PollyMurg Posted September 27, 2023 #1 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Port taxes are now being added. This is on our cruise that left Marseille on Monday. No prior warning. Many unhappy sailers. Never saw guest service queues like this ☹️ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare SpainAlien Posted September 27, 2023 #2 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Is this charge being applied to drinks bought in Spanish waters? If so it is already mentioned in the T&Cs plus it has been all over the cruise bloggers/vloggers pages recently. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare schmoopie17 Posted September 27, 2023 #3 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Old news...as opposed to fake news. Unfortunately, it's all too real. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyMurg Posted September 27, 2023 Author #4 Share Posted September 27, 2023 We are not going to Spain. France and Italy only. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyMurg Posted September 27, 2023 Author #5 Share Posted September 27, 2023 17 minutes ago, SpainAlien said: Is this charge being applied to drinks bought in Spanish waters? If so it is already mentioned in the T&Cs plus it has been all over the cruise bloggers/vloggers pages recently. No we are only sailing from France to Italy and back. Not in Spanish waters 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyMurg Posted September 27, 2023 Author #6 Share Posted September 27, 2023 7 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said: Old news...as opposed to fake news. Unfortunately, it's all too real. We are the first cruise that this has been applied to. We are going from France to Italy and back. We are aware of Spanish waters. Thank you for your input ☺️ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted September 27, 2023 #7 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Just now, PollyMurg said: We are the first cruise that this has been applied to. We are going from France to Italy and back. We are aware of Spanish waters. Thank you for your input ☺️ Remember this when someone tells you we need a VAT in the USA. 7 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefMateJRK Posted September 27, 2023 #8 Share Posted September 27, 2023 29 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said: Remember this when someone tells you we need a VAT in the USA. Amen brother!! 🤑 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare shof515 Posted September 27, 2023 #9 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Here is a related topic: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PATRLR Posted September 27, 2023 #10 Share Posted September 27, 2023 (edited) @PollyMurg The title says "When ‘Free at Sea’ is not Free at At Sea" Why are you being charged for drinks if you have Free at Sea? Seems like I'd be much more concerned about the $26.40 than the $4.84. Edited September 27, 2023 by PATRLR 9 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbrown84 Posted September 27, 2023 #11 Share Posted September 27, 2023 34 minutes ago, PATRLR said: @PollyMurg The title says "When ‘Free at Sea’ is not Free at At Sea" Why are you being charged for drinks if you have Free at Sea? Seems like I'd be much more concerned about the $26.40 than the $4.84. I was also confused about this. Doesn't look like the OP has the drink package at all 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitan Obvious Posted September 27, 2023 #12 Share Posted September 27, 2023 One of the tools used in marketing is using words with multiple meanings. Words like "Free". When you have the UBP, you are "free" to order drinks without the worry of getting a large bar bill at the end of the cruise. You have "free"dom from worry. Marketing causes many people to only see "free" as in $0 cost. I agree that it appears that this person doesn't even have the drink package, and therefore should change the thread title. What I really find odd is that there are TWO VAT charges. A 20% VAT on the drink cost AND another 10% VAT on the gratuity. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted September 27, 2023 #13 Share Posted September 27, 2023 59 minutes ago, PATRLR said: @PollyMurg The title says "When ‘Free at Sea’ is not Free at At Sea" Why are you being charged for drinks if you have Free at Sea? Seems like I'd be much more concerned about the $26.40 than the $4.84. You're not being charged for drinks. You're paying a tax on the purchase of the drinks. Value Added Tax or VAT is like a sales tax in the European Union. Many would like to insititute a VAT here in the US so our government could have more of our money. None of this VAT goes to the cruise line, it all goes to the European Union. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PATRLR Posted September 27, 2023 #14 Share Posted September 27, 2023 1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said: You're not being charged for drinks. You're paying a tax on the purchase of the drinks. Value Added Tax or VAT is like a sales tax in the European Union. Many would like to insititute a VAT here in the US so our government could have more of our money. None of this VAT goes to the cruise line, it all goes to the European Union. @RocketMan275 Take a closer look at the picture OP posted. That receipt includes a charge fo the drinks themselves. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloAlaska Posted September 27, 2023 #15 Share Posted September 27, 2023 I have never seen tax applied to a gratuity. That is indeed very odd. Might be because it’s also considered a “service charge” which might be taxable. I pay tax on everything I buy at home so this isn’t outlandish to me but taxing on gratuity is very odd. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted September 27, 2023 #16 Share Posted September 27, 2023 7 minutes ago, PATRLR said: @RocketMan275 Take a closer look at the picture OP posted. That receipt includes a charge fo the drinks themselves. Yes, but OP is complaining about the two VAT charges, the ones circled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugtech Posted September 27, 2023 #17 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Is the VAT also charged on other items purchased in Spanish waters? Would I be charged VAT for purchases of t-shirts? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PATRLR Posted September 27, 2023 #18 Share Posted September 27, 2023 25 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said: Yes, but OP is complaining about the two VAT charges, the ones circled. Don't you find it odd that a supposed (based on OP's chosen title) Free at Sea is being charged for those drinks? That was my point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotfish Posted September 27, 2023 #19 Share Posted September 27, 2023 When I board the ship in Seattle to go to Alaska we are always charged tax on all drinks bought while in port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted September 27, 2023 #20 Share Posted September 27, 2023 3 minutes ago, PATRLR said: Don't you find it odd that a supposed (based on OP's chosen title) Free at Sea is being charged for those drinks? That was my point. Don't you find it odd that OP circled the two vat charges and not the drink charges? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatBoiler Posted September 27, 2023 #21 Share Posted September 27, 2023 8 minutes ago, mugtech said: Is the VAT also charged on other items purchased in Spanish waters? Would I be charged VAT for purchases of t-shirts? Yes, however those are subject to a VAT refund https://thepointsguy.com/guide/vat-refund-how-it-works/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PATRLR Posted September 27, 2023 #22 Share Posted September 27, 2023 3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said: Don't you find it odd that OP circled the two vat charges and not the drink charges? LOL. Well, yeah I do. Hence the question I asked: 1 hour ago, PATRLR said: Why are you being charged for drinks if you have Free at Sea? Seems like I'd be much more concerned about the $26.40 than the $4.84. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted September 27, 2023 #23 Share Posted September 27, 2023 2 minutes ago, PATRLR said: LOL. Well, yeah I do. Hence the question I asked: It's certainly not clear what the complaint is about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted September 27, 2023 #24 Share Posted September 27, 2023 OP...you sure you have Free at Sea? IF so, you need to go to Customer Service and show them how you were charged for drinks. As far as where you sailed, didn't you originate in Barcelona? I know the Epic sailed from Barcelona on Sept 24. Something's not adding up here. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DCGuy64 Posted September 27, 2023 #25 Share Posted September 27, 2023 (edited) Well, somebody has to pay for all of that "free" stuff, right? Free education, free healthcare, free parental leave, etc... But in all seriousness, the fact that there are $9 worth of gratuities and taxes is pretty shameless. Edited September 27, 2023 by DCGuy64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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