Liquor in room question

Good morning! First time HAL cruiser. Quick question. When ordering a bottle of liquor to be delivered to room, can you do this once you get on the ship? We leave on the Maasdam today. Thanks!

Yes. There will be a room service liquor list in your room. Have a great trip.

Yes. There will be a room service liquor list in your room. Have a great trip.

Thank you so much! just want to make sure that I bring enough ginger beer to make Moscow Mules! :-)

Thank you so much! just want to make sure that I bring enough ginger beer to make Moscow Mules! :-)

If you are heading to Total Wine for your ginger beer, they've got copper Moscow Mule mugs galore.

Don't expect it to be delivered right away.

The crew have many extra jobs to do on embarkation day.

Also you will be charged the Florida tax as well as the 15% gratuity.

Bon Voyage!!

So, KK, it might be wiser to wait until day 2? (to avoid the tax)

So, KK, it might be wiser to wait until day 2? (to avoid the tax)

I'm pretty sure that local tax doesn't apply once you're underway. The tax calculation is going to be based on when the charge hits your folio. Even if the OP is buying the most expensive vodkas on the room service list (Belvedere or Chopin at $78.75/liter) the tax would only be $4.73. I spill more than that. :D

That is up to you. I think the tax is 7%.

We usually pre-purchase alcohol for our cruises -- no Florida tax that way but you still have to pay the 15% gratuity.

Since we had a ton of shipboard credit on our last cruise, we waited until we were on the ship and ordered alcohol for the cabin. It wasn't our money so we didn't mind spending the extra 7% tax.

For our next cruise we don't have a lot of shipboard credit and since it is a 21 day cruise and the Hotel Service Charge has gone up, the shipboard credit that we will get will be eaten up by the HSC. Thus I have already ordered our alcohol.

I'm pretty sure that local tax doesn't apply once you're underway. The tax calculation is going to be based on when the charge hits your folio. Even if the OP is buying the most expensive vodkas on the room service list (Belvedere or Chopin at $78.75/liter) the tax would only be $4.73. I spill more than that. :D

We placed our order with the concierges at Noon and the tax was added on right away.

I just pre-ordered a couple bottles of Jim Beam off the beverage package page on the website, there was no state tax added.

That is up to you. I think the tax is 7%.

It's 6% for Fort Lauderdale & Broward County. If you are sailing out of Miami, it's 7%. Of course, you're not on a HAL ship if you sail out of Miami....

It's 6% for Fort Lauderdale & Broward County. If you are sailing out of Miami, it's 7%. Of course, you're not on a HAL ship if you sail out of Miami....

I couldn't remember the exact amount.

Isn't Tampa a different amount for the sales tax?

I couldn't remember the exact amount.

Isn't Tampa a different amount for the sales tax?

Yes, Tampa is 7 percent. If that's what you were referring to,please accept my apologies. I thought you'd were talking about the OP, who is sailing out of Port Everglades, which is in Fort Lauderdale. I think all of Broward county is, 6%.

Under state law, Florida sales tax can range from 6% to 7.5%. The add on percentage is usually at the county level, but there are a couple of oddball exceptions, usually for stadium funding.

It is like PA. Those of living in Allegheny County and those living in Philadelphia pay a higher sales tax -- 7% while everyone else in PA pays only 6%. And only those of us living in Allegheny pay a drink tax of 7%. We are paying the extra taxes to fund all the new stadiums that have been built.

But if the budget finally gets passed today -- it was due by June 30 and out new governor gets his way, we will be paying higher taxes and on many more items.

Oh -- that extra 7% on drinks only in our county -- that is to pay for public transportation -- bus service.

All bus service was discontinued in our area years ago.

I might order a bottle for the room but for our convenience I usually bring some in rum runners for room drinks and use my X4 card around the ship.Most of our cruises are Collectors so we get the DF liquor brought to our room at the end of the first leg.

I might order a bottle for the room but for our convenience I usually bring some in rum runners for room drinks and use my X4 card around the ship.Most of our cruises are Collectors so we get the DF liquor brought to our room at the end of the first leg.

Do rum runners really make it through scanners? I was told they do but nervous getting caught.

Do rum runners really make it through scanners? I was told they do but nervous getting caught.

Should be ok, just remember to put them in your checked luggage.

It is perfectly legal to have alcoholic beverages in your checked luggage.

But it is against HAL cruise line rules. The worst that would happen is, if they spotted it at the cruise terminal, it would be taken away.

I have successfully used Rum Runners, but then discovered HAL sells Meyers rum for less than I can buy it locally. I order it before the cruise and it's waiting for us when we arrive in our room.

It's 6% for Fort Lauderdale & Broward County. If you are sailing out of Miami, it's 7%.

For our cruise out of Seattle is would make a LOT more sense to order once underway because WA tax on alcohol is basically 50% (booze tax + sales tax). A $20 bottle of bourbon rings up as $30 at Total Wine. Just wondering how far underway is needed. If the ship enters Canadian waters in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is that enough? Or is "just left the pier and underway" enough?

Also, liquor purchased onboard for delivery at end of cruise... charged at time of purchase? This could be a significant savings to take home. Might need to bring an extra empty suitcase. ;) :D

For our cruise out of Seattle is would make a LOT more sense to order once underway because WA tax on alcohol is basically 50% (booze tax + sales tax). A $20 bottle of bourbon rings up as $30 at Total Wine. Just wondering how far underway is needed. If the ship enters Canadian waters in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is that enough? Or is "just left the pier and underway" enough?

 

Also, liquor purchased onboard for delivery at end of cruise... charged at time of purchase? This could be a significant savings to take home. Might need to bring an extra empty suitcase. ;) :D

I am not sure about this, but I think the only tax that would be charged is sales tax.

As for how far you have to be out, you don't have to be in Canadian waters, you just have to be out of Washington state waters, which I believe is just 12 miles offshore.

In Puget Sound and the Strait you are never 12 miles off-shore unless having crossed to the Canadian side of the strait where 12 miles does not matter. The maximum distance across the straight is under 16 miles so the border is 8 miles or less off the WA shore.

I have successfully used Rum Runners, but then discovered HAL sells Meyers rum for less than I can buy it locally. I order it before the cruise and it's waiting for us when we arrive in our room.

Of course, if you're flying to the port what matters is how much it costs at whatever liquor store you can make your purchase from in the port city.

Also you will be charged the Florida tax as well as the 15% gratuity.

Not if it is delivered after the 12 (?)-mile point. We have never paid taxes on liquor delivered after that point.

So, KK, it might be wiser to wait until day 2? (to avoid the tax)

You don't need to wait until the second day. I think that you need to be 12 miles offshore to be out of the state or county's territorial waters. We have always asked for the bottle to be delivered once outside the territorial waters, which may account for the lack of a sales tax. In fact, I think that if you pre-order liquor before boarding, the website states for delivery outside the territorial waters. At least it used to, but now I cannot access that site. It seems to require a booking no., although the website refer to purchasing gifts for booked guests. Maybe the site isn't working too well today. Or, maybe yours truly isn't!