Alcohol Cheaper?

[loveturtles]

Is Alcohol really cheaper in ports versus at home? I will be going to San Juan, Grand Turk, St. Thomas is any one a cheaper place to buy than the other? I live on the west coast.

[fireman2237]

CHEAPER? YES! we purchased all of our liquor onboard. Example we got 4 bottles of Rum for 19.99. They deliver it right to your door the night before you disembark. They say you can only have 1 bottle per person but I went though customs with 9 bottles and declared them and they waivered all of them. Hope this helps

[zydecocruiser]

It is really cheaper in duty free ports and/or shops, including on the ship. Is it worth the effort? Sometimes. Know the prices back home of what you like, so you know how much you might save and subtract out your labor for carrying home. Also check the prices of what you want in the liquor store on board - no, they won't let you just take back to your room, unless it is the last night of the cruise - ya gotta be able to pack it, dontcha know.

[tigerdadky]

You cant buy alcohol cheaper than u can on the boat I think. 2 bottles of absolute for $20.00 is a steal. If I know of someone going on a cruise and they will buy me some, I go for it. Cant beat their prices.

[GoinCruisin]

Grand Cayman is the place I have found the cheapest... they deliver it from the store to the ship and you get it the last night of the cruise. I generally carry several bottles home, fill it out on my customs form and haven't had to pay tax yet... although I am prepared to if necessary.

[woodman]

On our last Glory I purchased 2 bottles of Sheridan's Liqueuar the first night out. They were having a liquor tasting after dinner. I paid $28. for 2 bottles. In St.Thomas I found the same product in a local store for 2 for$18.

I brought a card from the store back to the ship and told the gal in the shop what I found. She gave me a $10. credit on the spot. I pays to check things out.

[Virga]

Yeah, I was THRILLED to find Sheridan's on the boat - something we couldn't buy at home if we tried!

 

EDIT: We joke that we're going to have to cruise often enough to keep our home bar stocked... Guess I should get to drinking!

[Bunkie103]

We've found some of the biggest savings on things like Kaluah (sp?) and Amaretto, although I always buy some of the flavored rums they sell for just over $6 a bottle. Depends on where you live, but here in PA it's well over $10 a bottle. Can't wait for my March cruise to stock up!:D

[zqvol]

I find that in the Eastern Caribbean that St. Thomas has the best prices, others will say St. Martin, but since that is not in the OP itinerary it is a moot point.

 

Is it cheaper? A definite maybe, and if buying top shelf stuff a resounding YES.

 

IF you are going to pay less than $15 per bottle at home it is probably not worth the effort, but for things that run $75 and up at home you can save substantial sums.

 

Most shops will deliver to the ship if you want or you may always carry it back yourself. (I never let them deliver it.) All liquor will be held until the night before debarkation.

 

If you buy in St. Thomas and one bottle is from the USVI then you can each bring back 6 liters duty free. If one is not from the USVI you only get 5 liters free.

 

Make sure that you know your at home costs because it is really heavy to lug around to save $3 or $4 per bottle.

[sopo1953]

San Juan is a good place to buy liquor. Remember that anything you buy in San Juan is the same as buying it in the continental US. It does not count against any customs allowance. There are two liquor stores right in the terminal in San Juan. It is easy to grab what you want as you are retrning to the ship. In St. Thomas the local K-Mart is the cheapest. The prices are very much lower than in New York or Florida but not much different than in New Hampshire State Liquor stores. I especially like it in te plastic bottles for traveling!

[Knights on the Beach]

We buy Cruzan Rum on the ship -- much cheaper than buying it at home. We've found great deals in several places (St. Maarten had the lowest prices on Absolut during our 2002 cruise, St. Thomas and Progreso had excellent prices as well).

[ajtrigger]

Two liters of Grey Goose from St Maarten. $40.

 

At a Virginia ABC store, it's 38.95 plus sales tax for *one* liter.

[GoinCruisin]

Two liters of Grey Goose from St Maarten. $40.

 

At a Virginia ABC store, it's 38.95 plus sales tax for *one* liter.

 

LOL, that's how much it is here, except not for a Liter, it's for 750ml!!! :eek:

[CwuzCwazy]

You tell me...in St. Maarten I was able to purchase a liter of Crown Royal for $10.99. Seems to me you can't beat that price in any Stateside Liquor Store.

[pounder207]

A lot depends on whether you have to fly to the cruise. Airlines are increasingly fussy about the weight of your luggage, plus it's a real hassle to lug liquor bottles around an airport.

 

STT is the best of the three ports you mentioned. If you go to the Bacardi distillery you can get an anejo rum unavailable anywhere else. The liquor store prices in San Juan and STT are otherwise cheaper than the distillery.

 

Your savings will vary with the brands of liquor you buy. Premium brands like JW Blue or Green or good brandy will be a great deal cheaper in STT than at home.

 

Check to see the selection on the ship. It's generally somewhat limited. Also check to see if the ship's store will match any advertised price from a port liquor store. We just got back from the Crown Princess(before the list) and the ship's store matched any advertised price plus gave you a 15% discount if you bought 12 bottles or more.

