Harmony drink package prices.

[Jeanninecampos]

Im trying to find out the cost of the different packages.

[crosby99]

Where are you sailing from?

Prices vary at the moment as if you leave from Spain they have to add VAT at 21%

Will be cheaper when in the US

[abo]

Where are you sailing from?

Prices vary at the moment as if you leave from Spain they have to add VAT at 21%

Will be cheaper when in the US

 

VAT should not be added if bought in advance by a non-EU resident from outside the EU (i.e. through the US website). Also I believe the applicable rate in Spain will be 10%.

Edited August 8, 2016 by abo

[Clarea]

Im trying to find out the cost of the different packages.

The package prices can vary by sailing. Your Cruise Planner will show the prices for your sailing.

[steamboats]

Beverage packages on the Med cruises of the Harmony have added a 10% VAT (for everyone - non-EU or EU) and it´s added when you buy through the CruisePlanner too. It´s not depending on where you live (and go online) but on where the cruise is departing. And that´s Spain. To make it even more complicated: those who board in Civitavecchia pay the Spanish VAT also.

 

steamboats

[abo]

Beverage packages on the Med cruises of the Harmony have added a 10% VAT (for everyone - non-EU or EU) and it´s added when you buy through the CruisePlanner too. It´s not depending on where you live (and go online) but on where the cruise is departing. And that´s Spain. To make it even more complicated: those who board in Civitavecchia pay the Spanish VAT also.

 

steamboats

 

In that case RCCL is applying European VAT incorrectly, which I would find surprising. When a US citizen buys the drinks package online in the US, they are buying goods from the US corporation; they are not purchasing anything in the EU, so EU VAT simply doesn't apply. This is the same principle for why US citizens should not pay the Spanish rate of 10% VAT on the transportation of passenger element when they first buy the cruise.

 

Other EU citizens should pay VAT at the rate applicable to the country they bought the service in - in Italy the relevant rate is 10% for alcohol bought as part of a cruise, bar or hotel service.

 

EU VAT is a point of purchase tax, not a point of consumption tax.

[steamboats]

@abo,

 

Although I´m a EU citizen... RCI is charging the 10% online (same for the 21% for the internet package). I did buy the 3-dinner-Package online and the price sounded weird for me. So I did ask in my roll call and someone from the US checked in his CruisePlanner. The price was 88 USD (80USD plus 10%). Using the Euro-conversion rate on those 88USD I came up with the price shown in Euro in my CruisePlanner.

 

We had lots of discussions on here regarding the beverage packages and VAT and also the internet packages and VAT.

 

I´m totally with you: The online purchase (even for me) is made in Miami and therefore there shouldn´t be any VAT added. But you can also say that the service purchases will be provided in the EU... therefore they can claim the VAT. Or RCI simply says... I don´t care and I don´t want the passengers pay more onboard than online... or maybe that´s why you get the 20% discount online for beverage packages and 30% for internet packages.

 

steamboats

[abo]

@abo,

 

Although I´m a EU citizen... RCI is charging the 10% online (same for the 21% for the internet package). I did buy the 3-dinner-Package online and the price sounded weird for me. So I did ask in my roll call and someone from the US checked in his CruisePlanner. The price was 88 USD (80USD plus 10%). Using the Euro-conversion rate on those 88USD I came up with the price shown in Euro in my CruisePlanner.

 

We had lots of discussions on here regarding the beverage packages and VAT and also the internet packages and VAT.

 

I´m totally with you: The online purchase (even for me) is made in Miami and therefore there shouldn´t be any VAT added. But you can also say that the service purchases will be provided in the EU... therefore they can claim the VAT. Or RCI simply says... I don´t care and I don´t want the passengers pay more onboard than online... or maybe that´s why you get the 20% discount online for beverage packages and 30% for internet packages.

 

steamboats

 

Not wishing to get into a long trail or argument on VAT, but what you are seeing on your purchases is how I would expect to see it. As you are a EU citizen buying online through the local RCI European entity, you are liable to pay VAT at the appropriate rate as you are not buying from Miami but from the local RCI company (whichever European company they channel their EU based sales through).

 

That isn't (or at least shouldn't) be the same for non-EU citizens who have no liability for EU VAT unless they decided to buy their cruise via a European service (analogous to those of us who buy our cruises from a US TA).

[steamboats]

As I said before: All things I buy through the CruisePlanner are purchased in Miami. It´s just the cruise which is bought through RCI Frankfurt (which acutally is a part of the UK office). In the way past years I paid everything in USD which I bought online and my credit card was charged via Miami. Then they changed the CruisePlanner to the currency the cruise was paid in. In the beginning my credit card still was charged via Miami (and although my invoice was in Euro I had to paid the foreign transaction fee charged by my credit card). Later they changed it to UK and then even Paris (although there is no connection at all between the German office and Paris).

 

Anyway according to European law it´s not necessarily the country you start your purchase but it´s where you consume or use the service you´ve purchased. And that´s Spain. Therefore the Spanish VAT. By the time of your online purchase you don´t get anything. The beverage package, dinner package will be consumed onboard in European waters. The internet package will be used onboard in European waters.

 

But anyway where this is correct or not... that´s the way RCI is interpreting this (extremly complicated EU) law. They charge the VAT for online purchases too.

 

steamboats

[abo]

As I said before: All things I buy through the CruisePlanner are purchased in Miami. It´s just the cruise which is bought through RCI Frankfurt (which acutally is a part of the UK office). In the way past years I paid everything in USD which I bought online and my credit card was charged via Miami. Then they changed the CruisePlanner to the currency the cruise was paid in. In the beginning my credit card still was charged via Miami (and although my invoice was in Euro I had to paid the foreign transaction fee charged by my credit card). Later they changed it to UK and then even Paris (although there is no connection at all between the German office and Paris).

