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Topic: Beverages on cruiseships

sarakay
Just Boarded
Member # 1137

posted 03-04-2000 11:21 PM

I recently went on a cruise and was outraged by the overpricing (in my opinion) for soft drinks ($1.75 per can) and alcoholic drinks ($4.50-$7.50). Will cruiselines let you bring your own softdrinks and alcohol on board? Does anyone know if cans of soda will burst in a suitcase due to pressure/cold temps while on the flight? Please don't slam me for being "cheap". If the prices were more reasonable, I wouldn't be trying to get around them. Thanks!

Posts: 2 | From: Mpls, MN, USA | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

diannec
Just Boarded
Member # 1092

posted 03-05-2000 12:20 AM

I bring my own diet, caffine free coke and crystal light lemonade mix on all cruise and it has never been questioned. the steward always get me a pitcher and and extra ice bucket for my lemonade.I can't answer your question regarding liquor other than my son bought rum on Grand Cayman and made his own drinks in the cabin as he felt they were very overpriced in the bars/lounges. On our cruises iced tea and lemonade was always free.

Posts: 5 | From: Houston, TX , USA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 03-05-2000 08:59 AM

I sometimes bring my own caffeine free diet coke and my husband used to bring liquor on board. Don't know about the soda bursting in your suitcase but I wouldn't put liquor in it. He bought it at the duty free store before we boarded our flight. We always go down a day before the cruise and there is a 7-ll and a liquor store across from the hotel,Pier 66, so we just picked up our supplies there. Nothing was ever said about bringing these on board, but then if they are in our carry-on luggage, they wouldn't know about it. We stopped doing this as we couldn't be bothered lugging the extra stuff with us. When we started cruising the prices were very cheap, so then were the price of the cruises and the air fare!

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Debi
First Class Passenger
Member # 936

posted 03-05-2000 05:22 PM

Some cruise lines, RCCL for example, allow you to bring alcohol on board. Others prohibit it and check carry-on bags, though they generally don't check checked luggage. I don't know if anyone prohibits other beverages. The brochure should say, and your travel agent should know.
I think the plastic travel-size bottles of alcoholic beverages are fine for flying, though I would put them in a garbage bag just in case. I don't know about soda.

Posts: 52 | From: Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

JoeO
First Class Passenger
Member # 224

posted 03-05-2000 08:52 PM

We've cruised Celebrity, Princess, RCI and NCL and the only one we've seen check carry-on bags and CONFISCATE liquor was NCL. I think that none of them appreciate passengers bringing liquor aboard for obvious reasons. Some state that they will charge a fee if you bring your own wine into the dining room (like corkage fees in a restaurant.)
My pre-diner drink is dry sherry usually $6-$8 a drink at a bar or land restaurant. The same best quality sherry aboard ships is usually $4-$5. Not bad!
Anyway I always bring my own bottle wrapped well in a suitcase. We like our relaxed pre-dinner, back-from-the-islands drink in our cabin.
We also order wines with our dinner. The cruise lines and waiters can't complain about losing money on us.

Posts: 93 | From: St Aaugustine, Fl., U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 98 | IP: Logged

tg_lindo
First Class Passenger
Member # 806

posted 03-06-2000 07:59 PM

My friend told me the opposite about NCL. In port, at the tender dock, the passengers who had bags or boxes with logos for the liquor stores were asked to check their purchases until the last night. Those who had their purchases in purses or tote bags weren't questioned.

Posts: 349 | From: San Francisco, CA | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

jmfleser
First Class Passenger
Member # 1141

posted 03-07-2000 10:14 AM

I've been lurking for quite some time now but I thought I finally add some of our experiences to the list.

It doesn't matter if we're going on a land based vacation or a cruise we always bring some beverages with us. Usually Coke, chanpagne and sometimes beer. You usually find in Mexico or the Caribbean coke is more expensive than rum or tequila. While on board ship we always have wine with dinner and buy drinks in the various lounges throughout the ship so I don't fell guilty about what we bring with us.
We've never had an accident in transporting anything. I still have one of those old American Tourister hardside pieces of luggage that I use to put all the "liquids" in. I make sure each bottle is well wrapped with articles of clothing plus I make sure they can't move around. Nothing has ever exploded from the cold although you will find your drink is already well chilled when you get to your destination. We might put one bottle of champagne in a carry-on so we can have it to celebrate as soon as we get on board.

Our cabin stewards have always been very accomodating regarding our own beverages and we always make sure to tip appropriately. Our ice buckets have always been kept filled, especially when it was filled with various bottles from our own stock.

