Well, I will first say that I will never (publicly ;)) tell anyone to go against any cruise line policies. But I can provide information for you to make an informed decision. 😉
You’re on vacation, and if you’re headed to the Caribbean, you’re on a tropical vacation no less.
And drinks are expensive on a cruise ship, and that means alcohol on a cruise can end up costing a lot.
You’re just trying to keep a little bit of extra money in your pocket. And cruise lines are trying to get a little bit of extra money in their pockets. (Maybe there are other reasons, but we’ll just assume it’s for money.)
But don’t be mad at the cruise line. After all, you chose to make it a cruise vacation, which means you understand the alcohol policy before you get on the cruise ship.
So now you can make a rational decision about whether or not you will try to abide by the alcohol policy, or not. 😉
Adjust your expectations
If you’re looking into how to sneak booze on a cruise, you already know that most alcohol is one of the things to NOT pack for a cruise.
As annoying as it is, you agreed to these policies when you booked your cruise.
So, if you decide to go through with hiding alcohol in your cruise luggage, just don’t be mad if all the money that you spent on the alcohol you tried to hide goes to waste if it’s found and confiscated.
Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!
What to do if you get caught trying to sneak alcohol on a cruise ship
You knew going in that you weren’t supposed to bring alcohol, so if you get caught, don’t let it ruin the start of your vacation!
Just shrug and tell yourself, “That sucks!” and remember that you are on a CRUISE! Bad attitudes can spread FAST, and that is NO way to start a cruise! 😉
What happens if you sneak alcohol on a cruise and DON’T get caught?
You pat yourself on the back for having just saved yourself some money on liquor, and then you can join all of these people and do a victory lap! 😉
How do you hide alcohol in your cruise luggage?
Is there a place within your suitcase that you can hide alcohol with a better chance of it not being found?
Do the alcohol concealers in these pictures below fool you…?
Well, they may not fool cruise ship security officers!
If cruise lines are smart (which there’s a good chance they are), they probably monitor cruise forums so they can inform their security officers of the latest cruise hacks to look out for.
You can think of cruise ship security officers as being kind of like TSA agents at the airport. No matter how much they are trained, they are not going to have a 100% rate of finding things that aren’t supposed to make it past them. In the case of security officers on a cruise ship, one of those things is hidden alcohol.
Success stories from cruise passengers
And it would seem from all of the success stories and more success stories from cruise passengers that it is confirmed that cruise security doesn’t have a 100% rate of finding hidden alcohol.
…and the failures
Although to be fair, there are also stories of failures from cruise passengers with security officers being aware of the tricks to hide alcohol.
With this in mind, it is worth reading those success stories and failures before deciding if you’ll be trying to sneak alcohol on a cruise.
You can bring wine on a cruise ship from home
Well, you do also have the option of bringing wine or champagne on board many ships. But, if you do bring a bottle to enjoy a glass of wine at dinner, take for example Carnival’s wine policy:
“A $15 USD corkage fee, per 750 ml bottle, will be charged should guests wish to consume their wine or champagne in the main dining room, steakhouse or bar.”
Alcohol policies of popular cruise lines
Have a look at the beverage and alcohol policy of the specific cruise line you’re sailing so you know what it is:
- Carnival Cruise: policy
- Royal Caribbean: policy
- Norwegian Cruise Line: policy
- Princess Cruises: policy
- Celebrity Cruises: policy
Drink responsibly at sea
However you get your alcohol, DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
Being at sea is different from being on land.
If you do irrational things on land as a result of drinking too much, maybe you’ll just fall flat on your face and wake up on the ground the next day.
If you do irrational things at sea as a result of drinking too much, well, you can fall into the ocean never to be found again. The vast majority of man overboard situations likely involve drunk people.
More things to maybe pack for your cruise!
Now, here are some more things that you just may want to add to your cruise packing list!
- This case so you can take pristine underwater pictures with your phone! (It’s cheap!)
- This waterproof pouch so you don’t have to worry about leaving valuables on the beach
- These tag holders so you don’t end up with lost luggage on the cruise ship!
- These packing cubes so you can find your stuff once on the cruise
- These types of beach shoes so you don’t have to worry about hidden rocks under the sand at any of the cruise ports
- This type of beach bag that’ll help you dry things out so you can be ready for the next beach day!
- For your beach outfits, take a look at…
- These swimsuits and cover-ups for women
- This swimwear for plus-size women
- These swimsuits for men
- Cruise formal: And here are ideas for your cruise outfits for formal night!
- Seasickness: And here are ideas for snacks and wearables to prevent seasickness
- Snorkeling: What to wear snorkeling
SAFE CRUISE DRINKING!
caribbean cruise ports | map >> aruba | curacao | cozumel | puerto rico | grand cayman | nassau | st maarten | turks and caicos
More cruise tips:
– What to wear for cruise formal night
– Do you need cruise travel insurance?
– Cruises with kids: Things to do on embarkation day
– How to prevent cruise luggage from getting lost on the cruise ship
– How to prevent seasickness
– What NOT to bring on a cruise
– CRUISE PACKING LIST!
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission.
🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel:
- walking sandals:
I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling