Has anyone in the UK claimed back tax paid onboard for drinks from a drinks package?

[SouthamptonCruiseFan]

Have heard that some people have successfully claimed this back. Becoming more of an issue so intrigued. Please advise of you've been refunded, with the approx date amd country.

[hawkeyetlse]

I started looking for older discussions. So far this is the only report I have dug up, but it includes a very clear statement of NCL's position (at the time, late 2016) about taxes on drinks served as part of a beverage package.

 

I also wrote to NCL at around the same time about another sailing, but so far I can't tell if I ever received a response. But I think it would be worth it for people who have been affected on recent cruises to contact them again to find out how and why their thinking has evolved since 2016…

 

  

 

 

 

[hawkeyetlse]

OK, I also received a response saying the same thing and offering me compensation. Although it took 3 months and a couple of back and forth exchanges for them to understand that I wasn't just complaining about the concept of taxation in general.

 

This was from the Guest Relations Supervisor for the NCL CE (continental Europe) office in February 2017:

 

I'm also sorry to read that you have been charged VAT while in Spanish waters at the beginning of your cruise and while in US waters at the end of the cruise. Honestly we are quite surprised that this happened to your bookings as indeed such VAT should only been charged based on the drinks prices but bookings with complimentary drinks packages like in your two bookings, should have been excluded.

 

This was for a westbound transatlantic on the Jade, from Barcelona to Tampa, in October/November 2016. So the policy at the time was evidently the same for both intra-EU cruises (as reported in the previous post) and for cruises with stops outside of the EU (like mine). And the policy was the same for both Spanish VAT and for Florida sales tax, i.e. that these taxes should not be collected on $0 drink orders.

Edited May 17, 2023 by hawkeyetlse

[Misself]

Someone in our group, just to be minded, on the last day of the cruise went to guest services and got them to print off VAT receipts for all the drinks they charged VAT on.  (Ridiculous VAT on a drink that costs you nothing!) .  The idea being there is a place at the airport where you can claim it back.  Of course he never bothered to do that as it was only a few dollars, but he simply wanted to inconvenience them.
 

 

[hawkeyetlse]

To claim tax back on items you are exporting from the EU, you have to be able to show them the items, still new and unopened/unused. That is not possible for food and drink that you have already consumed before leaving the EU.

 

And what a strange thing to do! If he wasn't even trying to get his money back, the person he inconvenienced most of all was himself. I hope he at least submitted an actual question/complaint that would make its way to anyone beyond the poor guest services person who had to deal with him.

[Greener123]

23 hours ago, hawkeyetlse said:

OK, I also received a response saying the same thing and offering me compensation. Although it took 3 months and a couple of back and forth exchanges for them to understand that I wasn't just complaining about the concept of taxation in general.

 

This was from the Guest Relations Supervisor for the NCL CE (continental Europe) office in February 2017:

 

I'm also sorry to read that you have been charged VAT while in Spanish waters at the beginning of your cruise and while in US waters at the end of the cruise. Honestly we are quite surprised that this happened to your bookings as indeed such VAT should only been charged based on the drinks prices but bookings with complimentary drinks packages like in your two bookings, should have been excluded.

 

This was for a westbound transatlantic on the Jade, from Barcelona to Tampa, in October/November 2016. So the policy at the time was evidently the same for both intra-EU cruises (as reported in the previous post) and for cruises with stops outside of the EU (like mine). And the policy was the same for both Spanish VAT and for Florida sales tax, i.e. that these taxes should not be collected on $0 drink orders.

currently posted on the Epic out of Barcelona… charging 10% taxes on purchases including if you have a package. NCL changing their minds all over the place this summer 

[scar4711]

2 hours ago, Greener123 said:

currently posted on the Epic out of Barcelona… charging 10% taxes on purchases including if you have a package. NCL changing their minds all over the place this summer 

this happens in every US port.. its not NCL.   the local authorities want $$$.

 

 

[Greener123]

The point was that it contradicted the previous statement from NCL saying that they wouldn’t charge the taxes on beverage package drink orders 

[hawkeyetlse]

I mean, I am prepared to accept that every country has changed its rules since 2017 about how tax should be calculated on drinks served for no charge when cruise ships are in port. But have they actually changed their rules, or is NCL (and no other cruise lines, to my knowledge) collecting this money and pocketing it as additional revenue?

