U.S Departure Tax

[TheMiz]

Can someone explain the U.S Departure Tax on a cruise that is no part start to finish including any stops in the USA.

[cruisenfever]

Can someone explain the U.S Departure Tax on a cruise that is no part start to finish including any stops in the USA.

Found this post for you over on the Cruise Air Boards http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=34537948&postcount=2 which might help. Pay particular attention to UK Air Passenger Duty that is noted in the first paragraph.

 

I have a feeling it is because you are doing the Baltic's on Brilliance which requires you to fly into London and then depart form Harwich.

[cruisenfever]

Sorry George, I hit the submit button twice.

[TheMiz]

Found this post for you over on the Cruise Air Boards http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=34537948&postcount=2 which might help. Pay particular attention to UK Air Passenger Duty that is noted in the first paragraph.

 

I have a feeling it is because you are doing the Baltic's on Brilliance which requires you to fly into London and then depart form Harwich.

 

 

I just got back from London and was still able to up up my details for my flight

 

Customs User Fee - USA USD5.50

 

Transportation Tax(Departure) - USA USD17.20

 

Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA USD17.20

 

Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA USD5.00

 

Immigration User Fee - USA USD7.00

 

Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee - USA USD2.50

 

Air Passenger Duty - United Kingdom USD104.23

 

Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom USD60.05

 

Passenger Facility Charge USD4.50

 

Total government, authority and airport charges* USD223.18

 

British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult

Fuel Surcharge** USD458.00

 

Total British Airways fees and surcharges USD458.00

 

Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person USD681.18

 

 

So for what its worth the actual price for my round trip ticket on British Airways BEFORE tax was $223.18

[cruisenfever]

I just got back from London and was still able to up up my details for my flight

 

Customs User Fee - USA USD5.50

 

Transportation Tax(Departure) - USA USD17.20

 

Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA USD17.20

 

Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA USD5.00

 

Immigration User Fee - USA USD7.00

 

Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee - USA USD2.50

 

Air Passenger Duty - United Kingdom USD104.23

 

Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom USD60.05

 

Passenger Facility Charge USD4.50

 

Total government, authority and airport charges* USD223.18

 

British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult

Fuel Surcharge** USD458.00

 

Total British Airways fees and surcharges USD458.00

 

Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person USD681.18

 

 

So for what its worth the actual price for my round trip ticket on British Airways BEFORE tax was $223.18

What a deal!!:D

[TheMiz]

What a deal!!:D

 

 

Having checked with the others traveling with us , I found out my

U.S Departure Tax is higher than theirs. they my one friend reminded me

of the $340 error in his taxes charged for our up coming May 6th Hawaii cruise. I remembered I posted about that error back in January then we did end up getting that corrected .

[anthk333]

British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult

Fuel Surcharge** USD458.00

 

Total British Airways fees and surcharges USD458.00

 

Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person USD681.18

 

 

So for what its worth the actual price for my round trip ticket on British Airways BEFORE tax was $223.18

 

That fuel surcharge is pure profit and should be in the ticket price. I could have sworn that I read somewhere that a lawsuit was pending because of that (having to pay the fuel surcharge on a frequent flyer ticket).

[waterbug123]

Can someone explain the U.S Departure Tax on a cruise that is no part start to finish including any stops in the USA.

 

I just got back from London and was still able to up up my details for my flight

 

Customs User Fee - USA USD5.50

 

Transportation Tax(Departure) - USA USD17.20

 

Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA USD17.20

 

 

I'm confused. You asked about a US departure tax on your cruise, but the taxes you posted are apparently part of your airline ticket, not your cruise ticket. If you fly in and out of the US, you will pay the associated taxes, regardless of any cruise you might take while you are abroad.

:confused:

[TheMiz]

I'm confused. You asked about a US departure tax on your cruise, but the taxes you posted are apparently part of your airline ticket, not your cruise ticket. If you fly in and out of the US, you will pay the associated taxes, regardless of any cruise you might take while you are abroad.

:confused:

 

Yes , why is Royal charging me a $196.09 U.S Departure Tax on a cruise that neither departs or stops in any US ports, I have paid a departure tax flying to and from the U.K via the airlines.

