Puerto Rico

[mammel]

I will be leaving for a southern Carribean cruise in a few weeks.

I can't remember the name of the city where the cruise departs from, but i can only imagine there is one main place, which we are also flying into.

Does anyone know what the duty free selection is like at that airport? I hope its not all Bacardi and nothing else!

I plan to pick up anything decent along the way, and we are doing the Mount Gay tour in Barbados. Hopefully I can snag another bottle of Admiral Rodney's while in St. Lucia! Its good stuff!

Thanks

[Rum Runner]

Hi mammel. I presume since your thread is titled Puerto Rico you will be landing at San Juan International Airport and embarking at the Port in Old San Juan.

The Airport Duty Free shops have a modest rum selection and the prices are pretty much the same as normal retail prices here on the Island.

That being said, The Ron del Barrilito 2 Star and 3 Star and the Trigo Reserva Aneja as well as their Ron Canita Alambique are well worth picking up as they are not widely distributed outside of Puerto Rico. DonQ's Anejo and Gran Anejo are right up there as fine examples. The Bacardi Reserva Limitada is also a nice splurge.

You may wish to check with your cruise provider as to restrictions on carry-on alcohol onboard ship.

Have fun!

cheers.gif

[mammel]

Yes, we are flying out of (and boarding our cruise) in San Juan.

I have been on a few cruises now, and sometimes they want to "hold" your liquor purchases for you until the end of the cruise and sometimes they dont care and you can carry it on without issue.

As we make some of the Port calls i plan to keep my eyes open for something decent. I only ask about the duty free, more as a last resort. If for some reason i cant find much where I happen to be, its nice to know if the selection at the airport is decent....sometimes its nice to slip an extra purchase in too (even if your suitcase is overfilled) :)

Thanks

[Edward Hamilton]

If you can tell me which ports you'll visit I can probably give you some hints of what to look for on various islands.

[mammel]

I think i know what i want to buy based on where i am going. The real problem lies, will i be able to find a place within the time frame of the stop over to find what i was looking for.

I think there may be ports where i wont have time to look, but who knows.

I was trying to figure out what the duty free at the airport has, as more of a fall back position.

Ports are:

Barbados - going to mount gay distillery
Tortola
St. lucia - going for admiral rodneys (if i can find it)
St Thomas

Thanks for your help!

[leisure master]

Hi mammel

I don't know the size of your rum collection, but I had very good luck at the duty free store in San Juan when I was there last year. I was able to find 6 or 7 rums in that shop alone that I did not have, and I have well over 100 bottles. Don Q Gran Anejo is a must, as is the Ron Barrilito 3 star. I would stick with Rum Runner's other suggestions too - he knows the good stuff.

BTW - I like that you used the phrase "the real problem" in your last post - may all of our problems be like that! party1.gif

have fun on your cruise!

[Edward Hamilton]

On all of the islands you mention, I'd definitely check out the grocery stores, ask the crew on the ship where they shop for candy, cigarettes, etc. All of the islands have grocery stores fairly close to the cruise ship docks.
I've consistently found good prices and many times a better selection of rums in the grocery stores than in many of the shops.

[krustykrab]

I agree - head for the grocery stores! I was in St Thomas a few years ago on a cruise and found a great selection there. You'll probably be docked at the main pier - Just out of the pier complex the road heads left toward town - if you head straight back and slightly uphill look for the Pueblo supermarket on the right and Kmart on the left - I got GREAT deals and found decent selection at each. In town, AJ Riise has a fine selection of rums from all over the islands!

Have fun and good luck!

[RonJames]

Buy the rum in the ports you want and stow it in the suitcase...then hit up san juan airport on the return flight. Interesting note. San Juan airport has never limited me on the amount I can buy at the duty free. Go with what rum runner has told you.

[leisure master]

San Juan airport has never limited me on the amount I can buy at the duty free.

Excellent point Ron - as a US territory, there is no limit on the duty free - when I made my purchases, they basically told me I could buy as much as I could carry without issue...it was true - they don't even use the customs forms if I remember correctly so there is no where to declare what you have.

On the down side though, as a US territory there is no Havana Club in PR, so make sure to get any of that in your other ports.

