Cococay $2 charge for drinks with the package

[MaryCS62]

I found the weasel wording in the terms & conditions on the beverage packages...."Your check may reflect an additional tax for certain ports or itineraries."

 

If that is what they are doing, it should be clearly disclosed in the Compass and elsewhere.

 

Maybe revenue for the build out of Coco cay is not far off the mark. But I don't think the cruise line is allowed to establish its own tax.

I looked very carefully and couldn't find that info. Then I clicked on the "compare packages" link, & there it was, at the bottom of the flyer:(:(:mad::mad:.

[logan25]

Tipping gallore - because of popular demand:D

 

It is for the "convenience" of the customer. That's what we always read about the automatic gratuities.

[Clarea]

Maybe tip now is 18% or $2, whichever is more

Tip is included in the beverage packages.

[gerelmx]

I find this :

1)All of Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol packages can be used the cruise line's private destinations of CocoCay and Labadee.

 

Your drink package at these two spots can be used just like onboard the ship. Present your SeaPass card to any crew member working on the island and they will fulfill your order.

 

The only caveat to keep in mind is many of the roving bar servers offering a Labadoozie or Coco Loco have souvenir cups with them, so you may have to walk to the bar to get your drinks with the package.

 

2)All bars, lounges, the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, Speciality Restaurants and our private destinations(Labadee & Cococay) will supply package drinks.

 

3)Pricing may also vary due to VAT regulations of the countries a ship may embark/debark at and also when we call within a country’s territorial waters.

[NYcruzzer]

Recently I was at Atlantis in Paradise Island Bahamas. I was charged a service charge and a VAT tax. on my lunch. Since Co Co cay is in the Bahamas perhaps they are charging a VAT tax on value of drinks like they do in home ports ? https://vat.revenue.gov.bs/Content/VAT

[legaljen1969]

That wording is for ports like TX that charge a state tax.

 

Perhaps that was the "intent" of the person/people who wrote the terms & conditions, but it certainly offers them the chance to utilize that loophole, doesn't it?

[kknorr0320]

If it's a tax. A service charge isn't a tax.

 

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[Anton]

A flat rate of $2 per drink regardless of the drink menu price doesn't sound like a VAT to me.

[Merion_Mom]

This sounds like a mistake. A very serious mistake.

 

Call customer service and ask for the charges to be removed.

 

800-256-6649

 

I am not usually self-referential, but I'm making an exception. ;)

 

This was a mistake. Someone, in error, told the servers to do this. It was wrong. It needs to be corrected.

 

panzafit, call this phone number and ask: 1. what the heck was going on? 2. fix it.

 

If you do not get someone helpful at that phone number, write to mbayley@rccl.com Someone on his staff will get back to you.

[Coralc]

If it's a tax. A service charge isn't a tax.

 

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I agree. It is all just speculation, which is what we do here. :D The $2 charge just seems odd. And we haven't heard from anyone else who might have experienced the same additional charge.

[LMaxwell]

If RC does not promptly refund an additional flat service charge Contest w CC company; these are unauthorized and unadvertised charges.

 

MM, the servers just ring through what is programmed into the computer. Maybe food and bev Manager or an assistant can override and set pricing, but I doubt it is a service staff decision or change.

[Ocean Boy]

Maybe tip now is 18% or $2, whichever is more

It shouldn't matter. The tip is included in the package price.

[Ocean Boy]

A flat rate of $2 per drink regardless of the drink menu price doesn't sound like a VAT to me.

I have never read of anyone being charged extra when using a package in the past on Coco Cay. I doubt that there was some change in the Bahamian laws that just went into affect.

[setsail]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3242

[LMaxwell]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3242

Interesting information, but why wouldn’t the receipt just say VAT, and why would it be $2 on a beer?

[Biker19]

If RC does not promptly refund an additional flat service charge Contest w CC company; these are unauthorized and unadvertised charges.

