Service fee, delivery fee or gratuity for liquor delivered?

[MICMAN]

Wondering if there is a service fee, delivery fee or gratuity charge for liquor that was bought at ports or on board and delivered to my stateroom the final evening of cruise?

[jbethel11]

3 minutes ago, MICMAN said:

Wondering if there is a service fee, delivery fee or gratuity charge for liquor that was bought at ports or on board and delivered to my stateroom the final evening of cruise?

From https://www.cruzely.com/explained-duty-free-shopping-and-bringing-alcoholcigarettes-back-from-a-cruise/:

 

So if you bring back a single liter of alcohol from the duty-free shop on the ship or in a port, you can expect a tax of $3.75. Expect each additional bottle to be taxed at $3.75 plus 3% of the purchase price (unless traveling with more than one adult). Keep this in mind when you’re comparing prices to what you would pay back home. Even with the tax, items bought in the duty-free shop can still be much cheaper.

[Butterbean1000]

14 minutes ago, MICMAN said:

Wondering if there is a service fee, delivery fee or gratuity charge for liquor that was bought at ports or on board and delivered to my stateroom the final evening of cruise?

If you are talking about a bottle you bought from either the ship or on shore, no, you will not be charged a delivery fee or gratuity.  At least we were not charged on our last cruise in February.

 

Edit:  Actually, now that I think about it, I believe my husband had to go pick it up the night before at a designated place on the ship.

Edited June 30, 2019 by Butterbean1000

[Bookbug53]

1 hour ago, jbethel11 said:

From https://www.cruzely.com/explained-duty-free-shopping-and-bringing-alcoholcigarettes-back-from-a-cruise/:

 

So if you bring back a single liter of alcohol from the duty-free shop on the ship or in a port, you can expect a tax of $3.75. Expect each additional bottle to be taxed at $3.75 plus 3% of the purchase price (unless traveling with more than one adult). Keep this in mind when you’re comparing prices to what you would pay back home. Even with the tax, items bought in the duty-free shop can still be much cheaper.

Those are customs fees not what OP is asking about. Carnival charges nothing to deliver them to you the last night.

 

And even 'declaring' extra bottles to customs I have never been charged the fees when returning home. Not to say they never do but each time we tell them what we have they just wave us on.

[Schoifmom]

1 hour ago, jbethel11 said:

From https://www.cruzely.com/explained-duty-free-shopping-and-bringing-alcoholcigarettes-back-from-a-cruise/:

 

So if you bring back a single liter of alcohol from the duty-free shop on the ship or in a port, you can expect a tax of $3.75. Expect each additional bottle to be taxed at $3.75 plus 3% of the purchase price (unless traveling with more than one adult). Keep this in mind when you’re comparing prices to what you would pay back home. Even with the tax, items bought in the duty-free shop can still be much cheaper.

 

This is the tax imposed when you go through customs.  There is no gratuity or delivery fee for items held by Carnival and either picked up on the last morning (cruises of 6 days or shorter) or delivered to the stateroom on the last evening (cruises of 7 days or longer).

 

[Butterbean1000]

1 hour ago, Bookbug53 said:

Those are customs fees not what OP is asking about. Carnival charges nothing to deliver them to you the last night.

 

And even 'declaring' extra bottles to customs I have never been charged the fees when returning home. Not to say they never do but each time we tell them what we have they just wave us on.

We've never been charged either, anyways just waved through.

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

the only time we have ever bought any booze was on a cruise from NY. We had about 8 bottles. They made us go to the window and pay . It wasn't that much, just held us up a little in getting on the road.

[uffdafla]

Only from Room Serivce

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by uffdafla

[Chervil]

We live in Texas and cruise out of Galveston.

Texas charges you a bottle tax when you get back, but it is relatively inexpensive plus you get one of those nifty official holographic seals to put on the bottle showing you paid the liquor tax.

[BlerkOne]

On 6/30/2019 at 6:09 PM, jbethel11 said:

From https://www.cruzely.com/explained-duty-free-shopping-and-bringing-alcoholcigarettes-back-from-a-cruise/:

 

So if you bring back a single liter of alcohol from the duty-free shop on the ship or in a port, you can expect a tax of $3.75. Expect each additional bottle to be taxed at $3.75 plus 3% of the purchase price (unless traveling with more than one adult). Keep this in mind when you’re comparing prices to what you would pay back home. Even with the tax, items bought in the duty-free shop can still be much cheaper.

