Rare mariners Posted July 21 #1 Share Posted July 21 (edited) I have found an answer to part of my question that was posted by MikeyB on this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2967228-the-spanish-vat-imbroglio/#comment-66212697 where he was told that if purchasing the beverage package onboard the ship in Barcelona, there will be the 10% Spanish VAT added to the cost of the package. As Spain charges 10% VAT for purchases on cruise ships in its waters, and Brazil charges 25% VAT for purchases on cruise ships in its waters, and, according to the information I can find online, that includes beverages, I'm looking for answers from anyone who has sailed these itineraries after these changes were made in 2023. Would anyone with first hand experience please post what happened on his/her/their cruise on Viking Ocean? My DH and I have already chosen to purchase the package, but we are sailing with friends who will be experiencing their first Viking Ocean cruise. I want to make sure, or as sure as I can be, that I provide them accurate information. Many thanks! I should have specified, I'm interested in what happened when one bought individual drinks and/or bottles of wine onboard the ship. Edited July 21 by mariners clarification Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BluebonnetTexan Posted July 21 #2 Share Posted July 21 I just read about this yesterday on a blog post about a different cruise line’s beverage package. That person specifically mentioned Spain and Italy as charging VAT on cruise ship drinks and packages not pre-purchased before boarding. So, if your friends want to buy the SSBP they should do it in MVJ before leaving for the cruise, instead of waiting until they board to add it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CILCIANRQTS Posted July 21 #3 Share Posted July 21 (edited) When we were cruising off Brazil a few years ago, the jewelry shop closed most of the time that we were in Brazilian waters. People just held off purchases until we sailed out of their jurisdiction. P.S. Brazil claims a 200nm distance off their coast for economic issues. Edited July 21 by CILCIANRQTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyB Posted July 21 #4 Share Posted July 21 3 hours ago, mariners said: I have found an answer to part of my question that was posted by MikeyB on this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2967228-the-spanish-vat-imbroglio/#comment-66212697 where he was told that if purchasing the beverage package onboard the ship in Barcelona, there will be the 10% Spanish VAT added to the cost of the package. As Spain charges 10% VAT for purchases on cruise ships in its waters, and Brazil charges 25% VAT for purchases on cruise ships in its waters, and, according to the information I can find online, that includes beverages, I'm looking for answers from anyone who has sailed these itineraries after these changes were made in 2023. Would anyone with first hand experience please post what happened on his/her/their cruise on Viking Ocean? My DH and I have already chosen to purchase the package, but we are sailing with friends who will be experiencing their first Viking Ocean cruise. I want to make sure, or as sure as I can be, that I provide them accurate information. Many thanks! I should have specified, I'm interested in what happened when one bought individual drinks and/or bottles of wine onboard the ship. Hi there, It's me. I never did follow up here with what actually occurred once onboard.. To recap, "Tellus" told me I would be charged the VAT for the package onboard the ship. So I prepaid the package. Shortly after boarding I'm in The Living Room making my package work for me. I told the bartender that I prepaid the package. In the past I have always purchased it on board. I asked about VAT. I also confirmed hisreply at the Explorers desk. No VAT would be added if purchased onboard! Of course, this is only my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mariners Posted July 21 Author #5 Share Posted July 21 Thanks so much for all of the answers. MikeyB, I should have reached out to you earlier. It appears that every cruise line has their own way of figuring out how to sail the world. One of the things that I love about the CC Viking board is that people share their onboard, and pre-boarding experiences. We were considering not purchasing the beverage package. However, after reading the different posts and the pros and cons of buying a package, we chose to purchase the inclusive option, and will still bring some items onboard. Our friends might choose to do things differently. One of the benefits of sailing Viking is that it gives different options and allows passengers to make choices. We can't wait to be onboard! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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