11 Best Ways to Sneak Alcohol On a Cruise 2024
Drinking alcohol is one of the most popular pastimes on a cruise vacation. It’s no wonder then that with the relatively high price of individual drinks and drinks packages and alcohol playing such a large part in a cruise experience, guests talk about and attempt to sneak alcohol on board.
Most ocean sailing cruise ships strictly limit the amount of alcohol you can bring on the cruise.
Usually, it is only wine you can take on a cruise , typically one to two bottles. Beers and liquors are often prohibited.
Before you decide whether to get around the rules, it might be worth checking out our drinks packages advice and tips, and ways to maximize value and even benefit from hacks such as those highlighted in our How to cheat royal Caribbean drinks package.
Either way, no doubt sneaking on your favorite alcohol and liquors, in particular, could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.
Some people think it’s the only way they can drink on a cruise at 18 to 20, although underage drinking should be discouraged. Whereas others are convinced alcoholic cruise drinks are watered down , so try to take their own.
Finally, it’s worth considering what happens if you get caught sneaking alcohol on a cruise , so you know what you are risking.
Also, its worth checking beforehand if you can bring alcohol on a cruise in the first place for your cruise line of choice. It might be more than you think, or may allow you to use some of the methods below to sneak liquor on instead of wine.
Disclaimer : I do not advocate trying to smuggle alcohol on a cruise. The below methods for how to sneak alcohol on a cruise are methods of discussion for fun and entertainment purposes only, which we have picked up from amusing conversations with other guests and also doing our own research. If you attempt to smuggle drinks onboard, you do so at your own risk.
How to Sneak Alcohol on a Cruise Ship
Most of these items are ideal for sneaking alcohol onto a cruise ship.
However, some can be extra useful for having once you are on the ship when it comes to sneaking the use of the alcohol into other drinks without being seen.
This is where small discreet flasks can come in handy.
1. Rum Runners
Rum runners are plastic bags like flasks in which you can pour alcohol and then pack it in your luggage to disguise its contents.
To make your rum runners less detectable, pack them, so they don’t stand out clearly on the X-rays. Put the funnel cap end mixed in near other small toiletries, so it doesn’t stand out as a cap to a liquid-filled bag.
If you have any other legit liquid containers, put them layered over the rum runners, so they show on the scan over the rum runners. If the luggage gets called to be opened, there’s a chance that when they open it and see legit liquid containers, they’ll let it through rather than rummage through all your packed luggage.
If you have more than one item of luggage, split the rum runners into different bags, so if one gets called out for a manual check, the other bags might get through.
If security does a spot check and sees a rum runner, they will know what it is and confiscate it.
Rum Runners On Carnival Cruise
The couple below successfully smuggled their rum runners onto a Carnival Cruise.
The video shows how to fill the rum runners and pack in her luggage to finally to the unpacking in the stateroom.
Rum Runners on Person
Another way I’ve heard people use rum runners to sneak alcohol on a cruise is to use the smaller bags on their person. For example, tucked in their cargo pants.
Rum runners are usually sold in multi-packs, which you can find on Amazon here. Double check you get one with a funnel, so you don’t risk spilling any of your precious liquor.
They are undoubtedly one of the cheapest options for sneaking alcohol onboard .
2. Fake Shampoo Bottles (Disguised Flask)
Fake shampoo bottles are a great way to smuggle some alcohol onboard. Many are specifically made with sneaking alcohol on cruise ships in mind.
You can purchase whole fake shampoo and conditioner sets, so in theory, you could take enough liquors to make a range of your own cocktails in your stateroom.
The bottles look realistic from the outside. Make sure you choose one with foam security seals that stop leaks but, more importantly, make the bottles look sealed, so if they are opened by cruise staff, there is no smell of alcohol.
Don’t bother trying to reuse old shampoo bottles. They are notoriously difficult to clean. You don’t want to contaminate your alcohol with any remnants you inadvertently missed after going through all the trouble of smuggling your favorite liquor onboard.
The other issue with reusing old bottles is they are much more likely to leak.
The reviews show these are very successful ways of sneaking alcohol onboard.
3. Fake Suncream (Sneak Flask)
Fake suncream flasks are another good option because they naturally contain liquid, so they won’t look suspicious on a scan.
Also, it looks natural in a set if you’re taking different strengths sun creams but really taking different liquors.
