NCL Spirit Canaries & Casablanca - 18% Spanish Tax question

Can anyone recently returned on the NCL Spirit Canary Islands & Casablanca Itinerary advice if they were charged the additional 18% Spanish tax on drinks that they had from their UBP Beversge package?

These are NCL round trip itineraries from Malaga or Barcelona.

Thanks

We are on the spirit now and they didn't tell us about the tax which is 10% until we were on board. It applies to any beverage even on the u b package and all inc when you are in any Spanish waters,even when going through the Gibraltar straight. We asked to see the vat certificate and number issued by Spain but they say it goes to Miami with the tax money collected which seems very strange! Perhaps this is just a con to get more money from us, who knows. It would be great if everyone boycotts the Spanish cruise and books with another line in protest!

Do they calculate tax on every drink you have or just on cost of drinks package? Also if you don't have drinks package do they charge the 20% gratuity and then 10 % tax which would make drinks very expensive

If you have the package, you pay 10% Spanish tax on the list price of every drink you have. And yes, if you are not on any drinks package, you will pay the extra 20% service charge AND 10% Spanish tax on the list price of every drink you purchase.

Do they calculate tax on every drink you have or just on cost of drinks package? Also if you don't have drinks package do they charge the 20% gratuity and then 10 % tax which would make drinks very expensive

The 10% tax is payable on any beverage sold whilst the boat is in Spanish waters. So you're OK in Casablanca, Madeira and whilst sailing between most ports. We were on the 23rd November sailing and were a bit annoyed that that there is no announcement on board telling you when this extra tax comes into effect and when everything returns to normal, you just find out when you go to the bar and the bartender says you will have to pay tax. Also a little annoyed that you pay 10% on NCL's inflated bar prices. We had the UBP and although it was annoying we didn't let it affect our cruise. It helped that we also had some OBC to soak it up.

Our cruise starts in Malaga with ports in Alicante, Barcelona, Valencia then a day at sea before arriving in Casablanca then another day at sea before arriving at Funchal. Then it's Las Palmas, Tenerife, Arrecife (Lanzarote) a day at sea then Malaga.

Looks like this tax is going to make this an expensive drinks cruise - and with no warning from NCL.:(

It is the same in a lot of ports. There is a tax when you are in port it is posted at every bar. You can always wait until you are in international waters.

It is the same in a lot of ports. There is a tax when you are in port it is posted at every bar. You can always wait until you are in international waters.

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That is interesting. When I was on the EPIC in Malaga and Barcelona they had signs at the bars. When I was on the Star going from Venice to Rome, there was only a notice in the first day's freestyle daily that there was an additional tax. This had to be hand calculated every day and entered onto our ship accounts. I am sure this got old for the staff at the gift shop. I also saw a lot fewer people there shopping than I have on other cruises I don't think upset guest help them at all.

This was usually only for couple of hours as the ship moved into international waters between most ports, even Gran Canaria and Tenerife. It would have been nice to have been informed when we were moving into Spanish waters, this may have avoided incidents like we witnessed in Henry's pub one evening.

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I will see how this works next week when we join the Spirit for the Christmas/New Year cruise.

I will see how this works next week when we join the Spirit for the Christmas/New Year cruise.

Have fun, very jealous :)

Interesting, in 2015 I asked NCL because of that before booking and they confirmed all tax was already included in the UBP. I can't find the emails anymore but I know that on a later cruise on the Spirit they did charged tax for individual drinks even though the UBP was bought online before but I got the money back after the cruise.

I will get a confirmation in writing that it is still the case before eventually booking a february cruise on the Spirit.

Interesting, in 2015 I asked NCL because of that before booking and they confirmed all tax was already included in the UBP. I can't find the emails anymore but I know that on a later cruise on the Spirit they did charged tax for individual drinks even though the UBP was bought online before but I got the money back after the cruise.

I will get a confirmation in writing that it is still the case before eventually booking a february cruise on the Spirit.

All taxes should be included in the UBP, else it should be made very clear when it is and isn't being charged. I have been on a number of ex-Barcelona sailings sailing both east and west, and to say the consistency on how this VAT issue is applied is sloppy is an understatement, particularly with NCL.

We were on the NCL Spirit out of Barcelona on December 3rd thru the 13th. We had the ubp and the udp as our free at sea promos. We did get charged the VAT tax of 10% at various times. The VAT tax was posted at all the bars I frequented when it was charged. At other times I didn't even need to sign a reciept for my drinks. Every time it was charged, the bill had the cost of the drink zero'ed out and only the tax remaining. I don't believe the VAT was charged while in Casablanca.

