Originally Posted by
startbyservingothers
As far as I know any taken alcohol is returned at the end of the cruise. Someone else can verify if that is even true for open bottles. (We never had anything taken). Also remember most cruise lines allow one 750 ML bottle of wine! (A fee is charged to drink in dining room. For Carnival we drank in our hotel room)
I'm pretty sure they won't return open bottles, but I've never experienced it personally.
A fee is charged to *pour* the wine in the dining room. Have a drink in your own room, or pour a glass for each of you in your own room, then go to the dining room and bring it with you. Many people buy a drink in one of the lounges before heading in to a meal, so quite a few people walk into the dining room with a glass of wine in their hands. If you want to be extra sneaky, pick up a couple of cocktail napkins that are on the top of every bar and make it seem even more as if you were served that glass of wine you're carrying.
On the first day of the cruise, when your cabin steward comes to introduce himself tell him you need a couple wine glasses and that you would like him to replace the wineglasses in the cabin every day. (So you leave your empty on at the dining room.)
Ah, important strategies!
Slightly OT, but while you're not allowed to bring "liquids" through airport security, you are allowed to mix up a fairly weak cocktail at home the day before, freeze it solid, and bring the frozen one through. It's a "solid" not a "liquid".