Onboard Liquor Sale

[lifeasme123]

We were just on the Meravigilia and noticed the ship didnot sell liquor or cigarettes onboard in its duty free shop. Is this because of the region we sailed, or is this MSC specific? Those who sailed on Divina, were you able to buy duty free liquor onboard?

[Beamafar]

It's because of the region sailed, lifeasme. We were in EU waters for the whole of the cruise.

[deliver42]

I was able to buy liquor on the Divina in the U.S.

[Beamafar]

For anyone on a West Med cruise - if the ship visits Valletta, Malta, you can purchase duty-free in the terminal as the island has duty-free status. For cruises from Venice (East Med) there are non-EU ports on most, if not all, sailings, so the duty-free shop onboard will operate. I'm thinking Kotor and Sarande, for example.

 

MSC announced a while ago that they were in the process of re-instating Tunis as a POC on the west Med itinerary. If and when they do, duty-free will also operate onboard. Until then, we can only expect the service on west Med cruises if the ship calls to the Canaries, Casablanca or Gibraltar.

[lifeasme123]

For anyone on a West Med cruise - if the ship visits Valletta, Malta, you can purchase duty-free in the terminal as the island has duty-free status.

 

I wish I had known that before my cruise. Malta had low prices!!! I hadn't fully explored the ship before we docked in Malta so I did not konw there was no duty free liquor onboard.

[Beamafar]

I wish I had known that before my cruise. Malta had low prices!!!

 

I didn't know either beforehand, L! DH is a smoker and we were a bit peeved that the ship wasn't going to Tunis which was originally on the itinerary when we booked (though I do understand and agree with why it was pulled). It meant no duty-free onboard as we never left EU waters. We usually buy his cigarettes onboard. So, we were delighted to discover the duty-free shop in the terminal in Valletta. Though they were very strict in only allowing us buy the 'legal' amount!

 

We'll be back in Valletta later in the year and will be better prepared for duty-free shopping.

[lifeasme123]

I didn't know either beforehand, L! DH is a smoker and we were a bit peeved that the ship wasn't going to Tunis which was originally on the itinerary when we booked (though I do understand and agree with why it was pulled). It meant no duty-free onboard as we never left EU waters. We usually buy his cigarettes onboard. So, we were delighted to discover the duty-free shop in the terminal in Valletta. Though they were very strict in only allowing us buy the 'legal' amount!

 

We'll be back in Valletta later in the year and will be better prepared for duty-free shopping.

 

My cousin picked up his duty free cigarettes in Malta. I wrongly thought I can buy our liquor onboard. The Cointreau was more than 50% less than what we pay in US. Vodka was less as well.