drinks.

Do the all inclusive option and you are good to go if you think your bar bill will exceed.

We have had the "Ultimate Beverage Package" on several of the NCL cruises. We got it free at time of booking. Good deal for those who choose to drink several cocktails daily, however I don't drink alcohol to that measure. Wifey enjoys the Long Island Ice Teas, and Maragritas, but a soda card is all I need. Problem is, when one person purchases that package, everyone in the cabin has to purchase it also, so it doesn't really pay off for us. It did work well when we got it free as an incentive for booking, as I was able to get unlimited sodas (unfortunately Pepsi) but just not cost effective to purchase outright because we both have to buy it.

Try the fake shampoo and conditioner bottles. They've worked a few times for us

We purchased some of the Rum Runners cruise flasks. They are clear plastic pouches that are reusable, and come with a funnel to fill with liquids. After you fill them, you squeeze the air out of them so no bubbles are in the bag, and pack them in your check baggage. Suggestions are to put them between layers of clothing. They are undetectable by x-ray. Once onboard, and the luggage is delivered to your cabin, you open the valve on the pouch, and pour as needed into your glass.
I'll let you know how they work out. We leave next Sunday the 26th of February.

Our rum runners both leaked a bit at the cap.

We heard from an extremelyreliable source last week that these wine seals work real good with a hair dryer to repackage fresh wine in your 1 wine bottle per person allowance.They come in lots of colors. Don't forget a cork screw. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Thermoseal-Ho...13=&veh=sem

lol the cruise lines pry read our tricks and that's how they know what we are doing;) Good luck and hope it works;)

Thanks for the heads up on the leaky rum runners PelicanPirate. Since they will be packed in clothing, I was a little worried about a possible leak.

We don't really drink wine, and when Wifey does, it's the cheap stuff (Riesling Piesporter something), so bringing wine on and paying a $25.00 corkage fee(plus 18% gratuity) won't work for a $10.00 bottle of wine. She can just buy a glass or two in the dining room, or buy a bottle the first night, and they keep it corked for her throughout the cruise, and have it on the table when we come in the next evening.
We were looking more at trying to get rum, etc on board.

There are some new wines you can pour in old bottles. Some of the wines ta st e like bourbon, scotch, rum, etc.

The corkage fees only apply to bringing the wine bottle to the dining room. You can drink your wine free in your room or walking around.

So if you have time in cruise port go to publix, buy cheap wine, drink or dump it and fill with new wine.

Hard part is buying the seals for 5 dollars.

Onboard carnival a bottle of booze to you room is 90 bucks. Most mixed drinks approach 10 bucks.

If you mean buy the wine ashore while in port, all alcohol is confiscated when you return to the ship, and they give it back to you on the last night of the Cruise.

Sincere apologies to you for highjacking this thread. I moved the offtopic posts to a new thread.

They can't confiscate if it is in your tummy.

Wendell

My last cruise in Nov.2016 Royal Caribbean. Most drinks were $13. Which..... made the drink package look more plausible. I didn't buy the first day so only had to pay for the 6 days forward, for both in the room. $824 for the booze package. BUT..... I did find Don Julio 1942 was included ($100 a bottle) So I did have some smooth margaritas. As did the retired banker from MIA that was sitting next to me.

Wendell

Got back Sunday from our cruise. We used the Rum Runner Cruise Flask, and was able to get plenty of coconut rum onto the ship. Costs $8.00 on Ebay, and held 2 bottles (1 in each flask). Comes with a funnel, and are heavy duty clear plastic baggie type container with a leak-proof screw on cap. Fill it up, and put it in your luggage tucked inside clothing. X-Rays can't detect them.
Our next Cruise came with the Ultimate Beverage Package, so we won't need them then, but they do work as advertised.

We were on NCL. Margaritas were $14.00 in the plastic cup, drink of the day was $9.00. We had the soda package, so not sure how much the sodas cost. They would not let us pay the difference on our soda package to upgrade to the Ultimate Bev Package.

No, I meant wine brought onboard at embarkation. All recent cruise we
Be sailed allow one 750 Ml bottle per,person.

Glad they worked. Ours did save the little leak at the cap. Not sure. Shaving kit still smells like Canadian club.

