Bringing libations on board.....

[Lana537]

Lately we have seen a good many posts inquiring about bringing your own "Whatever" on board.

We have been fortunate to be able to cruise a great many times on almost all of the major lines mentioned on these boards.

We feel compelled to say that you should leave your "Whatever" at home. In comparison to what you have spent on the cruise in general, even in the most economical of accommodations, the additional cost of purchasing either wine or liquor onboard is not significant enough to warrant the additonal weight in your luggage or the risk of having "Whatever" open up and leak while in transit.

While on board, all sorts of wonderful things are available to enjoy. Bringing your own may limit you to only what you may have brought. If you have your own cocktail bar set up in your stateroom, you miss the opportunity to socialize with other folks on your cruise, and you may miss seeing that whale off of the starboard side of the Schooner Bar!

If you have the luxury of having booked well in advance, do indeed take advantage of purchasing a "Welcome Aboard" arrangement--some wine to welcome you into your stateroom. There is nothing like having a bottle of bubbly waiting for you when you first walk into your stateroom--even the most modest of California Bubbly has a cache unparalleled on land! It is there chilling in a bucket of ice while you board.

If you were not able to arrange such a thing before sailing and you wish to have a bottle of champagne available to you for your 5PM sailaway, do make the effort, as soon as you are on board, to stop by the Maitre 'd in the Dining Room (where you might also check out your table assignment), and have him engineer that sail-away treat. (We have found this helpfull because most lines do not have the wine component of their Room Service able to do so on the afternoon of sailaway.)

Once you are under way on your first night, Room Service should be able to present you with whatever libation you desire, whenever you wish---wine, champagne, or any cocktail you can imagine!

For the rest of your trip, you can pre-arrange to have wine and/or cocktails waiting for you each evening at your dining room table for dinner. Certainly, you can order drinks or wine at the table when you are seated. Any bottle of wine that is not finished during that night's seating can be either held for the next evening or it can be wisked away to your stateroom for later in the evening. Your stateroom steward will lovingly keep it on ice, with chilled glasses, if necessary, for days!

New cruisers may not be aware that you can walk anywhere on board with a drink in hand. You are not obligated to order and finish a cocktail or glass of wine in the location that you have ordered and paid for it. You can carry that Pina Colada from one place to another or back to your stateroom. It is yours!

We hope that this helps some of you lucky sailors enjoy, with less worry, your wonderful vacations!

Bon Voyage!

Lana and Brian

[Carlalena1]

I would normally agree with you in toto... except for my last cruise. When I am cruising with adults I wouldn't even bother to bring my own "whatever" on board. It's pretty much Damn The Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead To The Bar... plus wine at dinner, frozen drinks by the pools, etc. The thought of racing back to the cabin from the casino periodically- well, it would never happen.

The last time I brought kids, however, and was confined to my cabin here and there. It was nice to have a drink there, and usually my mother would join me. The simplicity, not to mention the savings (I spent about 16 bucks for a bottle of Absolut- drank half- that would easily have been 50 bucks if I had bought drinks and brought them back to the cabin) made it a no brainer for me.

I am not a big drinker at home, but on vacation? Who knows. I would far rather have the $$ end up in the crew's pockets than the cruise line's.

[Traveler2005]

I dont see any big whoopie about bringing wine on board provided that the economics work. My wife and I would bring several bottles at a time on board Celebrity and Windstar when we cruise off France. In some cases, the corkage charge makes it unwise but otherwise why not? I am puzzeled why the initial post would discourage a great chance to enjoy local wines at dinner. The waiters dont care. In fact, I think I put half a dozen bottles in my duffle the last time we left from Ft Lauderdale.

Enjoy!

[askdad]

There is much talk about the pros and cons of bringing spirits, wine and even beer on board as well as how to do it. Like just about any thing else about cruiseing, there is no right or wrong answer. Do what you are comfortable with as long as it does not impose on others.
One consideration however is the additional weight of luggage if you are flying. Airlines are beginning to crack down on extra luggage weight, a practice that I'm sure will continue maybe even get more strict as fuel prices climb.

[Lana537]

Ah---Traveler2005

Now this makes sense! If I understood you correctly, you are talking about getting off at a port of call known for its wines, purchasing some while on shore, and then enjoying them back on board. This sounds delightful!

This is quite different from starting out a cruise with Tetra packs of wine in the luggage to avoid purchasing it on board ship.

Lana

[1morecosmo]

Don't forget about the shops on the boat. Many times, the alcohol is cheaper than when purchased on land. Also, who really wants to risk broken bottles in their luggage? The last thing you need is to be stuck in the laundry room your first night on the ship!!

Worst case scenario, fill a couple of acrylic water bottles with your favorite liquid, seal them into gallon size zip lock bags and cart them in your carry on bag. If you prefer a 'clear' liquid, no one will ask questions (besides, the clear stuff goes great with lemonade and iced tea). If you prefer the dark stuff, if anyone asks, tell them it's a fitness drink!! I've tried the above 3 seperate times (all post 9-11) and have never been questioned during security checks.

For socializing, a drink or two at dinner or in a bar is fine, but who really wants to drop hundreds just to have drinks in your room? I'd rather take a chance on sneaking something in and spend the difference on memories of my trip!