New travel tax in Japan

[mugtech]

                            Just saw in the 1/8/19 USA Today that a new tax in Japan is being charged to anyone leaving Japan.  The tax is 1,000 yen for each person.  Supposedly the tax will be collected by the airlines and cruise lines ahead of time and pay it directly to the Japanese government.  The tax was effective this week, known in Japan as the sayanora tax.  The good news is it will not be charged to those being deported.  Not sure if it must be paid by those staying on the ship.  Also if staying for less than 24 hours the tax will Not be charged.  Not clear if that is 24 hours for the entire cruise or 24 hours in one shot.  Japan is doing a money grab on tourists leading up to hosting the 2020 Olympics

                     Interested to see if anyone is charged for this on any cruises visiting Japan going forward.  Suppose it could be in the fees and taxes amounts per cruise, wonder if any of those numbers will increasing on the website.

[Jeannie333333]

5 minutes ago, mugtech said:

                            Just saw in the 1/8/19 USA Today that a new tax in Japan is being charged to anyone leaving Japan.  The tax is 1,000 yen for each person.  Supposedly the tax will be collected by the airlines and cruise lines ahead of time and pay it directly to the Japanese government.  The tax was effective this week, known in Japan as the sayanora tax.  The good news is it will not be charged to those being deported.  Not sure if it must be paid by those staying on the ship.  Also if staying for less than 24 hours the tax will Not be charged.  Not clear if that is 24 hours for the entire cruise or 24 hours in one shot.  Japan is doing a money grab on tourists leading up to hosting the 2020 Olympics

                     Interested to see if anyone is charged for this on any cruises visiting Japan going forward.  Suppose it could be in the fees and taxes amounts per cruise, wonder if any of those numbers will increasing on the website.

 

1000 Yen equates to just under $10 according to my currency converter.  I don't think it will break our bank 🙂 

[mugtech]

6 minutes ago, Jeannie333333 said:

 

1000 Yen equates to just under $10 according to my currency converter.  I don't think it will break our bank 🙂 

Probably not, but there are people on here that brag about using tools to get every drop out of a toothpaste tube.  Then there are those who say "It's not the money, it's the principle involved."  They would go ballistic if they were paid in full and then had to pay $20 or more.  Would RCI eat that tax instead of charging it?  Inquiring minds want to know.

[mugtech]

Currently there are some Quantum cruises to Japan in February and throughout the year.  Spectrum is showing up and doing some Japan stops starting in the summer.  Voyager has a few, including a 9 night best of Japan cruise which makes 4 stops in Japan.  The stop in Osaka overnight is only 19 total hours in port, but the total of all the stops is much more than 24 hours in Japan.

Edited January 17, 2019 by mugtech

[Iamcruzin]

4 hours ago, Jeannie333333 said:

 

1000 Yen equates to just under $10 according to my currency converter.  I don't think it will break our bank 🙂 

That's less expensive than the cost of any bridge toll to get off and back on to Long Island.

Edited January 17, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[Joseph2017China]

Just about all cruise stops have port fees and taxes.  $9 isn't exactly going to be a determining factor for someone that is flying all the way to China, to get on a cruise to Japan. 

[The_Big_M]

5 hours ago, mugtech said:

  Japan is doing a money grab on tourists leading up to hosting the 2020 Olympics

 

 

Hey, it's been working for the US for the past 5 years. Why wouldn't other countries follow suit?

[Honeyroastedmelnut]

Am I the only one who looked up the validity of this tax because its name made it sound fake??

[brillohead]

Seriously, how is this any different than any other port or airport tax?

And I'd hardly call $10 a money grab... if it were $1,000 USD instead of 1,000 yen, it would be worthy of discussion.  But this thread?  Pointless.  

[bowler15547]

6 hours ago, mugtech said:

Would RCI eat that tax instead of charging it?  Inquiring minds want to know.

 

They will probably just wrap it up in the "Port Fees and Taxes" everyone pays. Job done.

[mugtech]

26 minutes ago, Honeyroastedmelnut said:

Am I the only one who looked up the validity of this tax because its name made it sound fake??

No, I also looked it up, saw it on another forum.

[mugtech]

1 minute ago, bowler15547 said:

 

They will probably just wrap it up in the "Port Fees and Taxes" everyone pays. Job done.

Right, but what about the February and March cruises that have already made final payments?  The law only kicked in last week.  Just curious if Royal will charge the cruisers or eat it......

[mugtech]

22 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Seriously, how is this any different than any other port or airport tax?

And I'd hardly call $10 a money grab... if it were $1,000 USD instead of 1,000 yen, it would be worthy of discussion.  But this thread?  Pointless.  

Remember the pointless threads when room service became $7.95?

[mugtech]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

That's less expensive than the cost of any bridge toll to get off and back on to Long Island.

Never got on a cruise ship on Long Island.

[Iamcruzin]

19 minutes ago, mugtech said:

Never got on a cruise ship on Long Island.

Well if you were traveling to Cape Liberty from Long Island you would have to use a Bridge or Tunnel to get there which is what I will be doing in June. I was just putting some prospective on the $9 Japan tax.

Edited January 17, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[Iamcruzin]

I just realized that It's either 2 bridges or one bridge and one tunnel toll. That Sayonara tax is starting to look better and better.