Gary Cooper, 30, and Benjamin Greenwood, 33 were given 15 months suspended sentences plus community service for stealing £76,000 of jewellery from Effy Jewellery store onboard MSC Virtuosa.
The store was unattended as the ship had not departed from Southampton.
The court heard it was an ‘impulsive’ act fuelled by several hours of drinking as soon as they boarded the ship just hours earlier.
The two men has earlier pleaded guilty.
Once the theft was known, ship security tracked down the two men who became aggressive and had to be restrained.
However, the stolen rings and necklaces were not found.
The court heard a police investigation at the time was inadequate as the ship was about to depart.
During sentencing, Judge Rowland said: “This was an impulsive theft in an unattended shop. You had only been on the ship for four hours.”
Around £50,000 worth of jewellery was never recovered. Cooper admitted selling several items.
The Case of the Drunk Cruise Ship Thieves
Gary Cooper and Benjamin Greenwood boarded the vessel when they targeted an unmanned shop in the ship's state-of-the-art galleria.
The MSC Virtuosa - which offers guests trips to destinations like the Caribbean - was docked at Southampton, Hampshire, where they enjoy unlimited booze on offer as part of their drinks package.
Greenwood, 33, stole eight rings and two necklaces, while Cooper, 30, stood guard, a court heard.
After both admitting theft, the pair avoided prison for their 'impulsive theft' but were ordered to carry out 270 hours of community work.
Southampton Crown Court heard the offence took place on March 31 last year as other passengers walked by.
The pair were spotted bundling the jewels into their underwear.
Prosecutor Siobhan Linsley said when the 'extremely drunk' men were tracked down, they became 'physically aggressive' meaning they had to be constrained and handcuffed by security.
With the ship set to depart, there was not time to review CCTV and speak to witnesses, meaning the stolen goods weren't recovered, she said.
'There was dissatisfaction from security on the searches,' Ms Linsley said.
Cooper, of Chichester, West Sussex, later handed himself at the city's police station, while fellow resident Greenwood, was arrested at Gatwick Airport.
Greenwood handed in three rings and a necklace worth around £18,500, the court heard.
Cooper admitted to selling some of the items - resulting in £50,000 of jewellery still unaccounted for.
The Impact of Alcohol
In mitigation, Rob Harding said the two realised what they did was 'foolish' and 'stupid'.
'The problem seems to be alcohol,' he said.
He added that it 'must have been apparent they were drunk' and called it a 'recipe for disaster'.
'They accept they have done something which is very very wrong and they must be punished,' he added.
Addressing the pair in the dock, Judge Nicholas Rowland said: 'This was an impulsive theft in an unattended shop. You had only been on the ship for four hours.'
He recognised that the offences were 'out of character' and that there was a chance of rehabilitation.
He added that a custodial sentence would have a 'harmful impact' on their children.
They were handed 15 months prison sentences suspended for two years, and told to carry out 270 hours of community work.
The Consequences of Unlimited Booze
With alcohol overconsumption appearing to play a strong role in this crime, and different poor behavior and altercations being reported on regularly on different cruise lines, are all-included beverages or generous beverage packages too troublesome for cruise lines?
Carnival Cruise Line recently confirmed its 15-per-day limit on its Cheers! beverage package would not be increased, but there is also no indication that any limits would be decreased as a result of poor behavior.
While it’s unfortunate that these types of spectacular instances can make headlines, it should be noted that the vast majority of cruise travelers consume alcohol responsibly.
Furthermore, cruise ship bartenders always have the authority to cut off guests who can’t seem to handle more beverages, regardless of what drink package travelers may have purchased.
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