Can I bring Alcohol onboard? Latest cruise line policies 2023

17 Jan 2023

Updated January 2023


Not booked your next cruise yet? Check out our 10 Compelling Reasons to Book Your Cruise Through an Independent Cruise Booking Agent article and find out why booking with us can bring a whole host of benefits over booking online with a cruise operator.


Cunard Alcohol Policy

Duty and tax-free alcohol is available for purchase and will be delivered to your stateroom on the last day of your voyage. You may bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on board to celebrate special occasions. If consumed in restaurants or bars, each bottle will be subjected to a $25 corkage fee. This fee is subject to change. Guests who are under 18 years of age are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol on board. In U.S. waters, Cunard abides by the U.S. legal drinking age of 21 years. Any wines purchased via the Little Luxuries Collection are not subject to the on board $25 corkage fee.

Search Cunards FAQs to find out more about their policies
Browse Cunard Cruise Offers

P&O Cruises Alcohol Policy

Alcohol policy

We believe that responsible drinking is a valued and enjoyable part of a cruise. However, we ask that our policy for the responsible consumption of alcohol is adhered to at all times. We reserve the right to deny access to the ship to anyone who appears to be heavily under the influence of alcohol. We may also confiscate alcohol in the terminal and at the gangway.

Each guest aged 18 years (21 years in United States of America ports) and older may bring up to 1 litre of wine, Champagne, beer, spirit, or liqueur on board as they embark the ship for the first time only. Alcohol over the 1 litre limit will be stored and returned to the guest prior to the end of the cruise. If this alcohol is consumed in the dining rooms, bars, restaurants or lounge areas, it will be subject to a corkage fee of £20* per bottle, per occasion which will be charged to the guest’s on-board account.

Any alcoholic beverages purchased mid-cruise in ports of call cannot be consumed on board. Guests will need to declare and hand over any alcohol bought in port at the gangway. It will be stored and returned to the guest prior to the end of the cruise, at no charge.

If a bottle of wine/Champagne has been bought for a guest through P&O Cruises gifts, guests will need to ensure they carry the gift card with them to avoid having the corkage charge applied to their on-board account.

On eligible cruises, guests are welcome to buy duty free alcohol to take home via the on-board shops. It will be stored until the end of their cruise.

Should guests wish to enjoy a drink in their cabin, they will be able to refer to the in-cabin directory which has a selection of spirits and wines which can be purchased by the bottle, as well as our extensively-stocked mini bars in all cabins.

Read more about P&O Cruises Alcohol Policy
Browse P&O Cruise Offers

Fred Olsen Alcohol Policy

Fred. Olsen does not permit guests to bring their own alcohol on board for consumption.

Any alcohol purchased shoreside during a cruise must be handed to the ship's security staff for safe storage. It will be then returned to guests at the end of their cruise.

Read more about the Fred. Olsen Cruises Alcohol Policy
Browse Fred. Olsen Cruise Offers

Ambassador Cruise Lines Alcohol Policy

It is strictly prohibited to bring alcohol aboard at embarkation and any found will be confiscated and stored until the end of the cruise. Any alcohol purchases made ashore during the cruise should be handed to Security on re-joining the ship. These will be returned upon disembarkation.

Read more about Ambassador Cruise Lines Alcohol Policy

Celebrity Cruises Alcohol Policy

Guests are not permitted to bring alcoholic beverages onboard; with the exception of embarkation day when each guest (of legal drinking age) is permitted to bring onboard up to two (2) bottles of wine (which are subject to a corkage fee) per guest. A corkage fee does not apply to guests with the Classic Beverage Package or Premium Beverage Package. Security may inspect containers (including water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, canteens, etc.) at any time and will dispose of alcohol concealed in such containers. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased from onboard shops or in ports of call (which must be presented to security upon re-boarding), will be secured by ship's personnel. Alcohol secured by ship's personnel will be returned to guests just prior to the conclusion of their cruise vacation. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them.

Alcoholic beverages that are purchased from onboard shops or in ports of call must be presented to Security upon re-boarding and will be secured by the ship’s personnel. Alcohol secured by the ship’s personnel will be returned to guests just prior to the conclusion of their cruise vacation. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them.

Read more about Celebrity Cruises Alcohol Policy
Browse Celebrity Cruises Offers

Royal Caribbean Alcohol Policy

Guests are not allowed to bring beer or hard liquor onboard for consumption or any other use.

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 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, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them. Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.

On boarding day, guests may bring onboard two (2) 750 ml bottles of personal wine or champagne per stateroom in their carry-on luggage. If more than two bottles of wine or champagne are brought onboard, including any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports-of-call or in our onboard shops, they will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on your last day onboard.

Guests on consecutive cruises may bring two (2) 750 ml bottles of personal wine or champagne per voyage, per stateroom. Additional bottles will be stored by the ship and two bottles at a time will be delivered to the stateroom on the first day of each new voyage. Guests bringing more than two bottles at the start of the first sailing should have documentation for any consecutive sailings available to share with security on boarding day.

Read more about Royal Caribbean Cruises Alcohol Policy
Browse Royal Caribbean Cruise Offers

Princess Cruises Alcohol Policy

guests agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind on board for consumption, except one bottle of wine or champagne per adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per voyage, which will not be subject to a corkage fee if consumed in the stateroom. Additional wine or champagne bottles are welcome, but will incur a $15 corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Liquor, spirits or beers are not permitted. Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of policy will be removed and discarded.

Alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from The Shops of Princess, or at ports of call, will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to the guest's stateroom on the last day of the cruise. A member of the ship's staff will be at the gangway to assist guests with the storage of their shoreside alcoholic purchases while The Shops of Princess staff will assist guests with shipboard alcoholic purchases.

Browse Princess Cruise Offers

MSC Alcohol Policy

At embarkation, no alcoholic beverages are allowed to be brought onboard. All alcohol purchases brought in from port will be held for safekeeping and delivered to passengers' staterooms on the cruise's last evening.

Read more about MSC Cruises Alcohol Policy
Browse MSC Cruise Offers

Regent Seven Seas Alcohol Policy

Passengers are allowed to bring it onboard for consumption as desired.

Read more about Regent Seven Seas Alcohol Policy
Browse Regent Seven Seas Cruise Offers

Oceania Cruises Alcohol Policy

We have now increased the limit to 6 bottles per stateroom. The exception being the world cruises for which we will allow up to 60 bottles per stateroom however this only applies to guests who are booked on the full world cruise or any of the variations of the full world cruise.

Read more about Oceania Cruises Alcohol Policy
Browse Oceania Cruise Offers


Policies are based on current information as gathered January 2023. These policies are subject to change based on individual cruise line directives. For the most up to date information, please check the providers website.

Photo by Reiseuhu.de on Unsplash