Cigarettes

[mtfasls]

how much does a pack of cigarettes cost at the bar?

[OCruisers]

$4 per pack at bars.

[Joker440]

I just paid $7 for a pack of Marlboros at the bar last week. Plus the 15% automatic gratuity. :)

[RWolver672]

From what I saw, the varieties were very limited too.

[idraconis]

Wow 4 bucks 7 bucks, average pack in NYC is $11.25.

[RWolver672]

Wow 4 bucks 7 bucks, average pack in NYC is $11.25.

 

Right. You aren't paying taxes on the ship. Most of that $11.25 goes towards NYC taxes.

[Megan_Strick]

Go to the shops and buy it. My husband smokes Marlboro and I can get 4 cartons for like $125. Here is Georgia they are about $55 a carton.

[sparks1093]

Huh, I wasn't even aware this was an option. I'll have to remember it if I ever travel with a smoker.

[JMG1973]

After sail away, the duty free shops open. Just go get a carton there. Even if you do not smoke them all, you can take one carton per adult in your party off with you duty free and not have to pay taxes on it .

 

**Ducks from the attack of the non-smokers** ;p

[ParrotRob]

After sail away, the duty free shops open. Just go get a carton there. Even if you do not smoke them all, you can take one carton per adult in your party off with you duty free and not have to pay taxes on it .

 

**Ducks from the attack of the non-smokers** ;p

 

They don't hold duty free smokes until debarkation like they do with liquor?

[JMG1973]

They don't hold duty free smokes until debarkation like they do with liquor?

 

 

They do not.

[ParrotRob]

They do not.

 

Well I'll be. I thought they held all duty-free purchases. Learn something new every day.

[Megan_Strick]

Well I'll be. I thought they held all duty-free purchases. Learn something new every day.

 

 

Nope. I usually buy 2 of the 4 carton packs for about $250. Its saves me a ton of money in the end for hubby. And I don't put it on the customs form either.

[wemjam]

Super cheap cigs on board. Buy cartons for my husband every cruise and since he is a light smoker (a pack about every 2-3 days), we luck out and for the most part don't have to buy any here in Michigan (at $65 a carton). When mom and dad come with us, we have them buy 2 and give them the cash... ends up saving us a crapload of money in a year.

 

At $110-$125 for 4 cartons, it is like getting 2 for free! That is the FIRST thing on our list. The minute the shops open up we are in there buying his cigs!

 

And yep, that you get to take back with you. ALL your other purchases on board, EXCEPT liquor, you get right when you buy it and don't have to wait.

[ParrotRob]

Nope. I usually buy 2 of the 4 carton packs for about $250. Its saves me a ton of money in the end for hubby. And I don't put it on the customs form either.

 

It's one thing to brag about smuggling booze onto the ship. It's extraordinarily stupid to brag about smuggling contraband through Customs and Border Protection.

[sgttami]

Just got off the Pride on Sunday

 

Cigarettes in the Fun Shops:

 

Parliaments $46 a carton (reg. and 100's)

Marlboro's $32..all types

Pall Mall's $24..all types

 

Casino Bar only had Marlboro's....$5.00 a pack

 

Baltimore no longer has customs forms so there's no need to lie...LOL

[mark290]

It's one thing to brag about smuggling booze onto the ship. It's extraordinarily stupid to brag about smuggling contraband through Customs and Border Protection.

 

I'm sure Customs has already tracked that person down and put them in cigarette jail.

[wemjam]

Just got off the Pride on Sunday

 

Cigarettes in the Fun Shops:

 

Parliaments $46 a carton (reg. and 100's)

Marlboro's $32..all types

Pall Mall's $24..all types

 

Casino Bar only had Marlboro's....$5.00 a pack

 

Baltimore no longer has customs forms so there's no need to lie...LOL

 

Just to clarify this... just because the form isn't handed out doesn't mean you can buy whatever you want and not claim it.

 

They are doing away with the forms, because MOST people did not by things that had to be claimed and didn't exceed their customs limit.

 

IF you do purchase over your customs allowance, you are still supposed to complete the forms (which are available at guest services). This means if you buy more cigs or liquor than you are allowed, or spend over your total dollar allowance you are supposed to claim it and fill out the form.

 

Also, most customs agents still ask if you bought cigarettes or liquor and how much, and/or how much did you spend on your trip... so instead of lying on paper you have to lie to their face. ;)

[ParrotRob]

Just to clarify this... just because the form isn't handed out doesn't mean you can buy whatever you want and not claim it.

 

They are doing away with the forms, because MOST people did not by things that had to be claimed and didn't exceed their customs limit.

 

IF you do purchase over your customs allowance, you are still supposed to complete the forms (which are available at guest services). This means if you buy more cigs or liquor than you are allowed, or spend over your total dollar allowance you are supposed to claim it and fill out the form.

