Duty Free on 2 day cruise?

[cgoingmom]

Can you buy Duty Free on the Ensenada 2 day cruise out of San Diego? I have always wanted to take advantage of the price of Grey Goose but never wanted to mess with it on the flight home. Since getting off in San Diego is almost home I was wondering if you could get those great deals on this cruise. Thanks for any info.:)

[dforeigner]

Yes you can. Either at shore or on board if the ship's store is open.

[cruiserbryce]

yup...in the ports and on the ships duty free is available...doesnt matter if its a 2 day cruise or a 15 day cruise...I would be curious though to see if the one day cruises to nowhere offer duty free shopping

[cgoingmom]

Thank you both for the reply.:)

[smeyer418]

actually it does matter. You have to be outside the US for more than 48 hours to get a duty free allowance. If the ship is not out more than 48 hours it can't legally sell duty free. But what most cruise lines do is add the duty(which is about a dollar a bottle) and sell it to you that way. They don't add any state tax which in reality makes up most of the cost of non duty free booze. As for other items many don't have duty any way and the cruise lines mostly just absorb the cost and pay it for you on other items....

 

# "You are returning from an overseas stay of at least 48 hours. For example, if you leave the United States at 1:30 p.m. on June 1, you would complete the 48-hour period at 1:30 p.m. on June 3. This time limit does not apply if you are returning from Mexico or from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (See also the section on the $200 exemption.)"

 

from this site

 

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/duty_free.xml

[cruisePRN]

I'm sailing on the dawn for 2 nights which is 48 hours :D

[dforeigner]

actually it does matter. You have to be outside the US for more than 48 hours to get a duty free allowance. If the ship is not out more than 48 hours it can't legally sell duty free. But what most cruise lines do is add the duty(which is about a dollar a bottle) and sell it to you that way. They don't add any state tax which in reality makes up most of the cost of non duty free booze. As for other items many don't have duty any way and the cruise lines mostly just absorb the cost and pay it for you on other items....

 

This is not true. I have flown out of the US and returned within hours and did not have to pay a duty tax. I have walked across the border and returned within minutes and did not have to pay duty tax. If the ship makes one international stop, then there will be no duty tax. At least at the Federal level. Some states may still add their own tax upon your return to the US.

 

"This time limit does not apply if you are returning from Mexico or from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (See also the section on the $200 exemption.)"

[vickie_bernie]

also depends what country you are from, like us from Canada, we could be away for much longer because of travelling to and from port.

 

But this week we crossed the line, bought some things, not much just about $80 for the two of us and we told the custom adgent but he waived us thru.

[smeyer418]

This is not true. I have flown out of the US and returned within hours and did not have to pay a duty tax. I have walked across the border and returned within minutes and did not have to pay duty tax. If the ship makes one international stop, then there will be no duty tax. At least at the Federal level. Some states may still add their own tax upon your return to the US.

 

"This time limit does not apply if you are returning from Mexico or from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (See also the section on the $200 exemption.)"

 

The limit is still one duty free even if you are out more than a year. I am also sure that customs looks the other way on this most of the time. But I can tell you these are the rules on the cruise to no where they collect the dollar as I indicated above unless they are out more then 48 hours. It really isn't much. people think the duty is great its not the duty its the state excise taxes which no cruise line collects. Mexico gives you the $200 exemption for less than 48 hours but none for liquor or cigs for less than 48 hours I believe but I will look it up...but them is the rules...

 

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/publications/travel/knowbeforeyougo.ctt/knowbeforeyougo.pdf

 

 

full booklet totally unclear as to mexico...the $200 exemption includes 5 ounces of liquor....

[smeyer418]

I'm sailing on the dawn for 2 nights which is 48 hours :D

I have been on the Dawn on a CTN but for only one day. It has to be out for more than 48 hours or they will just add the dollar as it isn't going to Mexico....they also have no limit once they add the dollar. People stocked up with cases....

[sveipe]

This is not true. I have flown out of the US and returned within hours and did not have to pay a duty tax. I have walked across the border and returned within minutes and did not have to pay duty tax. If the ship makes one international stop, then there will be no duty tax. At least at the Federal level. Some states may still add their own tax upon your return to the US.

 

"This time limit does not apply if you are returning from Mexico or from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (See also the section on the $200 exemption.)"

 

Even if you didn't have to pay tax on it doesn't mean it's legal. And if you stayed for less than 48 hours in Mexico, you could only bring a whopping 150ml of Grey Goose.

[cactusrose]

Grey Goose really isn't that much of a bargain on board ship. It's about $30 for a liter. You can get it for around $48 for 1.75 liters at Costco. Based on that your savings is about $2.5 for a liter.

[dforeigner]

Even if you didn't have to pay tax on it doesn't mean it's legal. And if you stayed for less than 48 hours in Mexico, you could only bring a whopping 150ml of Grey Goose.

 

 

Well, CBP has records as to when I left and returned to the US. CBP also imposes limits as to how much you can bring duty free before adding an import tax. I declared everything I bring back every time (Failure to declare, even if under the allowed amount is a Federal crime). Therefore, I have not done anything illegal.

[m steve]

We'll be taking 2 separate cruises in the Caribbean in mid Nov and early Dec. One stops in St. Martin and the other St. Thomas. I know theres a 30 day limit on duty free purchases so i guess we'll just buy wahtever we want and pay the duty if they want to collect it. St. Thomas does give us a greater allowance and i don't know if I should advise customs that I don't want to take my allowance on the first cruise. Any experience with this issue?