oldsilverfox

Many thanks to all of those who have replied. From the responses it sounds as though the UK VAT rate is being applied.

However.

We regularly cruise out of Southampton and we have never come across this tax being levied before. I can see the usual perverted logic that those wonderful folk at HMRC might use to apply this to a cruise that doesn't go anywhere, but how does this logic change when there is one or more non-UK ports added to an itinerary.

We've just come home from a one day sampler trip on the brand new NCL Getaway sailing from Southampton on her way to her home port of Miami.

To our surprise all the drinks that we bought were subject to an "F & B Port Tax" on top of the 15% gratuity.

For example two coffees at $3.50 each were charged $1.05 gratuity PLUS $1.40 port totalling $9.45. Expensive coffee.

We believe that this tax is a US based sales tax on food and beverages varying state by state, in this case to the port of Miami where the vessel is to be permanently based.

We are at a loss as to how this tax can be levied on a ship sailing on a round trip in UK waters and are awaiting a response from NCL UK.

We suspect that the ships accounts are pre-programmed to apply the tax when the ship will be docked in Miami and in the meantime no-one can override it.

In the meantime we will be requesting a refund from NCL.

FWIW.

So, if we Cruise Critic forum members could persuade Princess / Carnival to desist from recommending any shops unless the cruise lines were prepared to underwrite the authenticity of the brands they stocked, none of this would happen.

Perhaps a question for the next stockholders meeting.

We just returned from a superb cruise on the Pacific Princess in the Eastern Mediterranean

Whilst we were in Kusadasi in Turkey, we noticed that some of the shops that were being recommended/"endorsed" by Princess Cruises were displaying a significant number of branded items which were clearly fake or counterfeit.

Clearly the huge number of fake items on sale though out Turkey is a problem for the original trademark holders of the brands to pursue as they think fit, and cruise passengers to decide whether or not to purchase, however I am slightly uneasy about Princess Cruises being peripherally involved in this trade by an association with some of these stores.

What do other Cruise Critic members think ?

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Hello everyone,

I have recently taken up WCP and was considering taking part of my equipment in case there is an Insights Course on our forthcoming world cruise.

Can anyone please help. What is the cost? What materials are supplied? how long do they last? Any other comments would be appreciated.