Beverage package on Alaska cruises

[cb2367]

On past cruises, I've used the beverage package for drinks and haven't had any extra charges except for drinks purchased on sail away while in US waters. I'm wondering if while cruising in Alaska if there's going to be taxes on each drink purchased for the duration of the cruise?

[debenson0723]

2 minutes ago, cb2367 said:

On past cruises, I've used the beverage package for drinks and haven't had any extra charges except for drinks purchased on sail away while in US waters. I'm wondering if while cruising in Alaska if there's going to be taxes on each drink purchased for the duration of the cruise?

No.

[MacGuffin3]

If you drink while still in port in Seattle, there is a roughly 10% tax levied by the city on each drink. 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, cb2367 said:

On past cruises, I've used the beverage package for drinks and haven't had any extra charges except for drinks purchased on sail away while in US waters. I'm wondering if while cruising in Alaska if there's going to be taxes on each drink purchased for the duration of the cruise?

No. Only Washington State taxes on the first and last day of your cruise. 

[destar]

At the end of day, it comes out to a few dollars. You are on vacation, enjoy whatever drink you like, dont stress a few pennies in taxes.

[zqvol]

13 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

No. Only Washington State taxes on the first and last day of your cruise. 

only if you travel to Washington State, not on all Alaska cruises

[MacGuffin3]

16 minutes ago, destar said:

it comes out to a few dollars, dont stress a few pennies in taxes.

Make up your mind, is it pennies or dollars?  If I get on the boat at noon and they don't depart until 5pm, at one drink an hour, with an estimate of $12 a drink, conservatively that's at least $6 going to corrupt politicians in Seattle. (and anybody else who also gets their fingers into that slush fund)

[destar]

1 minute ago, MacGuffin3 said:

Make up your mind, is it pennies or dollars?

Mac, some drinks will be .97 cents in taxes and some will be $1.67, all depending on the drink. On my last cruise out of Galveston, my tax bill was approximately $13 dollars. I consider that pennies for the amount of money I paid for the cruise.

[MacGuffin3]

5 minutes ago, destar said:

I consider that pennies for the amount of money I paid for the cruise.

What does one have to do with the other?
One is a purchase you are making from a private company for a vacation, the other is a shake-down by politicians. (Which they can get away with because people's response is often, "ehh it's just pennies.")

Edited July 12, 2023 by MacGuffin3

[destar]

Just now, MacGuffin3 said:

the other is a shake-down by politicians because people's response is often, "ehh it's just pennies."

This is true, but Im not depriving myself of a drink because of it. 

[MacGuffin3]

4 minutes ago, destar said:

This is true, but Im not depriving myself of a drink because of it. 

Fair enough, it's a Catch-22.  Taxes will drive you to drink, and then drinking is taxed.

[cb2367]

The way I understood it was that drinks purchased on board while in U.S. waters are subject to taxes and then once in international waters, no further charges are incurred. I figured that with an Alaska cruise leaving from Washington that taxes would pretty much be charged most of the voyage considering the assumption that travel would still be in U.S. waters.

 

On the other hand, not having the drink package I suppose would make the drinks more expensive over the week long trip 

[MacGuffin3]

3 hours ago, cb2367 said:

I figured that with an Alaska cruise leaving from Washington that taxes would pretty much be charged most of the voyage considering the assumption that travel would still be in U.S. waters.

I believe they only have jurisdiction for 12 miles from the port. The same time they also let you gamble and shop duty free.

[Grimix]

12 hours ago, cb2367 said:

I figured that with an Alaska cruise leaving from Washington that taxes would pretty much be charged most of the voyage considering the assumption that travel would still be in U.S. waters.

And Alaska has no state sales tax.

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, MacGuffin3 said:

I believe they only have jurisdiction for 12 miles from the port. The same time they also let you gamble and shop duty free.

A generic response.

 

You are charge Washington State taxes on drinks while in WA waters. The casino and shops are closed while in WA hours. You are in WA waters for most of your first day and last day on a Seattle R/T cruise. Upon departure, it takes several hours to clear Puget Sound and the Straits. Pre pandemic, they would not even open the casino on the last day because you're in US waters by the time most people get out of bed. And the shops open for a couple of hours early, then close.... and the dreaded drink tax starts. It is better now that they have scheduled the port call in Victoria later and later (making it a useless port call)

 

Note: Gamblers need to be very conscious of the casino hours on the last two days because you need to cash out your chips and vouchers before the casino closes. If  you wait until the last day, you may be stuck with expensive cruise souvenirs. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by BirdTravels

[MacGuffin3]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

You are charge Washington State taxes on drinks while in WA waters.