 

 

 

My cruise is in July 2014 , I have no airfare yet

 

I was just posting the break down on fees from a recent British Airways flight to London.

[Mark_K]

Yes , why is Royal charging me a $196.09 U.S Departure Tax on a cruise that neither departs or stops in any US ports, I have paid a departure tax flying to and from the U.K via the airlines.

 

 

 

My cruise is in July 2014 , I have no airfare yet

 

I was just posting the break down on fees from a recent British Airways flight to London.

I would call whoever you booked with and have them explain it to you.

[TheMiz]

I had forgot that this has happened before with a friend of mines booking

he was charged several hundred dollars more than me and we never noticed til one day I mentioned taxes and he said he was in shocked how high the tax was on a upcoming cruise in Hawaii

It seems if you don't challenge or question a charge you could be out $$$$

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=38172813#post38172813

[nbsjcruiser]

What a deal!!:D

 

Living in Canada, we drive 5 hours to fly out of Portland Maine every year on our Florida cruises. Why? Here's why.

 

For our trip next year tickets can be had in Portland for $310 per person - for a total of $620 for the two of us. Taxes included.

 

Here's Air Canada's breakdown

 

2Passenger Type Adult

Air Transportation Charges

Departing Flight - Flex

324.00

Return Flight - Flex

479.00

Surcharges 15.00

Taxes, Fees and Charges

Canada Airport Improvement Fee 24.00

U.S.A Transportation Tax 36.00

U.S Agriculture Fee 5.23

Canada Goods and Services Tax (GST/HST #10009-2287 RT0001) 41.51

U.S Passenger Facility Charge 4.71

Canada Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST #10009-2287 RT0001) 3.12

U.S.A Immigration User Fee 7.33

Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) 12.10

September 11 Security Fee 2.62

U.S. Federal Customs Fee 5.76

Total airfare and taxes before options (per passenger) 960.38

Number of passengers 2

Grand Total - Canadian dollars

 

$1920.76

 

Nickel and dime you to death.

[TheMiz]

OK , just checked with 4 other friends who are also on the July 13th 2014 Baltic Cruise

Here is the break down on the U.S Departure Tax

I was charged $196.09 pp

friend number one was charge $196.09pp

friend number two was charge $189.31pp

friend number three was charge $189.31pp

friend number four was charge $189.31pp

 

There is one common denominator , Friend number one and me both booked through RC and both are Diamonds and both booked using NextCruise certificates the others did not , all five bookings were booked the same day.

[jwindham]

I worked in ticketing for years. All they did was say the currency that your departure and arrival tax was in, not where it applied. That is in the codes that are in the fare data which is a lot of stings of numbers and letters. So the departure tax was for whatever city you left in and the arrival is the same thing. You could have seen the same thing in Euros if that was how you paid for the ticket.

[uksimonusa]

OK , just checked with 4 other friends who are also on the July 13th 2014 Baltic Cruise

Here is the break down on the U.S Departure Tax

I was charged $196.09 pp

friend number one was charge $196.09pp

friend number two was charge $189.31pp

friend number three was charge $189.31pp

friend number four was charge $189.31pp

 

There is one common denominator , Friend number one and me both booked through RC and both are Diamonds and both booked using NextCruise certificates the others did not , all five bookings were booked the same day.

 

When using a NCC the taxes and fees are charged based on the date of purchase of the NCC, not the date of booking an actual cruise, that explains the difference.

[TheMiz]

When using a NCC the taxes and fees are charged based on the date of purchase of the NCC, not the date of booking an actual cruise, that explains the difference.

 

 

 

What is a NCC ?

 

We all booked the same day ( first day the cruise posted ) within 2 hours of each other.

 

 

[TheMiz]

I worked in ticketing for years. All they did was say the currency that your departure and arrival tax was in, not where it applied. That is in the codes that are in the fare data which is a lot of stings of numbers and letters. So the departure tax was for whatever city you left in and the arrival is the same thing. You could have seen the same thing in Euros if that was how you paid for the ticket.

 

 

So if I understand you correctly , it should say UK departure tax not US ?

[cruisenfever]

What is a NCC ?

 

We all booked the same day ( first day the cruise posted ) within 2 hours of each other.