The other advantage is they look like natural containers to have around while sunning yourself by the pool, so when you get the opportunity, you can add some alcohol to your soft drinks without suspicion.
They should come with funnels for easy alcohol pouring when filling and also factory seals to keep them watertight and make them look brand new opened.
4. Tampon Flask
Tampon flasks are plastic test tubes that you can fill with alcohol and disguise as a tampon. Security won’t give them a close inspection if they are discovered in your luggage.
They are more commonly used for festivals and concert-type events rather than cruises.
While they can be used to sneak alcohol onboard, they are of limited use due to their small size.
However, some women carry them around in their bags while in public areas of the ship and use them to add alcohol to soft drinks.
If you use them, make sure you pack them in a water-tight plastic bag to avoid any problems with leakage.
5. Liquor In Wine Bottle Cruise Hack
Most cruise lines allow guests to bring wine on a cruise , typically just one bottle, but sometimes more.
This presents an opportunity to replace the wine with your favorite liquor.
However, if you choose this method, you have to do it properly and make it look like the wine bottle has never been opened.
This is where Wine Corker Cruise Kits come in. These allow you to re-cork your wine and even reseal it.
It can be a bit more time-consuming to set up compared to other methods. Recorking the bottle isn’t always easy for some, and then you have to heat the seal so its looks as new as possible.
Here’s a video example of the wine resealing method:
6. Umbrella Flask
Depending on the cruise you are going on, an umbrella flask could be an option for sneaking alcohol use.
They can be used both for smuggling alcohol onboard and on ships or excursions.
Just carry the BoozeBrella in your bags as if you are ready for all weather. Even though it’s purely a flask and not an umbrella anyone can use.
7. Binocular Flask
Binoculars are a cruise essential for many on a sightseeing cruise holiday, so what better secret alcohol container than a binocular flask ?
Not being bottle shaped its more likely to go unnoticed through the Xrays.
Another good thing is that each side is a separate flask so if you wanted you can put different liquors in each side, approximately 8 oz each side.
8. Booze Bra / Bra Flask
A booze bra or, as otherwise known, Liquor bra or wine rack bra.
This is a more extreme way to smuggle alcohol on a cruise, but for some, it’s an option to hide up to 25 oz of alcohol on your person.
It’s one of those methods that sound good but maybe isn’t as good when put into practice. It might not be a good fit or comfortable for some. The tube needs to be hidden at all times. There’s also the possibility it could leak.
However, 25 oz is 25 oz for some, so worth the effort.
9. Mouthwash Bottles
Mouthwash bottles have been a popular way of sneaking alcohol on cruises. Thoroughly rinse an old Listerine bottle and fill with your favorite clear liquors like vodka and gins. Then, color them with food coloring to match ordinary mouthwashes, typically pinks, blues, and greens.
Or these days, you can buy colored variations of gin and vodka, so you might not even need to add the coloring.
The disadvantage of this method is the cruise lines know it’s an old trick. Some even mention it in their terms of what they look out for in their alcohol policies, so if they spot it you can expect them to flag it up to be checked.
The temptation is also to buy the larger bottles of mouthwash, which most people wouldn’t normally take on a short vacation.
10. Hairbrush Flask
The hairbrush flask is a good secret alcohol container for carrying around with you. Holding 6oz of liquor, you can keep it close by at all times in a bag and use it to discreetly top up soft drinks.
The bonus with this alcohol flask is that you can use it for its original intended function as well, as brushing your hair. Some also double up with a mirror on the back.
11 Wine Backpack & Beach Bags
This Wine backpack or Wine beach bag is ideal for traveling with a large amount of hidden alcohol. It can hold up to 1.5 liters, so 2 bottles of wine.
You pour your wine or liquor into a pouch hidden within a compartment in the bag.
You can also use it as a backpack in its own right as well.
It could be used to sneak alcohol through security, but more likely used to have it on you around the ship or on excursions, so you have your alcohol discreetly accessible and close by.
Most importantly, its leak proof. As you can see from the reviews, it works very well.
Foolproof Way To Sneak Alcohol On A Cruise
The most foolproof way of sneaking alcohol on a cruise would be using factory-sealed shampoo flasks. These are containers you naturally fill with liquid to avoid suspicion.
The factory seal hides any smell of alcohol should they be handled in an inspection.
