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Quick booze question

judyf

By judyf,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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azappraiser

azappraiser

Posted
Posted (edited)
How many bottles are you allowed touring home without paying taxes? Doing St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Tortola and Puerto Rico.

 

Thanks

 

The following is from U.S. Customs & Border Protection's FAQ:

Can I bring (carry in my baggage) back alcohol for my personal use or as a gift?

Generally, one liter of alcohol per person may be entered into the U.S. duty-free by travelers who are 21 or older, although travelers coming from the U.S. Virgin Islands or other Caribbean countries are entitled to more. Additional quantities may be entered, although they will be subject to duty and Federal excise taxes, which will be assessed and collected at the port of entry.

 

Alcoholic beverages purchased in duty-free shops are subject to duty and federal excise tax when accompanying you into the United States. Note: Federal excise tax rates are for informational purposes only as actual tax or fee may vary according to a person's circumstances.

 

It is not legal for travelers under the age of 21 to import alcohol - even as a gift.

 

Most States restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be brought into that State apply only to residents of that State. Usually people transiting a state are not subject to those restrictions, but sometimes regulations change, and if this is a matter of utmost importance to you, you can check with the state Alcohol Beverage Control Board where you will be arriving to find out what their policies are.

 

There is no federal limit on the amount of alcohol a traveler may import into the U.S. for personal use, however, large quantities might raise the suspicion that the importation is for commercial purposes, and a CBP officer could require the importer to obtain an Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) import license (which is required for all commercial importations) before releasing it. A general rule of thumb is that 1 case of alcohol is a personal use quantity - although travelers are still subject to state restrictions which may allow less.

 

NOTE: The above information is applicable to homemade wine and follows the same procedure as store bought wine. The bottles should be properly labeled.

Edited by azappraiser
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seavoyager6

seavoyager6

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If you are a Yank and you buy your liquor in the USVI, you are allowed to bring in 5 bottles PP without paying duty. One bottle per 5 must be Cruzan rum or some other USVI manufactured product.

 

The ship will take it from you and return it to your cabin on the last day before disembarkation

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cage keeper

cage keeper

Posted
Posted
If you are a Yank and you buy your liquor in the USVI, you are allowed to bring in 5 bottles PP without paying duty. One bottle per 5 must be Cruzan rum or some other USVI manufactured product.

 

The ship will take it from you and return it to your cabin on the last day before disembarkation

 

Yes, this will be on your form they give you to fill out for customs. We travel with friends that don't drink so I end up bringing back 20 bottles. St Thomas has a great store right by the ship. You just tell them what you want, they deliver it to the ship for you.

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cage keeper

cage keeper

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Posted
Can you say which one?

 

I'm sorry, I don't remember the name. When you get off the ship there are rows of red roofed buildings. Head left out of the port and the wide road to your right. It is maybe the 3rd or 4th store on the left. It is also the closest to the ship. You don't even have to select the bottles. I have brought as many as 26 bottles (4 adults traveling) and no one ever questioned it. Can't believe the difference in prices between there and CT.

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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Posted

Also keep in mind that you can bring as much as you want, as long as you pay duty on those over the limit. That can sometimes be a great deal. On one DCL cruise, there was a special on board for Liter bottles of Crown Royal for $12. (At the time a 750ml bottle sold for about $27 where I live.) I brought home 6 of them. Paying the 10% still only made the cost $13.20, which was obviously still a huge bargain. This has been several years ago, so I'm not sure what the current rates are, but worth checking out.

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spidybabe

spidybabe

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Posted

Best prices are at the pier in Puerto Rico. There are a few stores there...one downstairs with buy one get one...and one upstairs with the best prices on all the islands. In St Thomas visit the Cruzan Rum stand...by the shops near the pier...free delicious samples of all the flavors...just remember to tip

Enjoy

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cage keeper

cage keeper

Posted
Posted
Keep in mind you have to transport it. If flying, it has to go into your checked bags. Figure in the weight as well.

 

This is true. We always drive to the port and make sure we have plenty of room. If you are flying it could be an issue.

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zqvol

zqvol

Posted
Posted
If you are a Yank and you buy your liquor in the USVI, you are allowed to bring in 5 bottles PP without paying duty. One bottle per 5 must be Cruzan rum or some other USVI manufactured product.

 

The ship will take it from you and return it to your cabin on the last day before disembarkation

 

It's not measured by bottles, it is measured by liters, so you can easily bring 10 - 12 bottles without paying an duty as long as the rules are met.

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Lineaway

Lineaway

Posted
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Your only limited on how much you can take back on the plane. Being in Washington which has a really high liquer tax its about half price and more over anything from the Caribbean.

 

That said. I was able to bring back 13 litres once but had reciepts, declared all of it and was waved through customs. However, got sloppy and had 11 litres on another cruise but few reciepts and was taken to a tent where they tore all my bags apart. I had to pay 23 bucks in duty and sent on my way. They only took cash. Bags were left a mess. Thank you very much.......

 

My advise, keep reciepts, be polite, declare everything you have. Be ready to pay cash for duty but you will probably be waved through.

 

I totally get the novelty of bringing back a high end liquer or multiple bottles of such especially when you live in a high tax state. And yes, its worth bringing back, living in Seattle.

 

Go Hawks. And of course, we are still sobbing. Happy cruising.

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

Posted
Posted
It's not measured by bottles, it is measured by liters, so you can easily bring 10 - 12 bottles without paying an duty as long as the rules are met.

This is true, but generally I only find liter bottles and not the 750 ml like is found at home.

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jetskier

jetskier

Posted
Posted
This is true, but generally I only find liter bottles and not the 750 ml like is found at home.

 

I believe what he is implying is on the Custom's form, list the number of liters and not the number of bottles. It can make a difference.

 

From my experiance in New Orleans, six liters seems to be the magic number. Duty is $3.09 per liter.

 

Now if coming through Texas, while the Federal Custom's agent may let you pass, the Texas ABC agent will not. You have to pay a tax on liquor and cigerettes imported into Texas even if you are a non-resident transiting through the state when you get off the ship.

 

Dave

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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Posted
I believe what he is implying is on the Custom's form, list the number of liters and not the number of bottles. It can make a difference.

I understood. I'm saying that for me, the number of bottles has always equaled the number of liters, because they tend to be liter bottles. (Whereas at home, they tend to be sold in 750 mL bottles.)
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  • 2 weeks later...
Cauzneffct

Cauzneffct

Posted
Posted
Also keep in mind that you can bring as much as you want, as long as you pay duty on those over the limit. That can sometimes be a great deal. On one DCL cruise, there was a special on board for Liter bottles of Crown Royal for $12. (At the time a 750ml bottle sold for about $27 where I live.) I brought home 6 of them. Paying the 10% still only made the cost $13.20, which was obviously still a huge bargain. This has been several years ago, so I'm not sure what the current rates are, but worth checking out.

 

That's interesting. I've routinely brought back multiple bottles from abroad and declared them, but I've never been asked to pay tax or duty.

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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That's interesting. I've routinely brought back multiple bottles from abroad and declared them, but I've never been asked to pay tax or duty.

Yep, sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. As long as you've declared, you've done your part.

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