We've bought liquor at various ports while aboard both RCCL and Carnival. RCCL didn't care at all what we brought back on board with us. Carnival on the other hand couldn't make thier mind. While on St. Thomas we bought some liquor in one of the ship's recommended shops. They said Carneval wouldn't let us take it back on board with us. Instead the store would pack it up for us and deliver to the ship.... which they did. We never had to deal with the package until we were gathering our luggage at the end of the cruise. The only problem with that was we never got a chance to check our purchase until we got home and found out the store had made a major error in our order. After a couple of phone calls to the store in St. Thomas they finally made amends to our satisfaction but only after threating to call the cruise line. Even then when you've had your heart set on the Blue Curaco you've ordered, the Jack Daniels you now have just doesn't cut it. Yet on the same cruise we stopped in the duty free shop at the pier on Martinque and bought some rum and took it right on board with us. We thought they would take it from us when we boarded but they didn't..... so who knows?!

Posts: 183 | From: Esperance, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

dafontana
Just Boarded
Member # 1142

posted 03-07-2000 01:17 PM

As a million mile traveler, I can assure you that the holds on aircraft are pressurized and the sodas in your checked baggage will be unharmed. (They will also be nicely chilled if the flight is long and the time until you reach your cabin is short.) Just be sure to pad them well - I had one instance in 25 years when something sharp punctured a can. To take liquor on board ship, pack in your checked luggage, not your carry on. Most lines don't care. When you buy liquor in port, some lines check all bags, and some stop you if the bag they are in is obviously a liquor store bag. Just put the bottle at the bottom of another bag from another purchase. Wine taken to the ship dining room will incur a corkage fee of about $6, but the sommelier gets the whole tip, so they are happy to do it.

Posts: 4 | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

Terri Lee
First Class Passenger
Member # 942

posted 03-07-2000 02:39 PM

During the 10 cruises that I have done on HAL I have never had any"charge" made for wine or champagne brought to the table from my cabin. Admittedly,the bottles have been sent by my travel agent to welcome me on board.....maybe that's the difference?

Anyway,there has never been any problem taking my bottles to the Wine Somoulier prior to my evening dinner-time.The wine steward is always there with it already chilling,at the table....never anything extra added to my bill.

And to be honest,guys,the more I read here on this Travel Forum,the more I realise how fortunate I am,always sailing with HAL!! I am so glad that I browsed many different cruise line brochures before finally making up my mind as to which line I would take,all those years ago!

Posts: 292 | From: Burlington Ontario Canada | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 03-07-2000 04:15 PM

Terri Lee - you weren't charged because the bottles were sent by your TA. If you bought a bottle on shore and asked them to serve it, they would have charged you a corkage fee, but the money wouldn't have gone to the wine steward, as someone suggested, it would have been charged to your account. I feel exactly as you do about sailing with HAL (#34 coming up). People ask "why don't you try another line - why should I, there have never been any problems and I like it". When I look at some of the problems people encounter and the garrish interiors of some of the ships, I am glad I have sailed only with HAL.

[This message has been edited by sympatico (edited 03-07-2000).]

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Laura
First Class Passenger
Member # 924

posted 03-07-2000 07:58 PM

Just got back from a cruise on RCCL's Voyager. We brought cans of Coke and small plastic bottles with Gatorade. (The Gatorade is great for taking along in your beach bag to the beach!)

Voyager had refrigerated minibars in each cabin, and we had our cabin steward remove all the pre-stocked drinks inside so we could replace their costly drinks with our own!

We put the Cokes in our carry-ons and put them in zip lock bags, just in case!

RCCL also doesn't charge for soft drinks in the dining rooms, like many other cruise lines do.

Posts: 114 | From: Ohio | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 03-07-2000 08:30 PM

I'll second all those remarks about HAL.
We always take drinks on board and to hotels too for that matter - and wny not - for the length of our stay our cabin, suite or room is our 'home'. I know of no law that prohibits drinking in your own home. If we took a bottle to dinner or a lounge on board (TA and other gifts excepted) we would certainly expect to pay a corkage fee and doubt that we would argue if told it was a 'No No'. At our first port of call we pick up the required mix.
As a matter of fact on our last Trans-Atlantic cruise we received a Caviar and Champage tray - much too much for 2 people - we shared it with delightful table mates in the Piano Bar - of course we left a suitable tip.
In parts of the UK and Australia it is quite permissible to BYOB to dinner - a corkage fee is charged by the restaurant.
MALCOLM - Perhaps you can supply more detail on this.

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

sarakay
Just Boarded
Member # 1137

posted 03-09-2000 11:12 PM

Thanks everyone for your input! I think I'll just pack my soda and alcohol in my check in, hard sided luggage. Hopefully, that will work!

Posts: 2 | From: Mpls, MN, USA | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

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