A Question for Cruises in the Med? No spirits!!

[Krydstosser]

Hey Guys 

 

Do you guys have the same experience with Italien Port authorities? Do Rccl enforce those rules just as strict as NCL? If yes how long after sail away will enforce it?

[gumshoe958]

I saw another post saying NCL had the same rule in Southampton, where it’s definitely not a port regulation and Royal has no such rule.

 

At a guess NCL is trying to cut costs by avoiding the need to pay duty on alcohol & tobacco sales while in port.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by gumshoe958

[gavvy]

Last year in civitia we boarded and had no issues in ordering drinks. Indeed as we were interporting the pool deck was hopping so to speak and it was a normal late morning where everyone was having a good time with a cocktail or 2.

[orville99]

In Grand Cayman on Serenade earlier this year and local laws only allowed RCL to have one bar open while we were in port, so my guess is they will adhere to local Italian law as well.

[gumshoe958]

6 minutes ago, orville99 said:

In Grand Cayman on Serenade earlier this year and local laws only allowed RCL to have one bar open while we were in port, so my guess is they will adhere to local Italian law as well.

It’s not local law. Other cruise lines have no such policy. It seems to be entirely an NCL decision - presumably to avoid paying duty.

[Krydstosser]

Italy has the right to do what they do, but I have upgraded my drink pacakage and I feel a little bid cheated... They should have told me when purchased the upgrade that i only could get beer and wine in Italian Ports... Just my opinion.... 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Krydstosser

[orville99]

17 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

It’s not local law. Other cruise lines have no such policy. It seems to be entirely an NCL decision - presumably to avoid paying duty.

And yet both of the documents imaged on this thread make specific reference to local laws.

[gumshoe958]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

And yet both of the documents imaged on this thread make specific reference to local laws.

Well clearly local laws prohibit them from selling alcohol if duty isn’t paid. So technically they’re right. 

[sandebeach]

We left out of Civitavecchia on Monday on Odyssey. There were no signs anywhere that you could not purchase spirits. 

[orville99]

7 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Well clearly local laws prohibit them from selling alcohol if duty isn’t paid. So technically they’re right. 

There is no mention of duty in either of those documents. You can’t infer that conclusion without some indication that duty is the trigger.

[gumshoe958]

5 minutes ago, orville99 said:

There is no mention of duty in either of those documents. You can’t infer that conclusion without some indication that duty is the trigger.

NCL is hardly likely to put up a sign saying “we’re too cheap to pay duty on alcohol so we can’t sell you any”. Yet no other cruise line is doing this, either in Italy or Southampton. So what’s your explanation?

[topnole]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

I saw another post saying NCL had the same rule in Southampton, where it’s definitely not a port regulation and Royal has no such rule.

 

At a guess NCL is trying to cut costs by avoiding the need to pay duty on alcohol & tobacco sales while in port.

 

 

How does it help if the drink is $10 and taxes are a fraction of that?   Give up 9 in revenue to save 1 in cost?   I doubt it.  

[gumshoe958]

1 minute ago, topnole said:

How does it help if the drink is $10 and taxes are a fraction of that?   Give up 9 in revenue to save 1 in cost?   I doubt it.  

Big corporations don’t work like that though. A bean-counter will have spotted NCL’s total bill for duty on international alcohol sales and decided it should be cut. They won’t even have factored in the lost revenue but that doesn’t matter because the bean-counter will be credited with reducing unnecessary costs.

[topnole]

7 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Big corporations don’t work like that though. A bean-counter will have spotted NCL’s total bill for duty on international alcohol sales and decided it should be cut. They won’t even have factored in the lost revenue but that doesn’t matter because the bean-counter will be credited with reducing unnecessary costs.

Something so obvious.  You have got to be kidding me.  As if the accountants make the decisions?   Lol.  That is a very old and out of date argument.   

[gumshoe958]

5 minutes ago, topnole said:

Something so obvious.  You have got to be kidding me.  As if the accountants make the decisions?   Lol.  That is a very old and out of date argument.   

Ok, so what’s your explanation?

 

A reminder - no other cruise line has this rule. Just NCL.

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by gumshoe958

[topnole]

6 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Ok, so what’s your explanation?

 

A reminder - no other cruise line has this rule. Just NCL.

 

I don’t know.  But accountants aren’t stupid and wouldn’t do that.  

[orville99]

55 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

NCL is hardly likely to put up a sign saying “we’re too cheap to pay duty on alcohol so we can’t sell you any”. Yet no other cruise line is doing this, either in Italy or Southampton. So what’s your explanation?

I don't need one. It isn't my problem.

[gumshoe958]

3 minutes ago, orville99 said:

I don't need one. It isn't my problem.

No, you don’t. Nor does anyone else. So I’m sticking with mine in the absence of any better ideas.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

NCL is hardly likely to put up a sign saying “we’re too cheap to pay duty on alcohol so we can’t sell you any”. 

There was a post a while back on the Celebrity board about not opening bars while in Grand Cayman.  Celebrity closed the bars except for by the pool.  Other ships in Grand Cayman had fully operational bars.  It boiled down to not wanting to pay for whatever fee is associated with serving alcohol while in port.  So I think you are spot on!

[jacobtsf]

Last summer we were on Oasis in Canada, and at at least one of the Canadian ports they were only making drinks at the bars by the pool. We were in Schooner and whenever anyone wanted a drink the servers rushed up to the pool deck, no “schooner specialty” drinks could be made. 

[topnole]

2 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Ok, so what’s your explanation?

 

A reminder - no other cruise line has this rule. Just NCL.

 

And doesn’t the sign say they serve drinks to those with a drink package?   Haven’t sailed NCL in a long time, but doesn’t their pricing pretty much include/push everyone into a drink package.  So I’m not even sure who would be missing out.  A few customers here and there?

[gumshoe958]

5 hours ago, topnole said:

And doesn’t the sign say they serve drinks to those with a drink package?   Haven’t sailed NCL in a long time, but doesn’t their pricing pretty much include/push everyone into a drink package.  So I’m not even sure who would be missing out.  A few customers here and there?

True, probably not that many. Which might explain it - NCL have found a loophole which allows them to save money by not paying for duty or a license to sell alcohol while in port, but which doesn’t affect most passengers because they’ve already prepaid. Clever.

[Tin can]

11 hours ago, orville99 said:

There is no mention of duty in either of those documents. You can’t infer that conclusion without some indication that duty is the trigger.

 

The poster is probably right, wine attracts no excise duty in Italy (perhaps for obvious reasons), beer does and spirits is about five times as much as beer. Its all relatively low though so things must be tight at NCL. 

[sergeant655]

In Canada, the rule for cruise ships is that they can only have one bar open on each deck for example, Schooner Bar on the radiance could be open but the ones in the Safari club, casino, champagne bar,and the pub would have to remain closed. The remaining bars would open shortly after departure.