Liquor on Disney Cruise Line-BYO

We've all attended a party that was BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer) but what about bringing your own alcohol on a cruise? Cruise vacations are known for being "all inclusive" but alcohol is always at an extra charge. On cashless ships such as Disney Cruise Line it's easy to pass your Key to the World Card along to the bartender and sign on the dotted line without a second thought. You will have second thoughts when you receive the bill on your stateroom account, because all those little signatures can add up to a LOT of expense!

One of the most frequent questions I get about Disney Cruise Line is about alcohol; how much a drink costs, can you bring your own, how much should you budget for alcohol, etc. People toil over the options and weigh the cost of buying from the bar vs. the inconvenience of bringing your own.

~Buying On Board~

Drink Packages and Specials

• Yes, there are "discounted" packages for beer, wine, soda and water on board. There will be tables set up throughout the public areas offering these packages on your embarkation day. For a list of beverage packages and pricing click here. The wine packages can save you an estimated 25% on alcohol pricing, however the beverage packages do not include the 15% gratuity. 
• There are also drink specials in various bars usually before the dining times. Check your Personal Navigator for information and locations or inquire at bar areas. On the Magic and Wonder the drink specials are in Diversions and include 2 for 1 on a drink of the day or on well drinks (which can be mixed with your choice of 1 juice; for example vodka and cranberry).
• Make sure you read my tips below before you decide on a beverage package!

On Board Alcohol Pricing

• Yes, the alcohol prices are marked up, aren't they everywhere? Your mixed drinks will run anywhere between $6-$9 (approximately). Wine is marked up about 30-50% (estimated, not factual, however we paid $36 for a bottle of wine at our local wine shop and the same bottle was $90 on the cruise and then had to pay the 15% auto gratuity).

~Bringing Your Own~


What is the alcohol policy?

•  At present, Disney Cruise Line doesn't particularly"limit" the amount or type of alcohol you can bring on board. The policy states: "Alcohol is permitted on board. However, any fragile items (including alcoholic beverages) must be hand-carried on board in the carry-on of an adult Guest – age 21 or older (dimensions can't exceed 22" wide, 14" high and 9" deep). Alcohol brought on board may not be consumed in any lounge or public area. Guests who arrive in the dining room, including Palo and Remy, with a bottle of champagne or wine will be charged a corking fee of $20.00 per bottle. Please be advised: Disney Cruise Line reserves the right to remove fragile items (including beverages) from checked luggage. In such cases, items will be stored and returned at the end of the voyage. Beverage containers are considered fragile and have previously caused damage in checked luggage. All fragile items must be transported inside carry-on luggage."   

Do I really have to carry it on board myself?

• If you have ever seen the porters handle the luggage at the port terminal, you'll know the answer to this question. If you want to guarantee that your bottles arrive in one piece you'll want to transport them yourself. This will prevent delay in luggage handling (if they screen for liquids, etc.) and eliminate you worrying about which pile your suitcase is on the bottom of. Be mindful that staterooms aren't ready till around 1:30pm so whatever you carry on you are going to have to carry, quite literally until that time. 
• How do I pack it? There are actually wonderful options for transporting wine, etc. U-Line has a variety of shipping options, including Styrofoam wine shippers. I can tell you first hand these work great, ours made it perfectly through a flight from Detroit to California and safely on board (we opted to carry it with us after we saw the baggage process at the terminal). Bubble wrap is another option if you aren't carrying enough to merit the Styrofoam shippers.

What about the wine corking fee?

• There is a corking fee of $20 per bottle in the dining rooms (including Remy and Palo) for wine brought (not bought). So how do you bring your own and not get screwed (pun intended) with the corking fee? 
• The policy is regarding an unopened bottle of wine. Think of it this way, if they have to open it, it costs you $20, if you open it, it cost you nothing. So bring a corkscrew (plastic "picnic" corkscrews are available at guest services and sometimes room service will provide you with a corkscrew) and open the wine in your room before dinner. Pour a tiny bit into each glass, pop the cork in the top of the bottle and bring it to dinner. Your wine is already opened, therefore...no corking fee, ta-da!
• Wine glasses are available in the dining rooms, just ask your head server or server or call room service and inquire about getting wine glasses in your room. 

What about mixed drinks?

• Obviously you don't want to pack the whole mini-bar in your suitcase just to be able to have a cocktail during your cruise, so how do you turn a liquor into a mixed drink on the ship without breaking the bank?
• Juices are complimentary at breakfast, so fill out your room service delivery card and order orange juice or request cranberry juice and put it in your beverage cooler. Then you can have your vodka and cranberry anytime you want!
• Ice can be delivered to your room by your stateroom attendant. If you know your cocktail hour is going to be at a certain time each day, ask them for a standing request for ice.
• There is a 24 hour beverage station available on the pool deck. Soda, tea, coffee etc is available for free 24 hours a day. So if you need a Coke for your rum and Coke...you know where it's at! 

My Drink Tips:

• Bring your own. If you have even a few cocktails during your cruise you'll be astonished at the cost when your stateroom bill arrives. Between the up charge and the gratuity it adds up, not to mention your drink is at the mercy of the bartender so you really don't have a say in the strength.
• Open your wine in your room. My husband was huffing and puffing about opening the wine in our room and carrying it to dinner. He went on and on about how tacky it was, etc. Then when we weighed the cost of what the corking fees would be for our 15-night Hawaiian cruise...he quickly got over the "tacky" element when he realized the corking fee alone would completely deplete the savings of bringing our own wine.
• Don't buy the water package. There is filtered water available in the soda machine by the pool deck, you can also call room service and request a pitcher of ice water, then just put it in your beverage cooler (refrigerator).
• Bring a bigger cup.-While the soda station is complimentary the cups provided are small (about 8oz) so by the time you get back to your stateroom your beverage is empty and you can't always carry multiple cups. Bring a travel mug/water bottle/something large to drink out of that you can fill up at the beverage stations, this way you know you have enough to last and you won't be tempted to break down and spend $3 for a pop. 

Now you know all about alcohol on Disney Cruise Line, drink responsibly (and affordab-ly*)!
*Yes, I coined that word to serve my purpose.