 

That is only Texas with draconian laws, and only if you actually tell them. State and Feds are two different authorities.

[Chervil]

9 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

That is only Texas with draconian laws, and only if you actually tell them. State and Feds are two different authorities.

So you feel that paying the relatively cheap bottle tax is a law or application of a law that is "excessively harsh and severe"?
How dare the gubmint try to hold you down!!🤣

I have zero problem paying a few bucks to bring inexpensive liquor back with me (some of which you can't get stateside).
Plus, if I recall correctly, the $3 fee is included in the cost of the tax and doesn't apply to each bottle (I may be wrong on that).
I seem to remember paying about $5 overall for the 4 bottles we brought back between us last time.

Since there is not state income tax in Texas, I really don't mind paying this at all.

If you're fine lying on your customs declaration form (which is Federal) then who am I to judge.
And if you feel like you stuck it to the man by stiffing the State their couple of bucks, well more power to you!

 

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, Chervil said:

So you feel that paying the relatively cheap bottle tax is a law or application of a law that is "excessively harsh and severe"?
How dare the gubmint try to hold you down!!🤣

I have zero problem paying a few bucks to bring inexpensive liquor back with me (some of which you can't get stateside).
Plus, if I recall correctly, the $3 fee is included in the cost of the tax and doesn't apply to each bottle (I may be wrong on that).
I seem to remember paying about $5 overall for the 4 bottles we brought back between us last time.

Since there is not state income tax in Texas, I really don't mind paying this at all.

If you're fine lying on your customs declaration form (which is Federal) then who am I to judge.
And if you feel like you stuck it to the man by stiffing the State their couple of bucks, well more power to you!

 

 

Texas more than makes up for no state income tax via higher property and other taxes. They get their pound of flesh, but are now just greedy.

 

They don't care it you are a resident or not, or if the alcohol isn't for consumption in Texas.

 

There are no more customs forms, but I would not suggest lying to the Feds. As for fascists, I encourage resisting.

[Chervil]

2 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

Texas more than makes up for no state income tax via higher property and other taxes. They get their pound of flesh, but are now just greedy.

 

They don't care it you are a resident or not, or if the alcohol isn't for consumption in Texas.

 

There are no more customs forms, but I would not suggest lying to the Feds. As for fascists, I encourage resisting.

When we cruised in January there was definitely a customs declaration form we had to fill out.
It was in our paperwork in our room at least the night before (might have been there from the get go).

Having lived in both Texas and California, I can tell you that Texas definitely has lower property and sales tax.

And the tax is for bringing it into the state, not what you do with it afterwards.

And you consider the State of Texas fascist?
I have lived in at least 4 different states (California, New York, Texas, Louisiana) and Texas has got to be the most easy going and relaxed of all of them as far as laws and taxes.
Not sure where you live that you consider Texas fascist.

[Organized Chaos]

4 hours ago, uffdafla said:

Only from Room Serivce

 

 

There's also a deliver fee (18% for each item) charged for items delivered from the onboard Fun Shops.

 

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Texas more than makes up for no state income tax via higher property and other taxes. They get their pound of flesh, but are now just greedy.

 

They don't care it you are a resident or not, or if the alcohol isn't for consumption in Texas.

 

There are no more customs forms, but I would not suggest lying to the Feds. As for fascists, I encourage resisting.

 

1 hour ago, Chervil said:

And you consider the State of Texas fascist?

I have lived in at least 4 different states (California, New York, Texas, Louisiana) and Texas has got to be the most easy going and relaxed of all of them as far as laws and taxes.
Not sure where you live that you consider Texas fascist.

 

I don't think businesses and people are flocking to TX because it's fascist and over-regulated.

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, Chervil said:

When we cruised in January there was definitely a customs declaration form we had to fill out.
It was in our paperwork in our room at least the night before (might have been there from the get go).

Having lived in both Texas and California, I can tell you that Texas definitely has lower property and sales tax.

And the tax is for bringing it into the state, not what you do with it afterwards.

And you consider the State of Texas fascist?
I have lived in at least 4 different states (California, New York, Texas, Louisiana) and Texas has got to be the most easy going and relaxed of all of them as far as laws and taxes.
Not sure where you live that you consider Texas fascist.

