taxes

[dszrew]

I'm comparing Alaska cruises on HAL and X. For similar itineraries, similar dates, taxes on HAL are $235 per stateroom but on X they are $340. the Celebrity cruise does stop in one more port, but it seems like quite a big difference.

 

I'm sure the simple answer is "you can't compare the two", but why not? What goes into the taxes that would make Celebrity $100 per stateroom more?

[eandj]

The taxes are based on the cost of the cruise itself. Port charges are for the ports used in the itinerary. Usually all that's lumped together in the end.

[Fblack]

I also recently priced an Alaskan cruise and including air fare, Celebrity's total taxes were nearly 10% of the cruise price. I do not remember it being so high.

[Mark_K]

The lesson is to always compare cruise prices after taxes (& gratuities) and airfare prices after expected luggage fees.

[eandj]

The lesson is to always compare cruise prices after taxes (& gratuities) and airfare prices after expected luggage fees.

 

 

absolutely! And read all the small print.;)

[Denny01]

Labeling a thread 'Taxes' on 14 April is a bit painful!

 

Denny

[Wine-O]

How do you break out the port charges from your Celebrity invoice? Mine just shows cruise fare and Taxes & fees. I'm getting ready to transfer my booking to a TA for some OBC, and she is asking me what the cruise fee/port charges/taxes/fees are.

[cruie4ever]

Alaska Taxes on cruises are the highest in the world. We thought tha Panama Canal taxes are high as well .

[dszrew]

The taxes are based on the cost of the cruise itself. Port charges are for the ports used in the itinerary. Usually all that's lumped together in the end.

 

I don't think the taxes are related to the cost of the cruise at all. You can book a $12000 suite or a $1500 inside, and the tax line will still be $328.78. And a 10 day Alaskan cruise is only slightly more at $379.

 

Taxes/fees/port charges are actually per-person, so adding a third or fourth person changes the tax line accordingly.

 

The ports you visit don't seem to make any difference, as every 7 day itinerary I looked at has the same tax cost. That's what I don't understand--a cruise on HAL that costs the same (before taxes) with the same number of people and one less port is $50 less per person for taxes than on Celebrity. Adding a single port should not make that much difference.

 

What surprised me was I thought the two cruises were similar in price, but when I went to book, I found out that Celebrity was $400 more because of the extra taxes.

[luv2cruisewl]

Message for DENNY01------I met you on Solstice this past Nov19--we didnt continue on the B2B. I have misplaced your email ctc. How can I contact you to reask a question. Thanks in advance.

[land lover]

labeling a thread 'taxes' on 14 april is a bit painful!

 

Denny

 

 

rmaolol

[smeyer418]

it truly is a mystery how "port charges and taxes" are calculated. It is almost a trade secret as well.

Port charges include wharfage, pilotage and other charges. the list is almost too long to post. Some of these are per person, some are per ship based on tonnage, length, time in port etc. so its almost impossible that two ships unless they are exactly the same weight and length and have exactly the same ports and number of passengers and crew will have the same port charges and taxes(some of these amounts are estimated based on lower 2 on a ship anyway and are not dependent on the actual number of passengers aboard). Some of the cruise lines calculate these numbers differently. btw I don't think that $50 per port when all these are added together is too much or too little.

[AAAAmerican]

 

Your total Alaskan Taxation may soon be changed to the lower.

 

Alaska State Government officials were just recently in Miami, FL and said they want to reduce the Cruise tax there to about 32-35 $USD.

 

 

Taxes and Fees I also want them to be broken down more so as I know where this form of Double Taxation is going to and/or from...

 

Try asking to have the FEES/TAXES Broken down..

 

Ask your elected persons to do that too for you ...

 

 

 

 

EG::

Have you ever taken a NCL Vessel to Bermuda? They charge for Three Ports even though the Bermudian Government only charges one set port fee and tax, if it (ship )is docked in 3 or only 1.

 

 

*YIKES* Talk about adding a revenue stream and most passengers don't even know...

 

 

 

 

I'm comparing Alaska cruises on HAL and X. For similar itineraries, similar dates, taxes on HAL are $235 per stateroom but on X they are $340. the Celebrity cruise does stop in one more port, but it seems like quite a big difference.

 

I'm sure the simple answer is "you can't compare the two", but why not? What goes into the taxes that would make Celebrity $100 per stateroom more?

[smeyer418]

 

Your total Alaskan Taxation may soon be changed to the lower.

 

Alaska State Government officials were just recently in Miami, FL and said they want to reduce the Cruise tax there to about 32-35 $USD.

 

 

Taxes and Fees I also want them to be broken down more so as I know where this form of Double Taxation is going to and/or from...

 

Try asking to have the FEES/TAXES Broken down..

 

Ask your elected persons to do that too for you ...

 

 

 

 

EG::

Have you ever taken a NCL Vessel to Bermuda? They charge for Three Ports even though the Bermudian Government only charges one set port fee and tax, if it (ship )is docked in 3 or only 1.

 

 

*YIKES* Talk about adding a revenue stream and most passengers don't even know...

 

actually this was floated by the Governor of Alaska as the settlement of a lawsuit by the cruise lines which is asking for the tax to be declared illegal. The tax was approved by the people of Alaska in a referendum. The Governor will need at least the approval of the Alaska State legislature...which means it won't happen soon. again port charges have less to do with the actual "tax" than the actual charges including pilotage which is expensive in Bermuda and the requirement there for a standby tug which charges a lot. Also even though Bermuda charges one tax, the ships also pay for the time at the dock....so three days can be expensive. In some ports the ship is required to take and pay for shore side electric. Some cruise lines add this cost as a port charge as well...as I said the list is endless.

 

http://www.hafen-wismar.de/index.php?id=33&L=3

[Denny01]

Message for DENNY01------I met you on Solstice this past Nov19--we didnt continue on the B2B. I have misplaced your email ctc. How can I contact you to reask a question. Thanks in advance.

 

Would love to get contact, but I'm not real big on putting my email up on open forums. If anyone else has ideas? Let us know.

 

Loved our cruise and meeting you, and would love to regain contact!

 

Denny