[krustykrab]

Excellent point Ron - as a US territory, there is no limit on the duty free - when I made my purchases, they basically told me I could buy as much as I could carry without issue...it was true - they don't even use the customs forms if I remember correctly so there is no where to declare what you have.

On the down side though, as a US territory there is no Havana Club in PR, so make sure to get any of that in your other ports.

Yeah, but he is from Cuba-embracing Canada, so probably has access to HC all the time... (darn us US dwellers...HMMR)

That is an interesting point about flying back from PR - I guess it comes down to where you come through US customs... PR or your cont US entry)being that he hits another US territory on the cruise (St Thomas) the duty free allowance is pretty nice (5 L I think, as long as one is from ST)

OH, WAIT - as I just said, he is a Canadian citizenHMMR. Comes down to what you are allowed by Canada customs and the max amount of alcohol you are allowed to carry by your airline carrier (5L per person last time I was nearing the limit and had to check on it...)

Darn... oh, to dream... wish I were going...drooling3.gif

[leisure master]

whoops! missed that Canadian location for mammel - nice catch KK.

As a citizen of the great white north I guess you can enjoy all the HC you want without airfare, bubble wrap and suitcases!

mammel, I am sure you're going to find a lot more rum on your trip than you'll know how to carry. have fun.

by the way KK - now that I am looking at locations I see you are north shore in MA - I grew up in Salem, MA and still have family all over the NS. Was up there last week and visited Ryan & Wood distillery in Gloucester - they have a rum that's aging nicely (Folly Cove) and should be available at some point. Drop me a PM if you want the details on how to find them and tour their facilities.

[Patapouf]

I believe the import law on alcohol limits one to 1.14L (of liquor) in Canada without paying duty. Anything after (max determined by province) is imposed a 7% tax.
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5056-eng.html#s4x5

[mammel]

Canadian duty import limits suck big time, very small allowance.

I typically (when i have room) buy something outside the airport and pack it in the suit case. Then i buy somethign to carry on at the duty free. I am sure that customs has access to all the purchasing records at duty free, so from their perspective i am only carrying 1.

I do have a problem this time around though. I am flying back from San Juan through Charlotte NC then on to Buffalo, where i cross the border by car. If i buy something duty free and carry it on in PR, when i change flights in Charlotte, i would imagine them insisting that i pack the good into checked baggage. You americans tend not to like liquids on your flights anymore. I am sort of stuck here, will have to play it by ear!

Alas i do have all sorts of Havana Club kicking around...i think they even sell the texas mickey;s of HC here too! I thought i saw one.

Thanks all for your help, certainly appreciated!

[Edward Hamilton]

Your right about changing planes once you board in Puerto Rico though you can buy liquids in the secure area of an airport and I have carried rum through the secure area of an airport after making a duty free purchase in Puerto Rico. Seems the rules have slacked a bit, but if you have to change terminals, not a problem in Charlotte, you may have a problem. I wouldn't however carry a duty free shopping bag through the airport and not expect to get inspected somewhere.

[RonJames]

As far as Charlotte I think its worth the risk. Just keep the rum in the bag (which is half ass sealed by a plastic tie). The bags they use can carry two bottle so one for you and your wife? As far as the border crossing maybe you could explain "I got X in the luggage and 2 bottles in this duty free bag", maybe they let you by.

[dom]

I believe the import law on alcohol limits one to 1.14L (of liquor) in Canada without paying duty. Anything after (max determined by province) is imposed a 7% tax.
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5056-eng.html#s4x5

The 7% tax apply only on goods other than tobacco and alcohol. For alcohol the duty is much much more. It's about 2 times the value of the cheapest bottle in excess (for wine) and about 3 times for liquor. Last time I brought 1 bottle in excess and it cost me more than 50$ for a 18$ value rum in excess (cheapest one I had).

[leisure master]

If you're changing planes in the US, it will probably be a problem to bring your duty free bags through domestic security. I would not chance it that security will let you continue with your duty-free bag because you just got off an international flight.

Usually they make you pick up your bags after immigration and re-check them for the domestic flights after you go through customs. Stash your duty free bag in your luggage after you go through customs and before you re-check them for your US flight. Just make sure you leave extra room in your bags before you leave home and have a couple of t-shirts or something to wrap around the bottles.