Do they make any sort of announcement, or ring a bell, that first night when WA's extortion stops, so I know when I can start going crazy ordering drinks?

[chillyw]

8 minutes ago, MacGuffin3 said:

Do they make any sort of announcement, or ring a bell, that first night when WA's extortion stops, so I know when I can start going crazy ordering drinks?

 

None on the Encore this past week.  They also generally didn't warn when buying drinks (although some did).  Just ask first and I'm sure they'll tell you.

 

The laws in Victoria, BC are weird too.  Only one bar per deck allowed open, so most of the bars close down when close to port.  We ate in Le Bistro, and the servers had to run to another deck to get alcohol because the bar in Le Bistro was closed.

[chillyw]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Note: Gamblers need to be very conscious of the casino hours on the last two days because you need to cash out your chips and vouchers before the casino closes. If  you wait until the last day, you may be stuck with expensive cruise souvenirs. 

 

On our sailing, they made it pretty clear thankfully when Casino and Shops would close (3pm with 7pm Victoria time).  That was my first one with Victoria that late, but definitely was easier - opened after Ketchikan until 3pm the next day.

[Panhandle Couple]

17 hours ago, cb2367 said:

The way I understood it was that drinks purchased on board while in U.S. waters are subject to taxes and then once in international waters, no further charges are incurred. I figured that with an Alaska cruise leaving from Washington that taxes would pretty much be charged most of the voyage considering the assumption that travel would still be in U.S. waters.

 

On the other hand, not having the drink package I suppose would make the drinks more expensive over the week long trip 

It is a state/local tax.  So far, Alaska doesn't tax while in port.

 

[MacGuffin3]

4 minutes ago, chillyw said:

The laws in Victoria, BC are weird too.  Only one bar per deck allowed open

Sure this is a Victoria thing? or a NCL staffing thing?  I find it hard to believe even the crookedest politicians would micromanage how many bars are allowed per deck on a docking ship.  But after the last few years, I suppose nothing Canadian politicians do surprises me.

I will just snag a few cans of hard seltzer from bars during the week and keep them in my fridge for Victoria.

[chillyw]

Just now, MacGuffin3 said:

Sure this is a Victoria thing? or a NCL staffing thing?  I find it hard to believe even the crookedest politicians would micromanage how many bars are allowed per deck on a docking ship.  But after the last few years, I suppose nothing Canadian politicians do surprises me.

I will just snag a few cans of hard seltzer from bars during the week and keep them in my fridge for Victoria.

 

I'm pretty sure it was Victoria.  I was sitting in the Mojito bar at the time and listened to the bartenders.  They were all open, then the bars all got a call that we were X miles outside of port and had to start shutting down.  They told me they were done serving, then I ran to the Whiskey bar real quick and grabbed my drink, right as the Whiskey bar got the same call.  That didn't happen in any other port on the trip.

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, MacGuffin3 said:

Sure this is a Victoria thing? or a NCL staffing thing?  I find it hard to believe even the crookedest politicians would micromanage how many bars are allowed per deck on a docking ship.  But after the last few years, I suppose nothing Canadian politicians do surprises me.

I will just snag a few cans of hard seltzer from bars during the week and keep them in my fridge for Victoria.

It's a Canadian law.

 

Source: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/cscp-pdnc-eng.html#a13d

[MacGuffin3]

3 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

It's a Canadian law.

 

Source: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/cscp-pdnc-eng.html#a13d

I was just thinking they could get around this by opening up portable bars on carts on each deck, "voila" 17 instant bars!

But they have already predicted my hack, and it reads - "One bar per deck that provides hospitality services."  Give me some more time, I'll find a loophole somewhere.

[eileeshb]

3 hours ago, MacGuffin3 said:

I was just thinking they could get around this by opening up portable bars on carts on each deck, "voila" 17 instant bars!

But they have already predicted my hack, and it reads - "One bar per deck that provides hospitality services."  Give me some more time, I'll find a loophole somewhere.

Hmm but on encore and bliss there is the studio lounge which could be a bar as it’s the only one on that deck …. Either way I’m intending to carry-on a few bottles of wine particularly for use on the last night as it’s my friend’s birthday that day and I don’t intend to spend hours queuing at bars. 

[MacGuffin3]

8 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

 it’s my friend’s birthday that day and I don’t intend to spend hours queuing at bars. 

I wonder what Canada's original justification for this nonsense was.
Must just be they are anti-birthday parties.
Hope the craic flows despite their interference.
 

Edited July 14, 2023 by MacGuffin3