Carnival bans passengers from bringing bottled drinks aboard

Carnival Cruises is banning passengers from bringing bottled drinks aboard its ships because too many people are smuggling booze in the bottles.

Carnival says misbehaving drunk travelers are causing big problems on its ships and the bootleg alcohol is to blame.

The ban also should speed up the boarding process because bottles will no longer need to be tested, the company said.

Passengers will still be allowed to bring no more than 12 cans or cartons of non-alcoholic drinks.

Carnival says it will lower the price of bottled water sold on its ships to account for the ban. It will now charge $2.99 for a 12-pack of half-liter bottles if purchased ahead of the cruise departure. If you wait until you are onboard, the price increases to $4.99.

The new policy goes into effect July 9, 2015.