Galveston

[nascar junkie]

So....are people on the NOS just sitting or are they treating it like a day at sea or what?

[LindaO]

It is sort of like a sea day... Most likely no Casino and No shops... but everything else is going as scheduled... Except maybe they have to charge Texas Sales Tax on all those drinks!!! Someone say it isn't so!!! :D

[lady_cruiser]

It is sort of like a sea day... Most likely no Casino and No shops... but everything else is going as scheduled... Except maybe they have to charge Texas Sales Tax on all those drinks!!! Someone say it isn't so!!! :D

 

I read on their roll call that alcoholic drinks can be bought and the casino is now open. Someone also said that someone won the Grand Suite upgrade at the bingo so he's opening it up to their cabin crawl.

[nascar junkie]

I understand there are restictions on drinks due to Texas law. Are the shows, pool etc. on as planned?

[LindaO]

WOW... glad to hear the casino is open!! I'm surprised... but I'm sure Galveston is doing all it can to make this work!! Nothing makes a bad situation better than an open casino!!

 

I'm wondering if the oil smell is horrible??? Anyone know??

[LindaO]

OPPS... Casino is NOT open in port!! I'm not surprised... and liquor is a limited selection... due to Texas law... but hey... everything else is open. It is the smoothest cruise ever!!!

[Darkwolfe]

Apparently, NOS is now docked for the week with the cruise cancelled. Other thread shows a note that they refunded everybody and are letting folks stay until Sunday and use the ship as a hotel since the spill has messed everybody's week up.

[mek]

Apparently, NOS is now docked for the week with the cruise cancelled. Other thread shows a note that they refunded everybody and are letting folks stay until Sunday and use the ship as a hotel since the spill has messed everybody's week up.

 

If they stay for the week I wonder if people will be allowed to come and go on the ship as they wish? No time restrictions?

[lady_cruiser]

OPPS... Casino is NOT open in port!! I'm not surprised... and liquor is a limited selection... due to Texas law... but hey... everything else is open. It is the smoothest cruise ever!!!

 

Oops to me for saying what I read and not verifying it.

[massfriends]

Just saw this statement on facebook from Royal Caribbean:

 

Due to the oil spill and the associated response efforts in the Port of Galveston, the March 23 sailing of Navigator of the Seas has been canceled. Guests on this sailing will be refunded in full, will have the option to book a future cruise at a 25% discount, and may remain onboard until March 30 or disembark at their own discretion. Our sincerest apologies.

[gms5002]

OPPS... Casino is NOT open in port!! I'm not surprised... and liquor is a limited selection... due to Texas law... but hey... everything else is open. It is the smoothest cruise ever!!!

 

Off topic - Just curious what sort of silly liquor law Texas has that enables some, but not all, of the liquors to be available.

[Darkwolfe]

Off topic - Just curious what sort of silly liquor law Texas has that enables some, but not all, of the liquors to be available.

 

Used to be called the "Blue Laws". They restricted alcohol sales on Sundays. I don't recall any other effect from them.

[slvrbllt]

Off topic - Just curious what sort of silly liquor law Texas has that enables some, but not all, of the liquors to be available.

 

If I remember correctly, it's that they can only serve alcohol that has been bought in Texas and thus had the taxes paid on it. Since a majority of the alcohol is bought elsewhere in bulk or something, they can't serve/sell it within 12(?) miles of the coast.

[gms5002]

If I remember correctly, it's that they can only serve alcohol that has been bought in Texas and thus had the taxes paid on it. Since a majority of the alcohol is bought elsewhere in bulk or something, they can't serve/sell it within 12(?) miles of the coast.

 

That makes sense...I guess they must have a limited supply of "Texas liquor" on hand to handle normal boarding day consumption. Hopefully they get some more if people are going to be using the ship as a hotel all week!

Edited March 25, 2014 by gms5002

[satxdiver]

Off topic - Just curious what sort of silly liquor law Texas has that enables some, but not all, of the liquors to be available.

 

Texas has a three tier liquor law. A brewery/distillery can only sell to a licensed liquor distributor. Bars/restaurants can only buy liquor from a licensed distributor. State taxes must be paid on all liquor before it can be sold to a distributor or imported. Ships do not buy from Texas distributors as it is expensive.

