Turkey Travel Warning issued March 29, 2016

[DYKWIA]

Thanks so much for all the info regarding VAT!

 

Does anybody know if the VAT would be applied to money spent in the casino if it is applied to your ship card?

 

Assuming tax rules are the same across EU states, gaming and betting is not usually subject to VAT

[Lil2Angelic]

Assuming tax rules are the same across EU states, gaming and betting is not usually subject to VAT

 

Thank you!

[Bollinge]

Thanks so much for all the info regarding VAT!

 

Does anybody know if the VAT would be applied to money spent in the casino if it is applied to your ship card?

 

 

Gambling is one of the few things that are not subject to VAT!

[drarill]

It's complicated but YES if the ship embarks and disembarks in Spain you do for the entire cruise. If the cruise includes a non EU port, then I believe you only have to pay the Spanish VAT while in their waters. It's a pretty complicated scenario depending upon the ports.

 

Last year on the Equinox we embarked in Rome and disembarked in Barcelona and had to pay VAT during the whole cruise, including the photo package. We stopped in Livorno, Villefranche, Ibiza and Mallorca.

[ChucktownSteve]

A year ago we cruised from Rome to Lisbon via Monte Carlo and two Spain ports. We would have been charged VAT from waters entering Barcelona until Lisbon had we purchased anything on board. The only reason we weren't charged on purchases before entering Spanish waters was because Monte Carlo is not considered an EU country for VAT purposes even though they do have ties to the EU.

[Lil2Angelic]

How did you all find out about the VAT charges? Was it before or during your cruise?

[Karynanne]

All the "VAT" conversation is speculation at this point. The cruises that still have Turkey in their itineraries haven't been changed...yet, so until it actually happens, we just won't know what alternative ports or sea days will be.

 

Whatever the outcome, I'm going to go and have a great time!

[C-Dragons]

All the "VAT" conversation is speculation at this point. The cruises that still have Turkey in their itineraries haven't been changed...yet, so until it actually happens, we just won't know what alternative ports or sea days will be.

 

Whatever the outcome, I'm going to go and have a great time!

Me too, can't wait! :D

[Abernhar]

On all the Cruises from Rome, could they just take a 30min 'technicle' stop justvto have been there ???

[bogofman]

On all the Cruises from Rome, could they just take a 30min 'technicle' stop justvto have been there ???

 

Our first cruise did a technical stop at Bodrum Turkey, at about 11 pm,

We apoached tge harbour only.

 

I cannot remember if we were boarded by Turkish authorities,

[villauk]

On all the Cruises from Rome, could they just take a 30min 'technicle' stop justvto have been there ???

 

I'll need longer than 30 minutes to buy all my 'genuine' fakes :D.

[CABINET]

What country would receive the VAT if you visited multiple EU destinations?

[liverpoollad]

I know nothing is definite at the moment, but when I booked in January for a cruise on the Equinox, it already had cancelled the Istanbul stop & made Athens a two nighter. I got in touch with them & mentioned the possibility of Kusadasi being withdrawn too & told them they should be making contingency plans to stop elsewhere & not to do another two nighter somewhere, I suggested Rhodes or Malta. I wonder if they have???? But please no sea day I hate them & we have enough already.

[Karynanne]

I know nothing is definite at the moment, but when I booked in January for a cruise on the Equinox, it already had cancelled the Istanbul stop & made Athens a two nighter. I got in touch with them & mentioned the possibility of Kusadasi being withdrawn too & told them they should be making contingency plans to stop elsewhere & not to do another two nighter somewhere, I suggested Rhodes or Malta. I wonder if they have???? But please no sea day I hate them & we have enough already.

 

And did they take you up on your suggestions yet?

 

For all we know they are working on some contingency plans right now...

[littlelulu01]

One way around the vat for beverages and speciality dining is to purchase packages prior to cruise. Last year on NCL Jade out of Venice we sailed a b2b. First segment subject to vat. Second segment called on Kusadasi so no vat.

 

We had the UBP both segments and I never had a vat tax charge, not even for drinks ordered during sail away from Venice. I know for fact because I was worried about alcohol consumption with my college kids and went to guest services to see if I could get an itemized print of bar bill. Was told they don't keep track of that and there was no way to check. So even though every time they ordered a drink and signed for bar receipt there was no record of consumption on my account.

 

We had a speciality dining package perk as well. Each night we would sign dinner bill and there was never a record of it on my account- the only extra charge was for an extra tip that was clearly labeled as such.