 

 

NCC is Next Cruise Certificate. You and Friend #2 used a NCC that was created earlier than when your other friends booked even though you all booked on the same day.

[uksimonusa]

NCC is Next Cruise Certificate. You and Friend #2 used a NCC that was created earlier than when your other friends booked even though you all booked on the same day.

 

Thanks for answering Patti, I was busy at work!!

[cruisenfever]

Thanks for answering Patti, I was busy at work!!

You're welcome. :)

[TheMiz]

NCC is Next Cruise Certificate. You and Friend #2 used a NCC that was created earlier than when your other friends booked even though you all booked on the same day.

 

 

Patti

 

Just got off the phone with Royal , they too don't understand why the difference in fees but they did say that no way would the NCC make the price different, it should be the same across the board. In fact they told me

it should be $186.94 so now that makes the 3rd price we have seen.

 

They will get back to me over the next few days .

 

This is all shaping up to be just like the problem we had in January difference here is just a few dollars not like before when it was around $400

 

You might remember this from Jan 10th: on Saturdays Hawaii cruise:

 

HIS

 

Cruise Fare 1869.00

Vacation Protection Plan(Declined) 0.00

HAUV-SAVINGS 0.00

Gratuities 128.15

ChoiceAir Charges 1194.05

Taxes and Fees 305.29

Total Charge 3496.49

 

 

MINE

 

 

Cruise Fare 2369.00

Vacation Protection Plan(Declined) 0.00

HAUV-SAVINGS -325.00

Gratuities 128.15

ChoiceAir Charges 1194.05

Taxes and Fees 69.57

Total Charge 3435.77

[nyc12345]

RCCL is known to charge different tax based on when the booking is made. Other cruise lines will adjust the tax to the final amount so everyone is the same, but RCCL will charge you the tax that is deemed correct on the date you made the booking (and if you use a NCC it is based on the date of the NCC). Is this practice correct? Probably not, but unless someone can get corporate to change the practice, don't think you can get this resolved, unless you cancel and rebook so the tax is based on the amount that is deemed correct today.

[cruisenfever]

Patti

 

Just got off the phone with Royal , they too don't understand why the difference in fees but they did say that no way would the NCC make the price different, it should be the same across the board. In fact they told me

it should be $186.94 so now that makes the 3rd price we have seen.

 

They will get back to me over the next few days .

 

This is all shaping up to be just like the problem we had in January difference here is just a few dollars not like before when it was around $400

 

You might remember this from Jan 10th: on Saturdays Hawaii cruise:

 

HIS

 

Cruise Fare 1869.00

Vacation Protection Plan(Declined) 0.00

HAUV-SAVINGS 0.00

Gratuities 128.15

ChoiceAir Charges 1194.05

Taxes and Fees 305.29

Total Charge 3496.49

 

 

MINE

 

 

Cruise Fare 2369.00

Vacation Protection Plan(Declined) 0.00

HAUV-SAVINGS -325.00

Gratuities 128.15

ChoiceAir Charges 1194.05

Taxes and Fees 69.57

Total Charge 3435.77

You're right, the taxes should be the same no matter when the NC was created. Cruise fare and taxes are based on the day the NC is converted and the cruise fare and taxes can change according to when the booking is made.

 

You would be grandfathered in if the date you created your next cruise is before there are changes in C&A benefits, etc. Like the NCC we created in early 2008 that we used for our TA last fall where we got "all" benefits including OBC from Stockholder Benefits. :D

[TheMiz]

RCCL is known to charge different tax based on when the booking is made. Other cruise lines will adjust the tax to the final amount so everyone is the same, but RCCL will charge you the tax that is deemed correct on the date you made the booking (and if you use a NCC it is based on the date of the NCC). Is this practice correct? Probably not, but unless someone can get corporate to change the practice, don't think you can get this resolved, unless you cancel and rebook so the tax is based on the amount that is deemed correct today.

 

 

 

I am sure they will correct it with out cancelling and re-booking

It was done in Jan 10th for a friend who ran into the same problem

 

There is no dates on my NCC just alot of TBD's

They couldn't know what the US Departure Tax 7 months before the cruise was even announced by them.

 

Now I am the first to agree that not many understands what Royal does but they do some strange things.

 

Many times I have to make 3 calls before things get worked out.