[zqvol]

San Juan is a good place to buy liquor. Remember that anything you buy in San Juan is the same as buying it in the continental US. It does not count against any customs allowance. There are two liquor stores right in the terminal in San Juan. It is easy to grab what you want as you are retrning to the ship. In St. Thomas the local K-Mart is the cheapest. The prices are very much lower than in New York or Florida but not much different than in New Hampshire State Liquor stores. I especially like it in te plastic bottles for traveling!

Liquor purchased in San Juan does count against your custom allowance.

[MTcruiser]

On our last Glory I purchased 2 bottles of Sheridan's Liqueuar the first night out. They were having a liquor tasting after dinner. I paid $28. for 2 bottles. In St.Thomas I found the same product in a local store for 2 for$18.

I brought a card from the store back to the ship and told the gal in the shop what I found. She gave me a $10. credit on the spot. I pays to check things out.

 

What is Sheridan's ?

[pounder207]

Sheridan's is a type of cream liquor like Bailey's.

[Virga]

It makes pretty layered coffee drinks - very nice presentation =)

[synet165]

I did the islands on NCL in April and my last stop San Juan had the cheapest prices. At the cruise ship docks, there are duty free shops, the prices can't be matched.

 

If you do like Cruzan flavored rums, buy them in St. Thomas. I live in NYC and when it finally found it it was almost $20 and no choice of flavors. In St. Thomas, I think it was 4 liters for $25.

Enjoy

synet165

[Knights on the Beach]

If you do like Cruzan flavored rums, buy them in St. Thomas. I live in NYC and when it finally found it it was almost $20 and no choice of flavors. In St. Thomas, I think it was 4 liters for $25.

Enjoy

synet165

That's the same price we paid for it on the Glory and didn't have to go off the ship to find it. ;)

[SpliceTheMainbrace]

Your savings will vary with the brands of liquor you buy.

Premium brands like JW Blue or Green or good brandy will be a great deal cheaper in STT than at home.

 

$130 for 1L JW Blue in STT, a savings of at least $50.

 

I went though customs with 9 bottles and declared them and they waivered all of them.

If you buy in St. Thomas and one bottle is from the USVI then you can each bring back 6 liters duty free. If one is not from the USVI you only get 5 liters free.

 

Our cruisegroup of 4 thought 5 per was the limit so we only (!) bought 20 bottles in STT.

 

I'm a little fuzzy on the duty charge per bottle for any overage. I seem to recall it was $3 per bottle, a nothing amount really if you're saving 5X or 10X that amount on each bottle.

 

But I also seem to recall that if you went over you were supposed to report to some room on the ship the morning of debarkation? Has anybody done that? Gone over their allotment and had to show up the last morning to ID yourself as someone who bought more than the duty free allowance?

 

If so, was this a major hassle that caused different treatment and/or an additional delay when getting off the ship? Not having gone over, we just walked off with our customs form & ID in our teeth (our hands were carrying the liquor boxes from Al Cohen's in STT!). What would have happened if we had bought 10 bottles per person? Would we have paid the extra duty while on board the ship, or would we have had to report somewhere to pay if after we had gotten off the ship?

 

Thanks! As you can see, we're already planning for our next cruise/booze shopping spree!

[cruise-aholicRN]

woodman: Where did you find Sheridan 2 for $18????? I am headed to St Thomas in a few weeks and I love Sheridan but usually pay $22-$24. Do you remember where the store was in St Thomas????

 

T.J.

[rt63]

 

I'm a little fuzzy on the duty charge per bottle for any overage. I seem to recall it was $3 per bottle, a nothing amount really if you're saving 5X or 10X that amount on each bottle.

For some heavy :D reading, check out the US Tariffs for importation at http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/0611C22.pdf and get out your calculator.

 

If you locate your favorite beverage in this document (rum seems to be the most economical import) and then see item 6 and 7 from page 1, you will quickly realize why most travelers who declare several bottles have reported simply being waved on without paying duty at all. I'm sure the amount of duty most people should pay is inconsequential compared to the hourly wages of the person collecting the toll... multiply that by the annoyed look of the other passengers in line. (this is likely NOT found in the US Customs Service training manual)

 

Short answer: there's no specific amount per bottle, it's a factor of the type of spirit, the percentage of alcohol, and the size/amount.

[SpliceTheMainbrace]

For some heavy :D reading, check out the US Tariffs for importation at http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/0611C22.pdf and get out your calculator.

 

If you locate your favorite beverage in this document (rum seems to be the most economical import) and then see item 6 and 7 from page 1, you will quickly realize why most travelers who declare several bottles have reported simply being waved on without paying duty at all. I'm sure the amount of duty most people should pay is inconsequential compared to the hourly wages of the person collecting the toll... multiply that by the annoyed look of the other passengers in line. (this is likely NOT found in the US Customs Service training manual)

 

Short answer: there's no specific amount per bottle, it's a factor of the type of spirit, the percentage of alcohol, and the size/amount.

 

Good answer. Any idea when/where you confront the reality? Do you do so on board the morning of debarkation, or just fill out your little duty form and basically walk past them regardless, since it didn't seem ANYONE was looking at the forms?