Princess Australia has a new rule from the Australian Govenment

Could this have to do with the new "Gerry Harvey" law that GST is now payable on all overseas purchases, where it used to be only over $1000?

No, as mentioned this was introduced early last year. Also, it has been applied inconsistently across cruises - and doesn't apply to all lines, and is not a directive from head office. Lastly, that GST change doesn't apply until later this year.

made an error

For example the travel agent probably had clients that wanted to disembark in a certain port and they sold their cabin for the remaining coastal sector to another client who did not go international and did not qualify for the international prices

what a load of BS i've never heard of this before where a travel agent would make up their own rules and allow a passenger to disembark the ship and sell the cabin to another passenger.....princess or any other cruise line wouldnt allow it

For example the travel agent probably had clients that wanted to disembark in a certain port and they sold their cabin for the remaining coastal sector to another client who did not go international and did not qualify for the international prices

 

 

what a load of BS i've never heard of this before where a travel agent would make up their own rules and allow a passenger to disembark the ship and sell the cabin to another passenger.....princess or any other cruise line wouldnt allow it

Doesn't seem to realise it's the cruise line that runs the cruise, not the travel agent - who is just an agent to sell bookings for the cruise line.

just an update on a 2 nighter on the Golden Princess from Sydney to Brisbane

we departed Sydney doing a 2 nighter to Brisbane and the ship was doing the 75 nighter around the world

we visited Vines shop on deck 5 and you could buy anything you wanted and we were even allowed to buy 2 bottles of Johnnie Walker to take off to, we had 2 punch holes in our card so the staff knew we were doing the coastal cruise to Brisbane but they didn't care

we didn't think there was any customs at the Grain terminal so we didn't hide the bottles but they were and they spotted the 2 bottles and they took our cabin number so we might get a bill in the post for the extra duty....I was not the only person stopped as the shop didn't care and there was other people buying the alcholol

we are back on the Sun Princess in another month doing another 2 nighter so we'll see what happens

Just did the first segment of the Sea Princess World Cruise, Sydney to Melbourne and wondered why my card had two holes in it. Now I know. Thanks. Did buy a small item in the gift shop with no problem but didn't purchase any duty free so can't comment on this issue.

cheers

Stu

Does anyone know if this applies to sailings from Auckland to Auckland (no overseas travel) ? Can we buy lanyards or keyrings etc on that short cruise?

Totally dumbfounded as just off the Golden (last weekend) and was able to buy Duty free alcohol on a coastal segment even when the card had the two hole punches.

Totally dumbfounded as just off the Golden (last weekend) and was able to buy Duty free alcohol on a coastal segment even when the card had the two hole punches.

Mic did you get busted too, customs saw 2 bottles hanging out of my bag and took my cabin number plus another passenger too, reckons we didnt pay enough duty but not our fault if the shop sold it to us

Mic did you get busted too, customs saw 2 bottles hanging out of my bag and took my cabin number plus another passenger too, reckons we didnt pay enough duty but not our fault if the shop sold it to us

No, we didn't get caught as we didn't take our duty free bottles off the ship.:D

No, we didn't get caught as we didn't take our duty free bottles off the ship.:D

They let you take it during the cruise? Even more weird!

They let you take it during the cruise? Even more weird!

yes we bought ours in the morning and took it straight to our room but wanted to take the bottles home

They let you take it during the cruise? Even more weird!

We bought it around 3pm the day before we disembarked. I suppose normally we would have got it later that night.

yes we bought ours in the morning and took it straight to our room but wanted to take the bottles home

I was shocked we were allowed to buy it, especially as we clarified that we were getting off the next day. When they said okay, we went for it and our friends who were staying on were very happy we did.

i took my grandson on a coastal cruise from Brisbane to Sydney on the Sun Princess which we got off yesterday and he wanted to get a souvenior pen from the gift shop but they have a new ruling out (not sure when it started) unless you have been to an overseas port you cannot buy anything from the gift shop including lanyards....i was shown the paper from the Australian Government that forbids them selling anything unless leaving Australia so this will affect all cruises in Australia....if the other ships that only sail in Australian waters it should affect them if they follow the Government ruling

That's interesting. So if you are doing a coastal cruise only & not going into international ports, how come the govt won't cover you with medicare for any medical expenses? Seems they want to have their cake and eat it too.

That's interesting. So if you are doing a coastal cruise only & not going into international ports, how come the govt won't cover you with medicare for any medical expenses? Seems they want to have their cake and eat it too.

Mainly because the doctors on board are Not registered as doctors in Australia (doesn't mean they're not qualified doctors just not registered for Medicare)

Mainly because the doctors on board are Not registered as doctors in Australia (doesn't mean they're not qualified doctors just not registered for Medicare)

Oh and they wouldn't want to be given that Medicare would cover maybe $50 they charge hundreds.

That's interesting. So if you are doing a coastal cruise only & not going into international ports, how come the govt won't cover you with medicare for any medical expenses? Seems they want to have their cake and eat it too.

You can get use medicare when on land, the ship may be in Australian waters but does not have an Australian medical facility.

Oh and they wouldn't want to be given that Medicare would cover maybe $50 they charge hundreds.

Even if they were covered by medicare the gap would be huge.

I checked my Sea Princess card for my January Bris-Syd cruise and it has only one hole punch.

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Chez i'm not sure but we could not buy anything from the gift ship and i dont know if it'll filter to the other cruise lines or they may not worry about it but it was from the government

 

i have a friend doing a 2 night cruise from Melb to Sydney in a couple of weeks on the Golden and the cruise will be going to Fiji so i'll ask her to find out if any restrictions

If she's on a leg of a longer cruise, it may not affect her. I did the 3 night Sydney-Melbourne on the Golden, and was able to buy souvenirs-teddy bears, a manicure set, playing cards, and ship mugs. Don't smoke, and my preferred choice of alcohol isn't served-Crème de Menthe-so didn't check if I could buy smokes or alcohol.

Certainly wasn't enforced with many of us just doing a coastal leg of a long cruise.

Even if they were covered by medicare the gap would be huge.

Wouldn't it ever.

Our first ever cruise was Sydney-Melb-Devonport-Hobart-Port Arthur-Sydney. (princess)

No shops open.

Done the same or similar multiple times on multiple lines, Princess again, P&O, Celebrity, Cunard, Carnival shops open every time since.

No Duty Free because we don't visit a port that qualifies and contrary to what some try to tell you, sailing into certain waters isn't enough to qualify for duty free, you have to STOP at a port and must include an ability to visit the port or an educational or cultural inclusion. That's why at Willis Island they play that boring commentary (I can pull the Act up if anyone wants to be bored to death).

Well Princess may have dodged a bullet as customs were at the terminal but didn't check our bags or anything like that. Duty free alcohol sold when it shouldn't have been according to the law and the Princess policy (also to the letter we received prior to the cruise).