Can I bring my own alcohol on a cruise? Tricky rules of drinks at sea

The rules around BYO and drinking on cruise ships can vary depending on the cruise line and the ports you are visiting.

Cruising along the Rhine River recently, I hesitated before buying a bottle of sylvaner at a family-run winery in Alsace after a particularly superb tasting excursion. Would I be able to take our lovely white back on board my Viking ship? And if so, would it be confiscated until the end of the cruise? Anyone who has cruised will know that when it comes to alcohol, there are vastly different rules according to which cruise brand you’re sailing with and even which ports you are in. It’s confusing.

I was happy to find out that Viking allows guests to bring wine on board, which is great, especially when you’re in one of the best wine regions on Earth. My friend and I were able to open our souvenir bottle from Domaine Albert Seltz over dinner on our final night to celebrate the trip.

For other cruise operators, the BYO rules are a little stricter. For example, Carnival Cruise Line guests are not permitted to bring their own alcohol on board the ship at the start of their trip, and any duty-free or personal alcohol bought while ashore will be collected at the gangway and returned to guests on the final day of the cruise. 

If sailing with Celebrity Cruises, guests may bring up to two 750ml bottles of wine on board per stateroom, subject to a corkage fee. Alcohol bought on board or while ashore will be stored and returned on the last day of the cruise.

If you’re travelling as a family with kids who are 18 to 20 in the US, they may not be served.

One reason some cruise lines might be more stringent than others could well be that the more “all-inclusive” luxury and premium brands tend to factor some of the money that might have been spent at the bar into the initial fare. And, of course, those cruise lines that do charge at on-board bars want cruisers to spend their cash there (or buy a drinks package) rather than BYO.

That’s if you can get a drink. If sailing from the Texan port of Galveston, you may have to wait until you hit international waters before the drinks package or full bar menu kicks in. Due to state laws where liquor must be from a distributor in Texas, some cruise brands can’t serve from the bar until the ship is 12 nautical miles from port. Royal Caribbean has devised a smart plan, offering a smaller menu of Texan alcohol and then reverting to the full bar menu once out of the Lone Star State.

Royal Caribbean offers a smaller menu of Texan alcohol and then reverts to the full bar menu once out of the Lone Star State. Picture: Simon Brooke-Webb.

Speaking of the US, if you’re under 21, or travelling as a family with kids who are 18 to 20, be warned, they may not be served. Again, this differs according to cruise lines. If on NCL and sailing in the US, for example, young adults between 18 and 20 years of age can buy and personally consume wine and beer only while on board and with the consent of an accompanying parent.

It’s a minefield, but there is an easy way to find out the rules for cruises in Australian waters at least. The Australian Cruise Association in collaboration with Cruise Lines International Association has compiled a handy Alcohol Guide for Australian Ports which lists the alcohol policies of all major cruise lines that operate in Australia.

Originally published as Can I bring my own alcohol on a cruise? Tricky rules of drinks at sea