The price of drinks on some cruise ships will be similar to your local pub, but on other cruises, the drinks prices can be pretty steep with $10 for a glass of wine being the norm.
If you’re on a budget you may be tempted to try to sneak liquor on your cruise ship to save yourself some money.
Sneaking booze on a cruise is strictly prohibited. However, a study by Cruzely.com showed that 19% of passengers admitted to smuggling alcohol onto a cruise ship at least once.
You should know that there’s no foolproof way to sneak alcohol on a cruise. However, there are many different ways that people have tried.
Disclaimer: I have never smuggled drinks on a cruise myself and am in no way encouraging you to do it. I am just showing you how others have done it in the past so that you can make your own decisions.
1. Use a disguised umbrella flask
If you hide your booze in a sneaky umbrella flask, there’s pretty much zero chance of anyone suspecting anything. This handy flask holds 9 oz (255 ml) of your favourite drink and is easy to pour out into your glass. It looks and feels like an umbrella rather than a hard bottle.
This type of hidden container isn’t likely to be discovered, particularly on Northern European cruises where rain is likely. Take it to the Mediterranean in summer and it may seem slightly more suspicious!
2. Hide your booze in a fake tampon
If you’d like another virtually foolproof way to smuggle booze on a cruise, then tampon flasks may be it. These fake re-sealable tampon wrappers contain refillable mini flasks. Each one can hold one shot of alcohol.
Even if someone had a really good rummage through your luggage, they’d be unlikely to open a tampon to check in there.
The downside to these is that each one only holds 1 oz (30ml) which is slightly larger than a single measure of spirits. Therefore you’d need a lot of tampons to cover a week-long cruise!
This product may be better for smuggling small amounts of booze into the onboard bars, rather than for bringing a booze haul to drink in your cabin.
3. Re-use shampoo bottles (or buy fake ones)
Putting alcohol in shampoo bottles for cruise holidays sounds like an interesting idea, but it has many flaws. The first is that the design of shampoo bottles makes them very difficult to clean so you’ll never fully get rid of all of the shampoo residue. This will make your drink taste horrible.
The second reason why you shouldn’t use a shampoo bottle to hide alcohol is that shampoo and conditioner bottles aren’t watertight. I once had a bottle of shower gel explode in my suitcase and it was messy. Imagine the same but with red wine. No thanks!
However, you can buy shampoo bottle flasks on Amazon, which are made to conceal alcohol. These leak-proof bottles even include six ‘factory seals’ so that if a security guard opened the bottle, they wouldn’t be able to smell the alcohol.
These are a good option because each bottle fits 8 ounces of liquor. Hidden alcohol bottles are also available to buy in the form of fake sunscreen bottles or deodorant cans.
4. Buy a binocular flask
Some of the things to hide alcohol in for cruise vacations are just genius. This binocular flask would be unlikely to show up as anything suspicious on an X-ray, and even with a manual search, it may go undetected.
Each side of the binoculars holds 8 oz (230ml) of liquor, and it comes with a little funnel that allows you to fill it up without spilling a drop. 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.
5. Try cleaned-out mouthwash bottles
Another of the popular things to hide alcohol in on a cruise has, for many years, been mouthwash bottles. Mouthwashes such as Listerine come in bottles of up to one litre.
@lasvegas.bartender #fyp #lvbdrinks #lasvegasbartender ♬ original sound – LasVegasBartender (LVB)
The idea is that you would add a clear spirit such as white rum, gin or vodka, and blue or green food colouring to make it look like mouthwash.
In reality, cruise port staff are familiar with this old hack and know that if they find a huge bottle of mouthwash, it’s likely to be suspicious. Because who needs a litre of mouthwash on a one-week cruise?
The first thing they’ll do is open it and smell it to see what’s really inside.
6. Push the limit on wine bottles
This is probably the most common way to sneak wine on a cruise. Most cruise lines allow you to bring one bottle of wine per person on board. So what people do is they put one bottle of wine in their checked luggage and another in their carry-on bag.
The bags are checked at different times by different people, and it’s virtually impossible for cruise ship staff to match them up and see that you’ve brought more than the allowance.
As there’s no limit on how much luggage you can bring on a cruise ship (unless you also have to take a flight), you could easily bring two small cases per person, as well as some more cases for the kids.
One thing you do want to be wary of is wine bottles smashing in your checked luggage. If you are planning on putting glass bottles in there, you should always buy inflatable wine bottle protectors.
7. Try classic rum runners
Rum runners, also known as alcohol bags or plastic flasks, are specially-made alcohol containers for cruises. Thousands of cruisers report having had success in using a rum runner to sneak alcohol on cruise ships.
