Explained: Duty-Free Shopping on a Cruise Is It Worth It?

Table Of Content

• Do Cruise Ships Search your Luggage?
• Is there a limit to how much I can drink?
• Following Incident, Carnival Says Gambling ‘Strictly Forbidden’ Outside of Casino
• Are there any exceptions to alcohol policies?
• Complete Guide to Using Your Phone on a Cruise (Carnival, Royal Caribbean & More)
• Can You Bring Curling Irons On a Cruise Ship?
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

If you’re sailing on a line that allows you to bring your own alcoholic beverages onboard, you’ll be able to bring back a limited amount to your stateroom. If your cruise ship does not permit you to BYOB, you’ll have to check that bottle of rum from Puerto Rico or prosecco from Italy at security upon boarding. Unless you’re sailing on an all-inclusive luxury cruise line, the allowance is typically limited to wine. Many cruise lines allow two bottles of wine onboard at embarkation, but not beer or spirits.

Do Cruise Ships Search your Luggage?

Princess fits in with the most standard alcohol policies. Wine and champagne are allowed, but any other alcoholic drink, including beer or spirits, isn’t allowed to be brought aboard on embarkation. Holland America allows all guests 21 and older to bring on bottles (up to 750 ml) to drink on the ship.

2024 Royal Caribbean Drink Package Prices, Tips, Pros & Cons - Royal Caribbean Blog

2024 Royal Caribbean Drink Package Prices, Tips, Pros & Cons.

Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Is there a limit to how much I can drink?

When bottles are brought on board and served or consumed in any restaurant, public room area or in their stateroom, a corkage fee will be charged according to bottle sizes noted below. Corkage fees might range from $10 to $15 to consume your own bottle of wine in a restaurant to $25 for enjoying a bottle of your own tequila in the casino. Cruise lines that have no restrictions on bringing your own alcohol onboard also forgo the corkage fees. There is a $26 corkage fee for drinking your wine in the dining room. Apart from the small quantity of beer and wine, no other alcohol is allowed to brought onboard to drink during your cruise.

Following Incident, Carnival Says Gambling ‘Strictly Forbidden’ Outside of Casino

The reviews show these are very successful ways of sneaking alcohol onboard. They are undoubtedly one of the cheapest options for sneaking alcohol onboard. The video shows how to fill the rum runners and pack in her luggage to finally to the unpacking in the stateroom. Either way, no doubt sneaking on your favorite alcohol and liquors, in particular, could potentially save you hundreds of dollars. You do not need to declare that you have food, and it is generally fine to pack your prepackaged food in either your carry-on or your checked luggage. Bringing your own snacks and drinks can save money versus purchasing them onboard or on shore.

Is a drink package worth it on MSC? I tried it to see whether it was worth the money. - Cruise Blog

Is a drink package worth it on MSC? I tried it to see whether it was worth the money..

Posted: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Royal Caribbean will let passengers bring up to one bottle of wine per adult per stateroom. In some cases, exceptions to the alcohol policies are made for special occasions, such as weddings or anniversaries. However, these exceptions are generally subject to advance approval and may involve additional fees or regulations set by the cruise line. Best Wine Bars on CruisesWhether you prefer reds, whites, roses or bubbly, our five favorite cruise ship wine bars are sure to spark your grapelust. Guests may bring bottles of wine and Champagne onboard with no limit. We break down by cruise line everything you need to know about cruise ship BYOB.

Let’s delve into this question and other related FAQs to shed light on the topic. Virgin Voyages is known for being an adults-only cruise line that started sailing in 2021. The cruise line has a different way of doing many things, but when it comes to alcohol, the policy is the same as most other major carriers. It likely won’t quench your thirst for the entire cruise, but it’s good to know that if you want to save a few bucks, then you can bring at least some alcohol aboard on your own.

