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Debarkation Galveston with Alcohol Purchases


LuckyStar
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Wanted to follow-up after our cruise.  The authorities were much more strict on tax collection than they had been on my last cruise in Jan 2018.  We got off the boat and they steered us to a line to collect that tax on liquor purchases before we left the terminal.  I suppose my sister could have lied and said she had no alcohol but she didn't and paid about $4 on the approx. $100 worth she purchased in Cozumel.  We had not faced that much of a crackdown previously.  

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All of Us in Texas  pay taxes  on alcohol coming into State whether bought here or not . That is the law . I’m 75 years old , and have paid taxes at border crossing on alcohol purchases from Mexico  when I was 21 years old . And also all my life from hunting and fishing and travel in Mexico. It has  been a law from that long ago. Texas fairly recently  started enforcing existing law of collection at cruise passenger entry into State  of Texas . 

Edited by ssb
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All kinds of taxes  like tariffs , hotel  , sales  , liguor , cigarettes, port taxes   are collected all over the world . Countries , States , Cities have to build facilities , so one may be able to cruise . 

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1 hour ago, ssb said:

All kinds of taxes  like tariffs , hotel  , sales  , liguor , cigarettes, port taxes   are collected all over the world . Countries , States , Cities have to build facilities , so one may be able to cruise . 

 

But that’s not what I asked.  I specifically asked, does any other port but Texas collect taxes from “duty free” liquor brought back into the country? 

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  • 2 months later...

Legally speaking you are supposed to pay duty on anything over the duty free amount but other states don't have revenue collectors in the ports, instead they rely on the CBP officers to collect. Which if you've ever really paid attention they generally don't have cash registers nearby. They are looking for narcotics, kidnapped children and anything dangerous that might be coming into the country and really don't care about getting an extra $4 out of every passenger.

 

Now the TABC on the other hand wants their cut, even for passengers getting on a shuttle and heading straight to the airport and flying to Canada. They also get their tax revenue for any alcohol purchased on board while still in Texas waters which is why Carnival doesn't offer Cheers until the second day.

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Just note that the TABC taxes on liquor is different than duty. Odds are, as long as you declare your purchases to CBP, and aren't pushing a cart filled to the brim with liquor, they aren't going to bother collecting.

 

TABC is specific to Texas taxes. You pay this on all liquor imported into Texas, whether or not it was assessed duty by CBP. So yes, if CBP so chooses, they can collect duty on your excess liquor, and then you pay the TABC tax on all of the liquor.

 

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1 hour ago, bptex said:

Legally speaking you are supposed to pay duty on anything over the duty free amount but other states don't have revenue collectors in the ports, instead they rely on the CBP officers to collect. Which if you've ever really paid attention they generally don't have cash registers nearby. They are looking for narcotics, kidnapped children and anything dangerous that might be coming into the country and really don't care about getting an extra $4 out of every passenger.

 

Now the TABC on the other hand wants their cut, even for passengers getting on a shuttle and heading straight to the airport and flying to Canada. They also get their tax revenue for any alcohol purchased on board while still in Texas waters which is why Carnival doesn't offer Cheers until the second day.

So Carnival does not offer the use of All you can drink package on first day ? That would be disappointing for most .  

Edited by ssb
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Correct, they never have. On that same note they can only serve alcohol purchased through Texas licensed distributors while in Texas waters and there is a sales tax on it. Once the ship gets about 12 miles out and the casino opens they switch to internationally sourced booze that's obviously way cheaper for them. If you do the behind the fun tour they'll show you the warehousing area with a separate section for Texas sourced/taxed booze. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, bptex said:

Correct, they never have. On that same note they can only serve alcohol purchased through Texas licensed distributors while in Texas waters and there is a sales tax on it. Once the ship gets about 12 miles out and the casino opens they switch to internationally sourced booze that's obviously way cheaper for them. If you do the behind the fun tour they'll show you the warehousing area with a separate section for Texas sourced/taxed booze. 

 

 

 

 

We live in Galveston

and are well aware of the laws .

Royal includes first day in Booze package . 

We  have never sailed Carnival

anywhere in the world . 

Lots of Shiner Beer on Royal from the 

Island of Galveston 

just off the Great State of Texas . 

Edited by ssb
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On 7/22/2019 at 11:03 AM, ssb said:

 

 

We live in Galveston

and are well aware of the laws .

Royal includes first day in Booze package . 

We  have never sailed Carnival

anywhere in the world . 

Lots of Shiner Beer on Royal from the 

Island of Galveston 

just off the Great State of Texas . 

 

Carnival could do it as well. They don't want to offer the package when they're paying more for the alcohol. I believe it's only Texas and New York where they don't offer the cheers package day 1.

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37 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Carnival could do it as well. They don't want to offer the package when they're paying more for the alcohol. I believe it's only Texas and New York where they don't offer the cheers package day 1.

Thanks . Guess it is what Carnival market demands . Sorry for the guests that want the package . Seems it would be easy to pass on in a package . Probably could mean guests are bringing (sneaking ) more on of personal preferences, for the first day consumption , and Carnival really could be losing out big on those sales . 

Edited by ssb
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12 minutes ago, ssb said:

Thanks . Guess it is what Carnival market demands . Sorry for the guests that want the package . Seems it would be easy to pass on in a package . Probably could mean guests are bringing (sneaking ) more on of personal preferences, for the first day consumption , and Carnival really could be losing out big on those sales . 

 

I'm not a big Galveston fan and that's one of the reasons why. I enjoy the alchemy and can run up quite a bill there so I have to stay away the first day if I'm sailing out of Galveston. I just bring my bottle of wine, book the steakhouse the first  night for another bottle, and just buy a couple fun ships for sail away.

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On 7/23/2019 at 2:18 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

I'm not a big Galveston fan and that's one of the reasons why. I enjoy the alchemy and can run up quite a bill there so I have to stay away the first day if I'm sailing out of Galveston. I just bring my bottle of wine, book the steakhouse the first  night for another bottle, and just buy a couple fun ships for sail away.

Sounds like you have it down for first day on Carnival. Enjoy your cruises . 

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4 minutes ago, ssb said:

Sounds like you have it down for first day on Carnival. Enjoy your cruises . 

 

I’d much rather suck down some alchemy drinks on the package...which is what I’m going to be doing out of New Orleans in a few weeks.

 

I have three Florida cruises booked so hopefully no more Galveston for awhile.

 

 

Edited by Saint Greg
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