Duty Free Cigarettes

[Gilpet]

We have only sailed with P&O once before (July 2010) and at that time any cigarettes purchased from the duty free shop could not be taken away and were delivered to your cabin on the last night. Does anybody know if this is still the case? If it is, has anybody ever been given an explanation why?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

[WeeCountyMan]

Did they sell cigarettes in packs of 20 onboard from the bars at duty free prices ?

 

If not, it sounds like they want smokers to have to pay their "with profits" prices until you leave the ship.

 

Similar to the duty free alcohol policy enforced by most (but not all) cruise lines - they want you to have to buy booze at their inflated charges rather than guests scoop up duty free in cabins.

[Gilpet]

I really can't remember if they were sold in the bars but I'm sure they would have been. We had an issue with this on Princess last year and they claimed that it was due to Customs and Excise regulations that they weren't allowed to sell duty-free cigarettes for "consumption" on board. I pointed out that the single packets sold in the bars (at inflated prices, as you said) were clearly marked as duty free but they were unable/unwilling to explain this. I checked with revenue and customs when I got home and they said that as long as there was at least one port of call outside of the EU there were no regulations to stop the sale of duty free cigarettes once the ship had left port it's starting port. We were on Cunard last October/November and (for the first time) they were allowing the sale of cigarettes AND alcohol in the duty free shop for consumption on board - as it's the same parent company I'm hoping it will be the same with P&O.

 

Gill

[aa2009]

We did a 3 night cruise beginning of the month on ventura. The duty free shop didn't open until our last day which we were supposed to visit geurnsey ( non eu ) but too rough so had day at sea.

 

No fags were available at the bars at any price before this as far as i'm aware, certainly wasn't on menu price list as they previously were on our only other cruise to date( october 2009 ) caribbean where you could by fags from the moment you stepped onboard

 

So glad we took some with us for this short cruise

[dthompsond1]

We were on Orian to Norway beging of July, our butler delivered 400 duty free cigs on first night. Presumably in ordinary cabins you room steward can do the same as I cannot believe this service is exclusive to Suite passengers. Of course going to a non EU country might also have had something to do with it. Dennis

[Gilpet]

Thanks, that all sounds reassuring. We are going outside the EU so shouldn't have a problem.

 

Gill

[Redstar46]

I bought 400 Richmond on the azura in June off the shelf in the duty free shop!

[philipsw285]

i was on azura in april and as long as the ship goes to a non eu port in our case it was gibraltar they can sell cigarettes in 200's once they leave each port i think there is a rule that duty free can't open until the ship is 12 miles out.

On azura there is a duty free shop selling cigarettes and alchol i have only ever bought cigarettes and i know you can take them away at the time of buying. I believe this is the case on ventura as well and i was on the 4 day cruise on oriana which couldn't sell duty free as it called at amsterdam and zebrugge so they were selling them in 20's in the bars oriana did have a duty free shop but it looked like a counter to order things.

[Travelling Shopper]

We have only sailed with P&O once before (July 2010) and at that time any cigarettes purchased from the duty free shop could not be taken away and were delivered to your cabin on the last night. Does anybody know if this is still the case? If it is, has anybody ever been given an explanation why?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

 

The explanation is simple, but it depends on where you are sailing to/from. Primarily cruise ships want to maximise profits on board, so they don't want you buying duty free goods such as liquors or tobaccos at lower prices than the dispense prices in the bars or vending. In the case of tobaccos, there is a double-edge sword, which is profit and anti-smoking regulations. They would prefer to inhibit this practice. But of course, they want their cake and eat it.... so they wish to profit on your departure, but profit more whilst onboard and to also be seen to adhere to anti-tobacco rules and anti-smokers.

 

The only way round this (and it differs per cruise, line and destination) is to buy en-route in the airport (if travelling outside the EU) or on an EU cruise, wait for a stopover in a non-EU port and bring them on-board with with you. All, if not most, of the rules can be found here .. http://www.dutyfreeonarrival.com/en/sea/cruise hope this helps!

[chirpy007]

So if we visit Guernsey we can purchase duty free cigarettes ok? does anyone know how much they will be? Thanks

[jazzbabe]

We were on the Arcadia in November/December and as we were sailing to the Caribbean ciggies were availble from the Duty Free shop on the 2nd day.Price was £38 for 400(less 10% Caribbean Tier discount):)

Packs of 20 could be bought at the bars but I'm not sure of the price.

[chirpy007]

Thanks :)