You can buy rum runners on Amazon. They are essentially reusable plastic bags that come with a funnel so that you can decant wine, vodka, tequila or any other liquor that you wish to bring on your cruise. Each one holds up to 32 oz (one litre) of liquid.
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.
However, if your bag was manually checked for any other reason, it would be obvious what’s inside these booze bags.
8. Give yourself a fake beer belly
An interesting method that may be used to hide alcohol when you embark on your cruise ship is the ‘beer belly canteen’. This polyurethane container looks like a beer belly when worn under clothing and holds 32 oz of booze.
If you wear this, you might have to sacrifice looking slender in your embarkation photos!
9. Boost your bust with a wine rack bra
For women, there’s a similar product to the fake belly, in the form of a bra known as the ‘wine rack bra’, which could actually boost your appearance if that’s what you desire.
If you set off the x-ray scanner with something else, such as your watch, and called over for a pat-down, a wearable flask will easily be detected.
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.
10. Wear a boozy bladder
This strange-looking device ties around your waist. There’s a tube that pops out through your fly so that you can refill your glass when nobody’s looking!
This is probably one for the gents rather than the ladies. And you should probably head to a bathroom stall to refill your glass – as you may get some very funny looks from your fellow cruisers otherwise!
The good thing about this device is that it fits a massive one litre of alcohol. If you fill it with spirits, that could keep you going all cruise long.
11. Carry a wine handbag
Now, another one for the ladies – The PortoVino wine purse is a beach tote with a hidden, insulated compartment that holds two bottles of wine.
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.
However, it could be an ideal way to enjoy wine from your room by the pool. 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.
12. Hack a box of Capri Sun or water cartons
Here’s a tip from Reddit – why not empty out Capri Sun pouches and refill them with booze?
It might be a lot of work but that’s a lot of alcohol you can sneak onboard!
You can even do the same with water cartons – just use a small hole to pour out the water before re-sealing it with glue, without breaking the cap seal.
@jennmerlin They didn’t know! #lifehacks #fyp #sneakalcohol #cruise #travel #adventure #explore ♬ original sound – jennmerlin
13. Replace your contact lens solution
I would of course not recommend this if you actually wear contact lenses and need the solution to look after them! I’d rather pay for my drinks and be able to see, after all.
14. Just pack minis
According to one cruise guest, if you just pack miniature bottles and distribute them around your luggage, they won’t be detected and you’ll be able to enjoy them onboard.
@xtothez_23 Protip if you dont wanna spend money on the drink package 🙃 #cruiseship #cruisetok #cruise #alcohol #cruisetips #traveltiktok #lifeontiktok #cruisehacks #traveltiktok #travelhacks #drinkpackage #cruisewithme ♬ Chill R & B with a nostalgic atmosphere(967006) – table_1
I’d be a little wary of this one personally – I’d be surprised if they didn’t check your luggage if they saw a lot of small bottles – but apparently it can work, so it’s up to you if you want to try it.
Where to hide alcohol when you check in
When you’ve decided what type of container to hide your liquor in, your next decision will be where to stash it. Your options are:
- In your checked luggage
- In your carry-on luggage
- On your body
The best place to hide alcohol for a cruise is in your checked luggage. You can drop off checked luggage as soon as you arrive at the port. If something is detected on the scanner and your case is opened, you won’t be around to witness the embarrassment of being called out in public.
Checked bags can be tossed around so always make sure that whatever you’ve packed in there is properly protected from damage.
Sneaking alcohol onto a cruise on your body
Sneaking alcohol on your body is the riskiest way to do it. You’ll have to remove any bulky items and walk through an X-ray scanner. If it beeps for any reason (including for a random check), then you’ll be patted down, and your stash will be discovered, no matter how well it’s disguised.
Bringing alcohol on board in foreign cruise ports
Bringing alcohol on board midway through your cruise is easier than trying to sneak it on as you embark.
When you get back on board the ship you’ll have to pass your bags through a scanner. However, if you have a bottle of something which looks like water, even if it has been opened, it’s very unlikely that anyone would inspect it more closely.
Getting caught with alcohol when boarding a cruise
If you’re caught bringing alcohol on a cruise, the worst-case scenario is that you could be denied boarding.
Royal Caribbean’s policy states:
“Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned. Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over-consume, provide alcohol to people under the legal drinking age, demonstrate irresponsible behaviour, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage checkpoints or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them. “
However, other cruise lines simply state that if you are caught with prohibited alcohol they will confiscate and discard it.
