No More Cheers Pkg Or Bottomless Bubbles on remaining Vista Europe Cruises

[LaCal]

No More Cheers pkgs or Bottomless Bubbles on the remaining Vista Europe cruises even if Pre Purchased 🙀🙀

 

This is per John Heald Today:

 

Yes thats right. Due to the cancellation of Kusadasi from the itinerary, we recently became aware of certain tax implications which affect our beverage packages. Since your cruise departs from Spain (a member of the European Union) and calls only on countries within the European Union, we are required by law to charge a Value Added Tax (VAT). Food and drink purchases at bars and restaurants will be subject to a 10% VAT. Once we reach Crete, the VAT increases to 24% on food and drink purchases at bars and restaurants for the remainder of the cruise.

 

Although some purchases are eligible for a VAT refund, this does not apply to food and drinks.

Due to the fact that VAT tax on CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles is charged on the actual drink price (not the discounted price) each time a drink is consumed, these programs no longer provide the level of value our guests originally anticipated. Therefore, we will not be offering these programs on this sailing. Guests who pre-purchased one or both programs will receive a refund to the original form of payment.

Please let me know if I can help further, cheers

[trvlgirlmq]

Wow! How come other cruise lines seem to be able to do this? I know NCL offers their drink package free all the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[les37b]

"Recently became aware"

 

 

Those in charge of such things should be sacked. (Serious)

 

And if this announcement is true then frankly carnival STILL doesn't understand.

 

What part of $0.00 is taxable and needs to be collected? Unbelievable.

Edited September 2, 2016 by les37b

[les37b]

Wow! How come other cruise lines seem to be able to do this? I know NCL offers their drink package free all the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

No other cruise line taxes items which have zero cost like pre paid food and drink.

 

Inb4 Carnival announces tax on all food consumed on board purchased in the ticket price.

[Cully1953]

Wow! How come other cruise lines seem to be able to do this? I know NCL offers their drink package free all the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

We sailed a similar itinerary on NCL Epic last November and have booked the same cruise for next June. On both cruises we had/have the drinks package as part of the booking deal. The only drinks that appeared on our bill was a few speciality coffees which aren't included in NCL's drinks package.

The NCL cruise last November started and ended in Barcelona and did not include any non EU ports, so I am wondering how NCL (and other cruise lines) can offer a drinks package but not Carnival.

[Velvetwater]

We sailed out of Barcelona on X last year and everyone with packages paid nada, zip, zero as soon as they boarded.

 

If like us you were buying drinks as they came then the 10% per drink was understandable.

 

 

Its obvious that Carnival have somehow made a massive admin error and were trying to not loose money over it. I believe that the Sunshine season 3 years ago did not have this problem.

[minikiss]

What concerns me more, as I have no intention of buying a drink package is they now want to charge us 2 levels of VAT on board purchases.

One for Spain which I full accept and as I understand it should be for the whole cruise.

But they want to then charge the Greek tax level when we get to Crete.

 

I've emailed my TA for clarification on what it is going to be.

 

I have to say like quite a few others I will never again book a carnival cruise as this whole matter has left a very sour and bitter taste in my mouth as they really have no clue what they are playing about at.

 

I was really looking forward to it but not so much now I have to really watch what I spend on board. Spoils the enjoyment.

[NOLALADY]

What concerns me more, as I have no intention of buying a drink package is they now want to charge us 2 levels of VAT on board purchases.

One for Spain which I full accept and as I understand it should be for the whole cruise.

But they want to then charge the Greek tax level when we get to Crete.

 

I've emailed my TA for clarification on what it is going to be.

 

I have to say like quite a few others I will never again book a carnival cruise as this whole matter has left a very sour and bitter taste in my mouth as they really have no clue what they are playing about at.

 

I was really looking forward to it but not so much now I have to really watch what I spend on board. Spoils the enjoyment.

 

I won't say I'll never cruise Carnival again, but I agree wholeheartedly with everything else you said. I'm very disappointed in how they are handling this. They had a couple of cruises left out of Europe, it would have been better to just suck it up and let them go forward without all of this nonsense.

[Velvetwater]

What concerns me more, as I have no intention of buying a drink package is they now want to charge us 2 levels of VAT on board purchases.

One for Spain which I full accept and as I understand it should be for the whole cruise.

But they want to then charge the Greek tax level when we get to Crete.

 

I've emailed my TA for clarification on what it is going to be.

 

I have to say like quite a few others I will never again book a carnival cruise as this whole matter has left a very sour and bitter taste in my mouth as they really have no clue what they are playing about at.

 

I was really looking forward to it but not so much now I have to really watch what I spend on board. Spoils the enjoyment.

