Tax on Beverages While in Port

[booklady26]

Okay, I know NCL charges sales tax even on beverages ordered on a drink package while docked in US ports. It's not the couple of bucks on my room charge that annoys me, but just the fact that they collect it when their competitors do not. It seems very petty to me.

 

Anyway, we just came back from a great week on the Escape. There was a Guest Advisory note in the Freestyle Daily on the day we were traveling from Puerto Plata to St Thomas which stated the following:

"Norwegian Escape will navigate through Puerto Rican territorial waters this morning. To comply with local regulations an 11.5% sales tax will be added to food & beverage items between 7:30a-8:45a."

 

We didn't even visit Puerto Rico. Are they kidding????

 

Did they really report every coffee sold in Starbucks that morning to the PR government along with the tax payment???

 

 

[Two Wheels Only]

With the tax charged in Miami, all of the cruise lines pay it. Miami doesn't count every individual drink. Miami just charges NCL a flat amount. The cruise lines that don't charge guests per drink are using money from every guests' fare to pay that tax. Even those who don't drink on Celebrity (for ex.) are paying part of that tax. NCL just uses drinkers to pay a bit more of that cost. Celebrity isn't being nice and absorbing that tax. Celebrity guests have already paid it. Celebrity guests just don't see the amount that they pay towards that tax bill.

 

 

[9tee2Sea]

its not up to NCL.  It's a state sales tax, that the State collects.  Once they get in International waters, the tax goes away.  They usually have little signs posted on the bars that states  tax on drinks while in port . Its the same on Carnival, MSC ( if I remember),NCL, Princess.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, booklady26 said:

Okay, I know NCL charges sales tax even on beverages ordered on a drink package while docked in US ports. It's not the couple of bucks on my room charge that annoys me, but just the fact that they collect it when their competitors do not. It seems very petty to me.

We have been charged tax by NCL, Royal Caribbean, and MSC this year. 

[JandC_Cruising]

As Benjamin Franklin said, "nothing is certain but death and taxes"...the taxes get remitted to the various governments.

 

On each of our cruises, we've been charged taxes at US ports (and in Europe, particularly Spain).

the total on each cruise is usually less than $20 total.  And we are pretty active drinkers.

 

For those who are moaning about this, I'll ask:  Who is "nickel and diming" now?  If that $20 or so in total taxes is too much for you, book on another line that builds the tax into their fares.  Rest assured, those other lines are not eating the tax bill to Florida, New York, Spain, or any other government agency.

 

[Liljo22]

That is not true about competitors not collecting sales tax.  A few will pay the tax for the customer and not pass it along but those are the small minority.  I know Princess, Carnival and MSC charge the customer.

[Two Wheels Only]

When in the Yacht Club, MSC doesn't  charge guests anything extra since guests don't even swipe their card.

Edited March 24 by Two Wheels Only

[G-DawgMN]

12 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

When in the Yacht Club, MSC doesn't  charge guests anything extra since guests don't even swipe their card.

 Well that’s because you’re in the YC. Passengers get what they want even when they don’t ask. 
 

  Ok. I’m not dissing the YC or Haven. I’ve sailed on both when I’ve had the opportunity. 

[Two Wheels Only]

11 minutes ago, G-DawgMN said:

 Well that’s because you’re in the YC. Passengers get what they want even when they don’t ask.

 

I was pointing out that even lines that charge tax while in port don't always charge tax while in port. 😉

 

The cruise line is going to get that money from the guests in one way or another. HOW cruise lines get it may differ and guests may prefer one way to another but the line passes that expense onto the customer whether the customer sees it (NCL) or doesn't.

[G-DawgMN]

18 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I was pointing out that even lines that charge tax while in port don't always charge tax while in port. 😉

 

The cruise line is going to get that money from the guests in one way or another. HOW cruise lines get it may differ and guests may prefer one way to another but the line passes that expense onto the customer whether the customer sees it (NCL) or doesn't.

 True. In Alaska where you’re taxed quite a ways out from port I was not charged tax in the Haven even though they had a sign. 
  Certain bartenders don’t always ring drinks up either even outside the Haven when you’re in a tax area. Not sure how they do that without getting in trouble. This was my experience on a recent cruise out of NOLA. 

[luv2kroooz]

9 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

That is not true about competitors not collecting sales tax.  A few will pay the tax for the customer and not pass it along but those are the small minority.  I know Princess, Carnival and MSC charge the customer.

We sailed Princess from Brooklyn a few months ago. No add-on taxes passed on to passengers during the cruise or in Brooklyn. We always joke that NCL adopts a Spirit Airlines approach where there are a lot of little add ons.

