Do you know this!

[mthomp5]

Does sales tax only apply to drinks and the drink card? Or does it apply to excursions as well? I was wondering if it makes sense to prepay for excursions if one will be taking a lot of pricey tours.

[partybarbie]

Does sales tax only apply to drinks and the drink card? Or does it apply to excursions as well? I was wondering if it makes sense to prepay for excursions if one will be taking a lot of pricey tours.

 

There's no sales tax on the tours. There's no sales tax on the drink card. Princess will take the drink card order on a paper tag and send it through after the ship leaves port. In 50 cruises, I have never had Princess charge me sales tax on a coffee card or a drink card. This includes leaving from San Francisco and Europe. The tax on drinks only applies to individual drinks that are bought while you are in port. There's no sales tax on a gift shop purchases because those stores are closed while you are in port.

[mthomp5]

There's no sales tax on the tours. There's no sales tax on the drink card. Princess will take the drink card order on a paper tag and send it through after the ship leaves port. In 50 cruises, I have never had Princess charge me sales tax on a coffee card or a drink card. This includes leaving from San Francisco and Europe. The tax on drinks only applies to individual drinks that are bought while you are in port. There's no sales tax on a gift shop purchases because those stores are closed while you are in port.

Thank you PartyBarbie for the info!

[partybarbie]

Thank you PartyBarbie for the info!

 

You're welcome. :)

[Colin B]

My personal take on this issue is simple.

 

I look at the price of an item and decide if I want it enough to pay the price being asked. If I do then I expect to pay the stated amount, not the stated amount plus tax plus tips plus.............

 

To me the practise of adding bits and pieces onto a bill is underhanded and annoying. Just pay your staff a decent wage, pay your own taxes and adjust your prices to cover it.

[bdjam]

Theo, welcome to CA. Someone has to pay for all the wonderful free services and medical care offered to anyone crossing the border. :)

 

Please continue to buy in port and on the ship in port while you're in California. One of the reasons people come here to live from all over the United States is because it's an exceptional place. Your tax dollars help.

 

Sincerely,

 

A Native Californian

[RocketMan275]

What you seem to be saying, is that if I am traveling outside my home state of WI, I don't have to pay sales tax on items I purchase on my travels outside of WI? If I go to IL, the sales tax rate is higher than what it is in WI. I don't think a retailer would go along with not charging me IL sales tax on something I purchase in IL. What you are saying may be true for items you order on the internet and have shipped to your home address, however, if I have a drink in CA while the ship is in port, I would expect to pay sales tax on the purchase since the ship has a physical presence in CA.

 

You don't have to pay WI taxes on the things you purchase outside of WI unless you bring them back into WI. If you are in CA, you pay CA taxes on the purchase. Usually, your state will allow you to deduct taxes paid in another state.

 

That's usually the law. It's not normally fully enforced. I wouldn't expect the state IRS to track you down for the taxes on a candy bar you buy in MI and consume in WI although technically they could.

[Renmar]

Please continue to buy in port and on the ship in port while you're in California. One of the reasons people come here to live from all over the United States is because it's an exceptional place. Your tax dollars help.

 

Sincerely,

 

A Native Californian

 

We will.

 

Theo

[broberts]

Does sales tax only apply to drinks and the drink card? Or does it apply to excursions as well? I was wondering if it makes sense to prepay for excursions if one will be taking a lot of pricey tours.

 

In my experience the excursion desk and onboard stores are closed while a ship is in port. Likely to avoid having to calculate and charge local sales taxes.

[rdsqrl]

My personal take on this issue is simple.

 

I look at the price of an item and decide if I want it enough to pay the price being asked. If I do then I expect to pay the stated amount, not the stated amount plus tax plus tips plus.............

 

To me the practise of adding bits and pieces onto a bill is underhanded and annoying. Just pay your staff a decent wage, pay your own taxes and adjust your prices to cover it.

You clearly don't have a clue about how sales tax works in the United States. I suggest you educate yourself before you visit here, or else I foresee many uncomfortable confrontations in restaurants, hotels, and shops in your future.

[moki'smommy]

II

My personal take on this issue is simple.

 

I look at the price of an item and decide if I want it enough to pay the price being asked. If I do then I expect to pay the stated amount, not the stated amount plus tax plus tips plus.............

 

To me the practise of adding bits and pieces onto a bill is underhanded and annoying. Just pay your staff a decent wage, pay your own taxes and adjust your prices to cover it.

 

The tax structure in the US is completely different than in Europe. It becomes even more confusing because it varies from state to state, and many states allow cities to levy their own taxes on purchases.

 

In Europe, workers pay a large tax on income and then a VAT that is incorporated into the price posted on an item. In the US, several states do not have any income tax, but those tend to be the ones with the highest sales tax. The US differs in that sales tax is added in addition to the posted price on the item. Some states exempt groceries and prescription drugs from taxes, others do not.