This works for all cruises, even those that don’t allow any drinks onboard, such as MSC and Costa Cruises which don’t allow non-alcoholic onboard, and only water if it is for medical purposes. This saves the cruise lines time from having to check bottles to see if they sneakily contain alcohol. Plus they make more money from purchases on the ships.
However, guests will still try sneaking alcohol on MSC and Costa Cruises using these methods.
Related Reads
- Drinking Age In International Waters – for each Cruise Line
Frequently Asked Questions
Do rum runners show on xrays.
Although liquid can be detected on a cruise scanner because of the shape of the rum runner, it is much less likely to be noticed than the outline shape of a bottle full of liquid.
How to Sneak Alcohol On A Royal Caribbean Cruise?
Royal Caribbean limits guests to 1 bottle of wine. This allows using it to smuggle liquor onboard instead.
Other disguised flasks also work well, including shampoo, conditioner, and fake sun creams.
Rum runners are another popular option.
Does Royal Caribbean Check Luggage For Alcohol?
The Royal Caribbean guest policy states that their security may inspect containers and specifically mention mouthwash, water, and soda bottles, so avoid those options.
How to Sneak Alcohol on a Carnival Cruise?
Carnival cruises allow one bottle of wine to be taken onboard. This gives an option to fill it with liquor and reseal it.
Rum runners in checked luggage and other sneak flasks can work just as well with Carnival as with any other cruise line.
If Carnival does discover your alcohol, it will be confiscated and permanently discarded.
How To Sneak Liquor on a Cruise?
You can sneak liquor on a cruise using a variety of disguised flasks such as fake shampoo bottles and rum runners. Filling a wine bottle with liquor is another option if the cruise line has a wine allowance for boarding guests.
How Do You Sneak Alcohol onto a P&O Cruise?
P&O Cruises allow guests to bring 1 liter of wine, beer or spirits onboard. This is more than most other cruise lines allow for alcohol , many of which don’t even allow spirits or liquor.
Still, if you wish to try and take more onboard use the methods like Rum Runners or containers to disguise the alcohol.
Do Cruise Ships Search your Luggage?
If security spots anything suspicious as your luggage passes through the Xrays, they can pull out bags to be searched, or sometimes they just do spot checks. Even if your luggage is locked, they can remove them.
Can Sniffer Dogs Smell Alcohol on a Cruise?
Sniffer dogs can be trained to detect alcohol. However, they are not used for this purpose when boarding cruise ships.
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Sneaking alcohol on a cruise: 5 reasons you shouldn’t do it even if you really want to
O ne of the most commonly asked cruise questions is "How can I sneak alcohol on a cruise?" Enjoying a beer or pina colada by the pool, wine with dinner or a craft cocktail as a nightcap are quintessential cruise vacation pastimes — but the high cost of drinks on board can force budget travelers to consider alternatives. While most cruise lines allow you to carry on a bottle of wine or two, they forbid passengers from bringing additional beer, liquor or other alcoholic beverages on board.
These policies, while understandable from a business perspective, have led to a black market of sorts, where cruisers purchase contraptions to sneak alcohol onto a cruise ship, either on their person or in containers hiding their true contents. It's an arms race between creative cruisers looking for illegal ways to smuggle booze and the security teams on board and in port who are deputized to seek and destroy contraband alcohol.
For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .
If you are tempted to sneak alcohol onto a cruise, TPG highly encourages you to rethink your plan and to follow the cruise line rules. Not only is rule-breaking frowned upon, but there are consequences if you get caught. Here are five reasons you might want to skip trying to sneak alcohol onto your next cruise.
Your alcohol will be confiscated
If you are caught smuggling booze on board, port and cruise security staff members have the right to remove the alcohol from your possession, and they don't have to give it back.
"Any hard liquor, beer, other forms of alcoholic beverage, and non-alcoholic beverages, outside of the exceptions referenced above, are strictly prohibited (in both carry-on and checked luggage) and such items will be confiscated and discarded, and no compensation will be provided," states Carnival Cruise Line 's contract of carriage, the rules all passengers agree to follow when they book a cruise.
Related: Can I bring alcohol on a cruise ship? A line-by-line guide
Royal Caribbean has a similar policy. "Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol," the line's online FAQs make clear.
Get caught — and yes, security staff knows where cruisers like to hide their liquor — and your attempt at saving money might become a waste of money if you never see your alcohol again.
