Can I bring alcohol on a cruise ship? A line-by-line guide

Table Of Content

• Can I Bring Alcohol on my Cruise? Drink Policies for Every Cruise Line
• What should I know about drink packages?
• Refillable Water Bottle
• Am I allowed to bring alcohol onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• Can you take alcohol on Virgin Voyages cruises?
• Holland America Alcohol Policy
• Can I purchase alcohol onshore and bring it on the ship?
• thought on “Can You Bring Alcohol On A Cruise?”

Click here for more info on Princess Cruises alcohol policy. You likely won't be able to pick and choose the type of drink you'll receive; however, you can expect to find champagne at onboard art auctions. You might come across someone who has had a few too many, but most passengers will be well behaved. 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. And have now doubt, selling drinks is a big business for the ships.

Can I Bring Alcohol on my Cruise? Drink Policies for Every Cruise Line

Virgin Voyages passengers are allowed to bring two bottles of wine or Champagne (750 mL) per cabin in their carry-on luggage. Alcohol brought on board in checked luggage or not in accordance with the policy will be stored until the end of the sailing. Bottles purchased in port also will be held until the final night. 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.

What should I know about drink packages?

Celebrity allows passengers to bring two bottles of wine for each passenger, but there is a corkage fee if they are consumed in a public area (unless you have a drink package). There is no size limit on the bottles mentioned, but it’s safe to assume the limit is a standard 750 ml size. According to Cunard’s terms and conditions, you’re allowed to take one bottle of wine of Champagne (750ml) onto the cruise ship “to celebrate special occasions”. You don’t need to prove it is for a special occasion though. A corkage fee of $25 will be applied if you want to drink the wine in the restaurants or bars on the ship.

Refillable Water Bottle

Despite its name, the fee has nothing to do with whether you physically uncork your own bottle, but rather your choice to drink your own alcohol in a public area like a bar or restaurant. If you still need convincing that this is a bad idea, some cruise lines may remove passengers from the ship if caught with prohibited items. Removal of passengers especially applies to minors who try to sneak alcohol onboard.

Am I allowed to bring alcohol onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship?

If you are not an alcohol drinker, they can be used for non-alcoholic beverages, such as soda, premium coffee, etc. Further, most alcohol packages require all adults sharing a cabin to purchase a package if even one person decides to. The policy is designed to increase the cruise line's revenue by preventing the sharing of packages. Additionally, all packages must be purchased for the duration of your voyage, and some have daily limits (like Carnival Cruise Line's CHEERS! Package), usually around 15 drinks per day. Other alcohol like beer and liquor are not allowed to be brought with you on embarkation day. If consumed in a public area, it will be hit with a $25 corkage fee.

Can you take alcohol on Virgin Voyages cruises?

Cruise ship scanners usually have no problem detecting alcohol hidden in luggage. Liquid appears dark on an x-ray and the shape of bottles are easy to detect. Much of each cruise line's revenue comes from onboard purchases made by passengers. Because alcohol makes up a large chunk of those purchases, lines are hesitant to allow cruisers to bring their own. Moreover, drink prices vary based on what line you're sailing on. For instance, while you can find cocktails for $9-$10 on MSC Cruises, they're closer to $13 on most Royal Caribbean ships.

Holland America Alcohol Policy

Martini Bar & Crush offers a menu of martinis and hosts vodka and caviar tastings at its ice-topped bar, while World Class Bar serves handcrafted cocktails. Slush specializes in frozen cocktails, served poolside, while the Gastrobar serves up more than 40 types of beers, along with cocktails and wine. NCL has one of the most relaxed policies when it comes to bringing alcohol onboard. You are limited to wine and Champagne only, but you can bring as many onto the ship as you like, and the size limit is increased to a magnum (1.5 litres).

Can I bring alcohol on a cruise ship? A line-by-line guide - The Points Guy

Can I bring alcohol on a cruise ship? A line-by-line guide.

Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Can I purchase alcohol onshore and bring it on the ship?

In other words, even if you aren’t a big cocktail drinker, there’s likely to be something that you’ll want to sip. You pour your wine or liquor into a pouch hidden within a compartment in the bag. A booze bra or, as otherwise known, Liquor bra or wine rack bra. Just carry the BoozeBrella in your bags as if you are ready for all weather. Even though it’s purely a flask and not an umbrella anyone can use. However, if you choose this method, you have to do it properly and make it look like the wine bottle has never been opened.

thought on “Can You Bring Alcohol On A Cruise?”

Ships sailing from points in Europe, Asia, and Australia typically have a drinking age of 18 years old. If you have a drink package, then you don’t have to worry about gratuity being added when you get something from a bar. The gratuity is instead added onto the daily cost of the package. So a $70 per day drink package will have an 18-20% gratuity charge (the amount varies by cruise line) and actually costs you closer to $85 per day. But when you get a drink, you won’t see any additional charges, for the drink or gratuity.

Some even try putting liquor in wine bottles and replacing the cap. Passengers are welcome to purchase and enjoy wine, beer, and spirits throughout their voyage with no limits or fees on bringing their own alcohol onboard. Outside of your stateroom, something called a corkage fee usually applies to consumption. A corkage fee is a set fee you pay to partake in your own stash. This applies whether it’s wine at dinner or booze in a lounge.

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. Drinking alcohol is one of the most popular pastimes on a  cruise vacation. Celebrity ships have several specialty bars onboard, which vary by ship. Cellar Masters offers a daily wine tasting in the afternoon or evening, featuring a different wine region each day and including discussions with knowledgeable sommeliers.

Some people think it’s the only way they can drink on a cruise at 18 to 20, although underage drinking should be discouraged. Whereas others are convinced alcoholic cruise drinks are watered down, so try to take their own. Most ocean sailing cruise ships strictly limit the amount of alcohol you can bring on the cruise. 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. This is the most generous alcohol policy of all cruise lines.

If cruise ship crew suspect you are sneaking alcohol on board they will inspect your luggage in detail. They may check your wine bottles to see if it really is sealed as new and contains wine. They will confiscate it if found to contain spirits, and may even refuse you boarding. This is probably the most common way to sneak wine on a cruise. Most cruise lines allow you to bring one bottle of wine per person on board.

However, if you have a bottle of something which looks like water, even if it has been opened, it’s very unlikely that anyone would inspect it more closely. Sneaking alcohol on your body is the riskiest way to do it. You’ll have to remove any bulky items and walk through an X-ray scanner. If it beeps for any reason (including for a random check), then you’ll be patted down, and your stash will be discovered, no matter how well it’s disguised.