 

We are all paying "our own" taxes, plus paying taxes in those countries we choose to visit. I paid a whole lot of VAT while my daughter studied in London--both thru what she paid and thru what I paid while visiting. And she got to pay 500% of the tuition charged to a UK resident. Does that mean that people in the UK don't "pay their own taxes?" I felt it was part of the price of studying abroad.

 

The idea of tipping or not is a whole other subject. In the UK, we saw some places with a tip jar or a "suggested tip" notice on the bottom of the charge slip. This was not the norm, but it did exist. In Japan, leaving a tip is considered an insult to those who served you.

 

Bottom line--if you intend to travel, you should learn what is expected before you go and do accordingly. If you object to the local laws or customs of a location, perhaps you shouldn't visit there.

Edited November 3, 2015 by moki'smommy

[shredie]

You clearly don't have a clue about how sales tax works in the United States. I suggest you educate yourself before you visit here, or else I foresee many uncomfortable confrontations in restaurants, hotels, and shops in your future.

 

Right? LOL. :D

[Renmar]

I did NOT mention Europe :rolleyes:

I did NOT mention tipping :rolleyes:

 

Merely asked if other people knew about this, a simple yes I knew or no I did not would have been OK.

 

Next thing that probably will be mentioned is dress code or .....

 

Theo

[ar1950]

....................

 

Next thing that probably will be mentioned is dress code or .....

 

Theo

 

OK, so do I need to wear a tie when I buy a drink within the 12 mile limit......?:D:confused:

 

Sorry, couldn't resist. All in all an informative thread. Thank you for bring it up Renmar. Obviously a lot of folks were not aware of the "tax while in port issue".

 

As always, everyone, enjoy your cruise wherever it may be. :cool:

Edited November 3, 2015 by ar1950

[notentirelynormal]

And because tax varies by counties that can affect your paid price as well. For example, in Los Angeles County you pay 1/4% more than you do in Ventura County. Each county has their own ballets and things they want done and the tax payers vote what they want.

 

Oregon has no sales tax but a bottle of alcohol there will cost twice as much because of the alcohol tax. Same with Washington State. I bought a bottle of brandy and a small bottle of butterscotch schnapps. I think I paid close to $75. In California the same purchases would have been around $25.

 

The government is getting your money one way or the other. If it makes you feel warm and fuzzy to believe they don't, okay. My son lives in Washington State. A while back he made a comment about voting for the liquor tax. He didn't mind that those that drank paid more for the privilege and that included himself. You might pay less tax here but you are definitely paying more there.

 

moki'smommy: yes, everyone seems to pay more for education if you don't live there. Same as in California. Residents pay less than non residents BUT I absolutely love you explaining to a UK resident where the educational benefits are really coming from. Maybe if they paid their teachers a living wage :rolleyes:.

 

UK (and Australian) people crack me up with this "we don't tip" garbage. Open your eyes people. Yes you do. Sometimes you call it a cover charge and sometimes a tip. When I sit at my table in the US everything is free. No up-charge because I ate that piece of bread - or that I sat. I can tell you without reservation that as an American I was more than once persisted upon to tip. Once in the UK a taxi driver doubled our fare to receive his tip (on top of the tip we actually left). How do I know? Because the reverse drive was 50% less. You live in a Lilly colored world if you don't think it happens. Hotels, restaurants and taxis. Believe me, the people that work in those industries DO expect a tip from us Americans. They make is very clear.

Edited November 3, 2015 by notentirelynormal

[chengkp75]

My personal take on this issue is simple.

 

I look at the price of an item and decide if I want it enough to pay the price being asked. If I do then I expect to pay the stated amount, not the stated amount plus tax plus tips plus.............

 

To me the practise of adding bits and pieces onto a bill is underhanded and annoying. Just pay your staff a decent wage, pay your own taxes and adjust your prices to cover it.

 

To me, you misunderstand the laws of different countries. In the US, it is legally required that the sales tax and gratuities be spelled out separately from the price of the item/service. This is no "underhanded" ploy by the cruise lines to get more money from you, it's the law. Just like the law in Oz, if I remember from my time there, is that all taxes and fees must be included in the marked price. You have your laws, we and many other countries have theirs. The EU usually marks a price with an asterisk and "VAT included", which is their law showing that some of the price is tax.

 

Again, sales tax has nothing to do with the salary of the crew, and whether the compensation of the crew consists of salary only, or salary and gratuities/DSC is between the crew and the cruise lines. It is all spelled out clearly in the cruise documentation and website pricing, so if some are too lazy to calculate the total cruise cost in advance "to see if you want to pay the price asked", then the fault is theirs.

[cruiseintoheaven]

Curious - if you pre-order to avoid tax but then can't go on the cruise for some reason....is your CC just refunded? Seems like a silly question with an obvious answer but when I looked into doing so it mentioned that packages could be cancelled up to 72 hours of departure.....

[diane.in.ny]

I understand Colin B's point of view. We have traveled in countries (Iceland is a good example) where the price on a menu is it .... no tax added, no tip expected. It was a welcome relief from what we have here in the U.S.