Carnival’s policy states:
“Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board with the following exception – at the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day only, guests (21 years of age and older) may bring one 750 ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage. Outside this exception, all liquor, beer, other forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited in both carry-on and checked luggage and such items will be confiscated and discarded and no compensation will be provided.”
Suggested read: Carnival Cruise Luggage Restrictions
Even when cruise lines reserve the right to refuse embarkation, that doesn’t mean that they will do that in practice.
What REALLY happens when you get caught smuggling booze on a cruise
There are many online cruise forums where people have discussed their experiences in getting caught sneaking alcohol on a ship.
Here, I’ve seen numerous photos of orange confiscation slips inside suitcases in place of missing alcohol. As far as I could see during my research, nobody has reported that they weren’t allowed to board the ship. Interestingly, many people reported that they were even allowed to pick up their confiscated alcohol at the end of the cruise!
How to sneak whiskey on a cruise
Cruise lines don’t allow guests to bring spirits on board. If you want to bring whiskey on board then you’ll need to disguise it. Many people use a rum runner, a rinsed-out tinted bottle of mouthwash, or just decant whiskey into a wine bottle, where wine is permitted.
How to fill a sealed water bottle with alcohol
To fill a sealed water bottle with alcohol:
• Cut the neck off a bottle
• Place it in boiling water until soft
• Pull off the intact cap and ring
• Open a second water bottle and cut off the plastic ring
• Swap the water for clear alcohol
• Screw the intact sealed cap onto the bottle of alcohol
Alcohol allowances on cruises
Many cruise lines allow you to bring a certain amount of alcohol on the ship.
The following table shows the alcohol allowance for each cruise line.
| Cruise Line | Alcohol allowance per passenger |
| Carnival | One bottle of wine |
| Celebrity | One bottle of wine |
| Costa | Not allowed |
| Cunard | One bottle of wine |
| Disney | Two bottles of wine or six beers |
| MSC Cruises | Not allowed |
| NCL | Unlimited wine – $15 fee per bottle |
| P&O Cruises | One litre of wine or Champagne |
| Princess Cruises | One bottle of wine for free. ($15 per additional bottle) |
| Royal Caribbean | One bottle of wine (or two bottles per stateroom) |
Click here to read more about taking drinks on a cruise including which cruise lines allow you to take water and other non-alcoholic drinks on board.
Most cruise lines also offer drinks packages which can be great value for money. And wouldn’t you much rather have a freshly-made cocktail than try to sneak your own spirits into soft drinks?
If you’re undecided about whether to buy a drinks package or not, my free calculator will work out whether it’s good value for money, based on what you like to drink.
Cruise lines will check for alcohol (and other things)
All cruise lines will check luggage for alcohol as well as drugs, weapons, irons, drones and other prohibited items during the embarkation process. They will check all checked and carry-on luggage with scanners as well as manual spot checks.
In fact, they’re wising up to some of the hacks on this list. There’s one that I haven’t included in the list above because cruise lines caught onto it very quickly, even though it was quite a clever hack.
It involved taking a multipack of soda, opening the cardboard carefully, swapping out some cans for alcoholic cans, then re-sealing the box using super glue so it doesn’t look tampered with.
Unfortunately, clips of the hack went viral and so cruise lines quickly learned to check the boxes!
@iamgrindface This guy messed it up for ALL OF US🤬🤦♂️ #cruise FB/ Melonie Rogers #grindface ♬ original sound – GrindFace The Creator
Trying to sneak alcohol or weed onboard is one of the many things you should never do on a cruise. So please don’t. It’s just not worth it.
How alcohol appears on scanners
Cruise ship scanners usually have no problem detecting alcohol hidden in luggage. Liquid appears dark on an x-ray and the shape of bottles are easy to detect.
If bottles, cans or other containers are detected on the x-ray scanner, port staff will open the bag to have a closer look.
Some cruise lines, including Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line prohibit all drinks including water (unless it’s needed for medical reasons) to be brought on-board. This speeds up the process of having to check every bottle to see if it’s water, soft drinks or alcohol.
The last word
Of course, I’m not recommending that anyone try to sneak alcohol, or anything else, onto a cruise ship. Selling drinks on board is one of the ways that cruise lines cover their costs and if everyone tried to cheat the system by sneaking alcohol on board they would inevitably have to put up the ticket prices.
Plus, getting caught with alcohol is embarrassing. Whilst you may be lucky enough to get away with finding a ticket in your case, if your case is locked, you’ll be summoned to a location on the ship and asked to open it.
If you get caught with excess booze in your carry-on bag, you’ll have to suffer the humiliation of all the passengers in the line behind you, seeing you get busted.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
