Sneaking Alcohol

[ChucksOK]

That's not true anymore.

Cruise Lines BYOB policies:

Not to be argumentative, but I just returned from a 16 day South America cruise on the Rotterdam - we brought a case of Chilean wine aboard in Valparaiso and were only charged corkage in the dining room, not our suite(s). Also (and this was probably an oversight on the part of ship's security) I purchased a bottle of Pisco in Punta Arenas, returned to the ship, put my tote bag with the bottle thru the scanner, walked thru, picked up my tote and walked away (with the bottle). I wasn't trying to sneak it aboard to drink (I had purchased it to bring home!) but it wound up with me and not in quarantine for the duration of the trip.

While on the subject, we pre-ordered 4 bottles of Bombay Saphire Gin for in-suite consumption - they were waiting for us (along with limes, tonic and ice) ready for a sailaway drink on our veranda. Yes, you pay a little more per bottle, but why go thru the hassle of trying to smuggle booze on board when you have that option open to you.

[Chef Ken]

Chuck has a pretty good point. Cruise ship policies and what actually takes place at employee level can be as different as night and day.

I guess if you are going to attempt to bring liquor onboard, putting it in the tub with the rest of your gear may not be such a bad idea.

To paraphrase what omeone else said, "if you are spending the money to take the cruise, live with the prices on board" That may not be so "out there" as a concept. Why cheapen the trip with nickel and dimeing your way around the inevitable?

[mupawa]

I think the point of bringing wine on board is that it is cheap, so boxed wine is fine. Indeed, the french and australians have some decent boxed wines.

As for tipping the staff to drink the hooch, I wouldn't do it as the whole point is to do it cheap and how are they helping you? Good enough if you buy your first drink (they get their 15%) from them and then surreptiously top up with hooch. If you can't get away with that then where's the fun?

[Travel Agent]

Having just returned back from a somewhat (ok .... really bad) less than pleasant trip with NCL last week, here's the scoop on booze.
On our ship, the drinks averaged 9.50 plus tip.
Be aware that on our cruise, we found our drinks were being "watered-down" and insisited on the alcohol being brought to us in shot glasses. This is a first for any cruise I've ever even heard of! Put your alcohol in ANY container other than the orignal container (ie, plastic coke bottles, etc.) and put it in your checked luggage .... no problems. They will always catch you if you have the original bottle. After coming from an off-ship excursion, the "security" crew was even smelling open Coke bottles to check for booze. I felt so much safer knowing that none of my fellow passengers were diluting NCL's revenue stream.

[Ron Clark]

Originally posted by Travel Agent:
Having just returned back from a somewhat (ok .... really bad) less than pleasant trip with NCL last week, here's the scoop on booze. On our ship, the drinks averaged 9.50 plus tip.

That's the price for the "Drink of the Day" in a souvenir glass. About half the price is for the souvenir glass. If you asked for your drink in a regular glass, the price would have been less than $6, possibly less than $5.

[Richard & Mary]

I am still amazed that passengers who want to sail on a cruise, whether it's NCL, RCL, CCL or any other cruise line complains about the price of alcoholic beverages on a cruise ship. The latest post here that the average price on NCL was $9.50 is just NOT true or accurate. We have sailed on NCL numerous times and will be on the NCL Pearl next week.

NCL does serve "speciality" drinks commonly called the "drink of the day", and when presented in a NCL souvenior glass, the passenger pays a "premium" price for the drink. Ron Clark once again is correct.

We both like to sit and drink a martini each night before dining. NCL has a special Martini menu, showing the various offerrings/types or flavors and the prices are clearly stated. Not one Martini on the list is priced near $9.50.Average is 6.95 to 7.95 per drink. Remember Martini's are usually 100% alcohol, gin or vodka.

In fact we found the average bar drink was priced at $4.50 house drinks to $5.50 for premium liquor drinks. To generalize and state the average was $9.50 is misleading and destructive to NCL and future passengers who may consider a cruise in the future.

Wines on board the ship are priced three times the price in a USA liquor store.This is common place just as in a USA restaurant. A grocery store wine like Berringer White Zinfindel in a USA grocery store is about $6.00, on the ship it's $18.00 per bottle. A $10.00 USA grocery store wine on the ship is $30.00 per bottle.

If your going to take a cruise and worry about every penny spent,I suggest don't book a cruise. Passengers must remember that NCL and ALL cruise lines are in business to make a profit. I have not heard many passengers complaining about drink prices.

I totally disagree with poster Chef Ken, that there are no quality "box wines". We found that "quality box wine(s)" are available at prices from $15.00 to $20.00 per box. We just spent $18.00 for the 3 liter box that we will take on board the Pearl next week. It is Dolce Blanc, a sweet white table wine, made by San Felipe Winery out of New Mexico USA, and can be found on www.southwestwines.com Check it out.

Passengers have a lot of choices when on a cruise. While I have never been an adovcate of smuggling bottled liquor on board, hard liquor, or wines in a bottle, we have found we have never had problems with our box wine. So you might want to try that method. Otherwise, a lot of passengers will go off in ports at local resturants and bars to party, and lots come back to the ship feeling pretty darn smashed and good.

If cruising, set a limit on how much to spend each day for drinks. You will be given a receipt for each drink purchased. And yes the bar waiters/waitresss get an auto grautity of 15%. These servers DO NOT receive SALARY's or HOURLY WAGES, they essentailly work for the tips. So why should anyone begrudge the staff for trying make an income. This is one reason some passengers may feel "high pressured" by bar staff personel. Its part of their job to produce sales, profits and income for the cruise lines and themselves.

Bottom line, if your going to be a major penney pincher, be prepared for this environment, bar prices, tips, or just don't go on the cruise. Go to the liquor store at home, stay home, watch the travel channel and enjoy your cheap drink.

For us, we'll take that nice Martini for $7.95 then dine on board in their resturants where there is no charge.

Can't wait till next week for the Pearl. Maybe we will see you at the bar.

Richard & Mary
Las Cruces, New Mexico USA

[f-mattox]

Bravo!
Except for the boxed wine, I applaud everything you said.
I know wine is a very subjective thing; but it's not really the wine that bothers me so much, IT'S THE BOX!

[Cruise Specialist]

f-mattox, I have to agree with you about the wine..I personally will not drink from either a screw cap bottle or a box. I prefer an good aged red wine in a bottle that is corked.

Originally posted by f-mattox:
Bravo!
Except for the boxed wine, I applaud everything you said.
I know wine is a very subjective thing; but it's not really the wine that bothers me so much, IT'S THE BOX!

[Waterbhoy]

Wine is allowed to be brought on board...A corkage fee of 10-15$ applies only to the restuarants.


go ahead and enjoy yourself

[Chef Ken]

Originally posted by f-mattox:
Bravo!
Except for the boxed wine, I applaud everything you said.
I know wine is a very subjective thing; but it's not really the wine that bothers me so much, IT'S THE BOX!

I would defer to our friend goin'cruisin' on this but wine in a foil bag, inside a box has equal appeal to me as stepping into McDonalds. In a word, Bleccch or as my daughter might say,
"eeewwwwh".