Extra tax added and no alcohol/cigarettes on board also on cruises Spain-Italy?

[TrumpyNor]

I have experienced myself the extra tax that is added on the price for items in the shops on board when you are cruising within European Union and the embarkation port and the disembarkation port is the same (eg. Barcelona or Venice). On our last cruise to/from Venice in September of this year, we experienced for the first time that they didn't sell taxfree alcohol or cigarettes on Board either, for the same reason.

 

Is this the case only when the cruise starts and ends at the same port/same country, or is that also the case when a cruise starts eg. in Barcelona, Spain and ends in Rome (Civitiavecchia), Italy and only visit EU ports during the entire cruise? I understand that if a cruise starts and ends in eg. Spain, then NCL would have to oblige to the Spanish rules regarding tax/tax free goods. And the same if the ship starts and ends a cruise in Italy, they would have to oblige to the Italian rules. But how is it when the cruise starts in Spain and ends in Italy - will I then still have to pay extra tax on everything they sell in the shops on Board?

Edited November 23, 2016 by TrumpyNor

[hawkeyetlse]

When the Star passed through the Mediterranean last month, one of the sailings (October 12) was Barcelona to Rome, EU only, and it was reported (see here) that Spanish tax was collected during the entire cruise.

 

(The post I linked to was complaining about tax on UBP drink orders, but I assume that means that the ship was collecting VAT on other onboard purchases, too.)

[TrumpyNor]

When the Star passed through the Mediterranean last month, one of the sailings (October 12) was Barcelona to Rome, EU only, and it was reported (see here) that Spanish tax was collected during the entire cruise.

 

(The post I linked to was complaining about tax on UBP drink orders, but I assume that means that the ship was collecting VAT on other onboard purchases, too.)

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer me, I really appreciate it. You are probably right.... What I actually wanted to know was if taxfree cigarettes and taxfree alkohol would be sold in the shops on board or not - on our last cruise from Venice to the Greek Isles they did NOT sell any taxfree cigarettes or taxfree alcohol in the shops on board - and I was wondering if it would be the same when the cruise starts in Spain and ends in Italy - and from Your reply I am understanding that the answer probably is yes to that question.... :(

Edited November 23, 2016 by TrumpyNor

[hawkeyetlse]

You might try posting on the roll call for the Oct 12 Star sailing to ask people if they were able to purchase liquor and cigarettes on board (and if so how much tax was added).

Edited November 23, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[littlelulu01]

I may have been on the same cruise as you were. Cigarettes were sold at the bars. You have to ask the bartender. I think they were around $5.75/pack. The port duty free would not sell Jade passengers duty free cigarettes. I think the duty cartons were about $10 more but still only around 34 euro/carton. I noticed that about the only thing duty free was busy selling in ports was cases of water to crew. Not sure about Barcelona embarkation extra taxes though.

[kerryincork]

I've cruised and been on land holidays and I find that the price is usually a lot cheaper than at home (Ireland). I often find in the town itself is cheaper than the port.

This depends on ports, Greek Islands are the best, but not necessarily a big city like Barcelona or Rome.

Cigarettes and alcohol are very expensive in Ireland and the UK.

 

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[TrumpyNor]

I've cruised and been on land holidays and I find that the price is usually a lot cheaper than at home (Ireland). I often find in the town itself is cheaper than the port.

This depends on ports, Greek Islands are the best, but not necessarily a big city like Barcelona or Rome.

Cigarettes and alcohol are very expensive in Ireland and the UK.

 

Yes, it is the same where I live (Norway). And usually the regular US taxfree price in shops on NCL (when sailing to at least one port outside of EU) is quite much cheaper than the taxfree prices at airports in EU (and in Norway).

[YoHoHo]

I have experienced myself the extra tax that is added on the price for items in the shops on board when you are cruising within European Union and the embarkation port and the disembarkation port is the same (eg. Barcelona or Venice).<SNIP>

 

Is this the case only when the cruise starts and ends at the same port/same country, or is that also the case when a cruise starts eg. in Barcelona, Spain and ends in Rome (Civitiavecchia), Italy and only visit EU ports during the entire cruise? I understand that if a cruise starts and ends in eg. Spain, then NCL would have to oblige to the Spanish rules regarding tax/tax free goods. And the same if the ship starts and ends a cruise in Italy, they would have to oblige to the Italian rules. But how is it when the cruise starts in Spain and ends in Italy - will I then still have to pay extra tax on everything they sell in the shops on Board?

>and only visit EU ports during the entire cruise?

That's it as I understand. It does not matter whether or not the ship returns to the same port or not. As long as all the ports following the one that incurs the VAT are within the EU then tax applies. As soon as it stops in a non-EU port then there wil be no VAT going forward until it stops in a port where the VAT is added again.

