Duty Free Shopping question

[Tralfie]

Hey, all!

 

I'm a cruise newbie who has what's probably a dumb question about duty-free shopping. And to make it easier, I'll be very specific.

 

I'm a vacation-smoker. The rest of the year, I'm a non-smoker, but on vacation... I like to smoke. (No lectures, #pleaseandthankyou!)

 

Cigarettes in NYC are crazy expensive, so I figured rather than buy packs for my cruise, I'd buy a carton at the duty-free store on board and then whatever I don't smoke by trip's end, I'll give away.

 

But I don't really GET duty free. So, let's say the carton is $50. Are there other costs later, or is that the final cost? If I get a single carton, do I have to declare it when I get off the ship and go through customs?

 

Sorry to sound like an idiot! LOL

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Richard/Tralfie

[Conshydot]

The cigarettes may be like the liquor bought on board: bought, but not available to you until the last night.

[JDinWA]

The cigarettes may be like the liquor bought on board: bought, but not available to you until the last night.

 

No, you can buy them on the ship and consume them on the cruise, my mother's done this a few times. But to the OP, sorry - I'm not clear on the whole "duty free" thing either, but have never bought anything that required me to learn.

[sparks1093]

You may buy the cigarettes on board and use them on board. If you consume them or give them a way before entering the US you do not need to declare them on your Customs declaration.

[dorisis]

You may buy the cigarettes on board and use them on board. If you consume them or give them a way before entering the US you do not need to declare them on your Customs declaration.

 

And if you do declare them, I am sure there would be no duty on 1 or 2 cartons.

[paul929207]

You can go to the duty free shop on the ship. Note that it is not open when the ship is in port. They will have cartons for sale, probably much cheaper than in NY/NJ. I have not bought any in years, so I not sure of the price. They do not have an enormous selection. So if you must have one brand, you may want to check in advance. The purchase will be charged to your onboard account like all on the purchases on the ship.

 

I think the US allows you to bring in 1 carton of cigarettes per adult without any duty. Beyond that you would have to declare them on the customs declaration and there may be a duty charged.

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

Why not ask your question on the NCL board? Someone there can tell you what a carton will cost on the ship. That way you can judge for yourself if there is a savings.

[John Bull]

 

I think the US allows you to bring in 1 carton of cigarettes per adult without any duty. Beyond that you would have to declare them on the customs declaration and there may be a duty charged.

 

I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned by anyone earlier in the thread - seemed obvious to me, but wondered whether it was any different for returning Americans so I was wary of commenting earlier.

 

Unlike alcohol, cigs are handed to you when you buy - they're not retained by the shop til cruise-end. So you can buy enough to smoke during the cruise, plus 200 per over-21 yr old to take back to the US duty-free.

If, because duty-frees are usually sold by the carton, you return to the US with a few odd packets over the 200 allowed per adult, I doubt you'll be thrown in jail.;)

 

Ships' shops often have discount days, around 20% off, so don't rush to buy your full quota.

And duty-free shops in or near the port are often cheaper than the ship's shop.

 

BTW absolutely no lectures from this addict. I am just sooooo envious of part-time smokers.

Smoke for a week or two, then stop til next vacation? I wish !!! :o

 

JB :)

[Bonnie J.]

As a non smoker I don't care about price but think its $25- $30 a carton. I bought a carton once for daughter-in-law. You are allowed 2 cartons per person. However suitcases are not opened when you leave the ship so if you have more, who is going to know? But the areas you can smoke in on cruise ships has been made much smaller. On some ships you cannot smoke in your cabin and your steward will know if you do and they have to let security or someone know. There may be one lounge you can smoke in otherwise the starboard (right) side of the pool deck is where you can smoke. I would go crazy on a cruise ship if I still smoked! Last cruise two men at our table went outside for a smoke between courses in the dining room.

When we started cruising, 1985, you had an ashtray and matches in you cabin and smoked in the dining room at any time.

