Rules if bringing alcohol back from Cruise??

[SardisGrandma]

If I buy a few bottles of Rum while in Jamaica to bring back what are the rules? I know they keep it at the gangway til end of cruise but then what? Do I claim it on the customs ticket? Will I have to pay any taxes? Approximately how much? Cruising on Carnival Magic out of Galveston. Is there a limit of a couple if bottles? Anyone know all the ins and outs of this subject??

[Chasey]

You get it back the night before debarkation. Yes, you claim it on your customs form since it was purchased abroad. You don't have to pay taxes if you're w/in monetary guidelines.

[sparks1093]

Generally you are allowed 1 liter of alcohol for each adult passenger and duty is payable above that. Texas has some different rules about how much can be brought back which will probably have more of an impact. I am sure someone will be along that has direct experience with that.

[SardisGrandma]

Sure hope someone comes along that can give a bit more info but thanks for the help you two tried to offer.

[rocker57]

Sure hope someone comes along that can give a bit more info but thanks for the help you two tried to offer.

 

Wow, you are very rude - the posters did give you information, perhaps you should do some research on your own - you do realize that customs have a website

[peptobysmol]

ha didn't seem rude to me.

[sparks1093]

Sure hope someone comes along that can give a bit more info but thanks for the help you two tried to offer.

 

You are quite welcome. www.cbp.gov has all of the answers you seek.

[splintz]

per u.s. customs a person over 21 can bring back 1 liter of alcohol or wine duty free.

 

now saying that i have twice been on a cruise and brought back 6 liters of alcohol with my wife (3 a piece) and have declared same on my forms. both times the customs agent looked at it and looked at the forms and let me through without paying any additional taxes. i don't think the paper work they have to fill out for the taxes is worth the time and effort especially when you have 3000 plus passengers getting off the boat and going through customs. if you try to sneak it off without declaring it they might fill out the forms.

 

i also have driven back from canada and at the border i declared i had 4 cases of beer and 8 bottles of wine and the border agent let me through without any additional taxes.

[live2cruise2011]

Yes the legal limit is 1 per person... We had a cap officer go into Mexico to buy cigarettes he stuffed them under his car seat several places hiding the said he had one carton ended up losing his career and getting a large fine should he have known better definitely

[vette-ss]

If you buy in places like San Juan or St. Thomas, do the limits/taxes apply at all?

[Out to sea!]

Yes the legal limit is 1 per person... We had a cap officer go into Mexico to buy cigarettes he stuffed them under his car seat several places hiding the said he had one carton ended up losing his career and getting a large fine should he have known better definitely

 

Small correction, the legal limit, duty free, is one liter per adult. You can bring back as much as you want but are expected to pay duty (about 10%) on anything above the 1 liter per adult. Sometimes customs makes you pay, sometimes they don't, just be expected to pay and happy if they don't ask for it.

[sparks1093]

If you buy in places like San Juan or St. Thomas, do the limits/taxes apply at all?

 

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/types_of_exemptions.xml

 

OP, I just realized you asked about Jamaica and Jamaica is on the list on the above link for bringing back 2 liters duty free.

[SardisGrandma]

Wow, you are very rude - the posters did give you information, perhaps you should do some research on your own - you do realize that customs have a website

 

Omg. Another jerk trying to start a problem. I thanked the two posters for the info they gave and agreed with one of the posters that I hoped others stopped by and had a bit more info to offer. No not familiar with a customs web site and YOU could have been simply helpful by offering that info instead of trying to read rudeness into a simple thread to gain more info from fellow cruisers. Rude?? Yep you were very!!! And If I had the time or inclination I'd be really rude to YOU !! Bite tha granny!!

[Bunkie103]

IF you are flying be sure to check with the airlines about packaging. We got to airport in Orlando and found out all bottles have to be specially packaged and placed INSIDE checked luggage on Southwest. They did pack it for us for $5 (I think) a bottle, but there were hundreds of people behind us not too happy with all the time it was taking for our check-in and repack! OOps!:o

[SardisGrandma]

Great info everyone. Thanks so much. I'll be driving but good info to know about the packaging if flying. I've never drank on a cruise or brought back alcohol so I live have experienced cruisers to ask these questions.

[kidfanz]

I know it's one carton per person allowed, though I think I read more if you are coming from USVI? So when you declare say 5 per person, then do you just expect to pay 10% in tax over the allowable amount in duty taxes to the customs officer? At roughly $20 per carton compared to $45 at home, I think my smoking son would like to purchase as much as is possible. Next issue is getting them home on the plane and having room...

[sparks1093]

I know it's one carton per person allowed, though I think I read more if you are coming from USVI? So when you declare say 5 per person, then do you just expect to pay 10% in tax over the allowable amount in duty taxes to the customs officer? At roughly $20 per carton compared to $45 at home, I think my smoking son would like to purchase as much as is possible. Next issue is getting them home on the plane and having room...

 

As I understand it you can only bring in 200 cigarettes that have been previously exported from the US and they can come in duty free. Anything above that can't have been previoulsy exported or they will be confiscated. You pay duty on cigarettes above the exemption if they meet the requirements. (I believe the duty is the equivelant of the Federal excise tax for cigarettes, so you would save state tax).