I was a little worried my underwear might end up smelling like Coconut Rum. I guess that's better than what they usually smell like. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

After working at the TSA I can assure you that the scanners WILL see your liquids weather in a bottle or bag! If they let you slide that is possible but I PROMISE you it can be seen!!!

Yes, I understand. There is no problem with packing the liquid for check luggage when flying, so I don't think the Agents would say anything, it's only the liquids in the carry-on TSA would not allow (over 3 oz). However, the screening Agents at the Cruise Terminal haven't found it yet by x-ray, they are mostly concerned with people sneaking alcohol on board. If they open the suitcase, they will be able to find it.

Every cruise ship I have been on is awash with alcohol. Is saving 20 bucks on a vacation that important?

Depends on how long you're onboard. When you're spending $10 for a mixed drink, versus you could probably make 10 drinks out of a $30 bottle of liquor, it adds up.

Well, you top shelf people may spend $30 on a bottle of liquor....

We were on Empress of the Seas Nov 4-10 - were in Havana November 6-7 (stayed overnight on ship). (and yes, what the heck ever happened to my trip report writing)

Empress let us bring bottles of rum obtained in Havana back on board to our cabins. (Maybe they did not want to have to store the many hundreds of bottles of rum that may have been bought.)

The Captain became the new beloved hero of most of the passengers for this decision.

You could get a good bottle of rum for about $8 in Havana - or other liquor.

I wonder how much the sales of alcoholic drinks dropped after being in Havana - I know of a good number of lost sales from personal observation. But, who knows, maybe there was no significant drop in sales overall.

BTW: we had a great cruise on Empress - small ship but great crew. We very much enjoyed seeing Havana. I knew that we would see old American cars, but I was amazed at how many there are and how great they looked. All of the Cubans we met were very friendly and welcoming - and all seemed to have at least one relative living in the USA - if not a big branch of their family tree.

As we participated in the hundreds of cruise ship passengers swarming ashore and spending lots of money - including with tips and gifts - and the way that the Cuban people seemed so welcoming - the idea that the overall embargo continues really seemed kind of silly.

$20 won't even buy two drinks. They are usually $10-12$ plus 18% gratuity. The ultimate beverage package is around $700 for a 7 day cruise, plus they charge an 18% gratuity on top of that. You are quite correct that the Ships have plenty, that is how they make their money.

Wow, guess I need to look further into a cruise to Cuba! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

These have worked for us as well...we bring them in our carry-ones too!

I've always wondered if this would work: Once you're on shore, buy a 1L bottle of water, and some clear rum. Do what you want with the water, replace with the rum, and just walk it back on board.

Our last cruise, the TSA worker told how they catch spring breakers sneaking alcohol in the shampoo bottles all the time. He said it must taste awful even if its rinsed out. LOL

Yeah, I would think so!!!

The fact that their liquor is so ridiculously over-priced that people will go to these lengths to sneak it on-board OUGHT to be telling the cruise companies something. Apparently not, though. I will say that I found the on-board prices pretty reasonable (a little high, of course, but still reasonable) on my last Star Clippers cruise.

Things have totally flipped as far as prices, from when we first started cruising. Our first cruise was on NCL Seaward in 1988. We paid $1200 a person for a week cruise in a DINKY outside cabin on the lowest deck. At that time, drinks were very cheap onboard AND we could bring onboard liquor and wine. Now, $1200, depending on ship, time of year, etc., can get you a mini suite with balcony or maybe more. The cruise lines' profit areas are different these days...

We have snuck liquor onto cruise ships a few times with no problem. Interestingly enough the last time we cruised, at a stop in Jamaica we purchased a really good bottle of rum. Not wanting to have it confiscated we told them when we embarked that we had it, and did they want to hold it for us until the end of the cruise. Well the security people seemed genuinely flummoxed, and seemed to want no part of it. They told us someone would come to our room to take it, and hold it for us. Well that never happened. It was almost like they wished we hadn't said anything. Funny.

While on a family cruise stop in St Thomas, my niece bought one of those huge bottles of Crown Royal. It was in her back pack and put through the x ray machine while re boarding but was not confiscated.