NCL and X-Ray Baggage Alcohol Policy

Based on the number of suitcases that were NOT delivered to peoples'
cabins, and only a handful of Google Groups hits on "xray" and
"alcohol", I thought I would post my observations for a recent NCL
cruise (also very likely the same as other lines -- please advise).

After you check your bags at curbside, they are x-rayed. That
shouldn't be news. If during x-ray, they see something that might be
booze, instead of your suitcase, you got a paper on your cabin door!
I went by there and there was a swarm of angry people. There had to
have been 100 suit cases in that little room. There was a guy there
arguing that something was a gift for someone he was meeting at one of
the ports, and about 8 people behind him, milling around with scowls
on their faces. Meanwhile, ladies down the hall were drinking white
wine out of glasses from their cabin's washrooms. Seeing these two
things back-to-back I had to ask how they did it. They said the wine
was in a box.

Anyway, the process is that you answer the note on your door by
showing up at this confiscation room, remove the booze from your bag,
and get a ticket. You use the ticket to get your liquor back at the
end of the cruise (the morning you leave the ship).

I learned all of this on the very first evening, so I started watching
closer at the security checks after going to ports. They were shaking
water bottles. They didn't shake mine, but I could have had 2 liters
of vodka!

The bottom line is that you need to be a lot more sneaky if you wish
to BYOB on a cruise ship nowadays. Not too many years ago I know of a
guy who had lots of booze (for 3 couples), mixers, and even a blender
packed in it's own suit case! He dropped $50 on the cabin attendant
the first day and had three full ice buckets every evening at 5,
without asking. Everyone knew where and when the Pina Coladas would
be. Those days are gone.

So you either get creative, or it's going to be the $6 (minimum)
cocktail that they sell in the lounges.

--Dale--

This is one, but not the only, reason we NEVER cruise NCL. JOHN

wrote in message
oups.com...
Based on the number of suitcases that were NOT delivered to peoples'
cabins, and only a handful of Google Groups hits on "xray" and
"alcohol", I thought I would post my observations for a recent NCL
cruise (also very likely the same as other lines -- please advise).

After you check your bags at curbside, they are x-rayed. That
shouldn't be news. If during x-ray, they see something that might be
booze, instead of your suitcase, you got a paper on your cabin door!
I went by there and there was a swarm of angry people. There had to
have been 100 suit cases in that little room. There was a guy there
arguing that something was a gift for someone he was meeting at one of
the ports, and about 8 people behind him, milling around with scowls
on their faces. Meanwhile, ladies down the hall were drinking white
wine out of glasses from their cabin's washrooms. Seeing these two
things back-to-back I had to ask how they did it. They said the wine
was in a box.

Anyway, the process is that you answer the note on your door by
showing up at this confiscation room, remove the booze from your bag,
and get a ticket. You use the ticket to get your liquor back at the
end of the cruise (the morning you leave the ship).

I learned all of this on the very first evening, so I started watching
closer at the security checks after going to ports. They were shaking
water bottles. They didn't shake mine, but I could have had 2 liters
of vodka!

The bottom line is that you need to be a lot more sneaky if you wish
to BYOB on a cruise ship nowadays. Not too many years ago I know of a
guy who had lots of booze (for 3 couples), mixers, and even a blender
packed in it's own suit case! He dropped $50 on the cabin attendant
the first day and had three full ice buckets every evening at 5,
without asking. Everyone knew where and when the Pina Coladas would
be. Those days are gone.

So you either get creative, or it's going to be the $6 (minimum)
cocktail that they sell in the lounges.

--Dale--


Yep. NCL is kinda famous for this kind of service..........and is one of the
reason that I avoid them, not so much because I violate policy, but bcs of
their Gestapo tactics.

In article .com,
" wrote:

Based on the number of suitcases that were NOT delivered to peoples'
cabins, and only a handful of Google Groups hits on "xray" and
"alcohol", I thought I would post my observations for a recent NCL
cruise (also very likely the same as other lines -- please advise).

