VAT on the drink package in Barcelona?

[ldlewis45]

If you wait until you are on the ship (Epic in Barcelona) to buy a drink package (soda, Caps and Corks, UBP, etc.), are you charged VAT as well? I'm trying to decide whether to buy it in advance or wait until I'm on board the ship.

[chengkp75]

If you wait until you are on the ship (Epic in Barcelona) to buy a drink package (soda, Caps and Corks, UBP, etc.), are you charged VAT as well? I'm trying to decide whether to buy it in advance or wait until I'm on board the ship.

 

I seem to recall seeing that this depends on whether the ship calls at a non-EU port. If all ports are EU, then any purchases onboard are taxed with VAT.

[mypleasure]

If you wait until you are on the ship (Epic in Barcelona) to buy a drink package (soda, Caps and Corks, UBP, etc.), are you charged VAT as well? I'm trying to decide whether to buy it in advance or wait until I'm on board the ship.

It depends where the ship is going. If it is round trip Barcelona and not going outside the EU (usual 7 night itinerary) then buy it online before you sail as it will be subject to VAT if you wait until you board. If it is going outside the EU i.e. transatlantic you will not be subject to VAT once into International waters.

[ldlewis45]

It depends where the ship is going. If it is round trip Barcelona and not going outside the EU (usual 7 night itinerary) then buy it online before you sail as it will be subject to VAT if you wait until you board. If it is going outside the EU i.e. transatlantic you will not be subject to VAT once into International waters.

 

Yay! My sailing is the west-bound transatlantic in 13 days :eek:, so I should be good to wait to purchase it!

[the wandering two]

As long as you don't need the package on the first night. I assume you will have to wait until the ship is in international waters before purchasing. Small print on NCL web site states packages can be bought on the first and second night only. Can't coment on that as have never bought one.

Regards

Mark & Heather

[KeithJenner]

As long as you don't need the package on the first night. I assume you will have to wait until the ship is in international waters before purchasing. Small print on NCL web site states packages can be bought on the first and second night only. Can't coment on that as have never bought one.

Regards

Mark & Heather

 

 

This seems pretty random. I have seen people being charged VAT when buying the UDP in Spanish ports (even when the cruise leaves the EU), but others have reported not being charged.

 

I think that sometimes they wait until international waters before putting the transaction through.

 

Depending on how much you may drink before departure, those drinks could end up being very expensive if you get the UDP early and end up paying the VAT for a two week cruise as a result. However, if you wait then you may end up paying for drinks you don't need to.

 

I've read some reports that if you buy the UDP later on the first day then you can go to customer services and get any charges for drinks you buy beforehand removed.

[Keith.W]

I had it on the epic in June, i pre purchased the UBP before my travels to avoid the 10% Spanish vat and only had to pay the 15% gratuity on the drinks package cost.

[hawkeyetlse]

I had it on the epic in June, i pre purchased the UBP before my travels to avoid the 10% Spanish vat and only had to pay the 15% gratuity on the drinks package cost.

You also save $5/day so pre-purchasing is a no-brainer here. I would wait until just before the cruise, though, since there's no point in pre-paying weeks and weeks in advance.