[Sherlock43031]

does anyone actually read the OP?

 

if you buy the smokes on the ship, consume them on the ship and leave whatever is left on the ship. there is nothing declare.

 

did anyone read the part about them not needing the smoking lecture?

Edited January 29, 2014 by Sherlock43031

[marco]

If they are $50 on the ship, that's the extent of the expense. When you go through customs, you only declare what you are taking back onto shore with you. IF you've consumed, used up, thrown away, or given away.......you don't declare it. You can not (legally) bring Cuban cigars back into the US, but many folks buy them in the islands, smoke them onboard.....no problem. One trip to the Caribbean, after the liquor box was deliver to our cabin on the last evening, we had some friends stop in for a night cap. We killed the bottle, needless to say, one less bottle to declare as it was one less bottle we were bringing into the US.

[sparks1093]

I am not 100% sure (since I am an ex-smoker I don't pay that close attention) but you may also be able to buy individual packs onboard also, so I would suggest checking into that option once onboard. (As I was typing this "Puff the Magic Dragon" came on the radio;))

Edited January 29, 2014 by sparks1093

[Tralfie]

OP

 

Why not ask your question on the NCL board? Someone there can tell you what a carton will cost on the ship. That way you can judge for yourself if there is a savings.

 

It's be literally impossible for there not to be a savings. LOL. In NYC, we pay between 12 and 15 bucks a pack. It's actually why I quit, except for my "vacation" smoking. LOL

 

Richard/Tralfie

[Tralfie]

 

BTW absolutely no lectures from this addict. I am just sooooo envious of part-time smokers.

Smoke for a week or two, then stop til next vacation? I wish !!! :o

 

JB :)

 

It took me years to get to the point where I could. I smoked a pack a day (more when I was out on the town) for over 20 years. When I decided to quit, I'd go for a couple weeks, sometimes a month, without smoking. Then, when out drinking, I'd tell myself "I can have just one."

 

Yeah, right.

 

It always led right back to full smoking.

 

Then I quit for 6 years. I think I "cheated" once during that time. Now, for the past two or three years, I've done the "vacation" smoking thing. I'm one of those weird people who can train my brain to fall into certain habits. Just like it was tough to not be in a bar or on the phone when I smoked (that was when I'd want them the most), I've now done the reverse and basically have absolutely no interest... unless I'm on vacation. That's my brain's new default setting. LOL

 

Richard/Tralfie

[Happy ks]

does anyone actually read the OP?

 

if you buy the smokes on the ship, consume them on the ship and leave whatever is left on the ship. there is nothing declare.

 

did anyone read the part about them not needing the smoking lecture?

 

 

Read through the 9 posts prior to yours and saw no smoking lectures, only advice. Some of it not exactly clear, but mainly just purchase advice. You must be reading a different thread. Oh yeah, one person did mention to find out info on where you could smoke…it turns out if you smoke in your cabin and they have it a smoke free zone…it could cost you a hefty fine, about $250. More than the duty fees.

 

Still, not a lecture, only advice that could be helpful to someone who doesn't know.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Happy ks

[sail7seas]

The cigarettes may be like the liquor bought on board: bought, but not available to you until the last night.

 

 

I am a non-smoker but am sure on HAL ships you can purchase duty free cigarettes and take them immediately. Perhaps other cruise lines do it differently. You will definitely save money buying them on the ship vs. in NYC.

 

OP...... ask you question on the NCL forum. The cruisers/posters there will know best what NCL's policy is in regard to buying cigarettes and being permitted to have them while aboard.

 

Each adult is permitted a set amount duty free cigarettes they can bring home but I don't know if it is one carton or maybe two. If you buy them in St. Thomas (USVI), you are permitted five cartons duty free. If you buy them on the ship and either consume them or leave them aboard, there is nothing to declare. You only declare articles bought outside the country and brought home with you. You also must declare any gifts you receive while out of the country that you are bring home. If you purchase something as a gift and give it away while still out of the country, you do not have to declare it as you are not importing it.