The other cruise lines have various policies against bringing your own
onboard but I have not heard of any of the others scanning for it and
putting suitcases in a confiscation room. It seems like only NCL does
that. The others may ask you to turn it in, but rely on your honor to
do so, rather than the forceful system you describe on NCL.

--
Charles

Is the only reason for this and for holding booze purchased in port until
the end of the cruise to boost the cruise line's bottom line? Or is there
some regulatory/customs reason as well?

On our last Princess cruise two years ago we were allowed to bring wine
purchased in port on board and consume it, but not hard liquor.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Based on the number of suitcases that were NOT delivered to peoples'
cabins, and only a handful of Google Groups hits on "xray" and
"alcohol", I thought I would post my observations for a recent NCL
cruise (also very likely the same as other lines -- please advise).

After you check your bags at curbside, they are x-rayed. That
shouldn't be news. If during x-ray, they see something that might be
booze, instead of your suitcase, you got a paper on your cabin door!
I went by there and there was a swarm of angry people. There had to
have been 100 suit cases in that little room. There was a guy there
arguing that something was a gift for someone he was meeting at one of
the ports, and about 8 people behind him, milling around with scowls
on their faces. Meanwhile, ladies down the hall were drinking white
wine out of glasses from their cabin's washrooms. Seeing these two
things back-to-back I had to ask how they did it. They said the wine
was in a box.

Anyway, the process is that you answer the note on your door by
showing up at this confiscation room, remove the booze from your bag,
and get a ticket. You use the ticket to get your liquor back at the
end of the cruise (the morning you leave the ship).

I learned all of this on the very first evening, so I started watching
closer at the security checks after going to ports. They were shaking
water bottles. They didn't shake mine, but I could have had 2 liters
of vodka!

The bottom line is that you need to be a lot more sneaky if you wish
to BYOB on a cruise ship nowadays. Not too many years ago I know of a
guy who had lots of booze (for 3 couples), mixers, and even a blender
packed in it's own suit case! He dropped $50 on the cabin attendant
the first day and had three full ice buckets every evening at 5,
without asking. Everyone knew where and when the Pina Coladas would
be. Those days are gone.

So you either get creative, or it's going to be the $6 (minimum)
cocktail that they sell in the lounges.

--Dale--

In article , gad
wrote:

Is the only reason for this and for holding booze purchased in port until
the end of the cruise to boost the cruise line's bottom line? Or is there
some regulatory/customs reason as well?

The cruise lines would prefer that you enhance their revenue by
purchasing from them by the glass. Their point which I can see is that
they are providing the venue, the cruise ship which cost millions of
dollars for them to build and operate for them to make a profit from.
They don't see any reason for you to bring your own onboard and deprive
them of revenue. It would be like allowing outside vendors to come on
and profit from their venue.

On our last Princess cruise two years ago we were allowed to bring wine
purchased in port on board and consume it, but not hard liquor.

The current Princess policy. You can bring your own wine and champagne
onboard. At the beginning embarkation. Not at ports.

--
Charles

I pointed out this NCL policy in
my post of 12/17 after a cruise
on Norwegian Sun.
On other recent cruises on Cunard, there were no such checks. No checks on
Regent,
where you can carry aboard booze with impunity, but of course
they do not charge for booze, so
anything you bring of your own
and drink probably saves them
money.
On the NCL cruise I was able to
smuggle aboard a couple of 325ml
bottles of rum hidden in my baggy
cargo shorts pockets.




"Charles" wrote in message
d...
In article .com,
" wrote:

Based on the number of suitcases that were NOT delivered to peoples'
cabins, and only a handful of Google Groups hits on "xray" and
"alcohol", I thought I would post my observations for a recent NCL
cruise (also very likely the same as other lines -- please advise).

The other cruise lines have various policies against bringing your own
onboard but I have not heard of any of the others scanning for it and
putting suitcases in a confiscation room. It seems like only NCL does
that. The others may ask you to turn it in, but rely on your honor to
do so, rather than the forceful system you describe on NCL.

