Whenever I’m boarding a cruise ship, there is one thing I always see that leaves me scratching my head. No it’s not the passengers who are unloading more suitcases for a seven day eastern Caribbean cruise than they would pack for six months in Rome. It’s the ones who are boarding with cases of water, soda and other assorted beverages.
Whether they pick them up at the Walgreens near the cruise port or managed to lug them on plane, train or automobile to the ship, I often wonder…. why?
Obviously the ship isn’t going to run out of ginger ale, water or Diet Coke, so why bring on your own selection of beverages.
For many, the answer is simple. Drinks onboard are not cheap.
With beverage packages averaging around $40 a day per person and ala carte prices rivaling those of land based resorts, many cruisers opt to bring their own drinks onboard. Some are successful at “drink smuggling” while others are not.
If at embarkation, “imported beverages” of the alcoholic variety are found in carry-ons or checked luggage, they are generally removed and returned on the last day of the cruise. In the case of wine, most cruise lines will allow passengers to bring a bottle or two on board to enjoy as long as they pay a corkage fee.
There are several “tricks” cruise passengers try in an attempt to smuggle booze onboard. Perhaps the easiest is emptying a bottle of Aquafina and replacing the H2O with vodka, gin or rum. Sometimes security will check and catch it, while other times passengers are successful in their smuggling mission.
Bringing self-supplied alcoholic beverages onboard a ship may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Like many land-based resorts, outside food or beverages are prohibited. Why? There are two obvious reasons. The first being the resort or cruise line cannot control the amount of alcohol consumption by a guest which could result in over-serving and putting that guest and others at risk of physical harm. Second, is revenue. Resorts and cruise lines make money – lots of it – off beverage purchases.
I like to think the ban on imported alcoholic beverages is due mainly for the health and safety of passengers, but I’m pretty sure revenue plays a very important factor in that decision as well.
Whatever the reason is, Carnival Cruise Line has taken a much harder stance on the bring-your-own-booze policy in an announcement made on June 9, 2015. Beginning with cruises that depart after July 9, 2015, a revised Liquor & Beverage Policy is in effect:
Guests are prohibited from bringing water, sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages onboard that are packaged in bottles.
A small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, juice, and milk) packaged in cans or cartons may be brought onboard on embarkation day only in guests’ carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces each or less per person.
Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board with the following exception:
At the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day only, guests (21 years of age and older) may bring one 750 ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne per person in their carry-on luggage.A $15 USD corkage fee (a charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of wine served that was not bought on the premises), per 750 ml bottle, will be charged should guests wish to consume their wine or champagne in the main dining room, steakhouse or bar.
All liquor, beer, other forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages outside of the exceptions referenced above are strictly prohibited in both carry-on and checked luggage and such items will be confiscated and discarded and no compensation will be provided.
What does this all mean? Simply put, you can’t smuggle booze in that water bottle any longer! Come on, you know you were looking forward to the thrill of not getting caught, then enjoying a Grey Goose and Cranberry in your stateroom without a bill!
Cruises on forums like Cruise Critic are somewhat upset over the change saying they are being forced into paying inflated charges for bottled. To combat that, Carnival is offering passengers a deal on bottled water if it’s purchased in advance:
We know some of our guests are accustomed to bringing on their own supply of bottled water so as part of this new policy we have significantly reduced the pricing for spring bottled water which will be conveniently delivered directly to your stateroom. Pricing is as follows:
$2.99 USD (plus tax) for a 12-pack of 500 ML of bottled water for pre-cruise purchase. Please visit The Fun Shops or www.carnival.com/funshops to place your order before your cruise to ensure we have an ample supply onboard.
$4.99 USD (plus gratuities) for a 12-pack of 500 ML of bottled water for purchase onboard.
It’s not all that bad folks. Sure, for the smugglers the game is over. For those who want bottled water, they’re going to have to dig a little deeper into their pockets.
But hey, you’re on vacation right? Don’t worry… enjoy that drink in the Alchemy Bar without a lingering taste of Listerine because you didn’t rinse out the bottle well enough when you replaced mouthwash with Blue Curacao.