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2014 by sail7seas

[John Bull]

Read through the 9 posts prior to (Sherlock) and saw no smoking lectures, only advice. Some of it not exactly clear, but mainly just purchase advice. You must be reading a different thread. Oh yeah, one person did mention to find out info on where you could smoke…it turns out if you smoke in your cabin and they have it a smoke free zone…it could cost you a hefty fine, about $250. More than the duty fees.

 

Still, not a lecture, only advice that could be helpful to someone who doesn't know.

 

My guess is that Sherlock didn't bother to read the posts, but presumed there must be some lectures by now.

And to be fair, nine times out of ten he'd be right. :D

 

Time to change your screen-name, Sherlock.

And not to Poirot or Perry Mason :p ;)

 

No offence intended ;)

 

BTW Tralfie - be aware that buying in quantity creates a big temptation to get out of your happy situation. Because of buying at way below UK prices whenever I've been in other EU countries & with huge intra-EU customs allowances, I've always had thousands of cigs in the house. When I started doing that, my smoking literally doubled.:eek:

 

JB :)

Edited January 29, 2014 by John Bull

[Sherlock43031]

gee.. you folks are going to hurt my feeling. :p

 

[Essiesmom]

Duty Free in the shops onboard, and in airport/cruise terminal shops means that technically the merchandise has not been imported into the US, so the merchant did not have to pay duty on it, thus you get a lower (theoretically) price. But be aware that there are two types of Duty Free. One is what I already (hopefully) explained. The other is the amounts of merchandise you purchase onboard or in the ports that is not subject to duty when returning to the States. If you buy a piece of jewelry in the shop onboard, they will tell you it is Duty Free, because they did not have to pay duty on it. But if your purchase exceeded the limit for duty free purchases,, you will have to pay duty on it.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/kbyg/

[YubaSutter]

The cigarettes may be like the liquor bought on board: bought, but not available to you until the last night.

 

Absolutely not true. You can take the smokes when you purchase them at any point in the cruise.

[MCAT48]

On ncl you can bring back whatever you purchase from the shop besides liquore to your cabin to use/consume on your cruise. If you purchase a carton and consume them during your cruise and do not bring any home you do not have anything to declare on your customs form. You only declare what you are bringing into the country. I have never seen single packs sold on any ship I have sailed and I've only been on ncl. I can't remember exactly how much I paid per carton but it was pretty cheap maybe $40 - $50 for a carton of newports....maybe.

[SteveH2508]

On ncl you can bring back whatever you purchase from the shop besides liquore to your cabin to use/consume on your cruise. If you purchase a carton and consume them during your cruise and do not bring any home you do not have anything to declare on your customs form. You only declare what you are bringing into the country. I have never seen single packs sold on any ship I have sailed and I've only been on ncl. I can't remember exactly how much I paid per carton but it was pretty cheap maybe $40 - $50 for a carton of newports....maybe.

 

They certainly sell single packs at the casino bar - they may do at other bars as well.

[marco]

Back to bringing cigarettes home....Coming through customs they always used to ask "did you buy any alcohol?" The last two Caribbean cruises we were on, when we came through customs they didn't ask AT ALL if we purchased any alcohol, they DID ask if we purchased cigarettes. We did not, but.....is there a duty you have to pay on them? If so (just wondering) how much a carton if you are over your allowable limit?

[Essiesmom]

Back to bringing cigarettes home....Coming through customs they always used to ask "did you buy any alcohol?" The last two Caribbean cruises we were on, when we came through customs they didn't ask AT ALL if we purchased any alcohol, they DID ask if we purchased cigarettes. We did not, but.....is there a duty you have to pay on them? If so (just wondering) how much a carton if you are over your allowable limit?

 

I believe a little reading in the link I gave in post #19 will give you that information. EM

[MCAT48]

They certainly sell single packs at the casino bar - they may do at other bars as well.

good to know I never thought to purchase cigarettes at a bar.