Thomson confiscating your Duty Free

[Dreamgirl1957]

Hi yes it was me grab1.

I was quite happy paying for my Pinot @£16.95 a bottle but when they so calked ran out after our 4th bottle and only buy by the glass, which you can't get it on the AI so what do you do?

Dreamgirl don't blame me for what was going down!

Bob

 

Hi Bob, sorry, I had already apologised to you but so many posts on here. Think was two posts down from the first comment (as you quoted) , again really sorry, didn't mean any offense, Vic

 

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[Thomson Cruises]

You have also removed comments of mine!

 

All I asked was whether cigarettes were being confiscated from duty free until the end of the cruise, and of so, why.

 

Why you feel the need to remove that comment, and not even answer it, there or here, really stinks, why can't you answer a simple question?

 

Hi Sodafountain,

 

I’ve found your post regarding the cigarettes, however you’d already asked this question and we’d also given as much details as we could at this current time. Because of this it was considered as a spam post and your comment wasn’t approved.

 

As you’re aware we’ve received your email so we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Thanks,

Lauren

[okavango]

Hi Sodafountain,

 

I’ve found your post regarding the cigarettes, however you’d already asked this question and we’d also given as much details as we could at this current time. Because of this it was considered as a spam post and your comment wasn’t approved.

 

As you’re aware we’ve received your email so we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Thanks,

Lauren

 

another great answer from the Thomson training school for future politicians

[Barkeeper]

Hi Sodafountain,

 

I’ve found your post regarding the cigarettes, however you’d already asked this question and we’d also given as much details as we could at this current time. Because of this it was considered as a spam post and your comment wasn’t approved.

 

As you’re aware we’ve received your email so we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Thanks,

Lauren

 

This reply from a company we are using for first time after RCI. OV and NCL has rather p####d me off and I don't even smoke.

[Langtoncouple]

Hello, I am just new to this fourm. I`ll be taking my 3rd cruise with the Dream at the end of this month. Taking drinks of me will not bother me at all but its a shame that its come to this. However, I wonder if you can answer this question. Whilst on a Med Cruise in October 2011, the duty free shop sold alchohol when at sea. On our next cruise again a Med one in Sept 2012 the shop did not sell alcohol. We were told this was a rule and when in Europe alhohol could not be sold in duty free shops, only when outside Europe. Is this still the case? I could not understand this.

[kalos]

Yes that would be right ,they could not sell you Duty Free if they were within a European country or their seas .

 

Once out of these countrys waters then they can sell you Duty free within the limits EG 200 Cigs etc .

 

If you are not outside the EEC then you can bring back within reason what you like but you would have paid tax ,

so it's not Duty Free. Hence the Duty Free shop would not be open as that is tax free.

 

Hope that helps a little and have a read at this ... ;):)

 

http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/dutyfree.html

[WeeCountyMan]

There is no such thing as Duty Free within European Union countries now, therefore if your cruise ports of call are all within EU territorial waters you can't enjoy DF purchases.

 

It requires at least one visit to a non EU country to allow DF sales.

[grab1]

Hi Bob, sorry, I had already apologised to you but so many posts on here. Think was two posts down from the first comment (as you quoted) , again really sorry, didn't mean any offense, Vic

 

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Morning Dreamgirl,

No offence taken, I was just trying to get it across that they take bottles away if you buy them ashore, We were drinking in our cabin throughout the 2 weeks Tia Maria, which we got in the duty free shop on board @£12.50 a ltr.

Our cabin steward filled our ice bucket up every afternoon at 4pm.

I am sorry that people on here seem to think that it was me being the instigator of there rules.:eek:

Bob

[Langtoncouple]

Thanks for for the reply. I understand that there is no "duty free" in the EU. But on my last Dream cruise in 2011 the shop sold alcohol, the following year it didn`t. Both were similar Med cruises. They told me alchohol is only sold in their shop outside EU. My daughter who worked in a shop on a Royal Caribbean ship told me their shops sold alchohol in the EU. I am wondering f this is just unique to Thomson now.