 

So Barcelona to Rome. VAT is started in Barcelona. One sea day: VAT continues. First port is Marseille: VAT continues. Next port is in Monaco: VAT is stopped. One sea day: no VAT. Next stop is in Malta: still no VAT (assuming Malta does not add VAT themselves).

 

I have not experienced this first hand but that is my understanding that until the ship stops in a non-EU port the VAT chain continues.

[crowson1825]

We have cruised several times on the Epic in the Med and have never been charged VAT. I bought cigarettes at the Barcelona duty free at the port every time (cheaper than the ship). I was told by a crew member that as long as there is a Non EU port on the itinerary Duty Free can be purchased.. As all of our cruises on the Epic had a stop in Morocco this seems to add up.

 

We have also done several cruises on Costa and MSC in the med and have never been charged VAT - but I wonder as these are Italian cruise lines if VAT is already included in the price which is normal within Europe. Here the price you see is the price you pay. On land there is no extra VAT to pay it is included within the price. I did not go into the duty free shop to see if was really duty free - but I did see several non European passengers filling in VAT refund forms for purchases but these may have been bought on land.

[hawkeyetlse]

VAT is started in Barcelona. One sea day: VAT continues. First port is Marseille: VAT continues. Next port is in Monaco: VAT is stopped. One sea day: no VAT. Next stop is in Malta: still no VAT (assuming Malta does not add VAT themselves).

Two comments here: Monaco is not in the EU, but it is within the EU VAT area, and VAT is collected at the same rates as in France. So Spanish VAT would never stop on this itinerary (assuming the next stop after Malta is Rome).

 

Second, on itineraries that do eventually leave the EU VAT area, VAT is not collected on sea days, only within territorial waters of a member state. That has been my recent experience.

[deniseatnycs]

We were on the 12th to 23rd October NCL Star cruise from Barcelona to Civitiavecchia, calling at Malta and the Greek Isles/ Along with many, many other passengers we were charged a 10% 'Spanish Tax' on every drink served even though we had the Free at Sea UBP and had not purchased a drink on board and paid for our cruise in the U.K. This tax was charged throughout on ALL purchases, drinks, photos, and anything in the shops including cigarettes, which were for sale during normal shop opening hours. We purchased cigarettes from the on board shop the tax (Spanish was 21%) but they still worked out cheaper than the Tabac in Barcelona.

 

The Cruise and the crew were fantastic, however, this tax did cause some upset amongst the mainly British passengers. I wrote to NCL about the tax mainly to query why it was charged even in Malta and Greece. There is a legal and valid reason for it, but was pleasantly surprised to be told it was wrongly charged on our Free at sea promotion and we are due a refund.

[Tiggertastic]

The ship has to leave the EU to stop the charges.

 

 

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[hawkeyetlse]

There is a legal and valid reason for it, but was pleasantly surprised to be told it was wrongly charged on our Free at sea promotion and we are due a refund.

:eek: This is actually quite scandalous, if they have admitted to wrongly collecting tax from tens of thousands of passengers! (It wasn't just this one cruise, or this one ship; This has been happening, on and off, for the past couple of years.) Good for you for contacting NCL; I encourage everyone else to do the same.

 

Sorry, TrumpyNor, I'm afraid we've drifted away from your question about liquor and tobacco sales on board. :o deniseatnycs, did you purchase your cigarettes from the bar as littlelulu01 described, or were they selling cartons of cigarettes (and bottles of liquor) in the shops on your Barcelona-to-Rome cruise?

Edited November 23, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[YoHoHo]

Two comments here: Monaco is not in the EU, but it is within the EU VAT area, and VAT is collected at the same rates as in France. So Spanish VAT would never stop on this itinerary (assuming the next stop after Malta is Rome).

Thanks for the addtion. Monaco was a bad example on my part.

 

From another board:

"Not every Duty Free Port is created equal. Monaco is almost always a Free Port, but not for cruises which embark in France."

 

Second, on itineraries that do eventually leave the EU VAT area, VAT is not collected on sea days, only within territorial waters of a member state. That has been my recent experience.

I have not read that elsewhere sea days, not within territorial waters of a member state, are exempt. Perhaps the other posters did not notice, when they did notice we always within territorial waters of a member state, or other. A cruise from Barcelona to say Rome with multiple stops along hte way I think would always be within territorial waters of a member state.

 

Good to know that if venturing further out .i.e. trans-atlantic eventually there will be relief from the tax.

[TrumpyNor]

Thank you to all of you who have taken time to answer my questions! :)

[sverigecruiser]

Yes, it is the same where I live (Norway). And usually the regular US taxfree price in shops on NCL (when sailing to at least one port outside of EU) is quite much cheaper than the taxfree prices at airports in EU (and in Norway).

 

Isn't it worth the extra cost to buy the things at the airport and carry it onboard instead of buying it on the ship and check it in at the airport?

 

Good for you that you live in Norway and are allowed to buy tax free at the airport! I have relatives in Norway and the only time I can buy tax free is when I fly home from Oslo!