Duty Free Shopping On Cruise Ship

[CruiseMom88]

Hi,

 

I have some questions regarding Duty Free Shopping while on the cruise ship.  Thanks for your help!

 

1)  Duty Free shops are only open when NOT in port?

 

2)  Are there sales or special promotions for Duty Free?  Specifically, is it better to go early during the cruise or will there be a special day when Duty Free items go on sale or have special promotions?

 

3)  Some friends cruised Alaska years ago so they can't give any current information.  However, they advised us to buy our liquor in the Alaskan ports vs Duty Free on the cruise ship.  They advised that the prices were better?  Is this true?  Any suggestions of where to buy liquor in the Alaskan Ports?

 

4)  What happens when you buy liquor in the Alaskan Ports?  Are you allowed to bring your purchase on board?  If yes, is it stored until you disembark or are you allowed to bring it to your cabin?  We don't plan on drinking it as we have the Plus Cruise Package.

 

5)  What about cigarettes?  My dad smokes so we usually buy duty free cigarettes to gift him when we travel.  Better to buy at the Duty Free on cruise or in Alaska Ports?  Any suggestions of where to buy cigarettes in the Alaskan Ports?

 

6)  What happens when you buy cigarettes in the Alaskan Ports?  Are you allowed to bring your purchase on board?  If yes, is it stored until you disembark or are you allowed to bring it to your cabin?  We don't plan on smoking.  We hate cigarettes because we are allergic to the smoke but it's something we always buy to gift my dad when we travel.

 

7)  Not Duty Free related but what about souvenirs etc. that's sold in the cruise ship stores?  Is there a special day when items go on sale or have special promotions?

 

Thanks for your help.  Have a great day!

[1025cruise]

1 hour ago, CruiseMom88 said:

Hi,

 

I have some questions regarding Duty Free Shopping while on the cruise ship.  Thanks for your help!

 

1)  Duty Free shops are only open when NOT in port?

Correct

2)  Are there sales or special promotions for Duty Free?  Specifically, is it better to go early during the cruise or will there be a special day when Duty Free items go on sale or have special promotions?

Depends on your definition of sale. Make sure you know what you are buying.

3)  Some friends cruised Alaska years ago so they can't give any current information.  However, they advised us to buy our liquor in the Alaskan ports vs Duty Free on the cruise ship.  They advised that the prices were better?  Is this true?  Any suggestions of where to buy liquor in the Alaskan Ports?

I personally have never seen any liquor at a price to make it worth schlepping home.

4)  What happens when you buy liquor in the Alaskan Ports?  Are you allowed to bring your purchase on board?  If yes, is it stored until you disembark or are you allowed to bring it to your cabin?  We don't plan on drinking it as we have the Plus Cruise Package.

It will be collected and returned prior to disembarking.

5)  What about cigarettes?  My dad smokes so we usually buy duty free cigarettes to gift him when we travel.  Better to buy at the Duty Free on cruise or in Alaska Ports?  Any suggestions of where to buy cigarettes in the Alaskan Ports?

 

6)  What happens when you buy cigarettes in the Alaskan Ports?  Are you allowed to bring your purchase on board?  If yes, is it stored until you disembark or are you allowed to bring it to your cabin?  We don't plan on smoking.  We hate cigarettes because we are allergic to the smoke but it's something we always buy to gift my dad when we travel.

 

7)  Not Duty Free related but what about souvenirs etc. that's sold in the cruise ship stores?  Is there a special day when items go on sale or have special promotions?

 

Thanks for your help.  Have a great day!

 

[Moondogy]

Alaska is a US state, so from what I saw when we was there was prices about the same or a little higher due to the fact it costs to get products there. Unlike the Caribbean, where there is some alcohol is made like rum. Also, not sure how the duty free works when you are buying from a US state. 

[skynight]

All shops are closed on board while in port.

Is there duty/tax free shopping in Alaska waters? I'm thinking no. But there might be once the ship is in Canada waters. If there is, each adult is allowed to import 1 liter of alcoholic beverage with no charge. The big savings on alcoholic beverages is the Federal Alcohol Tax. If you are flying home bottles of whisky have to be packed in luggage. Not something I think is very practical. The only time I purchased alcohol was when I was driving to the port. 

I don't know very much about cigarettes. Believe the limit is 1 carton, 200 cigarettes, per adult.

Sales? Not really. I have been on some cruises where the on board shop is trying to unload a few bottles that have not sold. Other than that it's usually the price as shown on their on board price list.

To find out if you should purchase on board or in port, compare the costs once on board. Alaska is a U.S. State. They will have the same federal taxes on cigarettes and alcohol as any other U.S. State plus local  and State sales taxes.

There are "sales" every day if you really want to call them sales. Mostly Tees, hats, jewelry, things like that. Pay attention to the costs and quality, not to how much the items may be fictitiously reduced.  There are some nice items in the on board shops. The real bargain comes from using up your OBC, so no real cost to you. 