[gregluk]

You should definitely be able to claim it back. I asked Norwegian again and they said you don't pay any port tax on drinks with a beverage package because you are essentially getting the drink for free, $0.00. Norwegian is giving you a free drink. And 10% or any percentage of tax on $0.00 is 0.00 .

 

 

[SouthamptonCruiseFan]

On 5/19/2023 at 6:50 PM, gregluk said:

You should definitely be able to claim it back. I asked Norwegian again and they said you don't pay any port tax on drinks with a beverage package because you are essentially getting the drink for free, $0.00. Norwegian is giving you a free drink. And 10% or any percentage of tax on $0.00 is 0.00 .

 

Can you let me know how and when you were told this and if you have it in writing please! Would dearly love a copy if you do!!

[BirdTravels]

On 5/19/2023 at 1:50 PM, gregluk said:

You should definitely be able to claim it back. I asked Norwegian again and they said you don't pay any port tax on drinks with a beverage package because you are essentially getting the drink for free, $0.00. Norwegian is giving you a free drink. And 10% or any percentage of tax on $0.00 is 0.00 .

 

 

Explain that to Gov DeSantis. We certainly paid taxes while in Miami last week.

 

The issue is that you are being charged for the drinks, in full value. It is being charged to CruiseNext versus your onboard account. So, you get stuck with the taxes.  

Edited May 26, 2023 by BirdTravels

[scooter6139]

18 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Explain that to Gov DeSantis. We certainly paid taxes while in Miami last week.

 

The issue is that you are being charged for the drinks, in full value. It is being charged to CruiseNext versus your onboard account. So, you get stuck with the taxes.  

Same in Seattle, LA, and San Diego, on both NCL and Princess.  Your drink will always have a cost associated with it (it's shown on each menu).  Tax for each US port is based on that.

 

However, I have no idea how it works in the EU or UK.

[UKstages]

11 minutes ago, scooter6139 said:

Your drink will always have a cost associated with it (it's shown on each menu).  Tax for each US port is based on that.

 

yes, indeed. the so-called "tax" is based on that, but neither NCL nor princess is receiving revenue equal to that amount, so the "tax" isn't really a tax, it's a fee. but that's beside the point, unless somebody wanted to sue and say you can't collect tax on a free item.

 

if they waited till the end of the cruise and divided the cost of the gratuities by the number of drinks consumed, that would be the average price of the drink, and on NCL, assuming 7 drinks a day, the average cost of each drink would be less than $3.00. a case could be made that THAT would be the fair price per drink on which tax should be calculated. that's the "cost" of each drink and the "revenue" (even though it's being collected as a gratuity) that the cruise line collects for each drink.

[gregluk]

Has anyone else recently contacted norwegian and tried to get a refund for the tax charged?

[SouthamptonCruiseFan]

58 minutes ago, gregluk said:

Has anyone else recently contacted norwegian and tried to get a refund for the tax charged?

Currently in the process hence my post. Just getting fobbed off at the moment. As someone else said how can there be a tax on something with zero monetary value. I have one other guest on the same cruise as us who says guest services took the charges off!

[Greener123]

In the US do you pay 2 lots of sales tax on a buy one get one free offer? 
 

 

[gregluk]

27 minutes ago, SouthamptonCruiseFan said:

Currently in the process hence my post. Just getting fobbed off at the moment. As someone else said how can there be a tax on something with zero monetary value. I have one other guest on the same cruise as us who says guest services took the charges off!

Who are you emailing? Or what's the best means to contact them?

[SouthamptonCruiseFan]

11 minutes ago, gregluk said:

Who are you emailing? Or what's the best means to contact them?

euguestservices@ncl.com 

Good luck. They seem to have a set of standard replies!!

[gregluk]

On 6/11/2023 at 8:33 PM, SouthamptonCruiseFan said:

euguestservices@ncl.com 

Good luck. They seem to have a set of standard replies!!

Are you still messaging them? Are they coming back with any likelihood of resolving or refunding?