The Most Common Ways To Sneak Alcohol On A Cruise Ship And What Happens If You're Caught

Table Of Content

• The biggest cruise rip-offs that you should avoid to save money
• Hairbrush Flask
• What Happens If You Get Caught?
• I Have Sailed on 5 Cruise Lines—These Cruise Loyalty Programs Have the Best Savings and Perks
• Can You Purchase Alcohol in Port?
• The Most Common Ways To Sneak Alcohol On A Cruise Ship (And What Happens If You’re Caught)
• Do Cruise Ships Search your Luggage?

Over six years later, we can only assume that this number has increased, as the cruising industry has seen record-breaking bookings since the post-pandemic return. However, other cruise lines simply state that if you are caught with prohibited alcohol they will confiscate and discard it. However, if your bag was manually checked for any other reason, it would be obvious what’s inside these booze bags. Although liquid can be detected on a cruise scanner because of the shape of the rum runner, it is much less likely to be noticed than the outline shape of a bottle full of liquid. However, guests will still try sneaking alcohol on MSC and Costa Cruises using these methods.

The biggest cruise rip-offs that you should avoid to save money

This saves the cruise lines time from having to check bottles to see if they sneakily contain alcohol. All cruise lines check for alcohol, drugs, and other prohibited items during embarkation and port visits. Cruise lines use x-ray scanners and metal detectors to ensure passengers don’t bring prohibited items onboard.

Hairbrush Flask

They can be used both for smuggling alcohol onboard and on ships or excursions. However, some women carry them around in their bags while in public areas of the ship and use them to add alcohol to soft drinks. The reviews show these are very successful ways of sneaking alcohol onboard. Make sure you choose one with foam security seals that stop leaks but, more importantly, make the bottles look sealed, so if they are opened by cruise staff, there is no smell of alcohol.

What Happens If You Get Caught?

The two sides aren’t connected, so you could have gin in one half and vodka in the other if you wish to create your own cocktails. Even if someone had a really good rummage through your luggage, they’d be unlikely to open a tampon to check in there. The following table shows the alcohol allowance for each cruise line. If Carnival does discover your alcohol, it will be confiscated and permanently discarded.

'Insane' cruise guests warned of consequences 'if caught' flouting alcohol rule - Express

'Insane' cruise guests warned of consequences 'if caught' flouting alcohol rule.

Posted: Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

However, if you choose this method, you have to do it properly and make it look like the wine bottle has never been opened. They should come with funnels for easy alcohol pouring when filling and also factory seals to keep them watertight and make them look brand new opened. The couple below successfully smuggled their rum runners onto a Carnival Cruise. Choosing a cruise with a satisfactory alcohol policy is the best way to avoid any trouble. Work with one of our cruise travel agents to help find the cruise that’s right for you. Other sneaky flask designs include this faux hairbrush flask, wine tote, refreezable ice pack, and power bank.

Can You Purchase Alcohol in Port?

Holding 6oz of liquor, you can keep it close by at all times in a bag and use it to discreetly top up soft drinks. Most cruise lines allow guests to bring wine on a cruise, typically just one bottle, but sometimes more. Since rum runners aren’t bottle or can-shaped, they are likely to go undetected through the x-ray scanner.

Beware that it may be thrown away with no compensation if it’s detected. The idea behind alcohol bags is that on an x-ray, they don’t look like a bottle, so they won’t be detected when your bag is scanned. Before we start discussing the ins and outs of how to sneak booze on a cruise, it’s worth pointing out that many cruise lines allow you to bring a certain amount of alcohol on the ship. Another way I’ve heard people use rum runners to sneak alcohol on a cruise is to use the smaller bags on their person. Most of these items are ideal for sneaking alcohol onto a cruise ship.

The rules vary by cruise line, so it’s a good idea to check with your line before embarkation. It is also worth noting that many cruise lines allow guests to bring a limited amount of wine or champagne on their cruise. Not only is this allowed by the cruise lines, it can significantly assist in reducing the overall drink cost. Royal Caribbean, for instance, allows passengers to bring one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne onboard per person. If cruise ship crew suspect you are sneaking alcohol on board they will inspect your luggage in detail.

Do Cruise Ships Search your Luggage?

The temptation is also to buy the larger bottles of mouthwash, which most people wouldn’t normally take on a short vacation. It can be a bit more time-consuming to set up compared to other methods. Recorking the bottle isn’t always easy for some, and then you have to heat the seal so its looks as new as possible. While they can be used to sneak alcohol onboard, they are of limited use due to their small size. Fake suncream flasks are another good option because they naturally contain liquid, so they won’t look suspicious on a scan. The video shows how to fill the rum runners and pack in her luggage to finally to the unpacking in the stateroom.

Compared to shampoo bottles, mouthwash containers are much easier to clean. Shampoo bottles are one of the most popular containers passengers use to smuggle alcohol on ships. It’s never a good idea to sneak alcohol on a cruise ship, especially if you’re not of legal drinking age. If you are sailing on a tight budget, consider also drinking while in port, as the drinks tend to be much cheaper than onboard. Plus, you won't have to go through all the trouble of preparing to sneak alcohol on the cruise ship.

With some cruise lines charging upwards of $16.00 per cocktail after the added gratuity, there is no wonder that the popularity of drink packages has increased. There are many online cruise forums where people have discussed their experiences in getting caught sneaking alcohol on a ship. If you’re caught bringing alcohol on a cruise, the worst-case scenario is that you could be denied boarding. As port staff won’t know whether you’re carrying booze or something much more dangerous, you’ll likely set alarm bells ringing and could get in serious trouble. An interesting method that may be used to hide alcohol when you embark on your cruise ship is the ‘beer belly canteen’.

Whilst some cruise ships allow you to bring your own wine on board, you have to drink it in your room. With this device, you could fill your bag with chilled wine from your in-room refrigerator and sneakily pour it into a glass by the pool using the hidden tap. This stylish handbag comes with a secret zipper with an insulated pouch inside which keeps your wine cool for hours. This bag probably isn’t ideal for bringing booze onto a cruise ship as it may show up solid on the scanner when filled with liquor. The best way to sneak alcohol on a cruise depends somewhat on the type of booze you wish to conceal (vodka is easier to hide than beer) and how much of it you want to bring.