Heads Up About UBP on Disembarkation Day

[jerseyjjs]

They sure hit hard on the taxes in NYC while in Manhattan cruise terminal.

Edited September 17, 2016 by jerseyjjs

[cruizinwithkids]

Actually carry out does incur tax...... by a meal at McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts or a pizza place or a coffee at Cumberland Farms ...... all charge tax

 

 

I think Massachusetts is actually a bit "cleaner" to figure out. There is no sales tax on food. Some states do have a sales tax on food at the super market. On restaurant/to go/prepared meals there is a meal tax.

[esm54687]

I think Massachusetts is actually a bit "cleaner" to figure out. There is no sales tax on food. Some states do have a sales tax on food at the super market. On restaurant/to go/prepared meals there is a meal tax.

I guess I'm missing your reply..... I said carry out meal incurs a tax..... whether it's sales tax, meal tax, convenience tax, Sunday tax...... it's still a tax no matter what adjective is in front

 

No mention of supermarket, farmer's market, produce market, flea market, Haymarket (little Massachusetts plug)

 

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[mom2tcdx2]

I am pretty sure I remember being charged taxes on drinks out of Florida while on Carnival. I also know we were billed sales tax while a ship was in San Juan (US port). We did a specialty dinner while ported there one cruise and the sales tax was added to the bill. I don't think they charge after the ship leaves port, but while ported I do believe I have seen taxes charged while in Florida. Though we quite often don't order drinks until after the ship has set sail. Also if the charges were hand written tickets that were entered in the computers later in the day there weren't taxes, but if they ran the charge in the computer we were billed sales tax.

[Upper Deck Dad]

What happens when most of the cruise is American ports, like Alaska or New England Cruises, where you're not in International Waters very much? Are you taxed at all the ports?

 

Thanks for the info on disembarkation day as well. It's 7 nights on the ship, which I assume is why they cut off on the 8th day. Good to know.

[esm54687]

What happens when most of the cruise is American ports, like Alaska or New England Cruises, where you're not in International Waters very much? Are you taxed at all the ports?

 

Thanks for the info on disembarkation day as well. It's 7 nights on the ship, which I assume is why they cut off on the 8th day. Good to know.

Yes, you are taxed at all US ports......

[hawkeyetlse]

Thanks for the info on disembarkation day as well. It's 7 nights on the ship, which I assume is why they cut off on the 8th day. Good to know.

This thread was started over a year ago, and since then I think they have stopped cutting off the UBP on the last day. I don't think it was ever a fleetwide thing, maybe they just tried it out for a while on a few ships in 2016. Anyway, there are so many people cruising with the UBP now, that if they were charging for sodas and mimosas etc. on the last day, I think we would hear complaints about it very frequently on this board and in people's cruise reviews.

[BermudaBound2014]

If anyone is grabbing the money, it's the state/local government. If the cruise lines could find a way to avoid charging the tax, they surely would, because it upsets customers so much. I don't know if Celebrity lowers the prices of everything on board while in port and hands over the difference as tax, or if they are simply in violation of local tax laws; neither one of these is something I would expect the cruise line to do for me. I mean, if they are paying the tax on customers' behalf, that is exceedingly generous of them, but a cruise line that does not do this is not nickel and diming, in my opinion.

 

Several companies have found a way to avoid charging the tax. Just like Suitecruiser stated, they don't ring the purchase up in the system until the ship is in international waters. I'm not making any judgment on the merits of the practice, but it most certainly is being done.

[hawkeyetlse]

If a ship claims to have no, or abnormally low, drinks sales while in port, I think the tax people would be all over them. It seems more likely to me that some cruise lines are either paying the tax themselves without passing it along to passengers, or they have negotiated something as part of whatever agreement they have with those ports. The local authorities are getting lots of money from the cruise lines one way or another, they may be willing to let a cruise line give their passengers a break on taxes in port. I have no idea.