 

As a side note, if you buy liquor at the ship duty free store or at one on the foreign ports, when you return to Galveston and go through customs and immigration, you will get to visit the Texas tax man who will charge you tax to bring it into Texas.

 

There are 254 counties in Texas and some in the northern part of the state are dry meaning no alcohol can be sold. Some allow "private clubs" to sell liquor by the drink to their "members". Generally a few dollars will make you a "member". :rolleyes:

[reallyhooked]

We just got off Navigator on Sunday. After going thru customs. We were asked if we had liquor. It cost us $21.00 for 6 bottles.

[LovesCruising]

We just got off Navigator on Sunday. After going thru customs. We were asked if we had liquor. It cost us $21.00 for 6 bottles.

 

so no duty free really correct?

[Truckersar]

There is a difference between duty free and tax free

Duty is a federal levy applied to items imported into the country

What texas is collecting is there state alcohol beverage tax

They have done this for many years at the Mexican border crossings

Edited March 25, 2014 by Truckersar

[LMaxwell]

so no duty free really correct?

 

Duty free only refers to being taxed at the point of sale; it does not mean you may not be subject to other federal, state, or local taxes upon re-entry to the US. When at a US port the duty free shops are not opened for business.

[LMaxwell]

Just saw this statement on facebook from Royal Caribbean:

 

Due to the oil spill and the associated response efforts in the Port of Galveston, the March 23 sailing of Navigator of the Seas has been canceled. Guests on this sailing will be refunded in full, will have the option to book a future cruise at a 25% discount, and may remain onboard until March 30 or disembark at their own discretion. Our sincerest apologies.

 

Interesting that it says 25% discount; I wonder how much that wording will torture RCI in the future. Shouldn't it say a 25% credit based off the cost of current cruise? That's what is typically offered. With this wording of 25% discount I could see someone booking a far more expensive cruise and expecting 25% of that fare off...

[LoneStarJeffe]

It is 25% off a future cruise based on what you paid for this one. They will send us a cert with the details to our home address. We are treating it as a port day onboard with facilities and shops closed. Hopefully we will get to go ashore each day and see Galveston. Since we never left port, we should not need customs and immigration checks. Ice show today. We will see how well they skate when the ship isn't moving!!! :)

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[LMaxwell]

This will be one of the few cruises where the drunks walk funny and the sober people are walking straight lines; a total change from normal!

 

I hope they let you on and off to explore the area, and good deal about not having to deal with customs on the way off. I'd have stayed too! Have fun.

[BallFour4]

Off topic - Just curious what sort of silly liquor law Texas has that enables some, but not all, of the liquors to be available.

 

Texas laws under TABC are such that alcohol for resale in Texas is taxed at our sales tax rate. Hard liquor has a label like tape over the seal to validate the tax is paid.

 

Cruise ships purchase enough product to get them to international waters. Some bars actually close for about 5 minutes or so to allow for the change over.

 

We've not had Sunday hard liquor for sale in modern history. Alcohol, including hard liquor can be purchased on Sunday after noon at bars. If you order food it can be served after 11am.

 

You should see the shoppers at our grocery stores circling with the baskets of beer waiting on the clock.

 

We might have silly laws but something is working in Texas. Our taxes are affordable, people move here in droves and jobs are exploding.

 

The Blue Law was something different. It related to stores like Target not being able to sell soft goods and appliances on both Saturday and Sunday. It went away around 1980.

 

.

Edited March 25, 2014 by BallFour4

[overthehillcruiser]

We got off Sunday and paid $3.75 for one liter, actually half a liter as we had a few from it the night before. There was just a lady standing after customs asking if we had liquor, thought best not to lie, but did not see anyone being searched.

Duty free only refers to being taxed at the point of sale; it does not mean you may not be subject to other federal, state, or local taxes upon re-entry to the US. When at a US port the duty free shops are not opened for business.

[Sat1]

Used to be called the "Blue Laws". They restricted alcohol sales on Sundays. I don't recall any other effect from them.

 

I recall, many years ago, grocery stores had to place a sheet, or cover, over all booze on Sundays!:rolleyes: