Ubp

[sweetpee_1993]

No. It is Florida Sales Tax. Not new.

 

Yes. Additionally, this isn't just an NCL thing. All cruise lines serving drinks have to collect the local sales tax while in ports. In Texas there's limits on what can even be served.

 

The UBP covers the drink. The prepaid service charge on the package covers the gratuity. The sales tax has not been prepaid. So even though the other 2 elements are covered, the tax has to be paid by someone. I'm not sure there's a way NCL could set a $$ amount that could be pre-designated to cover the tax. It might be unlawful to collect a tax amount if someone didn't drink (so pre-paying or adding a set amount to the cost of the UBP or service charge are out).

[cruisecrazy82]

No. It is Florida Sales Tax. Not new.

 

 

I understand the sales tax is not new for Florida but we took 2 cruises with 2 different cruise lines (NCL & Celebrity) last year both from Miami and had beverage packages on both of them and never paid any sales tax on any drinks on either cruise while docked there. Additionally in April when we sailed from San Juan on Celebrity we once again had a beverage package and weren't charged any sales taxes on drinks prior to sail away. That's why I find this confusing. Some say yes they are charged tax and others say no. I am in the no group simply as sales tax has not been charged on our drinks on any of of cruises where we had a pre purchased beverage package.

Edited November 2, 2015 by cruisecrazy82

[LMaxwell]

I understand the sales tax is not new for Florida but we took 2 cruises with 2 different cruise lines (NCL & Celebrity) last year both from Miami and had beverage packages on both of them and never paid any sales tax on any drinks on either cruise while docked there. Additionally in April when we sailed from San Juan on Celebrity we once again had a beverage package and weren't charged any sales taxes on drinks prior to sail away. That's why I find this confusing. Some say yes they are charged tax and others say no. I am in the no group simply as sales tax has not been charged on our drinks on any of of cruises where we had a pre purchased beverage package.

 

Are you sure that you didn't have charges on your final bill that were offset by OBC?

[cruisecrazy82]

Are you sure that you didn't have charges on your final bill that were offset by OBC?

 

 

I am 100% positive. Last year on the Getaway and on the Reflection we didn't even have onboard credit and on all my cruises I am extra diligent (OCD lol) about keeping tabs on the charges billed to my ship board account and I absolutely would have noticed these random small charges. And on both our Celebrity cruises we always signed receipts that were simply zeroed out even while docked in both Miami and San Juan.

Edited November 2, 2015 by cruisecrazy82

[LMaxwell]

I am 100% positive. Last year on the Getaway and on the Reflection we didn't even have onboard credit and on all my cruises I am extra diligent (OCD lol) about keeping tabs on the charges billed to my ship board account and I absolutely would have noticed these random small charges. And on both our Celebrity cruises we always signed receipts that were simply zeroed out even while docked in both Miami and San Juan.

 

Sounds like you're ahead of the game. change your withholding status and don't file taxes this year :D

[cruisecrazy82]

Sounds like you're ahead of the game. change your withholding status and don't file taxes this year :D

 

 

Simply stating my own personal experiences and trying to understand what's different since my last few cruises. [emoji106]🏻🙃Also on the Quantum last November I had a comped beverage package on that cruise and also was not charged any sales taxes on drinks while still docked in Jersey. Actually had no onboard charges on that cruise at all. Maybe I've just been blessed [emoji1]

Edited November 2, 2015 by cruisecrazy82

[Canagirl]

At what point is tax no longer charged? Is it as soon as the ship sails away or must it be in international waters? Just curious.

[cruisecrazy82]

At what point is tax no longer charged? Is it as soon as the ship sails away or must it be in international waters? Just curious.

 

 

International waters according to those who have been charged.

 

Interestingly I found a similar thread discussing the inconsistency with being charged sales tax.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=47067432#post47067432

[sweetpee_1993]

Simply stating my own personal experiences and trying to understand what's different since my last few cruises. [emoji106]🏻🙃Also on the Quantum last November I had a comped beverage package on that cruise and also was not charged any sales taxes on drinks while still docked in Jersey. Actually had no onboard charges on that cruise at all. Maybe I've just been blessed [emoji1]

 

With so many lines doing the packages now maybe the states kinda woke up to the missed tax income opportunity and cracked down on them. Perhaps some lines have enough margin built into prices that they just cover the tax. I dunno. But, knowing the government, any opportunity to root around in our pockets and all........ LOL!

[trish1c]

I'm not an accountant, but if your drink is free and the beverage package was free. 0 x?% should = $0.00.

 

Saying the drink is free is a misnomer. You are still paying for it but how that cost appears on your line item changes.

 

If you buy the package, you paid money up front.

 

If you took the package as one of your perks, odds are your cabin price was more to reflect that. Last year DH & I sailed the Epic. We paid $699 per person for a mini suite. This year we're on the Getaway, sailing the same itinerary. The cabin cost was significantly more ($1249 pp) at present) to make up for the fact that we won't have a large bar bill at the end of the voyage. We're still paying for our "free" drinks.

 

If anybody is paying less this year for their cabin as opposed to before the free UBP & UDP packages I'd love to hear from them.

Edited November 2, 2015 by trish1c

[luvtheships]

My inside triple on the 10 day gem for jan 2016 is costing me $1800 for all of us including tax and port. Also getting a $75 obc from my online TA so technically $1725. Lol.

 

I've prepaid for 2 excursions for the 3 of us and prepaid the dsc so at embarkation this cruise is costing under $2500 for 3 pax for 10 days inside cabin

 

I priced it out with the freebies now being offered to insides is $2600 including tax and port but before Dsc ... My Excursions ...and of course the 18% should I choose ubp or udp. Lol

 

Let's figure that adding in my prepaid dsc plus the cost of the 2 Ncl excursions we want to do plus the 18% should we choose that option...approx...$3300

 

Yep a real deal. Lol

Edited November 2, 2015 by luvtheships

[xcell]

So what happens if they have gathering and offer free drinks, shouldnt we be paying a tax on that...

 

just saying...

[Demonyte]

So what happens if they have gathering and offer free drinks, shouldnt we be paying a tax on that...

 

 

 

just saying...

 

 

No. Just because the price of a drink is covered by a package that one can have, does not make the drink free, its price is just covered by a separate agreement between the customer and the cruise line. Nowhere in UBP terms does it say that drinks covered/included by it would be "free".

[PATRLR]

So what happens if they have gathering and offer free drinks, shouldnt we be paying a tax on that...

I suspect if they have a gathering and give drinks, they would be paying the tax.

Edited November 17, 2015 by PATRLR

[NLH Arizona]

I suspect if they have a gathering and give drinks, they would be paying the tax.

If the drinks were free, there would be no dollar amount to tax, so I would assume no one would be paying the tax. $0 x 15% = $0.

[thatjoeguy]

So what happens if they have gathering and offer free drinks, shouldnt we be paying a tax on that...

 

just saying...

 

They do have those events. They take place in international waters, where there's no tax to pay.

[sixesandeights]

They do have those events. They take place in international waters, where there's no tax to pay.

 

At sail away in posh/vibe they hand out plenty of free drinks. Still in port at that point....

 

6&8

[kirsty_r]

does anyone know how this corresponds to European ports? Especially those that have a non-EU port ie don't pay the Spanish tax....

[jamesr3939]

We had UBP on RCL Oasis in March sailing from FLL and we drank plenty before leaving port and never paid sales tax.

 

However, we did host a sail away party in our cabin and we did pay tax on food and drinks served in the cabin even after we sailed. Maybe it was because I had to reserve that prior to sailing. I didn't have to pre-pay for it as it was added to my ship account.