Mobile Fantasy: Cheers

Hello. 51 days and we will be on board. Please tell me your experience with cheers the first few hours after boarding.

Where do you go to get your sticker? What can you order and how much is the tax? Thanks in advance.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Forums mobile app

Just off the Fantasy last week. We didn't have Cheers, but I remember the Mobile tax for a mixed drink was around $2 each. The "Alabama bar menu" was in effect until reaching international waters. For us that was around 8PM. We had Funships when we boarded so I didn't realize there was still a reduced liquor menu until later. I couldn't get a Cosmopolitan, but did get a vodka tonic. I looked at the reduced menu quickly and only remember that each type of liquor (vodka, whiskey, etc.) had about 3 brands to choose from. There were maybe 10 fruity drinks like margaritas available. Can't help too much with beer and wine, but don't think there was a very large selection. Hope this helps!

Dawn

Not sure you can buy Cheers on the Fantasy out of Mobile on the first day -- kind of like Galveston, New Orleans and New York as I understand it. Maybe even Charleston. (Not sure on that one.) Some sort of state laws. :(

Not sure you can buy Cheers on the Fantasy out of Mobile on the first day -- kind of like Galveston, New Orleans and New York as I understand it. Maybe even Charleston. (Not sure on that one.) Some sort of state laws. :(

You can buy Cheers out of Mobile now. The state laws recently changed. Though the ship has to serve from a special limited AL state menu until the ship is in international waters.

Sent from my XT1030 using Forums mobile app

Not sure you can buy Cheers on the Fantasy out of Mobile on the first day -- kind of like Galveston, New Orleans and New York as I understand it. Maybe even Charleston. (Not sure on that one.) Some sort of state laws. :(

It's only NY and TX now. New Orleans was never on that list.

Just off the Fantasy last week. We didn't have Cheers, but I remember the Mobile tax for a mixed drink was around $2 each. The "Alabama bar menu" was in effect until reaching international waters. For us that was around 8PM. We had Funships when we boarded so I didn't realize there was still a reduced liquor menu until later. I couldn't get a Cosmopolitan, but did get a vodka tonic. I looked at the reduced menu quickly and only remember that each type of liquor (vodka, whiskey, etc.) had about 3 brands to choose from. There were maybe 10 fruity drinks like margaritas available. Can't help too much with beer and wine, but don't think there was a very large selection. Hope this helps!

 

Dawn

Was thi8s 2 dollars on a roughly 8 dollar drink?? If so, that's a whopping 25 percent sales tax? Anyone else noted these tax rates?

Was thi8s 2 dollars on a roughly 8 dollar drink?? If so, that's a whopping 25 percent sales tax? Anyone else noted these tax rates?

Applicable state and local taxes will be charged to the guest folio when this program is used within US waters. The tax is based on the state's tax structure and the cost of the individual drink purchased (not the daily program rate). For example: if the drink price is $5 and the tax is 10%, the guest's Sail & Sign card will be charged $0.50 for tax. This applies to all US ports (embarkation home ports and ports-of-call).

I copied and pasted this off of Carnival. I am sorry that RoperDK didn't have a good experience. BUT, we do not want to most bad information and scare fellow cruisers. I will try my best to find the facts.

Thank you, Bobbi

Applicable state and local taxes will be charged to the guest folio when this program is used within US waters. The tax is based on the state's tax structure and the cost of the individual drink purchased (not the daily program rate). For example: if the drink price is $5 and the tax is 10%, the guest's Sail & Sign card will be charged $0.50 for tax. This applies to all US ports (embarkation home ports and ports-of-call).

 

I copied and pasted this off of Carnival. I am sorry that RoperDK didn't have a good experience. BUT, we do not want to most bad information and scare fellow cruisers. I will try my best to find the facts.

 

Thank you, Bobbi

I will post what I find out when we sail next month...I would expect (as we've seen in Miami on NCL - never more than 8 or 9%), about $0.50 to $1.00 a drink. If the tax is anything like 25%, I will not be happy with pre-buying the package for the entire cruise, and will purchase it on day two in the future. Further, the reduced choices with the "Alabama bar menu" isn't exciting news to begin with.

I do not remember the exact amount of the tax when we left in December, but it wasn't outrageous.