Not sure how it was unauthorized when the OP said he saw the charge on the receipt. Charged in error, perhaps, but not unauthorized.

[Escalade]

We just returned today from Anthem and were on Coco Cay last Tuesday. We had the drink package and the package fully covered all purchases up to $13. We periodically were charged for drinks while on board, but credits were issued in short order.

[LMaxwell]

Not sure how it was unauthorized when the OP said he saw the charge on the receipt. Charged in error, perhaps, but not unauthorized.

 

Not in package t&c, not conspicuously posted. Could be in error, but still not authorized. Just because someone hands me a bill with an erroneous charge does not make it authorized either. IJS :cool:

[Ourusualbeach]

The way that Royal introduces changes, it would not surprise me in the least if they are indeed adding an additional $2 service fee per drink on CocoCay. There are other lines that do not allow their all inclusive beverage packages to be used on their private islands.

[Ocean Boy]

From the article....

 

"One exception to this is the Bahamian decision to apply a 7.5 percent VAT to purchases made on private islands. According to a Ministry of Finance guidance document for cruise lines regarding private-island purchases, "All services not included in the cruise line fare are subject to VAT at the standard rate of 7.5 percent."

However, one could make the argument that you are not really "purchasing" the drink while on the island. You purchased a package when you were in some other location. There is no charge for the drink or for service while while in Bahamian territory so even if they tax at 7.5% when that is applied to a charge of zero the end result is still zero.

[Laney219]

Just got back from our cruise. We were a party of 14 and all had the deluxe drink package. On cococay we split up. Some in cabana and some jyst regular spots. ALL of us were charged $2 per drink even though we all had the package. Even in the cabana area had to pay $2 for each beer. I was a bit surprised since I was expecting the package to cover it. I would have thought it was a oversight other then it happened to all 14 of us at all the bars on the island. Anyone else experience that? (I also found it odd the cabana cove bar couldn't make me a Coco Loco drink)

 

Which ship were you on?

[MrsPete]

Without sounding like a conspiracy theorist :o It sounds almost as if <someone> has decided to add their own TIP (service charge?) to passenger drink purchases? How would something like that be authorized or allowed? 14 in your group with the same charge seems really odd. Thanks.

 

I am very curious.

That's what I was thinking too ... but if this was an under-the-table-gonna-give-myself-a-tip thing, how would they get the money back from the cruise line? And with all the people on the island, how could they hope someone wouldn't complain?

[JessyCruises]

That's what I was thinking too ... but if this was an under-the-table-gonna-give-myself-a-tip thing, how would they get the money back from the cruise line? And with all the people on the island, how could they hope someone wouldn't complain?

 

And if I read the OPs posts correctly, there were drinks bought at multiple bars and all were charged the $2. So weird!

[TonyL128]

From the article....

 

 

 

"One exception to this is the Bahamian decision to apply a 7.5 percent VAT to purchases made on private islands. According to a Ministry of Finance guidance document for cruise lines regarding private-island purchases, "All services not included in the cruise line fare are subject to VAT at the standard rate of 7.5 percent."

 

 

 

However, one could make the argument that you are not really "purchasing" the drink while on the island. You purchased a package when you were in some other location. There is no charge for the drink or for service while while in Bahamian territory so even if they tax at 7.5% when that is applied to a charge of zero the end result is still zero.

 

 

 

We just got off Anthem and we stopped at CoCo Cay. We had the drink package and were not charged extra for any of our drinks. However, if you got the souvenir cup or the pineapple, there was an upcharge.

 

 

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[Clarea]

... However, one could make the argument that you are not really "purchasing" the drink while on the island. You purchased a package when you were in some other location. There is no charge for the drink or for service while while in Bahamian territory so even if they tax at 7.5% when that is applied to a charge of zero the end result is still zero.

And it the charge was 7.5% VAT tax, why would every drink's VAT tax come out exactly to $2?