I will be going on a cruise with husband and 2 children. We are travelling to western carribean. How much alcohol can be brought through duty free onto the ship to be consumed while on the ship? Same question with cigarettes?

No one checks cigarettes on the ship, so you can bring as much tobacco as you want onto the ship. You can check the limits for tobacco brought back to the U.S. at the Customs and Border Protection web site (cbp.gov). I believe it's at least 1 carton of cigarettes and 2 liters of alcohol per adult.

But you won't be able to bring duty-free liquor to drink on the ship. Few cruise lines allow this; they'll ordinarily take your purchases and return them on the last night.

Zero. Alcohol will be taken away if you try to bring it on the ship (all carry-on is x-rayed) and will be kept till last night so you can take it home.

How much alchohol you can bring to the US I don't remember, just to let you know, this person must be over the drinking age, so 4 of you are actually 2 people where alchohol is concerned.

Zero. Zip. Nil. None. No booze can be brought to the ship except for wine and they charge $10 a bottle for cokage. Most ships are non smoking except for a small desifgnated area. All cabins are non smoking.

Upon returning to the US, if you have been away for more than 48 hours, the aallowances amount to a bottle of booze and a carton of smokes. All items purchased not over $800 are duty free.

If you buy liquor in St Thomas or US Virgin Islands you are allowed more than the regular bottle so if you want to bring liquor home check before you and they can also advise you in St Thomas at the stores what US residents can take back.

Western Caribbean cruises do not typically visit St. Thomas. So that's not really an option. But you're right, you can bring extra bottles (and you can also spend more duty-free) if you visit the USVI.