Wait, what.!?!?

[Tierun]

Ok, I have not sailed on a fun ship since 2009, but just booked Celebration and looking at the cheers package it says that taxes are charged for drinks in US ports. I’ve sailed X, RCCL, and MSC (all multiple times) and never experienced this. Is this solely a Carnival thing, and why?

[jsglow]

I don't think so. Perhaps you just didn't notice. I've joked w/ bartenders who literally have to deal with the 'complaints' on every cruise. I've also seen folks line up and complain at GS. 🙄

[tallnthensome]

No, most ships charge while docked in US ports waiting for departure. Its just a dollar or two and I also can't figure out why people get all worked up and cry about a couple dollars while being on a cruise that cost maybe thousands and thousands . People think they are being charged like hundreds of dollars extra for a beer or something  with port taxes. 

[Tierun]

I’m a bean counter and especially on X with the always included I’ve never had to pay any extra at the end of the cruise. Get onboard, grab a drink, and then lunch. Account balance is always $0 at the end. So it was curious to see this as a charge.

[DramaQueen22]

If you sail from anywhere in the US, the tax only gets charged on your embarkation day I believe.

[BlerkOne]

I think some cruise lines pay the tax for you.

[wemjam]

Only while in US port, it is very small, pennies really.  And Carnival has always done this.  Not just on booze, but if you get anything at a bar (soda, juice, etc).

[pc_load_letter]

Port thing, not a fun ship thing.

[Wennfred]

Wait till the ship pulls out, also you are limited to what beers you can have while in port.

[Sailor75]

MSC and Princess hasn't charged me, but Carnival always does. Maybe because with Carnival you're buying a drink package and with other cruise lines the drinks are included in your fare. Just a guess.

[Drew B 58]

The government is charging the tax either way.  It’s just a question of whether the cruise line pays it for you or passes the cost onto the customer.

[firefly333]

7 hours ago, Tierun said:

I’m a bean counter and especially on X with the always included I’ve never had to pay any extra at the end of the cruise. Get onboard, grab a drink, and then lunch. Account balance is always $0 at the end. So it was curious to see this as a charge.

I know.... the tax on 0 is 0. 

 

[imacruiser99]

Carnival does it a little differently than other cruise lines.  I know out of Galveston, the drink package does not kick in until the next morning and you have to pay regular price plus tax on anything purchased.  Also they have limited selections since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has a racket and unless it comes from a local distributor, it cannot be served on-board until in international waters. 

On NCL, you normally just pay the tax on the drink which is less than a dollar in most cases. 

 

Side note on Galveston sailings, any alcohol purchased duty free, the State of Texas still collects a tax on it while leaving the port (past US Customs)

[shof515]

9 minutes ago, imacruiser99 said:

Carnival does it a little differently than other cruise lines.  I know out of Galveston, the drink package does not kick in until the next morning and you have to pay regular price plus tax on anything purchased.  Also they have limited selections since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has a racket and unless it comes from a local distributor, it cannot be served on-board until in international waters.

sailing out of NYC is similar with the drink packages not working till the next morning

[iria64]

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

sailing out of NYC is similar with the drink packages not working till the next morning

 

1 hour ago, imacruiser99 said:

Carnival does it a little differently than other cruise lines.  I know out of Galveston, the drink package does not kick in until the next morning and you have to pay regular price plus tax on anything purchased.  Also they have limited selections since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has a racket and unless it comes from a local distributor, it cannot be served on-board until in international waters. 

On NCL, you normally just pay the tax on the drink which is less than a dollar in most cases. 

 

Side note on Galveston sailings, any alcohol purchased duty free, the State of Texas still collects a tax on it while leaving the port (past US Customs)

 

From what I have heard both NY and TX have some rules where you cannot purchase and unlimited drink package.  However, if unlimited drinks are included in the cruise fare you can have the drink package while in port.

 

If you want to have some fun, do a search on some of the idiotic liquor laws that are in place around the country.

 

[Tiger0613]

4 hours ago, wemjam said:

Only while in US port, it is very small, pennies really.  And Carnival has always done this.  Not just on booze, but if you get anything at a bar (soda, juice, etc).

This includes the free VIFP water.  I refused to pay tax on a free item, so I got it the next day.

[Saint Greg]

4 minutes ago, Tiger0613 said:

This includes the free VIFP water.  I refused to pay tax on a free item, so I got it the next day.

That’s kind of crazy. When they delivered it to your room they didn’t charge. When you pick it up at the bar you have to pay. I paid the tax on my free water in Galveston because I wanted the free water the day I didn’t have cheers and the tax was cheaper than buying a small bottle.

[Tierun]

This is so interesting to me. I did find out that at one point Southwest Airlines was the largest liquor distributor in Texas because of their HQ being in Dallas and paying the tax for onboard sales in Texas.

[firefly333]

8 hours ago, iria64 said:

 

 

From what I have heard both NY and TX have some rules where you cannot purchase and unlimited drink package.  However, if unlimited drinks are included in the cruise fare you can have the drink package while in port.

 

If you want to have some fun, do a search on some of the idiotic liquor laws that are in place around the country.

 

Clearly texas has no such law about unlimited drink pkg. The above cruiser is correct about limited brands from texas.

 

If there was such a law then rcl couldnt have a unlimited pkg which is good the minute you board in Galveston. Carnival used to allow the pkg once they cleared international waters. My guess is the booze from texas costs more and carnival doesnt want to cover the cost. They had people all the time here on cc suggesting save some money and wait for day 2 to buy cheers. You just dont remember how carnival used to do it. It's been fairly recent cheers started day 2. Maybe carnival got tired of the headache of people trying to save money. So changed it to day 2.

 

If other cruiselines can do drink pkgs when you board ... its carnival choosing not to. There is no texas law that only applies to carnival..it is true rcl has limited brands when you board, but your drink pkg is good. Rcl changes it over to regular when they get to international water. 

 

I get 5 free drinks on rcl a day and can get my first as soon as I can find the closest bar. Drink pkgs too are good at boarding on rcl. Dont blame texas for carnival cost cutting.

[pe4all]

It cost us a few cents tax when we were still in NY port for our soda.  I can (and did) handle that - need my caffeine-free Diet Pepsi.

[Knights on the Beach]

We had the drink package on Royal Caribbean and they didn't charge tax on the drinks when had while still in port.

[mjkacmom]

11 hours ago, iria64 said:

 

 

From what I have heard both NY and TX have some rules where you cannot purchase and unlimited drink package.  However, if unlimited drinks are included in the cruise fare you can have the drink package while in port.

 

If you want to have some fun, do a search on some of the idiotic liquor laws that are in place around the country.

 

Have sailed from NYC with a paid drink package and a free drink packaged (NCL), order as many drinks as you like after boarding, but the tax will be charged.

[Tierun]

I simply don’t like the fact of having to pay anything at all after basically paying a thousand bucks for a drinks package for 2 people. It’s literally nickel and diming your customers.

[shof515]

9 minutes ago, Tierun said:

I simply don’t like the fact of having to pay anything at all after basically paying a thousand bucks for a drinks package for 2 people. It’s literally nickel and diming your customers.

its not the cruise line fault the local port authority require this

[Tierun]

It’s their fault passing it on rather than paying it out of the drinks package revenue.