All taxes should be included in the UBP, else it should be made very clear when it is and isn't being charged. I have been on a number of ex-Barcelona sailings sailing both east and west, and to say the consistency on how this VAT issue is applied is sloppy is an understatement, particularly with NCL.

When I asked on board to see evidence of Spanish vat returns or vat number they told me it goes direct to ncl in Miami and they deal with it. Maybe that's where it stays?

We were on the NCL Spirit out of Barcelona on December 3rd thru the 13th. We had the ubp and the udp as our free at sea promos. We did get charged the VAT tax of 10% at various times. The VAT tax was posted at all the bars I frequented when it was charged. At other times I didn't even need to sign a reciept for my drinks. Every time it was charged, the bill had the cost of the drink zero'ed out and only the tax remaining. I don't believe the VAT was charged while in Casablanca.

From: EU Guest Services <euguestservices@ncl.com>

Date: 8 February 2018 at 13:19:06 GMT

To: "jhill1942@tiscali.co.uk"<jhill1942@tiscali.co.uk>

Subject: Spanish vat tax

DearMr Hill,

Thank you for your email.

Please be informed that Vat will not be added on pre purchased packages and onpromotional packages.

Thanks and Regards,

Juliana Camilleri

Guest Services

ref:_00DE0aUlY._50044oFPXl:ref

I have just had this reply for EU /NCL I wonder ???????

 

From: EU Guest Services <euguestservices@ncl.com>

Date: 8 February 2018 at 13:19:06 GMT

To: "jhill1942@tiscali.co.uk"<jhill1942@tiscali.co.uk>

Subject: Spanish vat tax

 

DearMr Hill,

 

Thank you for your email.

 

 

Please be informed that Vat will not be added on pre purchased packages and onpromotional packages.

 

 

Thanks and Regards,

 

Juliana Camilleri

 

Guest Services

ref:_00DE0aUlY._50044oFPXl:ref

Just off Spirit a week ago. 18% added ***** everything, all the time. People were not happy, som to speak

Just off Spirit a week ago. 18% added ***** everything, all the time. People were not happy, som to speak

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I have just had this reply for EU /NCL I wonder ???????

 

From: EU Guest Services <euguestservices@ncl.com>

Date: 8 February 2018 at 13:19:06 GMT

To: "jhill1942@tiscali.co.uk"<jhill1942@tiscali.co.uk>

Subject: Spanish vat tax

 

DearMr Hill,

 

Thank you for your email.

 

 

Please be informed that Vat will not be added on pre purchased packages and onpromotional packages.

 

 

Thanks and Regards,

 

Juliana Camilleri

 

Guest Services

ref:_00DE0aUlY._50044oFPXl:ref

Spanish VAT is not added to the cost of the package at the time of purchase, instead when the ship is sailing or docked in Spanish territorial waters, each item consumed via the drinks package UBP has 10% Spanish tax charged to you. So for example if you have the UBP drinks package and buy a $10 glass of wine, then you pay $1 in Spanish tax per drink.

On our cruise on the Spirit this past December 3 2017 when the tax was charged we had to sign a receipt the cost of the drink was zer'ed out but the tax was there. When we didn't have the tax, most bartenders just looked at my card for the UBP and didn't even swipe it. I hope this helps. The bartender in the casino bar did make the best Brandy old fashions LOL

Spanish VAT is not added to the cost of the package at the time of purchase, instead when the ship is sailing or docked in Spanish territorial waters, each item consumed via the drinks package UBP has 10% Spanish tax charged to you. So for example if you have the UBP drinks package and buy a $10 glass of wine, then you pay $1 in Spanish tax per drink.

How can you pay 10% on Zero charge when I went to school 10% of £0 = £0 now if I buy a drink over the limit I am then expecting to pay the 10%.

Quote from NCL FAQ

Please note that in order to comply with Spanish and Italian tax regulations we are required to charge Spanish/Italian VAT on applicable retail items purchased on board cruises from/to Barcelona, Venice and Rome (Civitavecchia), as well as on all other cruises whilst the ship is in Spanish or Italian waters.

Just off Spirit a week ago. 18% added ***** everything, all the time. People were not happy, som to speak

Could you clarify some points please, as I think there is some confusion here.

If you have just returned from the Spirit then you will have left the EU, and there is absolutely no way that you should have been charged tax for the whole cruise. However, as has previously been stated, the Spanish tax is 10% anyway. 18% does sound more like the amount for gratuity, although I did understand it is going up to 20%.

Did you have the beverage package? If so then you shouldn’t have been charged any gratuity.

My gut feeling is that you didn’t have the package and were actually (correctly) charged gratuity on your beverages, not tax. Are you able to clarify please.

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