Texas port liquor issues

I have read a lot of conflicting information about sailing out of Texas. Is it true that you cannot drink on board until you are in international waters? Or is it just that only certain bars are open and they have a limited selection?

If the latter, does anyone know what bars are open on NCL Jade when it sails out of Houston Bayport?

Also, is the Texas liquor tax for residents only, or for anyone taking any liquor through Texas? Do they scan all of your bags when you get off the ship?

I have read a lot of conflicting information about sailing out of Texas. Is it true that you cannot drink on board until you are in international waters? Or is it just that only certain bars are open and they have a limited selection?

 

If the latter, does anyone know what bars are open on NCL Jade when it sails out of Houston Bayport?

 

Also, is the Texas liquor tax for residents only, or for anyone taking any liquor through Texas? Do they scan all of your bags when you get off the ship?

We have never sailed out of Texas, though we have a cruise this fall out of Galveston. I can't answer to your first question about buying beverages on board, but I have read numerous threads about the tax when returning to port.

This is apparently charged to all people departing the ship. It doesn't matter if you are keeping the alcohol in Texas or going to the airport to fly home to a different state. You pay the tax no matter what.

Some have reported not paying the tax if they have the alcohol in their checked luggage and don't mention it when passing through. I believe they ask if you are bringing in any alcohol. Rightly or wrongly, some people don't mention it if it is in checked luggage. I don't believe they x-ray or scan them in any way. If I understand properly, they do this check after US Customs and Immigration check. If you are carrying a duty free box or bag, it would be apparent you have alcohol and be directed to the location where you would pay the tax.

We sailed out of Gaveleston last couple of years, bars are open as soon as you board but selection is limited, about 6pm you can order anything.

There is someone from Texas asking about liquor when you leave, 1st time I told then and had to pay 3 or 4 dollars, second time I just told them I had nothing. Customs might check bags but did not see Texas checking anything.

My most recent experience, December 2014 on RCL Navigator of The Seas. My husband and I purchased the beverage package on the RCL website(we paid no extra taxes and didn't have to wait to buy the package on day two like on Carnival). When we boarded, each bar that was open(not all were open) had a 8 1/2 x 11 sign that had all the drinks they served while in port in Galveston. They only served certain brands of liquor and had a limited selection of "fun" drinks. Our favorite ended up being a frozen mojito. I remember there was a small selection of wines. Don't remember what beers they served. Everything opened up once in international waters. All the drink menus, etc. We will also be on the Jade but not until January 2016. I hope to read posts about others experience with the beverage package in Houston on NCL.

It's not quite as bad as some people make it out to be. Except for a few hard core drinkers who can't get "their brand" of alcohol for the first couple of hours of a roughly 160 hour cruise (which usually causes them to use the word "ruined" in their review), most people find something to drink with no problem.

Sailing out of Galveston it's usually about an hour before they swap out the bar menus. Sailing from Bayport it's about two and a half to three hours. Also on NCL they put a tape over our mini bar which was removed once international waters were reached.

I had a bottle of wine in my carry on when we got off Jewel last year. Walked right by the tax table and said "No" when asked if I had any alcohol. Was it wrong? Yeah, but contrary to some reviews that seem to lump the residents of the state in with it's government (and to those people I say thank you for letting us know you're never coming back), most of us think it's ridiculous as well. It probably costs them more to man the tables than what they get back in taxes.

Ok, cool!

I definitely have my favorite brands, like any other serious drinker, but I do not at all care about having a limited selection for 3 hours. It would bug me to not be able to drink at all during sail-away, but those frozen mojitos sound interesting, and honestly we'd be fine if there was even just a red, a white, a beer and few basic liquors to make well drinks.

Ok, cool!

 

I definitely have my favorite brands, like any other serious drinker, but I do not at all care about having a limited selection for 3 hours. It would bug me to not be able to drink at all during sail-away, but those frozen mojitos sound interesting, and honestly we'd be fine if there was even just a red, a white, a beer and few basic liquors to make well drinks.

I can't recall how extensive the drink menu while in Texas waters was. but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Some would have you think there were tumbleweeds rolling across the Lido and people dying of thirst while buzzards circled overhead.

Ok, cool!

 

I definitely have my favorite brands, like any other serious drinker, but I do not at all care about having a limited selection for 3 hours. It would bug me to not be able to drink at all during sail-away, but those frozen mojitos sound interesting, and honestly we'd be fine if there was even just a red, a white, a beer and few basic liquors to make well drinks.

Out of Galveston it's not 3 hours and there is a good selection of drinks!!!

Out of Galveston it's not 3 hours and there is a good selection of drinks!!!

Could be, depending on what time you actually board. I think perhaps the three hours isn't just from sail away time.

Well, we're sailing out of Houston, not Galveston. :)

Well, we're sailing out of Houston, not Galveston. :)

As you said The Mojitos sound good! Enjoy your cruise!! :)

FYI In galveston at The Spot there is A Mojitos Bar at the Rum Shack upstairs in the large palapa overlooking the Gulf.

