Booze Cruise!!!

ballooba

The government is talking about introducing a minimum price on alcohol. If this happens it will become even more attractive to go on booze cruises to Northern Ireland, and potentially France if the UK ever follow suit (the French would never allow such a folly). I personally miss the trips down from Newry with the deafening but satisfying clink of a few hundred bottles of beer. Anyone else looking forward to booze cruises?
http://www.thejournal.ie/alcohol-restrictions-roisin-shortall-public-health-drinking-control-529854-Jul2012/

Atomic Pineapple

Why does the government insist on putting in measures that punish everyone rather than targeting only those who are the problem?

ballooba

It's annoying. But the booze cruises will be fun, if only to fly in the face of this pointless exercise.

Atomic Pineapple

Motors Newry meet idea?

darragh o meara

For big quantities of wine, France is an ideal place to get it. I was over there a few weeks ago and got a certain brand wine for a mate @€;1.50 a bottle, cheapest over here or in the north €5. The amount of cars and vans stocking up to the roof was unreal and at them prices would you blame them?

I brought a few cases back but I had to double check there was no dude called Gary locked in the back of the van before I left

ballooba

darragh o meara wrote: »

For big quantities of wine, France is an ideal place to get it.

My sister did it for her wedding. I fully intend on bringing my van over at some stage. Might get the brother to bring his van too. Should be able to buy for the extended family.

ShadowHearth

well thats not a very motorist thread, but **** it, lets engage!

I am not a huge drinker at all, i could get totally **** faced maybe once ever 3-4 months, but outside of that i can just rarely drink a bottle or two of beer per week. sometimes nothing at all. Some people will get a heart attack now, so big drinkers skip that:

i threw away 3/4 box of budwiser twice now, because it was out of date, i just did not drank it, i knew its there, but i just did not wanted

As for going north buying booze. Its nothing new surely? the one thing i can see irish goverment to do: "lets put more road tolls on m1!!! reason? WE WANT TO STOP IRISH NATION FROM DRINKING!"

smash

Lets spend excessive amounts of money on fuel and ferries so we can save a few quid on beer?!?!

kildare.17hmr

Would you get hit with customs coming back from france with a van load if wine?

ballooba

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Would you get hit with customs coming back from france with a van load if wine?

They couldn't give a hoot. As long as there's no tobacco, drugs or illegal immigrants.

langdang

Good call on throwing out the Bud Shadowhearth, good call...

Atomic Pineapple

smash wrote: »

Lets spend excessive amounts of money on fuel and ferries so we can save a few quid on beer?!?!

Newry's only up the road from me! I once bought a camera up there and even taking into account petrol used up and back I still saved about €40!

Run_to_da_hills

ballooba wrote: »

They couldn't give a hoot. As long as there's no tobacco, drugs or illegal immigrants.

Not unless they were instructed to which they more than likely will if strict guidelines were enforced.

kuro2k

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Would you get hit with customs coming back from france with a van load if wine?

Customs don't care as long as the alcohol/cigs are for personal use only, Its also important to keep all receipts to prove VAT/taxes have been paid..






.

Anan1

draffodx wrote: »

Why does the government insist on putting in measures that punish everyone rather than targeting only those who are the problem?

How would you target 'problem' drinkers?

smash

LIGHTNING wrote: »

My mate saved about 350e buying a TV in Newry than buy it here in Dublin. Twenty euro on petrol and a few quid in Burger king was all it cost.

But you're not going to save that on drink, unless you're buying a hell of a lot of drink.

ballooba

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Not unless they were instructed to which they more than likely will if strict guidelines were enforced.

There is free movement of goods within the EU. The government here would fall foul of EU law if they tried to legislate against booze cruises. As would the UK government, hence why they don't.

smash wrote: »

But you're not going to save that on drink, unless you're buying a hell of a lot of drink.

My last booze cruise to NI was a budget of about a grand if I recall. Saved about EUR 500. That was 2007 though. It was for a special occasion.

Big Nasty

ShadowHearth wrote: »

i threw away 3/4 box of budwiser twice now, because it was out of date, i just did not drank it, i knew its there, but i just did not wanted

I think worse of you for buying it in the first place than throwing it away! :eek:

Yawns

Certainly will push more ppl up. you will hear ppl say there's no savings but fact is most people will buy a lot. They won't be going for a bottle or 2 so to speak. Generally when I go up north I'll do a huge food shop for the freezer and a lot of booze. I usually have the child minded so I can stuff everything onto the back seats as well.

It helps I can still get euro for pound the odd time.

darragh o meara

smash wrote: »

Lets spend excessive amounts of money on fuel and ferries so we can save a few quid on beer?!?!

Not really. Take the wine I brought back as an example. €5 here or €60 a case or €1.50 over in France which works out at €18 a case. Instant saving of €42 a case. Now if your gonna go over on a booze cruise your gonna be bringing back more than a few cases and no doubt be going at the cheapest time on the ferry which you can get as low as €150 with the car sometimes even lower. By my calculations a few cases would pay for the trip.

Costs:
Ferry: €150 (can be more or less depending in time etc but use this as example)
Fuel costs: € 30-€40 euro again depends on how far you have to drive to the ferry as there are plenty of wine wholesales near the port on the other side.
Grub in the ferry €50

Total €240 approx

Bring 10 cases of wine home and your savings are there straight away, bring more and you save more!! So yes it is a viable alternative if your planning an occasion like a wedding etc. I know when I get married in the next year or two ill be hiring a van and hitting over to fill up. Plus customs aren't too bothered once you don't have drugs or the likes on board.

ShadowHearth

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I think worse of you for buying it in the first place than throwing it away! :eek:

i am such a low drinker that all beer tastes the same for me. you would blind fold me and i would say that all of it tastes the same!

Alanstrainor

Unless we're going to start talking about wine powered cars I don't see how this is motors related...

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