Help with liquor policy please!!

I have heard and read several different things on this. Have heard RCI has a table at check in for you to declare (or fess up) on liquor in your bags. Have heard and read it is ok to bring bottle of wine on (for special occasion) to consume in your room or corkage fee in dining room. Have read , on RCI website I think, that you can buy liquor on board to consume in your room just so long as not bought as duty free. Prices are supposed to be close to regular retail.

Help! Which is the real deal? Who do I get correct answer from? Anybody had recent experience on this?

Sailing out of Galveston in a few days. Thanks!

[Thomas]

You're not alone in wondering what is the real deal! I guess the best way to explain it is: the official policy and what actually happens are not the same. Kinda like the speed limit, you cannot officially go 5 MPH over it but do you ever really get ticketed by the cop? O.K...........sometimes you do, at the discretion of the cop. Same, I believe with the cruiselines. I've walked on board carrying liquor from one of the ports and no questions, not even a nod. Others I know have had theirs confiscated until the last night of the cruise. And others I know have been charged a fee to take it to their room. But their policy is to confiscate it until the last night of the cruise.

Now wine can be officially brought aboard for a special occasion and they will charge a "corkage" fee. Sometimes, they don't care if you bring it to the room or not. Or, they will sometimes deliver it to you at dinner.

I look at it this way. On embarkation day they are trying to get 2000 passengers off the ship in a couple of hours, restock the ship, unload the garbage, refuel, complete the paper work, load new luggage, and board 2000 new passengers in a couple of hours. They are too busy to worry about somebody sneaking a bottle of booze in their luggage, but the policy is in place to stop any abuses. Don't try taking 5 cases of liquor to throw huge bashes out of your room or selling booze on the side for profit.

Regards,
Thomas

Thanks Thomas! I just want to bring a bottle of wine for Hubby's birthday and a bottle of Malibu Rum. Don't know if to tell about it or just let it pass through in luggage and see what happens. Do they scan the luggage and if they see something make you open it and hand it over? or do they get it out themselves?

I don't mind buying Malibu Rum on board if can be consumed in my room not held until last night. Thought I read you could do that on RCI website.

Have you ever sailed out of Galveston?

[Thomas]

You should just stick both bottles in your check-in luggage, well wrapped of course, and not worry about it. I've never known anyone who had their luggage opened because of liquor. As I said, they're so busy trying to get everyone aboard and checked in they don't have time to police liquor smugglers. And what's the worst that can happen, they take it and say "don't do this?" But on the other side too, do try to patronize their bars and support their liquor sales. Because of these revenues we all get cheaper tickets. I usually take some Kaluha with me because I like a few Kaluha and creams as a night cap. And we usually have a pretty healthy bar tab.

I've never been able to buy booze in their gift shops and take it to the room unless it's the last night of the cruise. Others may have been able to but I haven't. But then I don't bother buying it in the gift shops anymore because of this. I can't drink that much and I don't feel it's worth the hassle carrying it home for a few dollars in savings.

Never sailed out of Galveston. Sorry.

Regards,
Thomas

I will just wrap them good and go for it. This is our 3rd sailing but have not brought on alcohol before. Do still intend to drink from bars but don't want to always have to leave room to get a drink. Kinda hard to have a romantic evening with hubby if you have to run upstairs for a drink.
Thanks! SuzieQ

[Thomas]

Yes, and if you're like me it is usually half gone by the time I get back to the room. And walking around half-dressed is so uncool !! <g>

Regards,
Thomas

We also brought liqour on in our carrryon. We were never stopped or questioned. Had two special bottles for dinner( 20th Annivesary). Portofinos never charged the corkage fee nor did the dining room. But we also ordered bottle wine from the wine list all other nights. The fridge in the room on Radianance was not stocked so we were able to use it for the week. Not very cold but did the job. Keep in mind that the duty free shops on board carry a very limited selection. I would pack any after dinner drinks for cabin consumption with me. They did not sell what we wanted. We even caried on a 6pack of Alaskan Amber beer from our stop in Ketchikn. They never even opened our bag. Anything we had left on friday we brough to the Colony Club and shared with our dinnermates.
What they don't want are people running around ship with coolers (which has been done in the Carribean). Drinks on deck are equal to a local watering hole. Beer 2.75 to 3.25, wine 4.25, black and soda 5.00.
If you do carry on try and get the cardboard carrier from the liqour store. It will keep the bottles safe.

[CruiseCam]

We always carry our wine and other booze on board with us. NEVER had any problem at all, whether in check or in carry-ons. Yes they do scan the carry-ons, and yes they can see the bottles of wine in there and No, they have never even looked twice, much less said anything about it. What Cathey says above is the real thing they are trying to avoid .... those people that would carry around their coolers, given the chance. They never have the wine I enjoy and I always carry at least a couple bottles of Baja Rosa (most have never even heard of it) with me for after dinner consumption in our cabin. For other drinks I wouldn't bother carrying anything with me, the bars do a fine job.

The only time I have had liquor confiscated was when coming back on board in Jamaica. I had a typical two-bottle box of liquor and they made me leave it at the entry point and said it would be delivered to my cabin on the last night. No problem, I bought it to take home and if they wanted to store it, carry it up stairs and to my cabin for me, great!

And yes SuzieQ, I have sailed on RCI over ten times and the last time was this past February. Don't worry - just don't flaunt it! Oh, and have a great cruise!

When we went to port we would take an empty water bottle and fill it up at the liquor store with clear booze. This has always worked for us on other cruises. Just make sure you don't grab the wrong bottle in the middle of the night and take a big gulp!!! I've done this before.

The posts I have been reading are that recently, and I mean quite recently, they are getting stricter about policing the liquor carried aboard. It is always best to put it in your checked luggage. Or if you're arriving the day/night before, put it in your carry-on for the plane...then transfer it to your checked bags for the ship. If you are worried about being one of the random checked bags pulled out for extra screening, use water or soda bottles to sneak hard liquor aboard.

RCI does allow you to bring aboard "special ocassion" wine..and they are supposed to charge a corkage fee...

According to the latest brochure, you an also buy liquor at the duty free shop. You will just pay $9.50 extra to take it back to your room. Although a liter of vodka for 10 bucks plus 9.50 is still a lot less than I pay here in LA.

[MattB]

Everyone is talking about wine. I know if you can bring in a bottle of wine, Kaluha or Malibu Rum you can bring in a bottle of champagne. Does anyone know if it or any other carbonated liquids will pop from the change of air pressure on a plane?