Cheers on 4 day out of Galveston

[fam2cruise]

So I know that Cheers is about $50/pp/day and that you can't buy it the first day in Galveston. I'm assuming you don't pay for debarkation day either, so am I correct in thinking that for a four day cruise out of Galveston we'd only pay for 2 days of Cheers? So about $200 for two of us??

[TXFATGUY]

The 4 day is a Thursday to Monday. You will pay for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

[fam2cruise]

Ahh, I feel ignorant, thank you for the info!

[notyours75]

Don't forget to add the 15% gratuity. Your total for two people should be $344.66.

[jh2360]

Don't forget to add the 15% gratuity. Your total for two people should be $344.66.

 

Edited because I can't do math.

Edited December 18, 2015 by jh2360

[winddawn]

Also be aware the bar menu is different on embarkation day (regardless of whether you plan to purchase Cheers) due to Texas' crazy liquor laws.

 

And if you buy any liquor during your cruise to take home, Texas officials will have a table set up in the terminal to collect taxes on it as you debark the ship.

Edited December 18, 2015 by winddawn

[Naomi John]

Also be aware the bar menu is different on embarkation day (regardless of whether you plan to purchase Cheers) due to Texas' crazy liquor laws.

 

And if you buy any liquor during your cruise to take home, Texas officials will have a table set up in the terminal to collect taxes on it as you debark the ship.

 

How is the menu different? Is there a thread on the new laws out of Galveston?

[notyours75]

How is the menu different? Is there a thread on the new laws out of Galveston?

 

Texas law requires all liquor that is served on premises to have a tax stamp on it, meaning that the state has been paid their liquor tax. If you ever go into a bar in Texas look at the liquor bottles and you'll see it, its about the size of a postage stamp. Each stamp has a number and when the bottle is empty you'll normally see the bar tender scrape across the stamp before they throw the bottle out.

 

My assumption is carnival selects a particular group of spirits that they do pay taxes on to serve in port. I've never paid any attention to the bottles on the ship to see if they have the stamp. I doubt it. I'd assume Carnival has an agreement with TABC over it. Once the ship is international waters those laws no longer apply so the rest of the booze comes out. Also any drinks that you buy while in port would have appropriate Texas sales and liquor taxes applied, while once you leave they won't. So the cost of drinks does go down a bit because they no longer have to collect the state taxes.

 

This is also the reason that you see the TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) agents on debarkation day with their little booth. By law if you bought bottles of liquor/wine that you are taking home you should stop and pay the taxes. By practice I'm not sure people give it much thought. TABC does not have the ability to inspect your luggage like customs so everything is basically voluntary. Unless you walk by with a case of Crown under your arm then they might have a visit with you.

 

There are a number of other Texas laws about alcohol that people from other states would find amusing. Sunday times, wet/dry, etc. Fortunately most of them just don't apply to cruising.