 

Anyway according to European law it´s not necessarily the country you start your purchase but it´s where you consume or use the service you´ve purchased. And that´s Spain. Therefore the Spanish VAT. By the time of your online purchase you don´t get anything. The beverage package, dinner package will be consumed onboard in European waters. The internet package will be used onboard in European waters.

 

But anyway where this is correct or not... that´s the way RCI is interpreting this (extremly complicated EU) law. They charge the VAT for online purchases too.

 

steamboats

 

 

I think you'll find that is not the case for US residents buying through the US website and I have seen no US resident on here complaining about paying VAT on pre-purchased services - only on-board purchases. It is correct for you as you are still purchasing in the service in the EU, albeit via a US web site.

 

"Anyway according to European law it´s not necessarily the country you start your purchase but it´s where you consume or use the service you´ve purchased."

 

The statement above is almost entirely incorrect.

 

I think we'll just have to differ on this one.

[steamboats]

abo,

 

As said before, I did ask on my roll call and got the confirmation by an US resident who has bought his cruise in the US. You will find many confirmations about the VAT being charged for the Harmony cruises also from US residents.

 

As I didn´t by my dinner package in Spain but in Germany a 7% VAT should have been added... I doubt that the RCI IT is able to differ that deeply...

 

steamboats

Edited August 9, 2016 by steamboats

[steamboats]

abo,

 

I just checked once more. Actually the European VAT law is not based on the place of purchase but on the place of consumption/service. So consumption/service will be in Europe. That might differ from the US law. But that´s the way it is in Europe.

 

steamboats

[Merion_Mom]

I don't really want to jump into the middle of this, but I just priced the beverage package for several of my cruises, and the Harmony TA price did NOT add anything beyond the standard 18% gratuity, just like all my other cruises.

[steamboats]

Carol,

 

The VAT does not apply to the TA as the TA ends in a non EU port (at least I hope so for you :rolleyes::D). The VAT rule applies only for cruises out of an EU port which does not have any non EU port on the itinerary. So the Harmony cruises out of Southampton had the British VAT added. The ones out of Barcelona have the Spanish VAT added.

 

For your TA you have to pay the VAT as long as you are in port in Barcelona (or Malaga, not sure about your itinerary) and within the 3 mile zone (usually one hour after departure/prior to arrival).

 

steamboats

[Merion_Mom]

Carol,

 

The VAT does not apply to the TA as the TA ends in a non EU port (at least I hope so for you :rolleyes::D). The VAT rule applies only for cruises out of an EU port which does not have any non EU port on the itinerary. So the Harmony cruises out of Southampton had the British VAT added. The ones out of Barcelona have the Spanish VAT added.

 

For your TA you have to pay the VAT as long as you are in port in Barcelona (or Malaga, not sure about your itinerary) and within the 3 mile zone (usually one hour after departure/prior to arrival).

 

steamboats

 

Two ports - Malaga and Mallorca. Then on to Fort Lauderdale!

 

So if I buy a drink before we actually head across the Atlantic (which I rarely do), there will be VAT added? Same for merchandise in the stores? What about the specialty restaurants or any for-fee food venue?

[steamboats]

Should be that you pay only in port and within the 3 mile zone. There was a note in our Cruise Compass.

 

VAT applies to everything... drinks, food (specialty restaurants), spa, internet, shops. All purchases are affected. But I assume that the shops won´t open until you left the 3 mile zone - then no VAT.

 

But I´ve also read that on some cruises they applied the VAT until they left the strait of Gibraltar... (which legally is definitely not correct).

 

steamboats

[Thorben-Hendrik]

I was not even charged the 18% gratuity on my Harmony TA drink package...:D:p

 

$110,50 for 13 days total....

[steamboats]

I was not even charged the 18% gratuity on my Harmony TA drink package...:D:p

 

$110,50 for 13 days total....

 

Are you talking about the soda package? It´s 9.22 Euro/night which totals 119.86 Euro or 109 USD (with a conversion rate of 1.10). The 9.22 Euro/night do already include the 18%. The service charge is not shown separately in the Cruise Planner.

 

steamboats

[saphir]

I paid 48$/day for Premium package for Mediterranean

[ravenjls]

For 1/14/2017 sailing they are charging $46 for premium (plus gratuity) and $48 for ultimate. Hope this is what you were looking for.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

I am paying in US$ - I was under the impression it would be $8,50 a day + 18% service....

 

How can 120 Euro be converted to US$110 - VERY strange mathematics!:confused:

 

I would assume the Euro price includes the 18% while the US$ price does not....or better yet is exempt from the 18%!:D:p

 

Euro 9,22 = US$ 10,15

US$ 8,50*1,18 = $10,03

Edited August 10, 2016 by germanfflyer

[jules815]

We purchased the Ultimate Package for the 13 day transatlantic.

 

It's being sold for $47 per day; this is with a 20% discount. (This is definitely less than what we've paid in the past for the Ultimate package, so it's actually a pretty good deal. :) )

 

Total after taxes is $55.50 per day. We weren't charged VAT.

 

Cheers!

[steamboats]

How can 120 Euro be converted to US$110 - VERY strange mathematics!:confused:

 

Sorry, happens when you divide instead of multiply with the conversion rate :o... 119.86 Euro of course convert into 131.85 USD.

 

The Euro price definitely includes the 18%.

 

steamboats

[Thorben-Hendrik]

The USD price is about 18.5% cheaper!:D:p