get it in Barcelona

You won't be entitled to duty free as you are flying home from an EU airport, you will be able to purchase duty / tax paid instead. There are no limits on the amount of tobacco or alcohol you can take back as long as it for for your own use or as a gift. The limits for duty free are 200 cigarettes and one litre of alcohol.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/index.htm

However, having said that I am not sure if you are allowed to import the duty free allowance in addition to any duty paid goods so I have contacted HMRC and will let you know if I get a reply.

Be aware that some cruise ships do not allow alcohol on board that has not been purchased on board! I've heard of US lines 'confiscating' this for the period of the cruise and giving it back to passengers when they leave at the end of their holiday .... and that people go to exceptional lengths to 'smuggle it in' ... in water bottles for clear stuff and even 'back packs' that hold liquids ...

Just a thought!

Alsacienne wrote:

Be aware that some cruise ships do not allow alcohol on board that has not been purchased on board! I've heard of US lines 'confiscating' this for the period of the cruise and giving it back to passengers when they leave at the end of their holiday .... and that people go to exceptional lengths to 'smuggle it in' ... in water bottles for clear stuff and even 'back packs' that hold liquids ...

Just a thought!

This is true. Bags will be x rayed when you get back on ship and booze will be confiscated until the end of the cruise. P&O do the same in Europe.

Alsacienne wrote:

Be aware that some cruise ships do not allow alcohol on board that has not been purchased on board! I've heard of US lines 'confiscating' this for the period of the cruise and giving it back to passengers when they leave at the end of their holiday .... and that people go to exceptional lengths to 'smuggle it in' ... in water bottles for clear stuff and even 'back packs' that hold liquids ...

Just a thought!

Hi De Hi wrote:

Alsacienne wrote:

Be aware that some cruise ships do not allow alcohol on board that has not been purchased on board! I've heard of US lines 'confiscating' this for the period of the cruise and giving it back to passengers when they leave at the end of their holiday .... and that people go to exceptional lengths to 'smuggle it in' ... in water bottles for clear stuff and even 'back packs' that hold liquids ...

Just a thought!

This is true. Bags will be x rayed when you get back on ship and booze will be confiscated until the end of the cruise. P&O do the same in Europe.

No such problems at Barcelona, at least not with Norwegian. We bought beer and wine in Barcelona and put it in our case. It was so cheap to buy there that it wouldn't have mattered if they had confiscated and kept it.

There is actually a duty paid shop after security and before you board. It is a bit more expensive than the shops in town, but is an option for buying alcohol to drink onboard.

If you were intending taking it back to the UK then it wouldn't matter that it was confiscated as you get it back the night before disembarking.

Thanks for the quick replies. I am aware of the problem of taking booze on board ship and I think Cunard is one of only a couple who allow this (to drink in your cabin, otherwise you incur corkage). I was thinking more of on our way home; if we bought the booze on the ship would there be any problem. I should have said in my original posting that we will be spending one night in Barcelona post-cruise so it's not as if it's straight off the ship and onto the plane.

There's your solution then. You will be off the ship early on disemarkation day so will have plenty of time to buy your booze from a supermarket. Just remember to take luggage scales and some bubble wrap as you will have to pack it in your checked bags.

Which ship are you sailing on and which hotel in Barcelona?

Thanks Lucy, think I was making a mountain out of a molehill. We are sailing on the Norwegian Spirit (a first for us and not sure what to expect - have never done freestyle before) and the hotel is the oddly named
4 Barcelona Hotel. Have to confess that at this time of posting have not checked if there are any reviews here but I have looked on TA (oops!) and the reviews sound quite reasonable. Will go now and have a look; if nothing, will try and remember to do a review on our return, but trip is not until middle of January.

Freestyle with Norwegian is great, much better than the attempt Princess made of it. No rushing to be at dinner at a set time, you can just wander up when you are ready. There are 2 main dining rooms on the Spirit and 13 alternative dining options, some of which have a supplement.

I know exactly where your hotel is! We were staying not far away and there is a small bar on the corner just yards from your hotel where we ate a couple of nights. We spoke to a couple there who were staying at the 4 Barcelona and really liked it.

It's not central, maybe a 30-40 minute walk to Las Ramblas, but we weren't interested in being central as we've been to Barcelona many times. A No 14 or 41 bus will take you into the centre. You are only 2 blocks from the beach and a 5-10 minute walk to the marina area. There is a Consum supermarket in a small shopping centre on the left as you walk along Avinguida Icaria. I think it's on the corner with Carrer de L'Arquitecte Sert and it has a good range of booze, although we didn't look at spirits.

Your hotel is on this map.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=opera&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest&ie=UTF-8&q=4+barcelona+hotel&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=4+barcelona+hotel&cid=0,0,13044082825111345076&ei=c-67UKz9Do6Y0QWd-YGwDg&ved=0CMQBEPwSMAA

HMRC were going to take 15 days to reply. However I have a contact who is a Customs Officer at LHR so asked him.

You can take back 1L spirits and 200 cigarettes bought duty free in the Canaries in addition to anything you buy duty paid in the EU.

Is the ship docking in Madeira? If so you could buy your duty paid there.

You should also check prices on the ship, but would need to check whether they are selling duty free or duty paid.

Thanks for looking Lucy. Guess hubby could be lucky with his bottles of whisky Our first port of call is Madeira so we might have a look in the shops.