[aerobics9876]

I have been on a couple of Thomson cruises over the past few years where duty free purchased on board was kept till the last day, I can't remember which ships but would have had to have been Spirit, Dream or Island Escape. Also bags were scanned at every port and any alcohol purchased was also kept till the last day.

[gillhalfpint]

I have been on a couple of Thomson cruises over the past few years where duty free purchased on board was kept till the last day, I can't remember which ships but would have had to have been Spirit, Dream or Island Escape. Also bags were scanned at every port and any alcohol purchased was also kept till the last day.

 

This seems to say that these "rules" have been in place for a number of years, and it is up to the personnel on each ship as to how far they want to apply those rules.

 

Thinking about what has been said above, maybe they don't apply the rules unless too many people take alcohol from the cabin to the bars, then they apply the rules and everyone suffers.

[Dreamgirl1957]

Morning Dreamgirl,

No offence taken, I was just trying to get it across that they take bottles away if you buy them ashore, We were drinking in our cabin throughout the 2 weeks Tia Maria, which we got in the duty free shop on board @£12.50 a ltr.

Our cabin steward filled our ice bucket up every afternoon at 4pm.

I am sorry that people on here seem to think that it was me being the instigator of there rules.:eek:

Bob

 

Hi bob, thanks and I'm sure the others on here don't think that.

I just think everyone's upset with the whole situation.

The fact Thomson were so good about drinking in your cabin in the past was a big plus for many and just so annoying if things are changing.

 

If it was against the rules in the past as has been mentioned in one of the posts then I think 90% or more of customers where unaware of it and Thomsons obviously never really enforced it, think it will drive good loyal customers away if they do carry this on which is very sad.

 

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[Jakanne1]

There is a brief post on Thomson FB from someone off Majesty on Friday and no mention at all about drinks. :):).

[WeeCountyMan]

My daughter who worked in a shop on a Royal Caribbean ship told me their shops sold alchohol in the EU.

 

Nearly all ships in the Med visit Gibraltar, that is not EU, and so meets the conditions to allow DF sales on the cruise.

 

Otherwise RC are in breach of the rules.

[okavango]

I have been on a couple of Thomson cruises over the past few years where duty free purchased on board was kept till the last day, I can't remember which ships but would have had to have been Spirit, Dream or Island Escape. Also bags were scanned at every port and any alcohol purchased was also kept till the last day.

 

i seem to recall drink from the duty free was kept till last day on ilsand escape about two years ago, never come across it on any other thomson ships.

[okavango]

strange there has not been any reports of this "new policy" filtering back from any of the other ships yet. ive had a thought that is just a stab in the dark, could it be some restriction imposed by the relevant local authorities to prevent quantities of duty goods being imported from the ship to ashore ?????????????? like i say a wild guess and probably way off target.

the usual lack of any coherent response from the thomon muppets leaves us all guessing

[Rebel Rouser]

Okavango, I don't think name calling the Thomson reps helps at all, being courteous has it 's advantage's, yes we all get frustrated when we don't know the answer and need to know, at the end of the day they have a real job like us :)

[highlandlassie]

was on RCI last year around the med we managed to buy 2 ltrs vodka and tobacco for hubby - actually got btl of sherridans for free

 

 

There is no duty free in the EU however some things are tax free - it also depends on the airports/country you visited - hubby travelled all over Europe and it kept changing - either way he would one or the other - get tax free or duty free

[rookery]

I have been on a couple of Thomson cruises over the past few years where duty free purchased on board was kept till the last day, I can't remember which ships but would have had to have been Spirit, Dream or Island Escape. Also bags were scanned at every port and any alcohol purchased was also kept till the last day.

I've never seen this on any of the cruises we've been on. Perhaps it was Island Escape as thats the only one we've not been on. Recently returned from a week on the Majesty and, far from taking the drink from us, the shop actually pack the bottles in inflatable carriers so they dont get damaged on the flight home. It was the same on Dream last year.