 

You will not be paying double tax for the whole cruise. Our cruise left Barcelona and visited Corfu in Greece and we paid 10% on all drinks and speciality food for the entire cruise except for the time we got to Greece at 8am and until we got to Messina (8am the next day). We had 24hrs of the greek 24% tax then it returned to the 10% for the rest of the voyage. Goods and services remained at 24% for the entire cruise.

 

Hope this helps.

[LaCal]

You will not be paying double tax for the whole cruise. Our cruise left Barcelona and visited Corfu in Greece and we paid 10% on all drinks and speciality food for the entire cruise except for the time we got to Greece at 8am and until we got to Messina (8am the next day). We had 24hrs of the greek 24% tax then it returned to the 10% for the rest of the voyage. Goods and services remained at 24% for the entire cruise.

 

Hope this helps.

 

For us our last 4 days will be at the 24% 😂😂. We have Crete then Rhodes and then a Seaday and then Athens for a overnighter 🙀😂

[bluwes]

For us our last 4 days will be at the 24% 😂😂. We have Crete then Rhodes and then a Seaday and then Athens for a overnighter 🙀😂

 

Wow, if you spend around $50 per day for those 4 days that's a hell of a lot of extra tax.

 

Our 13th September sailing needs to get out of the Aegean pretty sharpish !

[klfrodo]

Carnival FUBAR'd this one big time.

 

There really is no reason to drop Kusadasi. Kusadasi is not in a danger zone.

Then to make these changes without knowing the VAT tax implications to their customers??? Beyond comprehensible.

 

What they should do now is offset their current passengers additional VAT costs with a nice OBC per stateroom.

[lsp]

Ok, I'm slow or dumb or both. We are on the TA. Are we charged the VAT all the way to NYC?

[crzndeb]

Ok, I'm slow or dumb or both. We are on the TA. Are we charged the VAT all the way to NYC?

 

There is no VAT on the TA...now, whether they sell drink packages on the TA, who knows. It seems they can't seem to figure out what they are doing from cruise to cruise.

[Velvetwater]

Some people need to realise the 10% spanish tax happens on all mainstream cruiselines...some luxury ones seem to swallow it (like Silversea). Carnival and others

 

A drinks package should indeed be one flat price but if you haven't got a drinks package 10% will be charged on each drink you buy regardless of cruise line. Of course if you stop in a non EU port no need to worry!

 

Its wrong to say that Kusadasi (and Turkey in general) is not a danger zone when US travel advice says otherwise. Now, as a Brit I personally think the US travel advice is a little overkill but I can understand many non European folk are worried about it...especially with the volatile security concerns due to the coup.

 

US folk are getting used various tax practices and sit down charges over here just as Europeans get used to tipping in the US. Its all swings and roundabouts.

[cccer]

Carnival FUBAR'd this one big time.

 

There really is no reason to drop Kusadasi. Kusadasi is not in a danger zone.

Then to make these changes without knowing the VAT tax implications to their customers??? Beyond comprehensible.

 

What they should do now is offset their current passengers additional VAT costs with a nice OBC per stateroom.

 

Not a danger zone? Most cruise lines have cancelled Turkey for this year and some have already cancelled for next year. I don't know but the thought of another military coup might put a little damper on my vacation.

[klfrodo]

Not a danger zone? Most cruise lines have cancelled Turkey for this year and some have already cancelled for next year. I don't know but the thought of another military coup might put a little damper on my vacation.

 

I just got back from a cruise to Kusadasi, so yes, it's not a danger zone. Istanbul or the capital??? I can understand. Kusadasi? No way.

Things are very concerning in Sinoloa, Mexico. Cruise lines aren't stopping their port visits in Cozumel. Same difference in my opinion.

 

Either way, Carnival is still wrong how they are handelving this currently regarding port stops and added VAT issues.

[gailjen]

The point is our 12 day cruise was never going to Turkey and has always been going to Greece, Carnival have known this for at least a year and maybe 2.

They have sold these drinks packages and not bothered to amend the T&C's to reflect the VAT via their US portal in US$ and think it's ok to put a letter in cabins amoung all the paper work you get on the first day and expect people to be OK about it!! We Are Not, they even had the cheek to charge me VAT on my free cocktail as I achieved Gold 🍸 Cheers Carnival....

One of our teens was refused a drink as she never had any funds on her account to charge the 15cent vat too, she was very embarrassed.