On RCL back in December, I remember seeing Absolute Vodka(lots of flavors)being one of the liquors that they served from "the list". I think Jim Beam was another that was served while in the port of Galveston. Not sure what brands Norwegian or Carnival serve up while in port but the two brands I remember are not junk in my world. I can't recall what brands of liquor were being served for rum, etc.

Out of Galveston it's not 3 hours and there is a good selection of drinks!!!

I would not consider there list a good selection, best scotch was Dewars 8 year old, but as said its just a few hours.

just got back off the freedom out of Galveston

Really not any issues at all with the limited selections at the start. most will not even notice it.

Buying and returning with tho. On carnival, if you buy on ship or in a port you will report to a certain place on the day of getting off and claim you bottles.

after you pass thru customs with your form there is a table set up just thru another section of the building with people asking if you have booze or smokes.

If you put your stuff in your bags then there is no way of them knowing what you have, if you are carrying out in the open, well then just saying.

my 02

Michael

We sailed on the Jewel last January out of Houston. Didn't buy any drinks in Texas waters but there seemed to be ample supply available for those who did.

It was pretty much the honor system to report alcohol you brought back off the ship.

As others have said, there was a table set up where they asked if you had alcohol to report. There were forms you could fill out on the ship ahead of time to pay the tax.

As a good citizen of Texas, I reported all of ours (9 bottles; some was packed in luggage and some was in the open in bags we carried)! The tax was $3.75 per bottle so our total was only $33.75.

We sailed on the Jewel last January out of Houston. Didn't buy any drinks in Texas waters but there seemed to be ample supply available for those who did.

 

It was pretty much the honor system to report alcohol you brought back off the ship.

As others have said, there was a table set up where they asked if you had alcohol to report. There were forms you could fill out on the ship ahead of time to pay the tax.

As a good citizen of Texas, I reported all of ours (9 bottles; some was packed in luggage and some was in the open in bags we carried)! The tax was $3.75 per bottle so our total was only $33.75.

Just curious. Did you put all 9 bottles on your customs form? Did you go over the 1ltr per person duty free limit or were there just a bunch of you? Curious as to how much it costs for booze beyond the duty free limit. Not the Texas tax part.

Just curious. Did you put all 9 bottles on your customs form? Did you go over the 1ltr per person duty free limit or were there just a bunch of you? Curious as to how much it costs for booze beyond the duty free limit. Not the Texas tax part.

Yes, we put all 9 bottles on the form. There were 2 of us (my wife and me). We were probably close on the limit, but they didn't say anything.

Yes, we put all 9 bottles on the form. There were 2 of us (my wife and me). We were probably close on the limit, but they didn't say anything.

You were not close to the limit, you were over the limit. Your limit for two people would be 2 liters of alcohol. If you had 9 that were only 3/4 of a liters, you would have still been at 6. In most cases, customs doesn't bother to collect the customs as it would cost more to do the paperwork than what they actually collect. We get waived through with three or four all the time. Even when driving through the boarder.

How does Carnival's cheers program work when sailing out of Galveston? Can you purchase it and start the program right away or do you have to wait until you're in international waters?

imirish,

If I am correct, Carnival Cruise Line only starts the cheers package on day two of cruises out of Texas. On a seven day cruise, one would only pay for six days. My experience on RCCL was that I purchased the package on their web site(didn't have to wait until on the ship as is done on Carnival) and when I checked in my sign and sail card indicated I had the beverage package. I used my sail and sign card for beverages once on the ship. I think you can only purchase the cheers program once you get on Carnival ships. I don't think you can purchase on line ahead of time. I liked being able to have my beverage package all paid for once my vacation arrived with RCCL.

You were not close to the limit, you were over the limit. Your limit for two people would be 2 liters of alcohol. If you had 9 that were only 3/4 of a liters, you would have still been at 6. In most cases, customs doesn't bother to collect the customs as it would cost more to do the paperwork than what they actually collect. We get waived through with three or four all the time. Even when driving through the boarder.

I guess the limit I was thinking of was the state of Texas limit of one gallon of liquor per person for personal use. The customs people didn't say anything about being over their one liter exemption so I guess we lucked out.

imirish,

 

If I am correct, Carnival Cruise Line only starts the cheers package on day two of cruises out of Texas. On a seven day cruise, one would only pay for six days. My experience on RCCL was that I purchased the package on their web site(didn't have to wait until on the ship as is done on Carnival) and when I checked in my sign and sail card indicated I had the beverage package. I used my sail and sign card for beverages once on the ship. I think you can only purchase the cheers program once you get on Carnival ships. I don't think you can purchase on line ahead of time. I liked being able to have my beverage package all paid for once my vacation arrived with RCCL.

Does anyone know if you can wait to buy the AIBP on day 2 on Princess out of Houston and only pay for 6 days?