Breakaway RT NYC: Are you really charged NY sales Tax on drinks during sailaway????

[takeadip]

Hello fellow members:

Our neighbors just returned from the Breakaway 7 Day RT NYC... I am taking this trip next March 2016 so i bombarded them with questions...one thing that my friend said was weird was when ordering drinks while in close proximity to NYC...(He has the UBP) that he was charged NYC sales tax on the drinks when he looked at the reciept...he said it only amounted to about .90 cents to $1.05 per drink but he was confused. He was going to visit passenger services but said the line was always way to long and not worth the argument..and he does not eat choc covered strawberries...lol

Has this happened to anyone else? Just wondering...

 

-Mark

[Casino Comp Chick]

That has been in effect for a while now

Edited July 29, 2015 by iimmie

[Nachosupreme]

Yes. It also happened when we were in port in Port Canaveral and Nassau.

[spidybabe]

Yes, you do have to pay the tax, and it is the same if you purchase pictures before disembarking.

Safe sailing

[conandrob240]

This is definitely new and I am a tad skeptical at how it coincided with the "free" UBP. Seems like it wasn't passed on before when UBP was purchased but now that it's free, they pass it along.

 

Does anyone have a list of the ports where the charge occurs? So far, a few people have reported NYC but now people are saying PC and Nassau also?

 

And exactly how is this tax calculated? Has anyone successfully contested it at customer service? Seems to me the UBP says it includes taxes and you already pay the service charge on it.

 

The photo comparison makes no sense as that is a product you are buying, not a drink supposed to be included in a package.

[kpjb]

It was this way last year on the Getaway, and that was before they started giving the UBP away so much. We were charged FL tax when in port at Miami, but once we were a certain distance away the taxes went away, too.

[conandrob240]

It was absolutely NOT the way it was on Breakaway in 2014. I sailed in May and in late November buying UBP on each sailing and there was no additional port taxes charged. And I most certainly got my first drink a few minutes after boarding right at O'Sheehans and had plenty more between 12-3pm and no taxes appeared.

[Hawaiifrank]

The Carnival Magic changed us tax in Galveston this past March on drinks and soda, on a paid for package or on individual purchases both.

 

My question, had I bothered to ask, would be why was the charge allowed on a room key with no charge privileges? It was only 12 cents, so it's not a big deal. I noticed the 12 cent charges on my account for my grandson's soda purchases. I had put his gratuities on my card, but gave him no charge privileges.

[hypercafe]

I have taken many trips out of NY and never saw any sales tax on the bill.

 

Sent from my SM-T320 using Forums mobile app

[youngestof9]

I just had it on Getaway in Miami too. I had the UBP so I had a few various charges from before 4:00 sailaway time for tax on beverages. That's not an NCL thing. It's a government thing.

[youngestof9]

It was absolutely NOT the way it was on Breakaway in 2014. I sailed in May and in late November buying UBP on each sailing and there was no additional port taxes charged. And I most certainly got my first drink a few minutes after boarding right at O'Sheehans and had plenty more between 12-3pm and no taxes appeared.

 

I sailed Breakaway in October 2013, had the beverage package and had to pay tax. I think it amounted to less than $2 for the few drinks we had before the sailaway time.

[garnet115]

There have been reports of this for a long time, pre-dating the perk promotions (despite the conspiracy theories). I suspect that with all the free UBPs, it has become more noticeable because there are more people expecting a zero balance.

[jaja]

There have been reports of this for a long time, pre-dating the perk promotions (despite the conspiracy theories). I suspect that with all the free UBPs, it has become more noticeable because there are more people expecting a zero balance.

 

BINGO ! We have a winner ;) :D

[redfantum]

While I understand how the sales tax is applied, what about the Bahamas new VAT tax? I have found very little information online especially for NCL. On a Disney board it said that VAT did not apply onboard, but did apply on their private island. Nachosupreme posted that they were charged VAT onboard in Nassau. Other articles mentioned it would be added on private islands, not only for purchases but for cabana/float/ whatever rentals. While VAT on a few drinks wouldn't be anything to worry about, sudden extra charges on rentals or excursions, etc could seriously add up.

