Cheers in New Orleans

[mattcj89]

Yes, I know there are a million posts about Cheers, but does anyone have experiences purchasing Cheers out of New Orleans? I was wanting to purchase it the first day, however on Magic we had to wait to purchase it until the first day at sea. Also, does the duty free wait until the ship reaches the gulf, or do they start duty free while still in the Mississippi River? Any comments are appreciated!

[christmas]

Yes, I know there are a million posts about Cheers, but does anyone have experiences purchasing Cheers out of New Orleans? I was wanting to purchase it the first day, however on Magic we had to wait to purchase it until the first day at sea. Also, does the duty free wait until the ship reaches the gulf, or do they start duty free while still in the Mississippi River? Any comments are appreciated!

 

Just off Conquest the Fun Shops were closed the 1st day and yes people were buying the cheers.

[WLHyatt]

Cheers is available, but they charge the city tax on it while tied up. Once the ship is in the river and down from New Orleans taxes go away.

 

The Casino opens after sailaway, but the shops havent opened before dinner, not sure if they opened after dinner, since we never made our way back across deck 5 that late in the evening before (we went across deck 3).

[lady_cruiser]

If I remembered correctly the shops on The Conquest did not open on the first sea day.

[mattcj89]

Thanks for the quick answers!

[Khloella]

We bought the cheers program shortly after sailaway. They told us they would wait to run it until after taxes went away. So we were not charged tax.

[LittleJeanne]

We bought the cheers program shortly after sailaway. They told us they would wait to run it until after taxes went away. So we were not charged tax.

 

Where did you go to buy it? I've heard of people purchasing it at various bars and I also know that they had a table set up on lido selling it but we didn't purchase it on our last cruise. I'm thinking of buying it on my next sailing out of NOLA and would love it if they didn't run it until the taxes aren't being charged.

[WLHyatt]

We bought it in the Lobby Bar on the first sea day.

[Khloella]

Where did you go to buy it? I've heard of people purchasing it at various bars and I also know that they had a table set up on lido selling it but we didn't purchase it on our last cruise. I'm thinking of buying it on my next sailing out of NOLA and would love it if they didn't run it until the taxes aren't being charged.

 

We got it at the table set up in Lido.

[okgirl]

We bought the cheers program shortly after sailaway. They told us they would wait to run it until after taxes went away. So we were not charged tax.

 

This is complete misinformation.

 

When you purchase Cheers on embarkation day before the ship sails you ARE NOT charged tax on the program itself. You are charged tax on individual drinks while the ship is in any US port regardless if they are charged against your Cheers program or just purchased individually.

 

This goes for every embarkation port except Galveston where Cheers can not be purchased on embarkation day at all due to Texas liqour laws.

[racegrrl]

And the taxes are charged at least most of the way down the Mississippi, not just while at dock and shortly after launching.

[mattcj89]

This is complete misinformation.

 

When you purchase Cheers on embarkation day before the ship sails you ARE NOT charged tax on the program itself. You are charged tax on individual drinks while the ship is in any US port regardless if they are charged against your Cheers program or just purchased individually.

 

This goes for every embarkation port except Galveston where Cheers can not be purchased on embarkation day at all due to Texas liqour laws.

 

Thanks for the clarification! I figured Texas liquor laws were the reason you couldn't purchase Cheers until the first day but I just wanted to make sure. I'm glad you clarified how Cheers is taxed by the drink in port and not by the program - I always assumed the entire program was taxed if purchased in port. Thanks again for helping to clarify the issue! :)

[HO HO]

http://www.carnival.com/cms/faq/?faq=beverage

[Dixie24]

We bought it in the Lobby Bar on the first sea day.

 

Can you confirm to me that you were only charge from Day 2 on and not retroactively for the first day? Thanks.

[okgirl]

Thanks for the clarification! I figured Texas liquor laws were the reason you couldn't purchase Cheers until the first day but I just wanted to make sure. I'm glad you clarified how Cheers is taxed by the drink in port and not by the program - I always assumed the entire program was taxed if purchased in port. Thanks again for helping to clarify the issue! :)

 

They can't charge the program because the tax is assessed against the actual price of the drink. But even on expensive drinks it only amounts to .50ish cents. I've purchased the Cheers program at the Lobby bar, the Casino bar and I've seen the sign for it at the main pool bar.

 

Can you confirm to me that you were only charge from Day 2 on and not retroactively for the first day? Thanks.

 

Yes, if you wait until day two to purchase you will only be charged from that day forward. And none of the drinks you purchased on embarkation day will be retroactively covered.

 

So if you think you will likely have more than 5 or 6 cocktails between embarkation and when ever you go to bed, you will be better off to purchase it on day one, so the average cost of your drinks will be cheaper.

 

I looked at my Funtimes from the Conquest in April and the Fun Shops opened at 5:30.

 

I'm on the Magic in 13 days and it will be the 1st time that I haven't been able to purchase Cheers on embarkation. I wonder if it will only be available on day 2 or if they will extend it to day 3??????

 

They have been very strict about not letting it be sold on day 3.....one lady was having a hissy fit at the Lobby bar on Tuesday morning because she didn't know about Cheers and said they "hid" the program from her........she said she had run up hundreds of dollars in bar tab since getting on the ship..........

[mattcj89]

They can't charge the program because the tax is assessed against the actual price of the drink. But even on expensive drinks it only amounts to .50ish cents. I've purchased the Cheers program at the Lobby bar, the Casino bar and I've seen the sign for it at the main pool bar.

 

 

 

Yes, if you wait until day two to purchase you will only be charged from that day forward. And none of the drinks you purchased on embarkation day will be retroactively covered.

 

So if you think you will likely have more than 5 or 6 cocktails between embarkation and when ever you go to bed, you will be better off to purchase it on day one, so the average cost of your drinks will be cheaper.

 

I looked at my Funtimes from the Conquest in April and the Fun Shops opened at 5:30.

 

I'm on the Magic in 13 days and it will be the 1st time that I haven't been able to purchase Cheers on embarkation. I wonder if it will only be available on day 2 or if they will extend it to day 3??????

 

They have been very strict about not letting it be sold on day 3.....one lady was having a hissy fit at the Lobby bar on Tuesday morning because she didn't know about Cheers and said they "hid" the program from her........she said she had run up hundreds of dollars in bar tab since getting on the ship..........

 

I don't remember Cheers being available on Tuesday on Magic; I only remember seeing the table set up on the lido deck Monday.

 

For us it would be worth it to get Cheers during embarkation for all the sail away drinks we consume. ;)

[misguidedangel]

My friend and I got the cheers program and it was $400. We were charged around $50 for tax, tips, whatever. We got it when we boarded the ship.

[nylori]

Cheers is great! Just watch the port days and get your moneys worth! I would go down for 2 drinks for us to the lobby bar at 8am mimosas or cruisers, then remember you can get beer and tell them not to open it you want to enjoy it in your room. We kept 4 or so in a ice bucket at all times. Port days are harder to get your moneys worth, especially if you want to drink in a port.

[WLHyatt]

Can you confirm to me that you were only charge from Day 2 on and not retroactively for the first day? Thanks.

 

Correct. We bought it and promptly spent the rest of the trip in the Alchemy Bar.

[lulu_cruising]

Thank you for the information about the cheers program out of Nola. I was wondering where you had to go to purchase it. This will be our first cruise and we plan on getting to the ship as early as we can so we will be purchasing it as soon as we board. Let the fun begin!