 

I think Carnival should refund all VAT charged to people who pre-purchased drinks packages

[Avril]

No More Cheers pkgs or Bottomless Bubbles on the remaining Vista Europe cruises even if Pre Purchased 🙀🙀

 

This is per John Heald Today:

 

Yes thats right. Due to the cancellation of Kusadasi from the itinerary, we recently became aware of certain tax implications which affect our beverage packages. Since your cruise departs from Spain (a member of the European Union) and calls only on countries within the European Union, we are required by law to charge a Value Added Tax (VAT). Food and drink purchases at bars and restaurants will be subject to a 10% VAT. Once we reach Crete, the VAT increases to 24% on food and drink purchases at bars and restaurants for the remainder of the cruise.

 

Although some purchases are eligible for a VAT refund, this does not apply to food and drinks.

Due to the fact that VAT tax on CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles is charged on the actual drink price (not the discounted price) each time a drink is consumed, these programs no longer provide the level of value our guests originally anticipated. Therefore, we will not be offering these programs on this sailing. Guests who pre-purchased one or both programs will receive a refund to the original form of payment.

Please let me know if I can help further, cheers

 

Does anyone know if this includes the Transatlantic? Just wondering if there's any point of calling our TA to add the Cheers program We were having trouble with their website so figured it'd just be easier to call our TA). I though it only applied to cruises that only had ports in the EU and we do go to 2 non European ports (Bermuda and New York although I'm not sure New York counts since it's where the cruise ends). However, I'm not sure if Carnival is counting cruises that stop anywhere in Europe in this, even if the cruise also goes to ports outside of Europe/the EU.

[crzndeb]

Does anyone know if this includes the Transatlantic? Just wondering if there's any point of calling our TA to add the Cheers program We were having trouble with their website so figured it'd just be easier to call our TA). I though it only applied to cruises that only had ports in the EU and we do go to 2 non European ports (Bermuda and New York although I'm not sure New York counts since it's where the cruise ends). However, I'm not sure if Carnival is counting cruises that stop anywhere in Europe in this, even if the cruise also goes to ports outside of Europe/the EU.

 

As of Aug 1, all beverage packages had to be bought on board, including the TA. However, as this thread states, they aren't selling any beverage packages on the Med cruises. The TA is exempt from VAT, and at this point, I don't think Carnival has a clue what they are doing. And nobody here, myself included, can give you a definite answer, since nobody will know until the TA.

 

I guess you will just have to wait until you board the TA, to see if you can get the Cheers package. I don't think either Carnival or your TA can give you any type of answer as to what they are doing.

Edited September 3, 2016 by crzndeb

[TinyG]

Our PVP said "I asked a CD who is familiar with VAT and he said it is only assessed for the day in Barcelona"

If the first cruise goes as planned, we might not even purchase Cheers for the TA. Not going to worry about some taxes for these cruises as we have not paid too much for them for booking early and price reductions. We are :D cruising next week so it will take my mind off of it!

[Jgordo]

We're on the oct 11th cruise from Athens to Barcelona. Does this mean the VAT issue will be throughout this entire cruise?

[les37b]

We're on the oct 11th cruise from Athens to Barcelona. Does this mean the VAT issue will be throughout this entire cruise?

 

Yup - on each and every drink at Greek tax rates of 24% (Apart from when in port in Italy where you will pay 22% or in Spanish ports at 10%)

 

You should be able to buy cheers to avoid this escalated cost per drink, but Carnival have for some strange reason denied you that opportunity.

[les37b]

Our PVP said "I asked a CD who is familiar with VAT and he said it is only assessed for the day in Barcelona"

If the first cruise goes as planned, we might not even purchase Cheers for the TA. Not going to worry about some taxes for these cruises as we have not paid too much for them for booking early and price reductions. We are :D cruising next week so it will take my mind off of it!

 

Your cruise next week will be hit by taxes on each purchase but dont have the chance to buy cheers. The TA you can buy cheers but will be taxed when in the Spanish port. Interestingly, if you buy cheers in port, the total cost would be hit by a 10% tax (assuming it does start in Barcelona).... but if you buy after you have departed, then the tax will be 0.00% - That is of course how it should be. How Carnival play it is a different kettle of fish.

[TinyG]

Your cruise next week will be hit by taxes on each purchase but dont have the chance to buy cheers. The TA you can buy cheers but will be taxed when in the Spanish port. Interestingly, if you buy cheers in port, the total cost would be hit by a 10% tax (assuming it does start in Barcelona).... but if you buy after you have departed, then the tax will be 0.00% - That is of course how it should be. How Carnival play it is a different kettle of fish.

We plan on next month bringing beverages for our cabin, we might not even purchase Cheers. We could book another cruise for that price :eek:, but if we did we would only hopefully incur charges while in Barcelona.