On some trips, Nicole and I have left home with two half-filled bags (big ones) if we were going somewhere that would provide a good rum haul. We always come home with 2 full bags. I do this especailly if there is no bag fee, but I don't mind paying the bag fee when I expect to be bringing home up to 10 or so bottles of stuff I can't get otherwise.

To protect bottles in your suitcase, I know some folks swear by those tupperware bread containers - they actually are a perfect size for a 750ml bottle - but I have never had trouble wrapping laundry around my bottles and packing things tight.

[Patapouf]

The 7% tax apply only on goods other than tobacco and alcohol. For alcohol the duty is much much more. It's about 2 times the value of the cheapest bottle in excess (for wine) and about 3 times for liquor. Last time I brought 1 bottle in excess and it cost me more than 50$ for a 18$ value rum in excess (cheapest one I had).

Thanks for the clarification Dom. It's too bad getting the short end of the stick like that.

[RonJames]

To protect bottles in your suitcase, I know some folks swear by those tupperware bread containers - they actually are a perfect size for a 750ml bottle - but I have never had trouble wrapping laundry around my bottles and packing things tight.

Hey Leisure master I haven't heard of the tupperware bread containers, what do they look like and where do I get 'um? I like you usually use laundry. The advantage is that customs is less likely to steal my rum if its surrounded by my undies.

[leisure master]

Yeah, if any of my booze ever got stolen it would give me a laugh to know what they had to do to get it.

Here's that bread thing I was talking about. A friend of mine swears by this and says it's perfect for 750ml bottles wrapped in bubble wrap. Bubble wrap and a container sure is safer than my method, but I have never had a problem so far. Your mileage may vary though....

http://www.buddeez.com/Pages/bbuddy.html

[TheRumelier]

The best thing I use is a cannister that some rums and a lot of whisky's come in. The round hard card ones work best and they are free. On my recent trip to Cayman, Tortuga Rums gave me a large Zip Lock bag with bubble wrap inside that also worked well and takes up less space when empty and I now have a collection of them. I have lost a few bottles when just wrapped in clothes or towels.
When flying back from Puerto Rico and going to another flight you do not have to check back through security so your duty free purchases are safe, even when I fly back home to the TCI. If you arrive from a country outside the US just put them in your checked bag after you pick it up and clear Customs, before you re-check it.

[Gecko]

Hey Rumelier,

This "MO" sounds familiar. Ever since the rules (In fact the world) changed, I've had to become airport and TSA savvy in order to secure those rare bottles I must say that once on a direct charter flight from DR, I was able to bring a suit case filled with wrapped bottles as carry on. I will confess and say that at least one bottle didn't make the trip due to consumptiongzzg.

[TheRumelier]

I think the shoe bomber and 9/11 had one of the most profound effects on air travel. They basically killed duty free sales of liquor and carry on sales.
The trips on charters are different and always the best for "smuggling". It was a preferred way for myself and friends to travel from Freeport to Fort Lauderdale, Miami and the other Bahamian islands. Also in days passed many bottles of rum were consumed on flights south for various rugby and soccer tours. We have been banned from BahamasAir many times!!
I remember a time when we were boarding a plane to return to Freeport from Abaco after a weekend of Hash Running and drinking. One of the children got on the plane first that had an engine running for A/C purposes and he went in the cockpit and hit the controls. The plane started heading down the runway and hit a luggage trolley. Most people refused to get on the plane after that, but after a champagne breakfast and several rums some of the "braver" members of the tour decided we would rather fly out than stay the night as the runway had no lights!! Just one of many stories of flying around the islands.

[RonJames]

Here's that bread thing I was talking about. [/url]

I appreciate it leisure master, thank you. Gecko when I eventually get to sit down and have drink with you I've got to tell you about my return flight from my wedding in PR. One of the best flights I've had, and one of the most thirst quenching.

[arthangels]

I presume you mean Puerto Rico in the Canaries? I have been there. There is (or was when I went) a big shopping complex with restaurants too. Most were there rather than dotted around the streets which I found unusual. It is very steep, built on the side of a hill. Fortunately our hotel was at the bottom. At the top of the hill is a place called The Barbacoa, that is worth a vist too with a bit of a fair, restaurants etc.