Is VAT added on P&O cruise ships

On a recent Celebrity cruise VAT was added to everthing that was purchased aboard. We have been on many Med cruises before and this is new this year. Does this occur on P&O cruiseship sailing the Mediterranean ?

Only if you are in Spanish or Italian waters I do believe. Spanish waters for sure.

VAT is added if you visit just EU countries. Most Med itineraries try to include places like Gibraltar or Guernsey so as to avoid the charge.

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/fleet/VAT_ob

We were on a 7 day cruise on board the Adonia,we never left EU waters so VAT 20% added to shop and photo purchases,it may have been on drinks but not shown.As has been said you have to leave EU to go vat free we cruised ex UK :(:(

That's why they go to 'orrible places like Tunis, Tangier. I don't mind Gib for half a day, got a friend there. Would much prefer Malta :-)

That's why they go to 'orrible places like Tunis, Tangier. I don't mind Gib for half a day, got a friend there. Would much prefer Malta :-)

... but also why they go to a nice place like Kotor, Montenegro now that Croatia is in the EU so stopping in Split or Dubrovknik does not exempt the cruise.

On Venice/Genoa fly cruise you pay VAT Genoa to Venice but not Venice to Genoa :confused::confused:

On Venice/Genoa fly cruise you pay VAT Genoa to Venice but not Venice to Genoa :confused::confused:

It's cos the ship stops at Kotor on the Genoa/Venice leg and the other does not. The EU treat the 7+7 cruise as 2 cruises and so on one you do not leave the EU therefore you have to pay tax.

Simples

Only if you are in Spanish or Italian waters I do believe. Spanish waters for sure.

The extra added to any purchase when in Spanish ports or waters, currently 12% I think, is not VAT but an extra tax added to get money off visitors due to the recession and the financial difficulties Spain have and currently still in.

There are two different things here. UK VAT -20%- is charged on any ship departing a UK port and not calling at a port outside the EU duty area. This applies to P&O as well as American ships like Royal Caribbean.

The other is Spanish IVA at 10% charged on bar prices, speciality restaurant cover charges whilst in Spanish ports. Does not include Canaries.

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/on-shore/Port-Information/iva_tax

There are higher IVA taxes 21-22% when sailing from a Spanish or Italian port which does not call outside an EU port. See link above. This affects fly cruises on Oceana.

Brian

Thanks for everyone's contribution.

Celebrity charged the Spanish Tax (as they called it) at 10% for any beverages and restaurant charges and 21% for any shop purchases. There is a scheme for non EU citizens to reclaim, but according to Celebrity purchase had to be above $95 and then a minimum $20 handling charge was applied to any refunds.

They also confirmed that if a Non EU port was included in the itinerary, the whole cruise would be exempt from the Spanish Tax.

Can someone please clarify - we are on the Genoa to Venice cruise. Looks like we will be taxed but is it just the shop and photos that are taxed or all the bar and restaurant drinks??:mad:

According to the P&O website, (link in my post #10 above) it is charged on the on board shops, photo gallery and items purchased in the spa. From an Italian port it is 22%.

Brian

To understand the VAT charge you need to consider where the ship departs for goods and services consumed on-board, as that is the country that taxes, and for goods taken off, both the departure and arrival ports.

Italy only charges VAT on goods taken off, not services on-board. Spain charges for both. If there is a non-EU stop Italy doesn't charge, and Spain does only whilst docked in Spain.

Can someone please clarify - we are on the Genoa to Venice cruise. Looks like we will be taxed but is it just the shop and photos that are taxed or all the bar and restaurant drinks??:mad:

IIRC not for drinks