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Maybe you should read the other 7 pages of this thread ;-). steamboats

Correct! steamboats

Yes, of course, 20% are the service charge and the rest is tax. steamboats

As others said before... When you do have a package you are only charged the two lines saying "VAT 20%" (3.40 USD) and "VAT 10%" (0.34 USD) - so a total of 22% or 3.34 USD. You are not charged the price of the drink (17 USD) or the "Grat/SVCCG (20%)" (3.40 USD). Those amounts are only to account the VAT -> 20% of the drinks price and 10% of the Service Charge. When you don´t have a package you are charged the full amount of 24.14 USD, which is 42% of the price of the drinks. steamboats

Check out this thread showing a receipt of your cruise. steamboats

Pozzuoli and parts of Naples are built on an active super volcano (Campi Flegrei). This is a 150 skm area and two thirds are in the sea. So it´s still 50 sqm which are more or less completely filled up with buildings. A 4.0 earthquake is noticable there and there are minor damages. The whole area is on warning stage 2 (out of 4) but for a longer time already. They are now checking their evacuation plans. Some science guys think there will be a major eruption more or less soon (which will be a major disaster). Others say no worries... steamboats

@Alba1 you were charged 20% VAT on the price of the drink (so 4 USD for two 10 USD drinks) plus 10% on the 20% Service Charge (10 % of 4 USD = 0.40 USD) which totals to 4.40 USD. You were not charged at total of 30% which would be 6 USD for the two drinks. steamboats

I was referring to my post you quoted 😉. steamboats

The part of my post you quoted was referring to what is done on land in France ... in France there are no mandatory service charges which can be taxed with a VAT. I know what NCL is doing. steamboats

You have to pay the Spanish VAT as long as you are in Spanish waters/ports (usually within the 3 miles zone) as Gibraltar is a non EU port (therefore you don´t have to pay it for the full cruise). With a drinks package you shouldn´t pay any VAT on an ordered drink. If you do order a drink which is not included in the package and therefore you have to pay the difference, then you have to pay the VAT on the upcharge/difference. steamboats

Exactly, "should be" 😉 steamboats

Also Italy, UK or Gibraltar... The only cruise line saying that there are "local" taxes (which there aren´t in Italy) and not selling alcohol or even other non alcoholic beverages. RCI/Celebrity are charging the VAT in Spanish waters (or for the whole duration of the cruise when there is no non EU port). But they are charging only when you buy a single drink and not for drinks ordered with a package. That´s an NCL problem. We Europeans have to pay VAT on our cruise price (and yes, I don´t "see" as it´s included in the cruise fare) and therefore the European cruise fares are usually higher than the same cruise sold in the US. Some Europeans do book with an US TA to get a cheaper US price. steamboats

I haven´t read anything about mandatory service charges in France yet. But I remember that I had notices about the Italian VAT with RCI and recently with Oceania. But Italy was always pretty inconsistent. steamboats

@KeithJenner the interesting part is that they haven´t charged the VAT for the drinks or even the service charge until recently (for those who have the package). The VAT is being charged for more than 10 years for single bought drinks. But even there the service charge wasn´t part of the VAT. steamboats

This was only a 4.0 earthquake... there was a 4.2 one a couple of weeks ago. So far I haven´t heard of any changes regarding the port of Naples. steamboats

At least for one day it´s worth staying in Trieste. We didn´t have too much time to explore but here you find some sights. steamboats

The inconsistency... steamboats

There are no real mandatory service charges in the EU countries. Spain doesn´t have any. In Italy you may count the "Coperto" as a mandatory service charge but that also covers bread, placemat, tablecloth, silverware ... (and is a part of the invoice items and therefore charged VAT). But it´s up to the restaurant if they charge a Coperto and how much (something between 1.50 and 5 Euro - has to be written in the menu). In Croatia some restaurants have a fixed service charge but also there it´s not mandatory for all restaurants. steamboats

But you know it better than me... When I do have a drink package I don't pay an amount for a single drink - period! I paid for the package. And BTW all alcohol onboard is tax free (same on planes). Of course the cruise line has to pay for the ingrediences of the drink but that's their calculation they have to do for the drink package. I don't buy the bottle... You don't want to understand what is target of the VAT - a value / purchase. And the passenger has purchased the package. That's the taxable purchase but not the order of a single drink. steamboats

Once again, they don´t need to count it into the package price as they don´t have to pay it for a single drink. That´s what you don´t want to get. A value added tax can be only added to a value. For a value money has to change hands. But no money does change hands when you order a drink with your package. The money changed hands when you bought the package (or Free at Sea). Then you had to pay a VAT in case that purchase was made in Europe. What´s even more strange that they charge a VAT on the Service Charge - that´s an automated gratuity. That´s not part of the taxed value at all (even when you paid for the drink). The gratuity is part of the income of the waiter and therefore the waiter has to pay income tax on this amount... And once again, I am German and I live in Germany and I´m pretty sure that I do know our tax system pretty well ;-). steamboats

Not that the beverage package of NCL ist any cheaper per day when you buy it separately 🤦 without free at sea. And if you really have to pay the VAT for each drink you can't really count it into the price of the package. And for my Diamond (Crown & Anchor) drinks I don't pay anything at all. And of course when you buy the beverage package onboard in Europe they add the VAT based on the price of the package. What you don't get is that with a zero pay for a single drink there is no value you can add a tax. And BTW it's not just RCI but all other cruise lines which don't add a VAT to a single drink with a package. steamboats

Sorry, you can´t tender from Trieste to Venice. It´s a two hour bus ride. A tender boat wouldn´t arrive in Venice the same day. steamboats

RCI doesn´t charge the VAT on drinks you order with a package. RCI does charge it when you pay for each single drink. In France it´s the 20% VAT for alcoholic beverages and the 10% VAT on the 20% service charge. It´s not a VAT on the VAT. steamboats

Food and beverages have a reduced VAT rate in Spain and it´s 10%. The regular rate is 20%. France has the regular rate of 20% for alcoholic beverages. Other beverages have a reduced rate. VAT rates vary from country to country. steamboats

@BunnyHutt Usually food and drinks are not eligable for a tax refund. You can buy a leather jacket or a bag and get a refund. steamboats