cigarettes

[excited1stcruise]

Unless you go to St. Thomas, then you can bring more home!

 

We are going to stop at St. Thomas on our cruise so how many can we bring back?

[MORcrzr]

Haven't smoked for a few years, but when I bought cartons of Marlboro Lights in the Caribbean and brought them home, I didn't think they tasted the same. I smoked them, of course! But I stopped buying them abroad unless I got desperate.

 

Anyone else notice that?

 

Do they still sell single packs on the ship? I always see the cartons, but haven't noticed single packs. But I am not looking, so ---

[pennys mum]

cheers pennys mum, my only problem is do i get them off the ship ok?

 

Ship not interested in what you are taking off, ditto customs at rome. no one knows or cares. BTW brought off 10 cartons from ship. i think if you buy normal (IE NOT menthol) it was 1000 for $140. i was prepared to

plead ignorance in UK. Alcohol was cheaper in Rome airport than on ship if that is of any use

[justforkicks]

We are going to stop at St. Thomas on our cruise so how many can we bring back?

Five cartons. Here is the link to customs http://united-states.visahq.com/customs/ You can also bring back much nore liquor from St. Thomas too. Go to A H Rise, they have several stores and will deliver them to the ship. If you buy cigarettes from them take them with you, otherwise they will be packed up with the liquor and stored away.

[Tucker in Texas]

Perhaps the price has gone up significantly in the last few months, but, we paid nowhere near that. In fact at least once they just told us to forget about it and sent us through without paying.

 

I just looked at the chart someone posted earlier on this thread and that is what it said. I remember a long time ago that the taxes were pretty high when bringing in cigarettes from Mexican border towns into the US.

 

I have always claimed cigarettes on my form when returning to the US. I have two unopened cartons in my carry on to show them. I have packs in my purse, pocket, and scattered in suitcases if I am over two cartons.

 

To date (knock on wood), no one has ever batted an eye or asked to see them. One person told me they were way over and called over for a random customs inspection in NOLA and they didn't say a word when they saw their largesse.

 

Tucker in Texas

[loudbmw]

For US citizens, don't but your cigarettes in Mexico. You are prohibited from bringing back cigarettes labeled "for export". Mexican vendors seem to have a habit of removing the "for export" labels on the outside of the carton but the individual packs are still labeled. I witnessed a couple have their smokes all confiscated due to the above.

 

Play it safe and buy them on the ship.

[Into the Sun]

but my sister does (and I wish she would QUIT), I bought her back 10 cartons from St Thomas last Feb and will do the same this time in 12 days!! We declared them and had no problem at all. My husband was worried sick that we would be strip searched for cigarettes, lol. Since here at home a carton cost 76.00 it was a 50 a carton saving!! Well worth it for her now, probably not in the long run. Can not make her see the need to stop...

[OHCruisin]

Haven't smoked for a few years, but when I bought cartons of Marlboro Lights in the Caribbean and brought them home, I didn't think they tasted the same. I smoked them, of course! But I stopped buying them abroad unless I got desperate.

 

Anyone else notice that?

 

Do they still sell single packs on the ship? I always see the cartons, but haven't noticed single packs. But I am not looking, so ---

 

That's because in most of the Caribbean ports, the cigs aren't US produced. A lot of them come from Switzerland. Back when I was smoking, I always checked where they were made before I bought them. It got so I only bought them in St. Thomas or on the ship.

[karena1]

On Majesty, if you buy 2 cartons of Camel Blues they are $26 per carton. I think Marb were about the same.

[pwrdwnsys]

Tobacco Products

Travelers may import previously exported tobacco products only in quantities not exceeding the amounts specified in exemptions for which the traveler qualifies. Any quantities of previously exported tobacco products not permitted by an exemption will be seized and destroyed. These items are typically purchased in dutyfree stores, on carriers operating internationally or in foreign stores. These items are usually marked “Tax Exempt. For Use Outside the United States,” or “U.S. Tax Exempt For Use Outside the United States.”

 

Full text here

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/paying_duty.xml

[Pooh13]

Does anyone know when going out of Ft. Lauderdale, when the ship's duty free shop opens up? I am interested in buying smokes there. We will be on the allur western.

Tia

Paula

[aggie1]

You can bring as many as you want from St. Thomas if coming back into the States because it is a US Vrigin Island. (Save your receipt for proof) It is the same as buying in the US. Last Oct. I bought 5 cartons for $108 and they were made in Virginia. Those on the ships are usually made in Switzerland. I have found some on ships out of Galveston that are made in the US. I admit the ones made in Switzerland taste funcky and I only buy them to get me home.

[Cigar King]

Actually, I believe the duty free limit from St. Thomas is 5 cartons per adult.

[Finbar127]

From the VI Now website:

 

Duty Free Shopping

(applies to US residents returning to the US mainland)

 

$1,600 Exemption

If you return directly or indirectly from a U.S. insular possession (which includes the U.S. Virgin Islands), you are allowed a $1,600 duty-free exemption. You may include 1,000 cigarettes as part of this exemption, but at least 800 of them must have been acquired in an insular possession. Only 200 cigarettes may have been acquired elsewhere. For example, if you were touring the Caribbean and you stopped in Jamaica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other ports of call, you could bring back five cartons of cigarettes, but four of them would have to have been bought in U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

Similarly, you may include five liters of alcoholic beverages in your duty-free exemption, but one of them must be a product of an insular possession. Four may be products of other countries. Duty free allowance on alcoholic beverages applies if you are 21 years old, it is for your own use or as a gift and it does not violate the laws of the state in which you arrive.

 

Travel to More Than One Country

 

If you travel to a U.S. insular possession and to one or more of the Caribbean Basin countries, for example, on a Caribbean cruise, you may bring back $1,600 worth of items without paying duty, but only $800 worth of these items may come from the Caribbean Basin country(ies). Any amount beyond $800 will be dutiable unless you acquired it in one of the insular possessions.

 

For example, if you were to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Jamaica, you would be allowed to bring back $1,600 worth of merchandise duty-free, as long as only $800 worth was acquired in Jamaica.

[Gilpet]

hi tactic i understand what you are getting at re the duty free, last year we purchased our cigarettes in the canaries are they were really cheap but as we fley back from malaga there were no problems as they (customs) were unaware that we bought them in the canaries as far as they were concerned we bought them on mainland spain (which is a lot dearer than the canaries) so we thought this year we could buy them on the ship as it is cheaper than on land but as we are flying back from malaga we should be fine lol x

 

Sorry lacey jane but you're completely wrong!! You'll only be fine if you're not caught. The actual rules are that you can only bring back 200 cigarettes duty free. If you buy your cigarettes in an EU country and the duty has been paid in that country then you can bring back an unlimited amount so long as they are for your own use, HMRC give guidelines of 800 but it is only a guide and there's no actual limit - so long as duty has been paid in the EU. We always keep the receipts for any cigarettes we buy abroad and this shows that duty has been paid. It's up to you what you do - I'm just putting you straight on the rules.

 

Our last cruise sailed from Harwich and when we arrived back there was no customs. We were told about this by RCI the day before we got back and they said that there is a yellow telephone at the terminal and if you have more than the allowed limit for duty free items you should use this phone to contact customs! Obviously there was a huge queue to use the phone - but not as huge as the queue in the duty free shop on the last day!!!

 

Gill