Bring your own beverage onboard question

[Sackboy]

I’m familiar with the 2 750ML wine/champagne allowance but have a question regarding the 12 bottle/can allowance. 
 

Are you limited to 12 bottles of water per stateroom or is it 12 waters AND cans of something else?

 

Thanks! First time going. 

[Pattycruise]

It is a combination of water/soda...so a total of 12.
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/food-drink-onboard-policy

[Ampurp85]

YMMV but if there are multiple people in the room you might be able to do more than 12.

[mom2mybugs]

12 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

YMMV but if there are multiple people in the room you might be able to do more than 12.

This is true especially if you don't go in together to check in.  They aren't particularly checking room numbers and keeping track of water, soda or wine.  Jane

[smokeybandit]

Back when we took water on board (and when you could check your beverages instead of carrying them on), we'd bring a full case of water. Never had an issue.

[Ramja]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Back when we took water on board (and when you could check your beverages instead of carrying them on), we'd bring a full case of water. Never had an issue.

This seemed to be common practice in Canaveral. Saw many people bringing cases of water in the past.

[jticarruthers]

We just started bringing a combination of Coke Zero and sparkling water, so far in the 4 times we have boarded they havent asked to open the cooler ... never mind count what is in it ... (for convenience we just throw them in a cooler with no ice (Ice melts and hurts the scanners) and wheel it on board).

Typically we have been brining a 6 pack of coke and and a 12 pack of sparkling water, worst case we toss some out if they make a big deal.

[CrimsonCruiser]

So I've always wondered...most cans of soda are 12 oz....not 17...so could one bring 17 12-oz cans since the overall ounces are the same?

[Pattycruise]

32 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

So I've always wondered...most cans of soda are 12 oz....not 17...so could one bring 17 12-oz cans since the overall ounces are the same?

I would imagine if you have a security person who cares they aren't doing complicated math, they would count to 12 (if they care)
Of course when you whip out a phone or chart and start showing them how 17 12 oz can = to 12 17 oz cans they might just "go ahead" 

[AshleyDillo]

I bring a single 20oz with me most times, which is over the 17oz limit. The only time they ever cared was when I foggot and got thirsty and drank half of it before I made it to the scanners and had to toss it.

 

[KLA]

I guess maybe another permutation of this question - where does non-alcoholic wine or beer fall? 

Is the limit still two bottles, or if we had cans of non-alcoholic wine/champagne/beer that we could chill down in our room and store a little easier would that be something we could carry on more of?

I know I've seen crew with 'Fre' alcohol-removed champagne, but I haven't looked closely enough to see if that's something that we could even on board. We've however had no issue ordering Heineken 0.0 at most bars on board (and typically the only people drinking it, from what I can tell lol) but being able to bring on a little bit more variety or a glass of alcohol-removed red wine with dinner might be nice.

[CrimsonCruiser]

1 hour ago, KLA said:

I guess maybe another permutation of this question - where does non-alcoholic wine or beer fall? 

Is the limit still two bottles, or if we had cans of non-alcoholic wine/champagne/beer that we could chill down in our room and store a little easier would that be something we could carry on more of?

I know I've seen crew with 'Fre' alcohol-removed champagne, but I haven't looked closely enough to see if that's something that we could even on board. We've however had no issue ordering Heineken 0.0 at most bars on board (and typically the only people drinking it, from what I can tell lol) but being able to bring on a little bit more variety or a glass of alcohol-removed red wine with dinner might be nice.

I don't have an answer but...alcohol-free red wine....is it...it is jut grape juice? I am actually asking because I'm very curious. I was under the impression wine was made by fermenting grapes in sugars so...where does the alcohol that process creates go...and what's left?

[Pattycruise]

1 hour ago, KLA said:

I guess maybe another permutation of this question - where does non-alcoholic wine or beer fall? 

Is the limit still two bottles, or if we had cans of non-alcoholic wine/champagne/beer that we could chill down in our room and store a little easier would that be something we could carry on more of?

I know I've seen crew with 'Fre' alcohol-removed champagne, but I haven't looked closely enough to see if that's something that we could even on board. We've however had no issue ordering Heineken 0.0 at most bars on board (and typically the only people drinking it, from what I can tell lol) but being able to bring on a little bit more variety or a glass of alcohol-removed red wine with dinner might be nice.