You'll be called out
Travelers who are brazen enough to flout the rules might not mind being called to account for their misdeeds, but know that it will happen. If your contraband alcohol is discovered on board the ship (rather than at port security), you might get called down to a crew area to 'fess up to your rule infractions and receive a lecture on the ship's alcohol policy.
"If your luggage is locked, the lock may be removed by security or, alternatively, the luggage will be held by security until you can be present for an inspection and any items in question further identified and/or surrendered," states Princess Cruises' passenger contract.
Don't want to be embarrassed or shamed should you get caught? Follow the rules, and don't try to sneak more drinks on board than you're allowed.
You'll miss out on the bar scene
The fun part of drinking on a cruise ship is checking out all the different bars, sampling classic and craft cocktails and bantering with the bartender or other patrons. If you plan to only drink your own smuggled-in booze, you'll be relegated to toasting your buddies in your cabin or slinking around dark corners of the ship with a flask. Don't miss out on the best cruise nightlife simply because you don't want to pay cruise ship prices for drinks.
Related: These are the best cruise ship bars
You could get kicked off the ship
On a more serious note, smuggling alcohol on board a cruise ship can get you booted off it. This especially applies to minors who get caught sneaking on alcoholic beverages to partake in some underage drinking, or adults who sneak liquor to cruisers under the legal drinking age.
"Guests who violate any alcohol policies (over consume, provide alcohol to people under age 21, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time) may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense," reads Royal Caribbean's online FAQs.
You do not want to risk ruining your long-awaited vacation and losing all the money you invested in a cruise just for a couple of drinks.
Related: Cruise mistakes that will ruin your vacation in an instant
You'll miss out on the best beverage package prices
It is likely that your attempts at sneaking alcohol on a cruise will fail — or you simply can't carry enough liquor to last a week. Inevitably, you'll end up buying some drinks on the ship, maybe even a drinks package. Your lack of forethought will cost you because you've missed out on the best time to buy a cruise line beverage package .
Many lines discount drinks packages purchased online in advance of the cruise ship's departure. Once on board, prices go up. If you plan on drinking a lot, your best bet is not to smuggle alcohol on board but to sign up for an inclusive beverage package while you can still get a pre-cruise discount.
Bottom line
Drinking on cruise ships is not an inexpensive pastime, and on the cheapest sailings, you might spend as much on alcohol as you did on your cruise fare. However, the risks of sneaking alcohol on board are greater than the possible benefits — especially since the likelihood of getting caught and having your contraband confiscated is high. Play by the rules, and you might be out a few more bucks — but it's worth it to enjoy all a cruise ship has to offer without stressing about being caught and possibly disembarked.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- Top ways cruisers waste money
- The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Drink the wine or throw it down the drain. Rinse the bottles. And refill them with your choice of spirit: vodka/rum/tequila..etc.. Recork the bottle and you're set! Note: I make wine at home so I own a corking machine, which will run you about $60-80 for it.
Flip the bottle cap down and carefully cut that small plastic button out. Drain the water. Use a small funnel to pour in your selected clear booze. Take a dab on food grade silicone and seal up the little hole you made.
Hide them in your checked luggage around your toiletries so the caps don't stand out. It's really not that expensive and if you can't afford the liquor than you generally cant follow instructions and rules so why take the risk just buy the drink package or budget yourself. Adulting 101.
TSA doesn't care nearly as much as the port employees do. One to thing keep in mind is that a lot of the security isn't up to Royal at the port. There is a 3rd party company that scans all the checked luggage and they do it for all cruise lines. You can bring wine on no problem as that is allowed.
8. Booze Bra / Bra Flask. A booze bra or, as otherwise known, Liquor bra or wine rack bra. This is a more extreme way to smuggle alcohol on a cruise, but for some, it's an option to hide up to 25 oz of alcohol on your person. It's one of those methods that sound good but maybe isn't as good when put into practice.
You can use 1 luggage bag and bring it on yourself.. or bring a backpack. If you send it onto ship with checked luggage it will be confiscated. We dumped wine and put liquor into the wine bottles and then resealed with wax for a carnival cruise. We also put vodka in soap bottles and dyed it lol.
Check the cruise line's FAQs . If alcohol is permitted, it will state a specific amount you can bring on board. Purchases made on excursions and/or onboard will be put in your stateroom on the last night. 5.
