Have you ever wondered why Carnival only allows guests to carry one bottle of wine onboard?
Though it would be nice to bring unlimited alcohol on cruise ships, alcohol sales are where cruise lines make a significant portion of their revenue.
By limiting guests to one bottle of wine, they encourage passengers to purchase drinks on board, whether individually or through a drink package. Alcohol can quickly add up during a Carnival cruise, with the nightly price of its CHEERS! package costing around $88 per person, per day.
One frustrated guest wrote to John Heald, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, about their dissatisfaction with the one-bottle rule.
"Perhaps you can explain the lunacy behind Carnival’s rule to only allow one bottle of wine on a [12-day] cruise?!!!! This is the SAME AS A FOUR DAY! Platinum cruiser too so makes even less sense why we are being punished this way! We should be able to bring on 2 or three bottles without also having to pay the cork fee," said the unnamed cruiser.
Heald began by explaining the history behind the rule: "In the days of the grand old ocean liner passengers were allowed to bring on a bottle of champagne or wine to celebrate the Sailaway. This tradition has continued, and we allow people to bring on one [bottle of red, white, or rosé wine] per cruise."
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Because each cruise has just one sail away, guests are limited to one bottle of wine. "So even if it is a [12-day] cruise, you only have one Sailaway thus you can only bring on board one bottle," he continues.
He then went on to talk about the corkage fee. While Carnival won't charge you to bring a bottle of wine onboard, your account will be billed a corkage fee should you decide to open and consume the bottle in public spaces like the Main Dining Room.
As such, many cruisers like to open and pour the wine in their cabins. There's no charge for this, and you can take a freshly poured glass of wine to any event, whether dinner, show, or late-night deck party.
However, another passenger was upset by this fee. "I know a guest recently who was a diamond guest went to the guest services desk demanding the $15 corkage fee she was charged in the dining room be removed," Heald said.
"Never think that we do not appreciate your loyalty, but regardless of whether you have a blue card or a diamond card if you bring a bottle of wine that has not been purchased on board the ship to the dining room there is a corkage fee."
Though Heald’s response clarified the reasoning behind the policy, the debate continues among loyal cruisers. Some feel the limitation is unfair, particularly on longer voyages.
"I agree to an extent with [the] poster that there is a big difference [between] a [four-day] cruise and a [12-day] cruise. Wine or cokes, there should be different limits depending on the amount of days," commented Sonya Goldman Williams.
Gay Thompson added, "I do wish they would consider changing it to 1 bottle for every 7 days so on my upcoming [14-day] cruise I could be 2 bottles!"
"Even with your explanation, it makes no sense to have the same limit no matter the length of the cruise. Same with hangers. Same amount in [the] room for 3 day or 10 day," wrote Lynne George.
Scott JC said, "John, I love you man, but let's be real. They limit people to bringing one bottle of wine with them to keep people buying their alcohol from the ship at [the] ship's prices. Carnival, and every other cruise line, makes a lot of money on alcohol. They don't want too much free alcohol being brought onboard by guests from the outside as it will affect their bottom line."
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How to sneak alcohol on a cruise ship
While you certainly can take alcohol on a cruise ship, each line has its set of restrictions. For example, Carnival limits guests to one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne, while Disney lets passengers bring two bottles each.
That said, no cruise line permits guests to bring liquor onboard, whether it's vodka, tequila, gin, or whiskey. It's easy to turn to social media and find videos of success stories—people are curious about how to successfully sneak alcohol on a cruise ship to save money!
Hacks range from filling empty mouthwash bottles with clear liquor and dying it to match the original color of the liquid to purchasing ordinary-looking flasks, like shampoo bottles or tampons, and concealing the alcohol inside of them.
Can you bring your own alcohol on a cruise? You can certainly try, but there could be consequences if caught.
Cruise ships check bags for alcohol and, thanks to social media, have learned about some of the clever hacks passengers are using. As such, you shouldn't be surprised if you end up having to retrieve your bags from the security office.
Technically, cruise lines can deny your right to board the ship if you try to smuggle alcohol onboard. Though this is unlikely, it's important to be aware of the worst consequences, as they could be worse than your alcohol being confiscated and you potentially facing fines.
Read more: 15 Ways to Get Free Drinks on Your Cruise
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on nearly 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