 

People in transit through Texas get no break due to no state income tax, or other taxes. I don't consider the state to be fascist, but I do consider a number of the laws to be draconian. YMMV.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

There's also a deliver fee (18% for each item) charged for items delivered from the onboard Fun Shops.

 

 

What onboard Fun Shops deliver with or without a fee?

[Chervil]

6 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 

People in transit through Texas get no break due to no state income tax, or other taxes. I don't consider the state to be fascist, but I do consider a number of the laws to be draconian. YMMV.

The only time you get charged that bottle tax is if you are flying in from another country or coming back on a cruise ship.
They don't charge it for just driving through or flying through domestically.
So those are the only two ways you transit through that you would get charged.

While they may not benefit from the no state income tax, they certainly benefit from the tax on gasoline.
The gas in Texas is consistently about .70-$1.20 per gallon cheaper than the West Coast and is usually about .30-.50 below average for the nation.
As far as the sales tax, it is capped at 8.25% statewide and as low as 6.25% in some places.

So while it is on the higher end, it isn't very bad, but you are right that it doesn't give you much of a break.

Exactly what laws that affect someone "in transit through Texas" do you consider draconian?
For that matter, you could point to any state and find laws that are considered a bit severe.
And why would you expect a break just because you don't live here?
I don't know of anywhere in the country that gives you a free pass on stuff just because you're not from there.

As far as having to pay a couple of bucks for a bottle of liquor, if that is such a huge, draconian deal for you then don't sail from Texas. Simple.
 

6 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 

What onboard Fun Shops deliver with or without a fee?

I believe they are talking about if you order online before your cruise.
It says on the webpage that there is a fee attached.
I don't know of any that deliver while the cruise is going.

[Organized Chaos]

16 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

What onboard Fun Shops deliver with or without a fee?

 

Pardon my typo. That was meant to say "online" Fun Shops. As in, items purchased prior to the cruise.

[silvercrikhix]

If you order a bottle of liquor either online or from room service you will be charged the 18% serv chg. 

Getting past pretty steep, but they know they have a captive audience.

Pure Greed on their liquor bottle pricing. 

Example : Absolute Vodka $85 + $15.30 (18%) = $100.30 for a $25 bottle of Vodka. 

But, buy or not, we all have choices. LOL

Edited July 9, 2019 by silvercrikhix

[coevan]

I think Draconian is the wrong word, antiquated would be more appropriate. Like Colorado's Blue Laws

[Amadawn1]

6 minutes ago, silvercrikhix said:

If you order a bottle of liquor either online or from room service you will be charged the delivery fee and 18% serv chg. 

We are sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale in Sept. and Galveston in Dec.  I purchased the exact same two bottles of liquor and a 12 pack of waters for our stateroom for both sailings.  You can't get the bottles delivered until the second day out of Galveston.  We were charged $32.31 (18% service chg/gratuity) for each order.  However, we were charged $12.25 TAX out of Ft. Lauderdale and zero tax out of Galveston.  So I figure I can use that saved tax to apply to drinks purchased the first night of the cruise, when the individual drinks are still taxed before reaching international waters.  Win win.

[MICMAN]

 So, will Carnival charge me 18% gratuity for a bottle of liquor I purchase in their fun shop onboard and will they charge me a delivery fee to bring it to my cabin on the last night of my cruise? And what about the liquor that I purchased in a port and Carnival holds for safe keeping?

 

[Lottacruises]

They may not being it to your room, you may need to pick it up the last evening or morning.

[Schoifmom]

10 hours ago, MICMAN said:

 So, will Carnival charge me 18% gratuity for a bottle of liquor I purchase in their fun shop onboard and will they charge me a delivery fee to bring it to my cabin on the last night of my cruise? And what about the liquor that I purchased in a port and Carnival holds for safe keeping?

 

 

The liquor you purchase at the onboard Fun Shops is not for on-ship consumption.  There is no delivery fee associated with it.  If you are on a cruise of 7 nights or longer, they will deliver it to your stateroom on the last night of the cruise (no delivery fee).  If your cruise is 6 nights or less, you will have to go to a designated location on debarkation morning to pick it up (no fee).  The same with liquor you purchase in ports and Carnival holds for you.  The only delivery fee is for items purchased for on-ship consumption, such as items from the online Fun Shop (I really wish they would call them by different names) or from Room Service.