[555]

57 minutes ago, skynight said:

The real bargain comes from using up your OBC, so no real cost to you. 

I could never understand that reasoning. The money is mine to spend and there's no reason to use it for items that are frivolous.

Maybe it's just my way of thinking.  

[skynight]

I wish to add for the OP that I am assuming you are from the U.S. If you are from Canada or another country then you have to go by those import regulations. 

[CruiseMom88]

@ Everyone:  Thank you so much for your replies.  Greatly appreciated!

 

@ Skynight:  Oops.  I guess I should have mentioned I am from Canada.  However, the information everyone provided is useful and appreciated and good to know for those who are from the USA or Canada.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help!  Have a great day!

[JGmf]

Based on my own experience in the liquor and cigarette area of Duty Free, there is no special day or time to buy either.  In fact, if there's something in low stock, you may want to buy earlier. 

 

I'd venture to guess that the costs on the ship are less than on land, regardless of the US state, as that's been my experience as well.

 

When I sail out of NYC (my "home port" that I drive to), I do sometimes buy liquor as it is indeed less expensive ($5 - $10) per bottle than what I can get in my local places.  I don't do that, however, unless I do an online search.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise.

[skynight]

3 hours ago, JGmf said:

When I sail out of NYC (my "home port" that I drive to), I do sometimes buy liquor as it is indeed less expensive ($5 - $10) per bottle than what I can get in my local places.  I don't do that, however, unless I do an online search.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise.

This is because you are purchasing in international waters where there is no Federal alcohol tax which is $13.50 per proof gallon for spirits. There are also no State and local taxes. In the poster's  case if purchased in Alaska there will be Federal taxes. There will also be some State taxes. The ship does not sail in international waters. 

 

[startedwithamouse]

5 hours ago, JGmf said:

Based on my own experience in the liquor and cigarette area of Duty Free, there is no special day or time to buy either.  In fact, if there's something in low stock, you may want to buy earlier. 

 

I'd venture to guess that the costs on the ship are less than on land, regardless of the US state, as that's been my experience as well.

 

When I sail out of NYC (my "home port" that I drive to), I do sometimes buy liquor as it is indeed less expensive ($5 - $10) per bottle than what I can get in my local places.  I don't do that, however, unless I do an online search.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise.

We've always found spirits much more expensive on the ship than our local costco.

[Rick&Jeannie]

On 7/30/2024 at 10:18 AM, CruiseMom88 said:

@ Everyone:  Thank you so much for your replies.  Greatly appreciated!

 

@ Skynight:  Oops.  I guess I should have mentioned I am from Canada.  However, the information everyone provided is useful and appreciated and good to know for those who are from the USA or Canada.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help!  Have a great day!

Minor suggestion...edit your CC profile info to show that you are from Canada to avoid future confusion.

[Thrak]

A number of years ago my wife and I did a 7 week camping trip up to Fairbanks, AK. While liquor was vastly cheaper in Alaska than it was while passing through Canada, it was definitely more expensive than here at home. Most things were more expensive due to having to be shipped so far. If you buy liquor in a store in Alaska make sure that all people you are with have valid ID. When my wife or I tried to buy liquor we both had to show our drivers license as, in Alaska, there is an ordinance where if you have any domestic violence, driving under the influence, etc. violations they mark your license. If one person has a marked ID they won't sell to either party as you "might" be purchasing for that person who is not allowed to purchase liquor. At least that's how things stood when we were there.

 

There is also now a law in Alaska that any cargo carriers who deliver alcohol must be registered and alcohol retailers are required to use only those registered carriers. This has also increased the price.

 

As for buying duty free onboard... I checked a bottle of Bushmills once and, even without tax, it was still more than I would have paid at my local Trader Joe's including tax. My, what a deal... Not!

[Thrak]

On 7/30/2024 at 7:18 AM, CruiseMom88 said:

I guess I should have mentioned I am from Canada.  However, the information everyone provided is useful and appreciated and good to know for those who are from the USA or Canada.

 

Alcohol prices in Canada were roughly twice what I pay here in California. Crazy high pricing.

[CruiseMom88]

Thanks everyone for your help!

[ldubs]

I cannot imagine cigarettes are going to be cheaper in Alaska ports than in onboard duty free shops.  Typically they have buy three cartons and get one free sales of brand name cig's at about half or less the per pack costs in west coast stores.  The thing you have to check is your country's customs rules on how many cig's you can bring back per person. For the US it used to be one carton per person.  I'm not sure of the allowance now.  In the California ports we have disembarked over the past two years this isn't an issue because no one checks.  

 

BTW, they don't hold the cig purchases.  You take them back to your cabin when you make the purchase. 

 

I know this because we do the same thing as you, except in our case it is for our brother-in-law.  

Edited August 3 by ldubs