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Liquor in room question

Moondarling

By Moondarling,
in Holland America Line

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Sequim88

Sequim88

Posted
Posted

Call me cheap but if I can save $10-15 on a bottle I'll wait until we're out of WA state waters. When we flew back from MN for Christmas the suitcases were stuffed with bottles padded by clothes.

 

Once onboard (and underway) who do you call to order? Room service?

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

Posted
Posted
Call me cheap but if I can save $10-15 on a bottle I'll wait until we're out of WA state waters. When we flew back from MN for Christmas the suitcases were stuffed with bottles padded by clothes.

 

Once onboard (and underway) who do you call to order? Room service?

Yes. There will be a list in your room with the prices and ordering info.

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
Call me cheap but if I can save $10-15 on a bottle I'll wait until we're out of WA state waters. When we flew back from MN for Christmas the suitcases were stuffed with bottles padded by clothes.

 

Once onboard (and underway) who do you call to order? Room service?

 

I don't call you cheap at all. There is nothing wrong with avoiding paying an unnecessary tax ;)

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted (edited)
Call me cheap but if I can save $10-15 on a bottle I'll wait until we're out of WA state waters. When we flew back from MN for Christmas the suitcases were stuffed with bottles padded by clothes.

 

Once onboard (and underway) who do you call to order? Room service?

 

 

I don't see where, here in this thread, anyone called anyone cheap. All the power to you. Save whatever you can whever you c an. No one wants to pay more rhan they must for anything., IMo

Edited by sail7seas
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Tampa Girl

Tampa Girl

Posted
Posted
Call me cheap but if I can save $10-15 on a bottle I'll wait until we're out of WA state waters. When we flew back from MN for Christmas the suitcases were stuffed with bottles padded by clothes.

 

Once onboard (and underway) who do you call to order? Room service?

 

$10 or $15 sales tax? Wow! I would wait until I was out of territorial waters, also. How much is your sales tax?

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
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Just order it online and have it delivered at sea, and there will be no tax. Chances are that it/they will be in your room when you arrive. Has happened to us a few times.

 

DD

We do the same :). If there is no option for delivery at sea and stateroom only on embarkation day, I have learned that means it will not be subject to tax ;)

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EDLOS

EDLOS

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When we've pre-ordered bottles for the cabin our credit card was charged the total we saw on the order page with the 15% service charge but no tax. It was waiting in the cabin when we boarded.

 

AS said above, I preorder my Liquor package before sailing to be in my cabin when I board in port. Never have I paid more than the catalog price plus gratuity. (4 HAL cruises in the last 12 months). Don't know where this fuss about tax came about.

Could it be that if you board and call room service that day while in port you will be charged local tax?????

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Sequim88

Sequim88

Posted
Posted
How much is your sales tax?

 

WA State Liquor Tax Calculator

It's a combo factor of a percentage and a per liter flat rate so on a $24.95 1.75 liter bottle it would be $11.71 or about 47% tax.

 

Sales tax is generally 8-10% depending on city/county.

 

Based on comments here I'll try the pre-order online route. Won't be the last time we cruise from Seattle so worth knowing it works.

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Tampa Girl

Tampa Girl

Posted
Posted
WA State Liquor Tax Calculator

It's a combo factor of a percentage and a per liter flat rate so on a $24.95 1.75 liter bottle it would be $11.71 or about 47% tax.

 

Sales tax is generally 8-10% depending on city/county.

 

Based on comments here I'll try the pre-order online route. Won't be the last time we cruise from Seattle so worth knowing it works.

 

I thought that perhaps you were calculating in the alcohol tax. However, that is not what you would be paying aboard ship. You would be paying HAL's prices plus your county's sales tax (8 - 10%), if you ordered it onboard and got stuck with the sales tax. You would not be paying Washington's alcohol tax, which is factored into the sales price. Of course, HAL's price may be as much as your state's retail price. However, we have found that the per bottle price on HAL is not bad.

 

I think you are wise to pre-order and be sure that the bottle is in the cabin to greet you. Happy sailing!

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EDLOS

EDLOS

Posted
Posted
WA State Liquor Tax Calculator

It's a combo factor of a percentage and a per liter flat rate so on a $24.95 1.75 liter bottle it would be $11.71 or about 47% tax.

 

Sales tax is generally 8-10% depending on city/county.

 

Based on comments here I'll try the pre-order online route. Won't be the last time we cruise from Seattle so worth knowing it works.

 

You will find out real quick when you preorder in the amount they charge to your credit card you must provide at checkout. As the Patriots Coach Bill sez:

"It is what it is"

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
You will find out real quick when you preorder in the amount they charge to your credit card you must provide at checkout. As the Patriots Coach Bill sez:

"It is what it is"

 

If you are in a port where there is tax charged, all you have to do is order for delivery at sea. Pretty simple and easy to do. There are two options at taxed ports - delivery to the stateroom and delivery at sea. Delivery at sea is still in stateroom pretty quick on embarkation day - usually before you leave port. If the only option is delivery to the stateroom, that tells you there is no tax.

 

We ordered for our upcoming cruise - no tax charged. Easy :)

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  • 4 months later...
RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted
DH and I are determining when to order to have a bottle of vodka delivered. What tax would be if leaving from Rome? Appreciate your comments!

When leaving from a non-US port, there shouldn't be any added taxes to that bottle of liquor. That assumes when leaving from a European port your ship will stop at a non-EU country (they normally do). Otherwise there would be a VAT added, which is why the non-EU country is part of the itinerary.

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RuthC

RuthC

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When leaving from a non-US port, there shouldn't be any added taxes to that bottle of liquor. That assumes when leaving from a European port your ship will stop at a non-EU country (they normally do). Otherwise there would be a VAT added, which is why the non-EU country is part of the itinerary.

Oops. I should have been clear that you won't have the tax when sailing from Rome so long as you are in open sea.

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JVilleGal

JVilleGal

Posted
Posted
My question concerns alcohol purchases made pre-boarding. Is the cost considered in your "equivalent days" calculations like onboard purchases are? Equivalent days refers to Mariner's days calculations.

Interesting question??? Anyone?

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RuthC

RuthC

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Posted
My question concerns alcohol purchases made pre-boarding. Is the cost considered in your "equivalent days" calculations like onboard purchases are? Equivalent days refers to Mariner's days calculations.

Yes. Pre-cruise purchases attached to your booking number, count toward Mariner days.

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