--
Charles

A couple of comments for clarification - first if you want a bottle of Vodka
in your room liters can be ordered pre-cruise from NCL for $40. Not a
bargain but 7 onboard drinks pay for the bottle. NCL does still allow wine
onboard but charges a corkage fee for all bottles. If you carry them on you
sign a chit and away you go. If you try to sneak them on and discovered they
will be with the rest of the bags but you can still bail your wine out.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Based on the number of suitcases that were NOT delivered to peoples'
cabins, and only a handful of Google Groups hits on "xray" and
"alcohol", I thought I would post my observations for a recent NCL
cruise (also very likely the same as other lines -- please advise).

After you check your bags at curbside, they are x-rayed. That
shouldn't be news. If during x-ray, they see something that might be
booze, instead of your suitcase, you got a paper on your cabin door!
I went by there and there was a swarm of angry people. There had to
have been 100 suit cases in that little room. There was a guy there
arguing that something was a gift for someone he was meeting at one of
the ports, and about 8 people behind him, milling around with scowls
on their faces. Meanwhile, ladies down the hall were drinking white
wine out of glasses from their cabin's washrooms. Seeing these two
things back-to-back I had to ask how they did it. They said the wine
was in a box.

Anyway, the process is that you answer the note on your door by
showing up at this confiscation room, remove the booze from your bag,
and get a ticket. You use the ticket to get your liquor back at the
end of the cruise (the morning you leave the ship).

I learned all of this on the very first evening, so I started watching
closer at the security checks after going to ports. They were shaking
water bottles. They didn't shake mine, but I could have had 2 liters
of vodka!

The bottom line is that you need to be a lot more sneaky if you wish
to BYOB on a cruise ship nowadays. Not too many years ago I know of a
guy who had lots of booze (for 3 couples), mixers, and even a blender
packed in it's own suit case! He dropped $50 on the cabin attendant
the first day and had three full ice buckets every evening at 5,
without asking. Everyone knew where and when the Pina Coladas would
be. Those days are gone.

So you either get creative, or it's going to be the $6 (minimum)
cocktail that they sell in the lounges.

--Dale--

I have asked my cruise assistant at NCL. Here is the answer.

All luggage will be X rayed.
All liquor and wines will be held by ships staff.

Ligour will be held until the end of the cruise and returned to you. W

Wines will be held by ships staff until you wish to consume it, then it will
be delivered to you (Chilled if you wish) and you will be charged a corkage
fee.

That is the basics of it.

Terry

In article , says...


I have asked my cruise assistant at NCL. Here is the answer.

All luggage will be X rayed.
All liquor and wines will be held by ships staff.

Ligour will be held until the end of the cruise and returned to you. W

Wines will be held by ships staff until you wish to consume it, then it will
be delivered to you (Chilled if you wish) and you will be charged a corkage
fee.

That is the basics of it.


What has changed in the cruise industry to bring about this draconian policy?
When I started cursing in the 1960s, the staff would carry your liquor aboard
and deliver it to your cabin. By the 1980s, there were policies against
bringing your own liquor aboard but they were not enforced. By the 1990s,
there was some enforcement but it was not aggressive. Today, NCL has decided
they can't give up a dime in alcohol sales no matter how they have to alienate
passengers.

IMHO what has changed is that the price of cruises has been cut to the point
where the mass market and budget lines can't make a profit from fares alone.
They may even be losing money on the cheapest fares. Charge a loss leader fare.
Get the passengers credit card numbers as soon as they board. Make sure you
have a captive market. Hope they don't pay attention to how much their adding
to their shipboard accounts. Let the bozos and the banks work out the details
of collecting on the bill.

This is not an arrangement I like. I would rather pay a fare up front that
allows the cruise line to make a reasonable profit and not be treated like a
mark at a traveling carnival (no direct analogy to the cruise line intended).
But, obviously that is not the reality of the market today and I will have to
adjust to it.

"There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little
worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is
this man's lawful prey."
-- John Ruskin