 

One thing noted was that people couldn't purchase cigarettes in the store on the first (all EU leg). They had to purchase them from a bartender and limit was one pack per person per day. It was quite a process with the bartender taking time to procure keys to locked cigarette packs, have customer sign some form...Second leg that called on Turkey sold cartons and had the typical ship displays set up in the store which probably made bartenders happy not to have to waste so much time. I have no idea how much more they cost per pack but assume the strange process had something to do with vat.

 

The med cruise we have deposit on has a considerable obc attached. It's also an incredible price in a s1 suite with all four perks. Our final payment is due soon. The NCL Jade 14 nt with Turkey cancelled which we also have a deposit on actually costs more for a ocean view than our 14 nt silhouette suite sailing that calls on Israel and Kusadasi. I would much rather sail in a suite on the Silhouette but will probably be canceling and opting for the Jade. The fact that Celebrity hasn't announced port changes leads me to think it may turn into extra sea days. I don't want the hassle of long flights just to have potentially a ton of sea days. The sailing already has 5 sea days with a Kusadasi, Haifa and overnight in Ashdod. Should those ports get replaced with a few more sea days it will not be worth the suite life. Granted anything can happen between now and sail but given what other lines have done and the travel warnings, I doubt at this point Turkey is on the table for 2016. What they plan on doing to replace is anyone's guess but don't want to find out after final payment that our cruise has x # extra sea days or is overnighting in lovely Prius like last year when guests were informed at the last min.

[villauk]

Lulu,

 

Where's Prius? We got extra hours in our scheduled ports when Istanbul was cut short by one day last year on our Equinox sailing ;).

[littlelulu01]

Lulu,

 

Where's Prius? We got extra hours in our scheduled ports when Istanbul was cut short by one day last year on our Equinox sailing ;).

 

Sorry. Athens/Piraeus which in my opinion is not a great overnight. I guess my concern is that many lines have already canceled Turkey and replaced with Santorini, other ports in Greece or Croaita. The lines who cancel last or last min may not get a viable replacement at this point due to all the other lines who already grabbed them in lieu of Turkey. I know Israel is anyone's guess and things can change at the last min so never a sure thing. But at this point Turkey does not seem viable.

 

People post things like your risk could be just as high at home or look at what happened in Paris...which is true but I'm looking at it from the probability of Turkey being canceled which in my opinion is extremely probable. It's not really a debate on odds of becoming a victim of an attack. It's about odds the cruise will be actually visiting these ports or any replacement ports and not wanting to shell out all this money just to sail around at sea with very few ports or get stuck with overnights in less desirable ports because all the good ports are taken.

[1980dory]

To quote one of our greatest statesmen, Alfrd E. Newman, "What, me worry"?

[1980dory]

To quote one of our greatest statesmen, Alfred E. Newman, "What, me worry"?

[DebbieMacG]

I'm doing a B2B in May, the first cruise goes to Kusadasi and the second Kusadasi and Bodrum, the second one has already had an itinerary change and had Bodrum and Rhodes and an overnight in Athens added instead of an overnight in Istanbul. Since both cruises go already to Santorini and Myknonos and the first one already goes to Crete it will be interesting to see what they substitute ports with if Turkey is cancelled. Malta, Katakolon, Sardinia or Corsica perhaps?

 

I've been to Kusadasi before so wouldn't worry about missing it, but it's a shame for those who haven't been, :( safety comes first though.

Edited April 2, 2016 by DebbieMacG

[liverpoollad]

Karrynanne.

 

The reply I got back from Celebrity in January was that they were monitoring the situation. Well if it does change & at the moment why should it? they have had long enough to provisionally get another port.

[8373seth]

The problem with Ephesus is that it is in Izmir which is specifically mentioned in the US State Department's warning.

[Karynanne]

Karrynanne.

 

The reply I got back from Celebrity in January was that they were monitoring the situation. Well if it does change & at the moment why should it? they have had long enough to provisionally get another port.

 

 

Thank you for you reply.

[billydog]

I would be more concerned going to the USA than Europe. While tragic and unacceptable the number of people killed in Europe is minuscule in relation to the population. I don't have the exact figure for 2015 but it is in the hundreds. This compares to over 50,000 incidences of gun crime and 12,000 deaths in the US.

[SPacificbound]

I would be more concerned going to the USA than Europe. While tragic and unacceptable the number of people killed in Europe is minuscule in relation to the population. I don't have the exact figure for 2015 but it is in the hundreds. This compares to over 50,000 incidences of gun crime and 12,000 deaths in the US.

 

Unfortunately you are correct.