Drinking Alcohol On Cruise Ships

The cruise lines enforce their policies on the sale of liquor. Some cruise lines establish a minimum age of 21 for the purchase of liquor, at port or at sea.

Other cruise lines (while in port) may have a lower minimum age if local legal age limits permit it.

While at sea, a minimum age of 18 is the usual policy.

You cannot take alcoholic beverages aboard ship, for consumption or any other use. Exceptions for special occasions (as specified by the cruise line) are subject to a "corkage fee", usually ten or fifteen dollars.

In other words, the cruise lines will allow you (with prior approval) to go aboard with your own liquor for special occasions. But, they will charge you for each bottle you open.

The above policies (when you think about it) are reasonable, because the cruise lines would otherwise lose a substantial portion of their alcohol revenues.

You are able to purchase duty-free liquor to take back home.

Purchases you make at a port-of-call or from on board gift shops are stored by the cruise line until the last day of your cruise.