This is a place to discuss anything and everything about cruising, working on cruise ships, and experiencing the lifestyle of cruising! Sneaking booze on Carnival & Carrying a thermos around. edit I ended up buying this. Wish me luck! https://a.co/d/0fpYC0L edit. Spare me the "just buy the $1800 drink package" please.
3. Award. abdada. • 7 yr. ago. Not sure about Carnival but many cruise lines let you LEGALLY bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom on board for free. So do that. Keep in mind a few things: If you are caught sneaking booze on the ship, it is standard policy to embarrass and blame the oldest person in the stateroom.
Try this version, designed to look like a set of binoculars. It comes with a funnel for easy filling and a strap for a more realistic look. Each side holds 8 ounces of liquid. Bonus: This flask is ...
Old mouthwash bottle. Moderate chance of detection plus it is a bit of work to get old mouthwash taste out. Also you have to food color your booze or use whiskey in a Listerine bottle. Carefully unseal a 12 pack box, place soda in the visible areas and beer in the rest and strongly reseal. Low chance of detection.
Put the rum runners inside a ziplock gallon freezer bag (in case they leak) along with some cosmetic products such as hair products, sunscreens, etc and they most likely won't notice. I've never been on a cruise so I am nervous to sneak alcohol on. I purchased rum runners.
Welcome to /r/Cruise! This is a place to discuss anything and everything about cruising, working on cruise ships, and experiencing the lifestyle of cruising! ... Sneaking Alcohol on Ship? Any good ways to sneak alcohol on royal I'm going in the next month and don't wanna pay 10 dollars for a drink😭😭 I saw this on tiktok using hot glue ...
The classic method is to empty a bottle of, say, wintergreen mouthwash, sterilize the bottle with boiling water, and let it dry. Then fill it with alcohol and dye the liquid with green or blue food coloring. Wrap it in your unmentionables, and the odds of ship security discovering it are slim. Check out this humorous YouTube video (it has more ...
Reply. Sad-Rub-948. • 1 yr. ago. You can bring 2 bottles of wine. Before the cruise buy 2 bottles of 19 crimes - drink them - then fill with your favorite spirits - stop by the local home wine store and pickup 2 corks and red wax. Recork after filling and melt wax on the stove or mic and dip bottle top in wax. Done it.
Sneaking alcohol onboard. My friends and I are 20. 8-10 of us. We are planning to sneak alcohol onto a Carnival cruise coming up. We will be traveling with a few over 21s per Carnivals policy, but they are not willing to smuggle. Right now the plan is to put the stuff in mouth wash bottles, tinted the right color and completely resealed.
Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Mouthwash bottle with some food dye. Carry multiple AK-47s with you. They will be so distracted by your heavy weaponry the alcohol will slide by undetected. Buy booze in port and smuggle it in plastic flasks. Works best with baggy cargo shorts.
A reddit for articles published by Alex Knoch. From travel and the outdoors to recipes and real estate. ... How to Sneak Alcohol on a Cruise . alexknoch ... Top posts of October 19, 2022. Reddit . reReddit: Top posts of October 2022. Reddit . reReddit: Top posts of 2022 ...
From my experience they will let you bring bottles of wine. Buy some bottles that have the foil tops that can be slid off if you're careful. Take off the foil and open the bottle, drink, etc. Rinse out the bottle and fill with the liquor of your choice.
Someone told me that once they bought a case of water bottles and removed the front two without breaking the packaging, filled the interior bottles with clear alcohol, and then placed the front two bottles back. However, I believe cruise ships don't let you bring any kind of drinks on-board anymore including non-alcoholic.
I think the mouthwash thing is something cruises have taken note of. There is a website I saw once that sells various ways of sneaking in alcohol (flat bottles, containers shaped like binoculars, etc) -- also read that you can usually bring 1 or 2 bottles of wine with you (look on the cruise website) -- you could fill those up with liquor or bottled water with vodka.
Bro there are bars on a cruise ship That's literally the point of going on a cruise. After a few days the novelty wears off and people spiral into alcoholism
Just buy the drink package. What sort of loser doesn't drop $600 on alcohol for two people over the course of a week
For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter.. If you are tempted to sneak alcohol onto a cruise, TPG highly encourages you to rethink your plan and to follow the cruise ...
Carnival Cruise Line, for example, charges $15 if you want to drink your bottle of wine in a few selected areas, including "the main dining room, specialty restaurant, or bar," according to ...