The worst that can happen is that they confiscate it and it is my understanding that they would put your name on it, and you get it back at the end of the cruise.
I've never had them open my bag to check out my wine bottles.  It doesn't mean it can't happen though.
They did ask my son (age 23) what was in his cans (packed in his carry on) and he answered soda, they then asked him if it was beer and he replied no, and they didn't even look and let him continue on.  I imagine a part of wether or not your items will be looked at closer is your demeanor-rowdy would likely indicate already inebriated and that may garner a closer look.  It could also be the phase of the moon on embarkation day.  You never know.

 

[Matt]

1 hour ago, KLA said:

I guess maybe another permutation of this question - where does non-alcoholic wine or beer fall? 

Only wine allowed.

Non-alcoholic beer is still beer in Royal Caribbean's view, so it's generally not allowed.

[smokeybandit]

The problem (from a sales point of view) with N/A beers is that they still have alcohol in them, even if a mere trace. 

[jticarruthers]

22 minutes ago, Matt said:

Only wine allowed.

Non-alcoholic beer is still beer in Royal Caribbean's view, so it's generally not allowed.

Although I have had success carrying on some of the high end beers that are bottled in what look like wine bottles

[Swar]

We never drank the wine or champagne, so stopped bringing it onboard. We get 1-2 bottles of wine as Diamond members per cruise. I go to Vintages and give it to a random group that is drinking that color wine. We sometimes bring in 2 twelve packs of soda. Each person carries a pack on. The Tampa security did count cans one time, but I showed them that we had 2 rooms.

If you are on a B2B: you can buy alcohol onshore/on ship the last full late afternoon/evening of the first cruise and they basically let you have it. Also, if you bought booze onboard on any date, it is usually brought to you the night before the end of the first cruise.

[KLA]

58 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

I don't have an answer but...alcohol-free red wine....is it...it is jut grape juice? I am actually asking because I'm very curious. I was under the impression wine was made by fermenting grapes in sugars so...where does the alcohol that process creates go...and what's left?

So, my understanding is that there is a couple ways that this is done - but one method is basically fermenting the wine and then going through a process to remove the alcohol that was produced during fermentation. 

Most alcohol-free wine isn't great - similar with alcohol-free beer, there's only a few I can think of that have been done really really well. That said, having the option to have a cold beer or glass of wine (even if it isn't perfect) to simulate the ritual of cocktail hour or having a drink by the pool or a glass of champagne to celebrate sail away is nice to have as an option. 

I may try with the cans of 0.0% wine with the attitude of 'if it's confiscated it's theirs' and bring a bottle of alcohol free champagne + red wine on board as well and pass on the NA beer. 

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, KLA said:

similar with alcohol-free beer, there's only a few I can think of that have been done really really well

The alcohol free beers have taken a real step up in recent years.  Still not a 1 for 1 replacement, but solid

[KLA]

14 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

The alcohol free beers have taken a real step up in recent years.  Still not a 1 for 1 replacement, but solid

Yeah, BrewDog and a couple others do a really good job. I really don't mind Heineken 0.0, either. I've come to associate it with being on a cruise ship at this point - haha!

[CrimsonCruiser]

17 hours ago, KLA said:

So, my understanding is that there is a couple ways that this is done - but one method is basically fermenting the wine and then going through a process to remove the alcohol that was produced during fermentation. 

Most alcohol-free wine isn't great - similar with alcohol-free beer, there's only a few I can think of that have been done really really well. That said, having the option to have a cold beer or glass of wine (even if it isn't perfect) to simulate the ritual of cocktail hour or having a drink by the pool or a glass of champagne to celebrate sail away is nice to have as an option. 

I may try with the cans of 0.0% wine with the attitude of 'if it's confiscated it's theirs' and bring a bottle of alcohol free champagne + red wine on board as well and pass on the NA beer. 

wow that's really cool. I kinda want to dig into this process more, just out of pure curiousity

[Bonzey]

Here's another permutation on this topic.  As the original poster stated, there is the two 750 mL limitation on wine and 12 cans/bottles (up to 17 oz) of non-alcoholic beverages.  What about sparkling grape juice in a 750 mL bottle? 

[Pattycruise]

11 hours ago, Bonzey said:

Here's another permutation on this topic.  As the original poster stated, there is the two 750 mL limitation on wine and 12 cans/bottles (up to 17 oz) of non-alcoholic beverages.  What about sparkling grape juice in a 750 mL bottle? 

Typically they are not checking.  Does it look like a wine bottle? You should be fine