Stressing about the budget!

[Aus Traveller]

Yes that would be the best plan (!) BUT.... how would one go about buying duty free smokes (in Auckland) BEFORE the cruise to take on board with us?

 

Thanks in advance!

If you have time you could go to the duty free shop Galleria in the middle of Auckland. It is only about two blocks from the ship. We have bought alcohol there and I am sure they would have cigs as well. Maybe check on their website. It is a very large two story shop with a lot of stock.

[Aussie Aloha]

$300 per day :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

 

Have you considered not throwing your hard earned money about quite so much on this cruise - and taking a second cruise instead??? :p

 

 

Barry

 

 

Well I don't plan on spending that each day Barry. That's just what I have saved and have budgeted to spend if needed.

 

I want to have a good time without worrying too much about the cost.

 

I am a big drinker also, so from the looks of the replies here, drinks will be my biggest spend. I have booked one shore tour at each port but they aren't overly expensive ones.

 

The drink smuggling sounds tempting but I would be unlucky enough to get caught!

[fishtaco]

Yes that would be the best plan (!) BUT.... how would one go about buying duty free smokes (in Auckland) BEFORE the cruise to take on board with us?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Any duty free shop will sell you duty free before you cruise with the ticket details and passport!

 

They now take credit card details just in case you forget to take them with you! this way the tax is charged directly to you if you do forget them:D

 

When i went to the duty free shop in Perth they were advising cruisers that they were allowed 2 liters of alcohol,one to consume onboard and one to be held by P&O?

 

I questioned this as i knew you cannot consume duty free onboard and was told the directive came from customs and P&O?

 

There were many unhappy Perth first time cruisers who thought this was the truth only to have it taken away from them before boarding!

 

I was a happy smoker though as my smokes cost around $4 AU a packet duty free(what P&O used to charge) and onboard they were over $11AU per pack!

[dougo in oz]

Let's face it - life on board a ship is planned by the Cruise Lines to extract as much money as they can from passengers !!

 

Apart from the cost of drinks and shore excursions, specialty dining - if offered - can add up.

 

But the other thing that never ceases to amaze me are those mad sea days where everyone checks out the "sale" items of Bijou Terner usually set out in one of the dining rooms.

 

I can't believe how many people buy that stuff that seems to have an endless supply of old T-shirt stock from former cruise line ships or ports, not to mention evening bags and costume jewellry mention and tons of cheap watches !! Yet, the sale is always crowded and people walk out with armfuls of "stuff" !!!

[aussiedisneyfan]

Hey, are you saying all that crap I bought was a waste of money? :p

[rkmw]

If you have time you could go to the duty free shop Galleria in the middle of Auckland. It is only about two blocks from the ship. We have bought alcohol there and I am sure they would have cigs as well. Maybe check on their website. It is a very large two story shop with a lot of stock.

 

when we tried to buy smokes from the Galleria at Auckland they would not let us take them ourselves but they delivered to the ship and we got them on our last night

 

rkmw

[Aus Traveller]

when we tried to buy smokes from the Galleria at Auckland they would not let us take them ourselves but they delivered to the ship and we got them on our last night

 

rkmw

I wondered about that. I know that alcohol is delivered to the ship for you. Obviously buying cigs at Galleria wouldn't be much good if you were going to somewhere like Port Vila on your cruise. We don't smoke but we have bought cigs (wonder why???) in Vila. We were allowed to take them aboard and keep them. This was with P & O.

[fishtaco]

when we tried to buy smokes from the Galleria at Auckland they would not let us take them ourselves but they delivered to the ship and we got them on our last night

 

rkmw

 

 

NZ must have different customs rules to Australia?

 

As long as i can remember In Perth you can buy duty free and walk out the shop with it!

 

I even did this years ago at a duty free shop near the rocks in Sydney!

 

Perth airport now has a good range of duty free at the airport and most dont bother with Smokes and drink until you arrive at the airport!

 

One reason you cannot buy and take away from airports is because although sometimes purchased before customs/emigration it is collected after customs because of security liquid limit laws,most duty free is stored after customs as that is where it has to be collected.

 

Still you can do it in OZ as I did it 8 weeks ago!

 

Did you also buy alcohol and it was in the same sealed duty free bag perhaps?