[garnet115]

BINGO ! We have a winner ;) :D

 

Yay! I NEVER win anything! :D

[conandrob240]

There have been reports of this for a long time, pre-dating the perk promotions (despite the conspiracy theories). I suspect that with all the free UBPs, it has become more noticeable because there are more people expecting a zero balance.

 

Yeah, except no. I purchased the UBP in May and in November on BA ( so two different itineraries). On neither trip did I pay ANYTHING for drinks bought in port in NYC or in any of the ports. Not even a few cents.

[Sauer-kraut]

Miami has charged sales tax for several years. I purchase my soda package on board before sailaway and have always paid the extra tax. I don't want to wait until 'out to sea' to start enjoying my pop.

[conandrob240]

I get that there is tax. It says it's included in UBP. What I don't get is what ripple has changed that they are now passing it along in addition to taxes already paid

[garnet115]

I get that there is tax. It says it's included in UBP. What I don't get is what ripple has changed that they are now passing it along in addition to taxes already paid

 

In addition to what taxes already paid? You don't pay tax on the package at purchase, just the gratuity.

 

Again, I don't think this is new. See this thread with drink package T&Cs from 2011:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=28282565&postcount=3

 

If you scroll to the bottom, it says "Your check may reflect an additional tax for certain ports or itineraries."

[conandrob240]

How do you explain my never being charged any tax in port including NYC in May and in November on BA last year?

[njhorseman]

How do you explain my never being charged any tax in port including NYC in May and in November on BA last year?

 

In the past they may have decided to absorb the tax for those who had purchased the UBP, since it amounted to a relatively small amount for a drink that you purchased while in port.

 

Perhaps now they realize those few cents per drink in taxes that they were paying out of their own pocket added up to a lot of money over the course of a year...particularly because so many passengers now get the UBP at no charge as part of promotional packages.

[Demonyte]

Seems to me the UBP says it includes taxes and you already pay the service charge on it.

 

 

Where does it say so? I haven't seen any such claim made - UBP T&C specifically state that VAT can be added to the receipt on some itineraries etc.

[conandrob240]

In the past they may have decided to absorb the tax for those who had purchased the UBP, since it amounted to a relatively small amount for a drink that you purchased while in port.

 

Perhaps now they realize those few cents per drink in taxes that they were paying out of their own pocket added up to a lot of money over the course of a year...particularly because so many passengers now get the UBP at no charge as part of promotional packages.

 

That makes sense. People saying it's always been passed on are what's making it confusing because it has not always been passed on.

 

UBP always included the tax. You get the receipt and it shows tax and gratuity but, in the past, it was zeroed out and you paid nothing.

[rogue 35]

How do you explain my never being charged any tax in port including NYC in May and in November on BA last year?

 

It's possible you just got lucky. Someone posted scanned copies of receipts from Getaway (I think) where they purchased 3 drinks in like ten minutes and the first and third drinks showed port tax but the second didn't.

[hmsdos]

Hello fellow members:

Our neighbors just returned from the Breakaway 7 Day RT NYC... I am taking this trip next March 2016 so i bombarded them with questions...one thing that my friend said was weird was when ordering drinks while in close proximity to NYC...(He has the UBP) that he was charged NYC sales tax on the drinks when he looked at the reciept...he said it only amounted to about .90 cents to $1.05 per drink but he was confused. He was going to visit passenger services but said the line was always way to long and not worth the argument..and he does not eat choc covered strawberries...lol

Has this happened to anyone else? Just wondering...

 

-Mark

 

We have cruised out of NY, TX and FL on several different lines... and are always charged the tax when in port "waters". It is not a cruise line charge, but a State/County or City tax required by the taxing authority.