We are going on our 1st cruise and everyone has told us that you really should pack a bottle in your luggage? Any pointers on the best way to do this? Do they search your luggage? What happens if you're "caught"? Can you buy booze at onboard at the duty-free shop and have in your room? Or can you buy it in port and bring it back to your room? Apprecaite your help!

If you are caught you loose your bottle. They are not going to throw you off. Just use "I didn't know" line. If you buy in a port they take it from you on reboarding and return it to you on the last night so you can pack it. You can buy on board and pay the non duty free price - saw this on Holland America. If you really want to get booze on board, put it in a water bottle such as Dasani or similar, providing it is something clear such as vodka, gin or white rum and carry it in a sholder bag in plain sight as if it is water. Enjoy.

Just another in the long list of reasons I won't cruise. Hey! I'm the consumer, you're the provider. Don't you get it?

NCL xrays all bags. If they see any booze, they hold your bag and send notice to come get it. Then you have to remove it and give it to them. You will get it back when cruise is over. My husband used to pack a bottle of gin in a tackle box and pack it. He took diet tonic in carryon. Now he fills a tonic bottle with gin. On some ships, but not all, you can order a bottle to be delivered to your cabin BEFORE you board. We have also taken a water bottle ashore, emptied it and filled it with gin we bought on shore to get it back to our cabin.
Now, he usually just has tea. Last cruise drinks were $5.50+ tip. If we each had 5 drinks (before dinner, at shows, in disco, etc.)that would total up fast. Any alcohol you buy on the ship or ashore will be delivered to your cabin the last night.(But on NCL you go and get it the last morning.)Its too bad they charge so much when you consider how much a bottle costs them!

It's been 2 years since my last cruise -- on Celebrity. I brought 12-14 bottles of wine in my carry on -- no problem getting them on board and thru the x-ray. I did have to pay corkage of $12 if I brought the wine to the dinner table.

In ports of Key West and Cozumel, I brought beer back from ashore in my back pack -- no problems.

I like your Gin idea.

I understand mixed drinks price...it involves bar-tending skills and some work. But pouring me vodka-from-the-bottle...sorry, charlie, no way I am paying for that!!! I am smugling as much as I can.lol

Last Aug. the Sapphire Princess charger only $20.00 for a full litre on Absolut vodka for in cabin use when purchased onboard. I suggest calling or emailing the cruise line you are using for their policy.

I've been on several cruise lines that x-ray your bags. If any suspicious bottles found, ie mouthwash water etc. you're asked to come get your bag, they search it and if liquor is found, they take it and you get it back at the end of the cruise. They claim it's to limit over drinking. However, they don't object to selling you drinks and drinks. It's another way for the lines to make more money!

Wine and champagne are allowed on board. We always bring some wine in a box (yes, there are some good wines that come this way). It's easy to transport (lighter than glass, square shape takes minimal space) and it stays fresh.

I love wine in a box but since 'Monster in law' I can't forget how Monster's MIL said 'I remember you when you drank a wine from the box'and I felt low.

I still buying it but it has aftertaste now(lol)

My son and his wife brought a few bottles of wine on board. The bags were xrayed,they were charged a corkage fee.

I guess box wine IS good...no corckage fee possible...

I put my water shoes on top of my wine box so looked like shoes were in box on xray. Had no trouble with NCL, New Years....

Took a wine box and 4 bottles of red onto the Golden Princess in Southampton in my hand luggage. They were that busy at check in they didn't bat an eyelid.

We had a couple of glasses of wine each night in the cabin before going down to dinner then only bought drinks after dinner. Still managed to rack up a hefty bar bill, but hey you are on holiday.

We ordered a bottle of Crown on Princess that was delivered to our cabin through room service. The price was cheaper than we could have bought it at home!

A friend just returned from a cruise with NCL. They x-rayed her luggage and made her surrender her booze.

Joy, was it NCL?

Anyone have any experience bringing alchol on board for a Carnival cruise?

We took a bottle on Elation in October. No problem getting it on the ship...THEN we didn't ever open it! So we brought it back home.

And WHAT ship was that?