Duty Free Alcohol

[dman1]

Just curious....is there a limit to how much alcohol you can buy on ship/ports?  When you claim it back in port are there taxes/fees you pay?  If so, anyone know what %??

[resetjet]

No,  but there is a limit going back in to us.  They usually dont bother with charging over a couple extra bottles.  Not worth paperwork.

[orville99]

27 minutes ago, dman1 said:

Just curious....is there a limit to how much alcohol you can buy on ship/ports?  When you claim it back in port are there taxes/fees you pay?  If so, anyone know what %??

Depends on the port. On most cruises to the Caribbean, you are limited to one litre per adult. If you are visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas/St. Croix/St. Johns) then the limit goes up to five litres per adult as long as at least one litre per adult is produced in the USVI.

 

As far as claiming it when you return to the U.S. it also depends on the port. Ports with the new facial recognition systems allow you to clear customs (at least in Port Canaveral) without actually speaking to any inspector.

 

If you do declare your overage, the duty is a fractional percentage (usually no more than $1-$2 per bottle.)

Edited March 9, 2022 by orville99

[dman1]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Depends on the port. On most cruises to the Caribbean, you are limited to one litre per adult. If you are visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas/St. Croix/St. Johns) then the limit goes up to five litres per adult as long as at least one litre per adult is produced in the USVI.

 

As far as claiming it when you return to the U.S. it also depends on the port. Ports with the new facial recognition systems allow you to clear customs (at least in Port Canaveral) without actually speaking to any inspector.

 

If you do declare your overage, the duty is a fractional percentage (usually no more than $1-$2 per bottle.)

Thank you!  That was very helpful!!

Are there limits on the ship??

[LeeW]

If sailing out of Galveston, Texas has inspectors as you leave the port building.  They will ask if you have alcohol and tax accordingly.  Tax on a mini bottle is $3.75 ($3 per bottle plus the per ounce charge).  They tax even if you are flying out of Texas.  You may not want to carry alcohol openly.

[dman1]

1 hour ago, resetjet said:

No,  but there is a limit going back in to us.  They usually dont bother with charging over a couple extra bottles.  Not worth paperwork.

So you are limited in the amount of bottles you can purchase to return to US?  Any idea what the limit is?

My nephew has a plan to buy the cheaper alcohol on ship and resell some when he gets home for a profit.  He does this with tennis shoes and makes a ridiculous profit with those.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, dman1 said:

So you are limited in the amount of bottles you can purchase to return to US?  Any idea what the limit is?

My nephew has a plan to buy the cheaper alcohol on ship and resell some when he gets home for a profit.  He does this with tennis shoes and makes a ridiculous profit with those.

If you are going out of texas, texas liquor taxes are quite a bit lower than florida for instance. Wine can cost double in florida.

 

It's cheaper to go to Specs and buy it than onboard prices. Except for a few items you cant buy here, it's cheaper here. I've compared prices and overpaid onboard but I have obc to spend. It's no bargain. 

[ryano]

2 minutes ago, dman1 said:

So you are limited in the amount of bottles you can purchase to return to US?  Any idea what the limit is?

My nephew has a plan to buy the cheaper alcohol on ship and resell some when he gets home for a profit.  He does this with tennis shoes and makes a ridiculous profit with those.

 

Honestly, I think "duty free" is mostly hype now.  Prices I saw onboard this past cruise were really not much better than my local package store.    

[ppmanusa]

Never seen anything at duty free worth lugging around to bring back home. 

[dman1]

5 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

If you are going out of texas, texas liquor taxes are quite a bit lower than florida for instance. Wine can cost double in florida.

 

It's cheaper to go to Specs and buy it than onboard prices. Except for a few items you cant buy here, it's cheaper here. I've compared prices and overpaid onboard but I have obc to spend. It's no bargain. 

Our port is Miami, but we live in Texas.

 

8 minutes ago, ryano said:

 

Honestly, I think "duty free" is mostly hype now.  Prices I saw onboard this past cruise were really not much better than my local package store.    

He seems to think he can make a few bucks on Hennessey! :)

[deliver42]

There aren't any duties so they increase the price to make up for it.

[resetjet]

I agree DFA is a waste these days.  Its more expensive then at home in alot of cases.  Sometimes on the island where it is made or the ship has a sale,  but i also agree its just not worth the hassle.

[crzndeb]

22 minutes ago, ryano said:

 

Honestly, I think "duty free" is mostly hype now.  Prices I saw onboard this past cruise were really not much better than my local package store.    

Unless you live in Wa. state…😂

[firefly333]

15 minutes ago, dman1 said:

Our port is Miami, but we live in Texas.

 

He seems to think he can make a few bucks on Hennessey! :)

I think he is going to be sorely disappointed. I saw no deals onboard my ship. One bottle, not Hennessey for 39.99 I had someone check, it could be bought for 30.00 in texas. 

 

Might be a deal if you live in florida but not for Texans.

[billslowsky]

17 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I think he is going to be sorely disappointed. I saw no deals onboard my ship. One bottle, not Hennessey for 39.99 I had someone check, it could be bought for 30.00 in texas. 

 

Might be a deal if you live in florida but not for Texans.

I don't think it's a great venture either.  One should check prices at totalwine before leaving, and carry a list with them for comparison.  You could probably make a few bucks on a carton of cigarettes if you wanted to bother...

[George C]

3 hours ago, dman1 said:

Just curious....is there a limit to how much alcohol you can buy on ship/ports?  When you claim it back in port are there taxes/fees you pay?  If so, anyone know what %??

They no longer ask you to fill out a form saying what or how much you spent .

[LB_NJ]

They usually don't ask coming into NJ however if there was a lot and they notice could be severe fine/jail if they are mad or want to make an example.

 

Also, as everyone else is saying there is not much money to be made.  I only really buy alcohol on a trip if I want a souvenir, or it is something interesting that I can't get nearby, or maybe a last minute present for a friend.

[HicksRA]

I usually buy a couple of bottles of Hendricks Gin if I’m low at home. It’s usually about the same price for a 1 liter bottle on the ship as I pay for a 750 ml bottle at home. 
So pay attention to the size of the bottle when comparing prices. 
And being a Texan, I cruise out of Galveston a lot. I always enjoy seeing the looks on peoples’ faces when walking out with the cardboard liquor boxes and they get cornered by the Texas Tax Police. 😉

Edited March 10, 2022 by HicksRA

[SRF]

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-190?language=en_US#:~:text=Generally%2C one liter of alcohol,countries are entitled to more.

 

You can bring in 1 liter per person except with the USVI exemption.

 

Importing alcohol to resell could end up with the person being charged with a number of crimes.  The laws go back to Prohibition.

 

Duty Free is only duty free into the country where it is sold.  It is not necessarily duty free into another country.

 

In addition to US Customs, Texas also has a fee that needs to be paid.