Which US ports does Princess charge sales taxes on drink package beverages?

[like2cruise]

We recently paid taxes on our beverages ordered within our drink package on the Discovery Princess while in Los Angeles (San Pedro) and on the NCL Breakaway while in New Orleans until we were sailing in International waters.  Our next cruise is on the Royal Princess from San Francisco with US port of calls to Astoria & Seattle.  I just like to be in the know so wondering if anyone knows which of these ports will have the extra taxes?   

Edited March 2, 2023 by like2cruise

[like2cruise]

We are traveling with another couple and would like to book a table for 4 at Crown Grill  We are linked so I can select and book for all 4 of us.  Is there a way to have each couple pay for their cover charges with 2 different credit cards online?  It doesn't appear that way as when I go to add another credit card...it looks like my onboard charges and everything will default to the new credit card so I wanted to  check.  Has anyone called Princess...and they were able to spit payments?  Just wondering...Princess online chat is not working and I was trying to avoid hold times if not needed.  Thanks!!

[konatyme]

I don't think I knew about the sales tax charge if a drink is ordered while still in port at LA. So if we have the Plus package and order a drink before departure or even at sailaway, we'll be charged sales tax?

[coo359a2]

We had dinner in the  Crown Grill while docked in the Boston port and was charge a Boston City tax of 7%.  Didn't notice it until we pulled a room statement the next morning.

[like2cruise]

1 hour ago, like2cruise said:

We are traveling with another couple and would like to book a table for 4 at Crown Grill  We are linked so I can select and book for all 4 of us.  Is there a way to have each couple pay for their cover charges with 2 different credit cards online?  It doesn't appear that way as when I go to add another credit card...it looks like my onboard charges and everything will default to the new credit card so I wanted to  check.  Has anyone called Princess...and they were able to spit payments?  Just wondering...Princess online chat is not working and I was trying to avoid hold times if not needed.  Thanks!!

Sorry, this was meant to be a new post and too late to delete.  

[pmallen]

There is no sales tax in Oregon, so you shouldn't see one in Astoria.

[DisneyDatknee]

We did not have taxes on our drinks when we purchased them in Fort Lauderdale. We had Princess Plus. I have been taxed on Carnival when in port in Miami.

[dreaminofcruisin]

3 hours ago, like2cruise said:

We recently paid taxes on our beverages ordered within our drink package on the Discovery Princess while in Los Angeles (San Pedro) and on the NCL Breakaway while in New Orleans until we were sailing in International waters.  Our next cruise is on the Royal Princess from San Francisco with US port of calls to Astoria & Seattle.  I just like to be in the know so wondering if anyone knows which of these ports will have the extra taxes?   

 

I've never heard of Princess charging sales tax in any port, so this is surprising. I know Carnival does. I was on the Ruby last fall with a port stop in LA and we were having drinks on the back deck while in port and weren't charged sales tax.....

 

[SuzieQ521]

I did read this as we are doing an Alaska cruise in May and I read that some Alaskan ports also charge sales tax, even when you already paid for the drink package. (We did a NCL cruise out of San Pedro in January and were charged tax on Starbucks drinks even though we had the package, so it's not just alcohol). 

 

Anyone have any more information about this?

[coo359a2]

I know out of Fort Lauderdale we had some bar waiters explain to us that they would not key in our drink purchases until we had left the port to keep from having the FL tax added.  We did have the drink package.

[Roberto256]

32 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

I've never heard of Princess charging sales tax in any port, so this is surprising. 

When Grand Princess entered service in 1997...

On the wall behind the casino bar, there was a Florida State Sales Tax license.

 

Since then, they've moved the casino, so who knows now...

[Genessa]

4 hours ago, like2cruise said:

We are traveling with another couple and would like to book a table for 4 at Crown Grill  We are linked so I can select and book for all 4 of us.  Is there a way to have each couple pay for their cover charges with 2 different credit cards online?  It doesn't appear that way as when I go to add another credit card...it looks like my onboard charges and everything will default to the new credit card so I wanted to  check.  Has anyone called Princess...and they were able to spit payments?  Just wondering...Princess online chat is not working and I was trying to avoid hold times if not needed.  Thanks!!

You should be able to have it straightened out on board 

[lx200gps]

50 minutes ago, DisneyDatknee said:

We did not have taxes on our drinks when we purchased them in Fort Lauderdale. We had Princess Plus. I have been taxed on Carnival when in port in Miami.

I'm looking at our Stateroom Account statement from our trip on the Sky out of Port Everglades, 11-18 Feb of this year. There are two line items for for Feb 11, Embarkation Day, one titled "Bar" for $1.77 and one titled "Ft Lauderdale US Sales Tax 7%" which came to a heart-stopping $0.11.  We had the Plus package.

[satxdiver]

Texas for one.  Ships in Galveston have to charge a sales tax on all sales until the ship reaches the open gulf.  Also they have to sell alcohol only bought in Texas which means a very limited choice.

[like2cruise]

10 hours ago, konatyme said:

I don't think I knew about the sales tax charge if a drink is ordered while still in port at LA. So if we have the Plus package and order a drink before departure or even at sailaway, we'll be charged sales tax?

We were charged taxes in LA on the Discovery Princess in October 2022...it wasn't very much per drink.  I can't remember exactly what we paid.  In New Orleans last month, it was about $7-8 total per person, but it took about 6-7 hours for us to get down the Mississippi River to get to the gulf and we were thirsty 🙂.  

[Jadn13]

So, every Alaskan port will charge tax on drinks above and beyond the package, correct? 

[roadster08]

16 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

So, every Alaskan port will charge tax on drinks above and beyond the package, correct? 

Depends on the local city port but for Princess it appears that all of its Alaskan ports are charging sales tax now. The sales taxes were approved by the cities mostly since the COVID lockdown. Some only charge while docked, others charge while in their territorial waters as well.

 

The ships are required to pay the sales tax and how they are collecting it is up to them. Many are passing it along to the passengers, but some may be paying it themselves.

Edited March 4, 2023 by roadster08