 

Cant see why a cruise line would hold your smokes? They have no objection to cruisers bringing them aboard from other ports like Vila plus it is no busines of the cruise line weather you pay tax on cigarettes or not?

 

You are allowed to bring cigarettes aboard bought from a shop! they cannot stop you gaining access to your duty free cigarettes that were not purchased aboard ?

 

BYO alcohol is prohibited onboard duty free or not but cigarettes are not prohibited same as other duty free items? Did you ask for them back once aboard?

 

Sorry forgot to add you cannot walk out of a duty free shop with alcohol if you are flying! because of the liquid limit laws even if you purchase in a shop in town you will have to pick it up at the airport beyond customs!

 

Duty free alcohol is allowed to be taken with you if you are not flying ie cruising.

[rkmw]

when we cruised to Hawaii 12 months ago we went to the Galleria in Honolulu and because we were on the cruise ship we could not buy any duty free cigs....if you are flying out its ok as they send them to the airport but not the cruise ship

 

rkmw

[fishtaco]

when we cruised to Hawaii 12 months ago we went to the Galleria in Honolulu and because we were on the cruise ship we could not buy any duty free cigs....if you are flying out its ok as they send them to the airport but not the cruise ship

 

rkmw

 

Thats because there are so many dodgy people in countries with high populations lol

 

In Australia it would be quite easy to track down a person if they past them on before leaving the country!

 

Plus now they take your credit card details so if you dont produce goods at the custom point you will be automatically charged the tax by the duty free outlet because the people who work at customs collecting the invoices work for the duty free outlet!

 

Have a look at the amount of cigarettes smuggled into the UK every year!

 

Its big businesses with charges up there with drug smuggling!

 

Duty free shops outside the airports may stop selling smokes in Australia because of the low demand?

 

My ship left from Fremantle but Fremantle duty free did not sell cigarettes I had to get them from Perth City

[Rasa Sayang]

My ship left from Fremantle but Fremantle duty free did not sell cigarettes I had to get them from Perth City

 

You could have always bought "kreteks" in Bali. :D:p

[fishtaco]

You could have always bought "kreteks" in Bali. :D:p

 

 

Gudang Garams may be ok if I had a toothache but if thats all that was available i would become a non smoker very quickly!

 

my tongue is going numb thinking about them:(

[Rasa Sayang]

Gudang Garams may be ok if I had a toothache but if thats all that was available i would become a non smoker very quickly!

 

my tongue is going numb thinking about them:(

 

:p:D

 

I know what you mean.

 

I tried them twice on the one day - a first time - and a last time. :eek:

 

Though I must admit they smell nice.:)

[dmaher42]

Never mind, did not see the 2nd page.

[steve1970]

Its simple! as long as its in bottles that dont look like Booze bottles!

 

 

I have to agree with all you have said, some of us only have a drink when on holiday and P&O do maximise profit, we are not children, yobbos etc and can handle our own drinks in our cabin, therefore actually saving hundreds of dollars. Buy a plastic souviner cup and use that, waled around the ship with that with your own drink inside. No one will say a word.

My advise is to carry the mixers with you, as my suitcase was opened up to see if my coke was beer and they decided to keep my cellphone at the same time.

That was in Sydney with checked in luggage.

Steve

[Kinkacruiser]

Let's face it - life on board a ship is planned by the Cruise Lines to extract as much money as they can from passengers !!

 

 

But the other thing that never ceases to amaze me are those mad sea days where everyone checks out the "sale" items of Bijou Terner usually set out in one of the dining rooms.

 

 

It was bedlam on those Bijou Terner $20 sales days. A few weeks after the cruise, my BT sunnies that I purchased on the cruise fell on carpet and the plastic frame snapped off . Also, I saw the same "sales" items displayed at the BT shop at Sydney airport when we got back....and there were no crowds.:rolleyes:

 

Cheers,

Anna

[Aussie Aloha]

My advise is to carry the mixers with you, as my suitcase was opened up to see if my coke was beer and they decided to keep my cellphone at the same time.

That was in Sydney with checked in luggage.

Steve

 

 

Why did they keep your cell phone?

[steve1970]

Why did they keep your cell phone?

 

I have no idea??? It was only a cheap one, maybe it fell out when they were looking for 'booze'??