How much alcohol can you bring back?

O

OceanFanatic

Guest
Are there restrictions on how much you can bring back? I would like to bring back some guavaberry rum as gifts for my family, but now sure how much you are allowed.

Plus, how do you get it back on the ship? Do they confiscate it? Because I thought that the only way you could bring alcohol on this ship is to smuggle it in your luggage at Miami.

As you can see . . . I am new to this!!
 
T

tg_lindo

Guest
The real question is how much can you bring back without being legally obligated to pay a customs duty on it. The law is a little convoluted, but will be spelled out in either your docs or during the talks given by the cruise director.

Anyway, it's something along the lines of 5 litres per adult over age 21, as long as 4 of them are from the US Virgin Islands, and none of them are from Cuba (other countries are not clutching an outdated embargo as is the USA).

Guavaberry liqueur (not the rum) was also exempt from the duty (at least in 2000) because it did not compete with any US product.

It's up to you whether you want to pretend the gin from the Bahamas or the Falernum from Barbados was purchased in St Thomas. I've never heard of anyone being asked by US Customs to match up their 5 bottles with 5 receipts.....but the law is the law.

So maybe the question is "how much can you CARRY?!?!"

Most lines will "COURTESY CHECK" your purchases (a.k.a. "confiscate") until the last day. But then, I have had the bottles delivered to my cabin before lunch on the last day....and the party started!
 
R

runner15km

Guest
If you are returning directly from any one of the following 24 Caribbean Basin countries, your exemption is $600:

Antigua and Barbuda El Salvador Nicaragua
Aruba Grenada Panama

Bahamas Guatemala Saint Kitts and Nevis

Barbados Guyana Saint Lucia

Belize Haiti Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

British Virgin Islands Honduras Trinidad and Tobago

Costa Rica Jamaica

Dominica Montserrat

Dominican Republic Netherlands Antilles





You may include two liters of alcoholic beverages with this $600 exemption, as long as one of the liters was produced in one of the countries listed above (see section on Unaccompanied Purchases from Insular Possessions and Caribbean Basin Countries).
 
R

Rubysky

Guest
Just remember that you have to schleep it yourself. It does not get checked in at the airport (unless this has changed in the past few years) Try carring around a couple of liters for an hour or so and decide if the savings will be worth it. Check prices before you leave home.
 
Top