I'd say 9-10% max

I do not remember the exact amount of the tax when we left in December, but it wasn't outrageous.

 

I'd say 9-10% max

That sounds much more reasonable - I could see 2 dollars for two top shelf drinks maybe. I never worry about these fees - usually doesn't total more than a few dollars...

Applicable state and local taxes will be charged to the guest folio when this program is used within US waters. The tax is based on the state's tax structure and the cost of the individual drink purchased (not the daily program rate). For example: if the drink price is $5 and the tax is 10%, the guest's Sail & Sign card will be charged $0.50 for tax. This applies to all US ports (embarkation home ports and ports-of-call).

 

I copied and pasted this off of Carnival. I am sorry that RoperDK didn't have a good experience. BUT, we do not want to most bad information and scare fellow cruisers. I will try my best to find the facts.

 

Thank you, Bobbi

I don't want to put out false info either. I wish I had paid more attention at the time. Of course I just threw away my itemized charge list for the cruise. The drink I had was a Grey Goose and tonic. That was just under $10 for the drink. I remember seeing a $2 additional charge as I glanced at the slip. The only other thing that could have happened would be that there were 2 drinks bought at the time. That would mean $1 per drink or 10% which is pretty standard sales tax for Alabama (I live there). I don't want to mislead anyone, so hopefully someone can come back with a firm answer. I just figure that additional sales tax in port is part of the way it goes. I do want to stress though that it does take a good while to get to international waters, so the tax is added for several hours after leaving port.

Dawn

I don't want to put out false info either. I wish I had paid more attention at the time. Of course I just threw away my itemized charge list for the cruise. The drink I had was a Grey Goose and tonic. That was just under $10 for the drink. I remember seeing a $2 additional charge as I glanced at the slip. The only other thing that could have happened would be that there were 2 drinks bought at the time. That would mean $1 per drink or 10% which is pretty standard sales tax for Alabama (I live there). I don't want to mislead anyone, so hopefully someone can come back with a firm answer. I just figure that additional sales tax in port is part of the way it goes. I do want to stress though that it does take a good while to get to international waters, so the tax is added for several hours after leaving port.

 

Dawn[/quote

 

Thank you for the clarification, and you did no such thing (misleading anyone)! It just seemed a bit high :-)

I don't want to put out false info either. I wish I had paid more attention at the time. Of course I just threw away my itemized charge list for the cruise. The drink I had was a Grey Goose and tonic. That was just under $10 for the drink. I remember seeing a $2 additional charge as I glanced at the slip. The only other thing that could have happened would be that there were 2 drinks bought at the time. That would mean $1 per drink or 10% which is pretty standard sales tax for Alabama (I live there). I don't want to mislead anyone, so hopefully someone can come back with a firm answer. I just figure that additional sales tax in port is part of the way it goes. I do want to stress though that it does take a good while to get to international waters, so the tax is added for several hours after leaving port.

 

Dawn

Thank you Dawn for taking the time to share information about your cruise with us!

I will post what I find out when we sail next month...I would expect (as we've seen in Miami on NCL - never more than 8 or 9%), about $0.50 to $1.00 a drink. If the tax is anything like 25%, I will not be happy with pre-buying the package for the entire cruise, and will purchase it on day two in the future. Further, the reduced choices with the "Alabama bar menu" isn't exciting news to begin with.

Cheers is not like the Bottomless Bubbles program, there is no pro-rated price by waiting till your first full day aboard. Regardless of when you buy Cheers it is for the entire cruise (when allowed by state law). Any drink purchased prior to the program is still subject to having applicable home port state sales &/or sin tax applied to all on board purchases until out of that state's waters. If you delay purchase of the program all that will happen is that you still pay the same amount as someone who did buy it on the first day, and you will see "refunds" for menu price and auto-gratuity of the program eligible drinks purchased before agreeing to the program.

Also keep in mind as of right now Cheers purchased prior to cruising through your Cruise Manager is $49.95/day per adult in the cabin. Upon boarding the price of Cheers becomes $54.95/day per adult in the cabin. So by waiting at all you will be paying more for the same program. Another thing to realize is Carnival has since they started the Cheers offer, 2.5-3 years ago, has changed the terms and/or price of the package without notice.