[Renmar]

And because tax varies by counties that can affect your paid price as well. For example, in Los Angeles County you pay 1/4% more than you do in Ventura County. Each county has their own ballets and things they want done and the tax payers vote what they want.

 

Oregon has no sales tax but a bottle of alcohol there will cost twice as much because of the alcohol tax. Same with Washington State. I bought a bottle of brandy and a small bottle of butterscotch schnapps. I think I paid close to $75. In California the same purchases would have been around $25.

 

The government is getting your money one way or the other. If it makes you feel warm and fuzzy to believe they don't, okay. My son lives in Washington State. A while back he made a comment about voting for the liquor tax. He didn't mind that those that drank paid more for the privilege and that included himself. You might pay less tax here but you are definitely paying more there.

 

moki'smommy: yes, everyone seems to pay more for education if you don't live there. Same as in California. Residents pay less than non residents BUT I absolutely love you explaining to a UK resident where the educational benefits are really coming from. Maybe if they paid their teachers a living wage :rolleyes:.

 

UK (and Australian) people crack me up with this "we don't tip" garbage. Open your eyes people. Yes you do. Sometimes you call it a cover charge and sometimes a tip. When I sit at my table in the US everything is free. No up-charge because I ate that piece of bread - or that I sat. I can tell you without reservation that as an American I was more than once persisted upon to tip. Once in the UK a taxi driver doubled our fare to receive his tip (on top of the tip we actually left). How do I know? Because the reverse drive was 50% less. You live in a Lilly colored world if you don't think it happens. Hotels, restaurants and taxis. Believe me, the people that work in those industries DO expect a tip from us Americans. They make is very clear.

 

I assume by reading all your comments that you knew about this tax. Thank you, that is all I needed to know.

Also thank you for your exhausted explanation of things I did not ask for. As far as I can tell our American friends knew about the tax but not everyone that cruises is from the US and therefore might not have known.

 

Theo

[notentirelynormal]

I assume by reading all your comments that you knew about this tax. Thank you, that is all I needed to know.

Also thank you for your exhausted explanation of things I did not ask for. As far as I can tell our American friends knew about the tax but not everyone that cruises is from the US and therefore might not have known.

 

Theo

 

No need to cop an attitude. You aren't the only one posting on this thread. Just because you start a thread doesn't mean you are the only one being answered to. I was actually responding to Colin B. It is quite arrogant of you to assume every single person on this thread is talking to you, only you.

 

I actually didn't know about charging the drink packages tax if bought immediately upon boarding. Never gave it any thought because even though we have made the purchase we haven't been charged the tax. I find this thread interesting but, again, you are not the only one posting. You came here, you gave information and people gave their responses, opinions, first hand experience and questions. Sorry if it annoys you I responded to someone else. My apologies.

 

By the way, I am a resident of both California and British Columbia so I quite understand how taxes work. Holy crappola! Go to a restaurant or store in BC and just look at all the taxes you pay!

Edited November 3, 2015 by notentirelynormal

[shredie]

I did NOT mention Europe :rolleyes:

I did NOT mention tipping :rolleyes:

 

Merely asked if other people knew about this, a simple yes I knew or no I did not would have been OK.

 

Next thing that probably will be mentioned is dress code or .....

 

Theo

 

Threads always take on a life of their own, and the OP has no control of what comes next.

[notentirelynormal]

Threads always take on a life of their own, and the OP has no control of what comes next.

 

Apparently it isn't allowed. Yes or No. That's all he wants to know gosh darn it! He doesn't care how you know or why you didn't. :rolleyes:

 

It really seems to annoy him that we make comments. He's been a member since 2005. You'd think he knew how threads work. Maybe it should have been a survey instead.

 

Directly from the OP - What I said in my thread starter is that I did not know this and wondered who knew. No need for smart or snarky comments.

Edited November 3, 2015 by notentirelynormal

[broberts]

I understand Colin B's point of view. We have traveled in countries (Iceland is a good example) where the price on a menu is it .... no tax added, no tip expected. It was a welcome relief from what we have here in the U.S.

 

There was no gratuity added at the bottom of the bill as one usually sees in much of Europe?

[moki'smommy]

Well, just to confirm....last night I ordered the "Soda and More" package for my daughter. The charge was $56.35. That is 7 times the stated price of $8.05 per night of cruise which includes the gratuity. There was no tax added.

 

We will depart from a port that charges tax. We do not live in a state that has a port for any line.

 

Hope this level of detail may be of use to some.

[shredie]

Well' date=' just to confirm....last night I ordered the "Soda and More" package for my daughter. The charge was $56.35. That is 7 times the stated price of $8.05 per night of cruise which includes the gratuity. There was no tax added.

 

We will depart from a port that charges tax. We do not live in a state that has a port for any line.

 

Hope this level of detail may be of use to some.[/quote']

 

It sounds like you bought the big drink package that includes alcohol. You might want to double check.