Smuggling Alcohol on a Cruise: 13 Methods and Materials

Beef up your cruise's drink package with your own stash

There’s nothing like a cold cocktail on a cruise, but $20+ drinks start to add up fast. Passengers have been bringing their own alcohol on board since the first ship sailed, and although it’s not recommended (and against the rules) it’s saved people some money. If your cruise doesn’t allow you to bring alcohol aboard, check out these 13 tricks to sneak on some contraband.

1

Double Bagging

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Bring the allotted amount of alcohol (plus a little more) in your bags. Most cruise lines, aside from MSC and Costa Cruises, allow each passenger (21+, of course) to bring one wine bottle along for the ride.^{[1]XResearch source} Since carry-ons and regular luggage are checked separately, just pop one bottle in each.
- If you’re going with other people, have them try this trick too.
- Many cruises can deny boarding to anyone caught breaking their alcohol policies, but you’re more likely to get fined or have your drinks confiscated. Weigh the risks and rewards before trying anything一 finessing a drink package may be a better option.

2

Wine Swapping

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Wine’s great, but spirits are where the money’s really at. You can fill a wine bottle with something a bit stronger, but you need to reseal it afterward, or it’ll get caught in security.^{[2]XResearch source} Use a resealing kit to make everything look properly closed.

3

Rum Runners

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Bottles are easy to spot on scanners, but these plastic pouches can slip by. Rum runners are soft plastic flasks that come in a variety of sizes. Cruise attendants are on the lookout for alcohol, and a hard bottle in your luggage can incite a search. Rum runners, however, are thin enough to not be caught.
- Store your rum runner on its side, with the capped end next to your toiletries. This will make it more difficult to distinguish during the bag x-ray. If your bag gets manually searched, however, they’re likely to be found.
- The smaller sizes can be tucked away on your body, like in the pockets of cargo shorts.^{[3]XResearch source}

4

Mouthwash with a Kick

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Take advantage of a large, legal liquid container. Using mouthwash bottles to sneak alcohol on a cruise is as classic as you can get.^{[4]XResearch source} Tint clear alcohol light blue or green and pour it into a clean mouthwash bottle to slip that guy past security.
- A big bottle gets you more booze, of course, but it can be suspicious to bring a liter of mouthwash on a week-long cruise. A smaller size will be more likely to go undetected.
- This trick is a classic, but cruise ship security has gotten wise enough to this method that they’ll often open mouthwash bottles to smell the contents.

5

Tampon Shots

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Many people have a great excuse to bring tampons on a cruise, and they’re an unlikely product to be searched.^{[5]XResearch source} Tampon flasks only carry about one shot’s worth of alcohol, but if you’re trying to make your drink a double at the bar, these test tube-like babies can save you some money.

6

Spirits in Shampoo

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Hiding alcohol in toiletries is a great way to fly under the radar. X-ray scanners detect liquids, but some fluid in your luggage is expected in personal hygiene products. A clean shampoo bottle is all you need for a makeshift flask.^{[6]XResearch source} For more security, replace the bottle’s “do not use if broken” seal with a shampoo flask kit.
- It’s near impossible to totally clean a shampoo bottle, so consider shelling out for a specialty flask.

7

Sunscreen Shooters

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A sunscreen bottle is a perfect hiding spot for vacation drinks. These novelty flasks look just like the real thing and sometimes carry up to 10 fluid ounces (300 mL).^{[7]XResearch source} Just don’t confuse it for the actual stuff!

8

Umbrella Flask

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This one might take the cake for most camouflaged. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to bring one on a Caribbean getaway, but a colder trip (maybe to Scandinavia?) practically invites you to bring an umbrella flask.^{[8]XResearch source}

9

Beer Goggles

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Sightseeing, what? Birding, who? Each lens of the binocular flask is its own container, so while other passengers take in the views, you can mix yourself a dirty martini by the shuffleboard court.^{[9]XResearch source}

10

Hair of the Dog

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This fake paddle brush is inconspicuous and handy一you can even use it on your hair.^{[10]XResearch source} Detangle after a beach visit and sip in style.

11

Snap Shots

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Another vacation item dupe is the camera flask.^{[11]XResearch source} Get a little tipsy while you’re making memories (and taking pics on your phone).

12

Body Bags

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Avoid the luggage x-rays by wearing a body flask. If you’re worried about smuggling alcohol in your bag, just wear it on your body! Skip the scanners entirely with a fake beer belly, or go up a cup size with a wine bra. You can even pack a little more heat downstairs with a beer bladder.
- Be extra careful when going through the metal detector. If you accidentally leave your phone in your pocket or a watch on your wrist, you may get a pat down.

13

Boozy Tote

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What’s the point of sneaking contraband on board if you only can drink it in your room? This wine tote comes with an insulated internal pocket that can fit a bottle of wine.^{[12]XResearch source}