VAT tax on European Sailings.

[room with a view]

2 hours ago, sfxthx said:

I am from Germany and my opinion is the same as yours. We are booked on a Med cruise with Norwegian Dawn in November (doesn't include NON-EU-Ports) and Norwegian told me yesterday (after final payment) that we have to pay Spanish VAT on every single drink and for every meal covered by free at sea package for the whole cruise. I always thought if I book my cruise and my free at sea package in advance with their German website, the tax is included in the final price.

It's not the few dollars I now have to pay extra, it's the way NCL communicates this. No word about that, before booking this cruise. Why don't you take a few dollars more for the cruise and include the VAT as every other cruise line does? I am a very loyal costumer and cruised a lot with NCL in the past (and I will do in the future), but this really frustrates me and I don't think this is the right way to treat loyal costumers.

Just my two cents...

I always thought if I book my cruise and my free at sea package in advance with their German website, the tax is included in the final price.

 

Yes,  ...booked through the UK website I thought I had paid all taxes in the pre paid price . BUT NO says NCL . How is this tax collected and paid to Spain ? ... on a full cruise it must be a lot of euros .

Where is this shown in any of NCLs accounts per cruise ? Is it ALL cruise, Princess, MSC, Fred Olsen, P &O ..cannot get any answers .

[DCGuy64]

3 hours ago, sfxthx said:

Why don't you take a few dollars more for the cruise and include the VAT as every other cruise line does?

Because then you'd have people complaining about having to pay VAT on drinks they hadn't planned on consuming at all. It's kind of a no-win situation, frankly. Maybe NCL should create an ombudsman-type of board made up of loyal cruisers. A lot people on here have creative ideas on how the cruise line could improve, so maybe it's worth considering? I don't know. I'm just glad our next cruise isn't stopping in Spain, that's for sure!

Edited August 31, 2023 by DCGuy64
corrected spelling

[room with a view]

24 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Because then you'd have people complaining about having to pay VAT on drinks they hadn't planned on consuming at all. It's kind of a no-win situation, frankly. Maybe NCL should create an ombudsman-type of board made up of loyal cruisers. A lot people on here have creative ideas on how the cruise line could improve, so maybe it's worth considering? I don't know. I'm just glad our next cruise isn't stopping in Spain, that's for sure!

It will be the Greek Islands the next time for us .Going on the Gem next month ...starting in Spain and visiting Spanish ports .

 

[macattack1111]

Looking at some of the prices on upcoming cruises eg.. 11 day cruise £450...looks like customers are leaving NCL in their droves...things like the VAT thing does leave a sour taste in some peoples mouths.

[JeanKC]

Our recent cruise started in Lisbon, all ports were in the EU and it included 4 Spanish ports. We had a drinks package and were not charged vat on any drinks in Spanish ports. Someone on another discussion on this topic mentioned that on their cruise(can';t remember which ship) they were charged tax in Spanish ports but they also received a credit of USD46 on their ship account and when they asked guest services, they were told it was to offset the tax........We were not charged any tax, but we did get USD46 credit to both of our accounts......I did not ask guest services what it was for cos I was afraid they'd take it back!! It was great - paid for laundry, karting, and some starbucks!!! 

Now, maybe, it was because we were on the second voyage of the VIVA and so they decided to let us all off the tax and also reward us with credit for nothing,.......But we were pretty happy!! 

 

It was a good outcome for us, but there does seem to be very little consistency on these charges and when they're applied.

[DCGuy64]

17 hours ago, room with a view said:

It will be the Greek Islands the next time for us .Going on the Gem next month ...starting in Spain and visiting Spanish ports .

 

We'll be in Greece in November, as well. We will also be in Malta and Italy. I'm not too worried about the VAT, honestly. We have the Unlimited Beverage Package (UBP) and from what I've read, there haven't been any (or very few) issues with VAT for customers like us.

[DCGuy64]

26 minutes ago, macattack1111 said:

Looking at some of the prices on upcoming cruises eg.. 11 day cruise £450...looks like customers are leaving NCL in their droves...things like the VAT thing does leave a sour taste in some peoples mouths.

11 days for 450 pounds seems like quite a deal!

[room with a view]

33 minutes ago, macattack1111 said:

Looking at some of the prices on upcoming cruises eg.. 11 day cruise £450...looks like customers are leaving NCL in their droves...things like the VAT thing does leave a sour taste in some peoples mouths.

Come on tell us where and which 🚢 ship  ....thanks 

[Asawi]

2 minutes ago, room with a view said:

Come on tell us where and which 🚢 ship  ....thanks 

I'm not the one that posted it, but my guess would be Mediterranian, Epic out of Provence  in October.

Selling out the last rooms, so not really people leaving in their droves.

The cruise I'm on in October (UK/Ireland) has gone up slightly from when I booked it in May.

[DCGuy64]

If people really are jumping ship (no pun intended), it could be an opportunity for those who remain loyal to NCL and newbies. Seems like a fantastic bargain to me. However, that being said, I wouldn't draw too many conclusions due to 1 single cruise that seems to be cheaper than normal. There's always supply and demand. That £450 cruise might be at a time when fewer people are cruising generally. If anything, people on here are complaining that the cruises are too full. I don't think people are staying away. I looked up the cruise that I believe @Asawi referred to, it's $579 USD for an inside cabin.

Edited September 1, 2023 by DCGuy64

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, macattack1111 said:

Looking at some of the prices on upcoming cruises eg.. 11 day cruise £450...looks like customers are leaving NCL in their droves...things like the VAT thing does leave a sour taste in some peoples mouths.

Ummmm….most (if not all) NCL cruises are sailing at capacity.  I know this is a Europe thing, but I think you’re looking to blame the cruise lines for the way they collect your VAT.  Not sure that’s where the blame should reside.  It’s the different locales that demand the VAT, not NCL!