 

Also, most customs agents still ask if you bought cigarettes or liquor and how much, and/or how much did you spend on your trip... so instead of lying on paper you have to lie to their face. ;)

 

Which, apparently, some people are just fine with.

[Lottacruises]

Those smokes are cheap.

[sgttami]

Just to clarify this... just because the form isn't handed out doesn't mean you can buy whatever you want and not claim it.

 

They are doing away with the forms, because MOST people did not by things that had to be claimed and didn't exceed their customs limit.

 

IF you do purchase over your customs allowance, you are still supposed to complete the forms (which are available at guest services). This means if you buy more cigs or liquor than you are allowed, or spend over your total dollar allowance you are supposed to claim it and fill out the form.

 

Also, most customs agents still ask if you bought cigarettes or liquor and how much, and/or how much did you spend on your trip... so instead of lying on paper you have to lie to their face. ;)

 

The strange thing is that on the last 3 cruises (within the last 8 weeks) there was no mention of anything about customs and declarations prior to debarkation. Someone who had never cruised would have no idea what's allowed or how much.

 

I've been traveling to the Caribbean and cruising for 40 years so I know what the deal is.

 

Going through customs in Baltimore, I was never asked what I bought.

[wemjam]

The strange thing is that on the last 3 cruises (within the last 8 weeks) there was no mention of anything about customs and declarations prior to debarkation. Someone who had never cruised would have no idea what's allowed or how much.

 

I've been traveling to the Caribbean and cruising for 40 years so I know what the deal is.

 

Going through customs in Baltimore, I was never asked what I bought.

 

On our last cruise I found out because I went to guest services and for a form the morning before we disembarked. I was gonna go ahead and get a jump on it (this was on our December cruise). They told me then that they had done away with the forms for all passengers and only those that had something to declare (above standard allowances) would need to fill one out.

 

I would be willing to bet that somewhere on the TV, or a live talk, they discussed this - like the port shopping talk they do then air on the TV after... just never saw it myself as I don't go to those things anymore or watch them on the TV, been through it enough.

 

Also, I do remember seeing big signs posted in the shops about what "allowances" were - which were new, don't remember seeing those before.

 

I will say though that our customs agent asked us specifically, how much money we spent total, what we had bought AND if we had any liquor or cigarettes that we bought. Of course what they do or don't ask is always different every time.

[sparks1093]

The strange thing is that on the last 3 cruises (within the last 8 weeks) there was no mention of anything about customs and declarations prior to debarkation. Someone who had never cruised would have no idea what's allowed or how much.

 

I've been traveling to the Caribbean and cruising for 40 years so I know what the deal is.

 

Going through customs in Baltimore, I was never asked what I bought.

 

It is mentioned at the briefings. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that CBP receives a report of who bought what onboard, especially purchases of over certain amounts. I know several CBP officers and from what I've gathered in my conversations with them they don't collect duty on everything they can because it would make lines untenable for them and for us, so they focus on the larger things when they can. So if someone is bringing back 4 bottles of Bacardi that they bought for $30 it is not worth the effort to collect the duty on those extra two bottles.

[sgttami]

It is mentioned at the briefings. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that CBP receives a report of who bought what onboard, especially purchases of over certain amounts. I know several CBP officers and from what I've gathered in my conversations with them they don't collect duty on everything they can because it would make lines untenable for them and for us, so they focus on the larger things when they can. So if someone is bringing back 4 bottles of Bacardi that they bought for $30 it is not worth the effort to collect the duty on those extra two bottles.

 

My friend is a customs agents in St. Thomas and he said that the main concern is people bringing in commercial merchandise for re-sale.

 

If you are bringing in items for personal consumption, they aren't going to make a big deal about it.

 

Up until a few cruises ago the forms and luggage tags were in the cabin. I've never gone to a briefing and haven't turned the TV on either.

 

Then again, I don't "shop" like I used to so I'm not bringing anything back that I have to worry about declaring...:D

[sparks1093]

My friend is a customs agents in St. Thomas and he said that the main concern is people bringing in commercial merchandise for re-sale.

 

If you are bringing in items for personal consumption, they aren't going to make a big deal about it.

 

Up until a few cruises ago the forms and luggage tags were in the cabin. I've never gone to a briefing and haven't turned the TV on either.

 

Then again, I don't "shop" like I used to so I'm not bringing anything back that I have to worry about declaring...:D

 

Yes, that's another concern I've heard. Personal use items aren't a concern but if someone is bringing back enough to stock a store that would be a different animal. It sounds like CBP has realized that the cost of the forms and time it takes for everyone to fill them out/review them is not worth any returns realized from the process, especially in the cruise ship environment. I'm not sure what they do for international flights (we typically fly in and out of Montreal when traveling overseas and they have us do the declaration on a kiosk and then I verbally declare at the land border crossing into the US).