I dont object to the policy, new or otherwise. What I find hard to stomach is the way they have begun to enforce it unannounced and half way through some peoples holidays. But then customer service never was a strong point of Thomsons.

[Jakanne1]

I've just asked someone on FB and they were not aware of drinks being confiscated on Majesty last week. Must be a Dream thing. :rolleyes:

[geomagot]

hi guys just back from dream

 

 

heres the shocking evidence from cruise news:mad::mad:....this happened suddenly in my second week....first week I purchased my usual bottle of bacardi for my cabin no probs, second week it was confiscated!!.....yep! it was that sudden

 

yep they do also confiscate duty free purchased on the flight...there was a que at the gangway most days of people having their purchases unwrapped, inspected and confiscated (even a bottle of maple syrup in my case??)

 

Doh! what are you doing Thoms?....do you really want to go down this route?

 

Thoms have said (quote) they are doing this to align themselves with other cruise lines alcohol policy (s).....pity they couldn't also align themselves with: .......other cruise lines policys..... loyalty scheme policy(s)....free in cabin safes....free cabin reservations....free room service....free upgrades....good websites...free laundry...new ships...balconies etc etc

 

well!.....so long Thoms....there is so much more available 'out there' (to quote a line from another well known cruise line/competitor)

[Sailaway487]

hi guys just back from dream

 

 

heres the shocking evidence from cruise news:mad::mad:....this happened suddenly in my second week....first week I purchased my usual bottle of bacardi for my cabin no probs, second week it was confiscated!!.....yep! it was that sudden

 

yep they do also confiscate duty free purchased on the flight...there was a que at the gangway most days of people having their purchases unwrapped, inspected and confiscated (even a bottle of maple syrup in my case??)

 

Doh! what are you doing Thoms?....do you really want to go down this route?

 

Thoms have said (quote) they are doing this to align themselves with other cruise lines alcohol policy (s).....pity they couldn't also align themselves with: .......other cruise lines policys..... loyalty scheme policy(s)....free in cabin safes....free cabin reservations....free room service....free upgrades....good websites...free laundry...new ships...balconies etc etc

 

well!.....so long Thoms....there is so much more available 'out there' (to quote a line from another well known cruise line/competitor)

 

Thanks for that geomagot. It seems this is not a one-off then is it. Just done a piece on my blog about this. Will now go and amend bits of it with this info. As you say, there is a lot of other options for us.

 

Hope you had a great cruise though despite this! :)

[Little Nell]

hi guys just back from dream

 

 

 

heres the shocking evidence from cruise news:mad::mad:....this happened suddenly in my second week....first week I purchased my usual bottle of bacardi for my cabin no probs, second week it was confiscated!!.....yep! it was that sudden

 

yep they do also confiscate duty free purchased on the flight...there was a que at the gangway most days of people having their purchases unwrapped, inspected and confiscated (even a bottle of maple syrup in my case??)

 

Doh! what are you doing Thoms?....do you really want to go down this route?

 

Thoms have said (quote) they are doing this to align themselves with other cruise lines alcohol policy (s).....pity they couldn't also align themselves with: .......other cruise lines policys..... loyalty scheme policy(s)....free in cabin safes....free cabin reservations....free room service....free upgrades....good websites...free laundry...new ships...balconies etc etc

 

well!.....so long Thoms....there is so much more available 'out there' (to quote a line from another well known cruise line/competitor)

 

Thanks, Geomagot, for that quite shocking piece of news.

 

If Thomson are going to compete with the big boys they will need to up their game.

 

Excellent post.

[Little Nell]

I meant to say, hope you enjoyed your holiday despite this :)

 

What was the impact of this onboard?

[Sailaway487]

Geomagot, I've used that image that you uploaded from the Cruise News on my blog if that is ok? Thought it was the best way for people to see it, straight from what Thomson have written themselves! ;)