In most cases, cruise lines prohibit passengers from bringing alcohol purchased onshore back onto the ship. This restriction aims to promote onboard sales of alcoholic beverages and comply with local laws regarding the importation of alcohol. Several companies lower the drinking age to 18 when sailing from non-U.S. Some cruise lines include in-cabin bar setups for all passengers (luxury) or in the top suites (mainstream). If you're not given a bar setup, you may be able to purchase bottles of wine or liquor through your ship's gift shop to be delivered to your cabin on your arrival. Guests may bring alcohol and beverages onboard with them.

Can You Bring Curling Irons On a Cruise Ship?

Guests may bring unlimited bottles of wine or Champagne onboard. But there is a $20 corkage fee for each bottle (maximum size 750 ml), no matter where guests consume it. Quantities of wine deemed “excessive” by ship security will be refused. After confiscation, there are typically no additional penalties for bringing extra alcohol onboard unless the guest is under the drinking age. If crew continue to find the same guests attempting to sneak banned amounts of liquor onboard, they could be asked to disembark early. Any alcohol in your possession beyond the allowed limit may be confiscated or destroyed by security.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The cruise line still wants the wine to be brought via hand luggage/carry on and not in checked luggage. Moreover, Royal Caribbean recommends each guest bring their bottle in their respective carry-on bag for security purposes. Starting on March 3rd, 2023, the new wine and champagne allowance for Royal Caribbean will be one (1) 750 mL bottle, per adult of drinking age, per sailing.

No alcohol can be brought on board at embarkation on MSC cruises, and anything purchased in port or at the duty-free shop will be held until the end of the cruise. The disadvantage of this method is the cruise lines know it’s an old trick. Some even mention it in their terms of what they look out for in their alcohol policies, so if they spot it you can expect them to flag it up to be checked.

On most cruise lines' ships, alcoholic drinks cost extra and incur an automatic 15 to 20 percent service fee. Pricing will vary by line, but it's akin to restaurant and nicer bar prices -- about $12 per cocktail, $8 to $10 per glass of house wine, $14 to $25 for nicer wines. The drinking age onboard a cruise ship is typically 21 for cruise lines catering to Americans or for ships cruising to or from U.S. ports. European lines and a few American lines decrease the drinking age to 18 in Europe and other non-U.S. Virgin’s sailors are welcome to bring two 750-mL bottles of wine per cabin in carry-on bags. However, any alcohol in checked luggage will be collected pre-sailing and returned once the voyage is complete.

However, similar to alcohol policies, there might be quantity restrictions or applicable fees for bringing these beverages onboard. Most cruise lines have specific alcohol policies in place. Generally, they allow passengers to bring a limited amount of sealed alcohol bottles, typically one or two bottles of wine/champagne per stateroom. You are allowed to bring wine and liquor on board for your personal consumption, both on embarkation day and at ports of call. Guests may bring bottles of wine and champagne on board.

Each bottle you bring will be subject to a $20 corking fee. You can bring one bottle onboard fee free if its purchased from a company-sponsored shore excursion. No beers, spirits, or liquors are allowed to be taken onboard. With all that in mind, here is a line-by-line rundown of cruise line policies for bringing your own alcohol on ships. Your waiter will ask for your stateroom number and within minutes your wine will appear at your table.

If you’re looking to save money, the cruise line offer drink packages. So, for example, a cruise line like Carnival will charge about $55 per day for a package, and for that amount you can simply grab a drink when you’re ready. Celebrity Cruises' minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages is 21 years of age. Many rivers and luxury cruise line companies do allow guests to bring alcohol onboard.

It’s almost hard to envision a cruise without a tropical drink in hand. Letting loose and having a few cocktails or a nice bottle of cabernet at dinner is part of the vacation experience for many. That is why cruise lines sell you wine by the bundle, all-inclusive drink packages, and even bottles of liquor to bring home duty-free from the onboard shops. Virgin says you can bring two regular-sized (750 ml) bottles per cabin. There are also no corkage fees mentioned, saving you some money. NCL does allow passengers to bring on wine or champagne as long as it is in a fully sealed bottle.