Essential package

[gwcruzer]

We are planning to purchase the essential package when we board the Journey in Miami.  Will the package be subject to the 8% Miami tax?  

Thanks for your help,

Gail

[Grandma Cruising]

Why not buy it just before you join the cruise?

[uktog]

I suspect the OP wants to use OBC, it is a question that interests me too

[Grandma Cruising]

I guess the other option might be to wait until the ship is out at sea, if tax has to be paid when in harbour.

Hopefully Bonnie will know, or be able to find out, the answer.

[gwcruzer]

3 hours ago, uktog said:

I suspect the OP wants to use OBC, it is a question that interests me too

 

3 hours ago, uktog said:

I suspect the OP wants to use OBC, it is a question that interests me too

That’s exactly what I want to do.  (Use my OBC)  I want to use part of the excursion money for an excursion in Cuba.  We are in Cuba on day 2.  Does the excursion desk usually stay open late on departure day?

Edited January 30, 2019 by gwcruzer
Grammar

[uktog]

2 minutes ago, gwcruzer said:

 

That’s exactly what I want to do.  (Use my OBC)  I want to use part the excursion money for an excursion in Cuba.  We are in Cuba on day 2.  Does the excursion desk usually stay open late on departure day.

Should be ok - book the excursion as soon as you board and they will marry up the excursion credit in due course = to be sure, you should speak to the Land Discoveries Desk and make sure if the charge for the tour is not attached to the package it should be, they can adjust it.  

I have not found them willing to reverse it if you booked (and paid for) the trip before you left home via Voyage planner but maybe Bonnie can confirm if you can reverse the charge to a package once you have bought it and have refundable OBC returned to you (which you can then have credited back to your card or of course you can spend it on board if your other OBC runs out before you leave)

[gwcruzer]

Thank you for your quick reply😊

Gail

[BBMacLaird]

I did see on Bimmer09's cruise review that he was going to be charged tax while docked in Florida. That was news to me.

I've sent off an email to see if I can get a definitive answer.

And I also asked about uktog's query, about pre-booking a tour and converting it to use the OBC that comes with one of our Experience More onboard packages. 

Hopefully I'll have an answer soon 🙂

[BBMacLaird]

This just in...

 

"Hi Bonnie,
Florida tax only applies if the ship is within a specific range of land.  We generally wait until we're outside of this range to transact the package purchases into our POS.  The only instance that it might not happen is if we're heading to Key West and there isn't a chance to transact.
 
If Guest buys an Experience More package now, they can get the OBC for pre-cruise use.  Just have them call the call center to make the purchase.  If they choose to wait until they're onboard for the ExMo purchase, they can have it reversed but it will mean that they need to attend the Shorex Desk…in my opinion, it's better to buy ExMo pre-cruise, lock in the OBC and use it for the tour purchase(s)."
 

[uktog]

Thanks, as we can't use the OBC to buy the package pre cruise we will need to wait but its good to know we can reverse land discoveries if need be

[gwcruzer]

1 hour ago, BBMacLaird said:

This just in...

 

"Hi Bonnie,
Florida tax only applies if the ship is within a specific range of land.  We generally wait until we're outside of this range to transact the package purchases into our POS.  The only instance that it might not happen is if we're heading to Key West and there isn't a chance to transact.
 
If Guest buys an Experience More package now, they can get the OBC for pre-cruise use.  Just have them call the call center to make the purchase.  If they choose to wait until they're onboard for the ExMo purchase, they can have it reversed but it will mean that they need to attend the Shorex Desk…in my opinion, it's better to buy ExMo pre-cruise, lock in the OBC and use it for the tour purchase(s)."
 

Bonnie, thank you soo much.  I am going to purchase the Cuba excursion now, buy the ExMo package once on board with OBC and have the shorex deck reverse the charges. Bonnie,  It is so nice to have you as a resource. (Uktog- thank you too.)

 

Gail