drink package question

[lovedisney24]

Can you buy the drink packages online before your cruise?

[msmoger]

The simple answer is no you can't buy it online. You can buy it in advance ($56.35/per day which includes the 15% gratutity) by calling 1-800-PRINCESS and referring to Item # 0525 or printing out an order form and faxing or mailing it in. However, there's no advantage in terms of the pre-cruise price and the onboard price. It's very easy to order it once onboard. There will be a table in the Atrium and I assume other locations.

[skynight]

However, there's no advantage in terms of the pre-cruise price and the onboard price. It's very easy to order it once onboard. There will be a table in the Atrium and I assume other locations.

Correct, no difference in Princess' price, but at some ports the ship is required to charge local State sales tax while still in port prior to sailing. This tax is added to the amount. If you wait until you sail and are off shore there will be no local taxes added. No local taxes if you pre-buy by calling Princess. While we have never purchased the alcohol package, we have purchased the soda sticker in Ft. Lauderdale. When it was purchased at a bar our cruise card was run through at the time of purchase and tax was added. When we purchased at a table we received a hand written receipt. We noticed in the folio that the charge was actually posted around 8pm that evening while at sea, and no tax added.

[msmoger]

Correct, no difference in Princess' price, but at some ports the ship is required to charge local State sales tax while still in port prior to sailing. This tax is added to the amount. If you wait until you sail and are off shore there will be no local taxes added. No local taxes if you pre-buy by calling Princess. While we have never purchased the alcohol package, we have purchased the soda sticker in Ft. Lauderdale. When it was purchased at a bar our cruise card was run through at the time of purchase and tax was added. When we purchased at a table we received a hand written receipt. We noticed in the folio that the charge was actually posted around 8pm that evening while at sea, and no tax added.

 

When we purchased the package on the Emerald in April (we were on a 10 day cruise), the total amount was added to our folio during the overnight 3 days after we sailed. We sailed 4/8 and the charge shows up on the folio on 4/11 at 10:48 in the evening, which seemed odd to me. However, they were just writing the information down and not adding it to your account at the time of purchase. As a result, no sales tax was charged.

 

So my question is, we certainly had several drinks before sailaway ;). From a technical / legal standpoint is this treated as complimentary since nothing is actually being "rung up" at the time the drinks were ordered?