Edited March 25 by luv2kroooz

[redlock]

Think the OP's gripe is about tax being charged whilst sailing through Puerto Rico waters, although not stopping there.

Never heard of this before.

 

So if you are cruising down from NY to the Caribbean, depending on how close you come to the eastern seaboard, you might be charged tax?

[DominicAUS]

2 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

We sailed Princess from Brooklyn a few months ago. No add-on taxes passed on to passengers during the cruise or in Brooklyn. We always joke that NCL adopts a Spirit Airlines approach where there are a lot of little add ons.

It’s about costing the cruises up and seeing the value for you. I’ve done many comparisons and NCL still comes out cheaper with a drinks package. I reckon I can swallow $20 whilst in port for a few drinks. As other have said, cruise lines are factoring this into the fare if not charging you. 
 

 

[chengkp75]

9 minutes ago, redlock said:

Think the OP's gripe is about tax being charged whilst sailing through Puerto Rico waters, although not stopping there.

Never heard of this before.

 

So if you are cruising down from NY to the Caribbean, depending on how close you come to the eastern seaboard, you might be charged tax?

State jurisdiction goes out to 3 miles offshore, so tax can be charged until the ship is more than that offshore.  Federal jurisdiction, for things like casinos, extends to 12 miles offshore.

[luv2kroooz]

14 minutes ago, DominicAUS said:

It’s about costing the cruises up and seeing the value for you. I’ve done many comparisons and NCL still comes out cheaper with a drinks package. I reckon I can swallow $20 whilst in port for a few drinks. As other have said, cruise lines are factoring this into the fare if not charging you. 
 

 

Interesting. We've had the opposite experience. If you can find a decent price base fare on Princess with some onboard credit, we think Princess beats NCL. 

 

We just did an 11 day. We bot the package onboard for $660 pp applied $300 pp of on board credit, which left us an out of pocket $360 pp, $33 per person per day, for daily gratuities, a far superior beverage package, gratuities on the beverage package, drink taxes included, and unlimited premium wifi. 

 

NCL is $20 daily gratuity, plus $21 beverage gratuity, plus whatever taxes they want to charge. But yes, if you make out better on NCL, you should crack on.

 

Edit. Base fare was interior for $698 plus $194 of port charges.

Edited March 25 by luv2kroooz

[DominicAUS]

4 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

Interesting. We've had the opposite experience. If you can find a decent price base fare on Princess with some onboard credit, we think Princess beats NCL. 

 

We just did an 11 day. We bot the package onboard for $660 pp applied $300 pp of on board credit, which left us an out of pocket $360 pp, $33 per person per day, for daily gratuities, a far superior beverage package, drink taxes included, and unlimited premium wifi. 

 

NCL is $20 daily gratuity, plus $21 beverage gratuity, plus whatever taxes they want to charge. But yes, if you make out better on NCL, you should crack on.

 

Edit. Base fare was interior for $698 plus $194 of port charges.

That’s a great deal. Must be timings, cruise destinations I’ve been looking at, unfortunately coming from Australia I look for longer cruises. I wish we had heaps more choices. 
 

 

[Manchester is blue]

This is an interesting topic for me. 
Whilst I am relatively new to cruising holidays, having had the pleasure of a few now, I have not yet experienced being charged tax on drinks whilst in, or near a port.

I am taking my first NCL cruise to Alaska from Seattle in August this year. I wonder if others that have sailed on an Alaskan itinerary ,could share their experiences with regards this matter please.

Regards to all.

 

[chengkp75]

Alaska has no state sales tax, but several cruise ports have municipal sales taxes, but it has been my experience that the cities don't bother to collect sales tax from the ships.

[jkbec101]

Thinking back, I never paid sales tax while in Miami (2023) or Barcelona (2022)

[schmoopie17]

39 minutes ago, jkbec101 said:

Thinking back, I never paid sales tax while in Miami (2023) or Barcelona (2022)

That's odd. We just paid taxes for drinks in Tampa a couple weeks ago...as well in four (count 'em) four ports in Spain in 2022.

[ngrund]

5 hours ago, Manchester is blue said:

This is an interesting topic for me. 
Whilst I am relatively new to cruising holidays, having had the pleasure of a few now, I have not yet experienced being charged tax on drinks whilst in, or near a port.

I am taking my first NCL cruise to Alaska from Seattle in August this year. I wonder if others that have sailed on an Alaskan itinerary ,could share their experiences with regards this matter please.

Regards to all.

 

You will be charged sales tax on drinks while docked in Seattle and until you are out to sea.