How much alcohol can you bring home on a cruise ship?

Adults at least 21 years of age who are residents of the United States may bring in, free of duty and internal revenue tax, not more than one liter of alcoholic beverages beer, wine, liquor for personal use. Quantities above one liter are subject to duty and internal revenue tax and all must be declared.



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For alcohol there are no federal limits on how much you can bring, within reason. The rules call for the allowance for enough goods for “personal use.” So if you're trying to lug home cases of booze, then you likely won't get past customs (they'll think you're trying to import it for sale).

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Policy – Guests are allowed to take spirits, wine, and champagne onboard, though most alcohol is included in the price of the cruise. Policy – Two bottles (750ml each or smaller) of wine or champagne per cabin are allowed. No beer or spirits may be taken onboard for consumption.

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Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids. On embarkation day, each guest of drinking age may bring one (1) sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne. Boxed wine and other containers are prohibited.

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There is also a limit to how much you can bring on the ship. You must present bottles in carry-on bags upon entry. Before boarding, you'll have to remove them from checked luggage and pass through ship security. Generally, guests can bring one to two bottles per stateroom on the ship.

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In many cases, no. Several of the biggest cruise lines, including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises, have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drinks package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. This is to prevent two or more people in a cabin from sharing a single drinks package.

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Your SeaPass® will have either a sticker or a printed verification of your package. The bar staff will request to see your SeaPass for verification prior to service, so keep it handy.

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If cruise ship crew suspect you are sneaking alcohol on board they will inspect your luggage in detail. They may check your wine bottles to see if it really is sealed as new and contains wine. They will confiscate it if found to contain spirits, and may even refuse you boarding.

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Consequences of Sneaking Alcohol on a Cruise Passport or identification retention: Besides confiscating your alcohol, you may have to show ID for the cruise line to note your actions and keep them in the system. Asked to disembark from the cruise: In extreme cases, you may be asked to disembark the ship.

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If you are considered a “young adult” (meaning 18-20 years old) and you are sailing with a parent who signs a waiver, then you can drink wine and beer aboard the ship — but not cocktails. Passengers must be 21 years of age or older to purchase or consume alcohol.

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Passengers ages 18 to 20, with the written consent of their parents or guardian, can purchase beer or wine for themselves only when the ship is sailing in international waters (except in Alaska and Hawaii, where you must be 21 years of age to consume or purchase alcohol or any kind).

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Yes, there are two ways to buy a bottle of alcohol on a cruise ship: Buy a bottle from the duty-free liquor store on the cruise, but they hold it. Order a bottle of liquor to your stateroom anytime (more info in the next tip, #9)

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You can pretty much bring back as much as you want...but on anything over 1 litre per adult you MAY have to pay a small duty on. (we had 6 bottles once, and they didn't charge us, they just waved us through.) If you are flying home, you will need to pack the alcohol in your checked bags.

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Yes, you can buy a beverage package. These all-you-can-drink packages allow passengers to pay a set fee up front for unlimited drinks (of a certain type, as outlined by the package's fine print), rather than pay per drink once onboard the cruise ship.

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Tap water on cruise ships is safe to drink. Guests can drink tap water either from the tap in their cabin bathroom or at dinner when it is offered. The water has been through a purification system and though it may not taste the best on all cruise ships, it's safe to drink.

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Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival has one of the loosest beverage policies of all cruise lines, allowing each guest to carry on a maximum of 12 sealed 12 oz. cans or cartons of a non-alcoholic beverage (e.g., sodas, juices, milk, or sparkling water) – a policy that most cruise lines have eliminated.

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Cruise line drinks packages let you order as many drinks as you want while on a cruise for one flat fee. This takes the place of paying for drinks one at a time. At some lines, there are several tiers of drinks packages. Basic tiers often just include sodas and bottled water.

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Tips are therefore paid on the value of the package, and not per drink as you order. You're welcome to tip bartenders extra on a cruise, but keep in mind that a tip has already been added when you purchased the beverage package.

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To the delight of many passengers (or to the chagrin of those watching their waistlines), cruises offer no shortage of nibbles at all hours of the day. Although cruise midnight buffets are nearly extinct, several lines still offer a spread of snacks that are available into the wee hours of the morning.

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The Deluxe Beverage Package policy requires all guests wishing to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package to do so for ALL guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom. Was this content helpful? Thank you for helping us improve our website!

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There are no set limits on how much you can drink. One exception is that Carnival does limit those with drink packages to 15 alcoholic beverages per day. (It's not clear if that limit applies to those without the package.) Still, for the most part you aren't under any clearly defined limit.

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