Local Tax if ordering while in port

[USN59-79]

I have heard this mentioned before, but not sure if it always happens.  We are boarding the Westerdam tomorrow for a 53 day cruise.  If I order a wine package while in port at Seattle, will there be local taxes involved?  Next port is Victoria.  Could Canada tax us?  Or should we wait until we are twelve miles out to sea?

Ray

[CruiserBruce]

34 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

I have heard this mentioned before, but not sure if it always happens.  We are boarding the Westerdam tomorrow for a 53 day cruise.  If I order a wine package while in port at Seattle, will there be local taxes involved?  Next port is Victoria.  Could Canada tax us?  Or should we wait until we are twelve miles out to sea?

Ray

Just don't order while tied to the dock. That usually solves the problem. 

[Blackduck59]

1 hour ago, USN59-79 said:

I have heard this mentioned before, but not sure if it always happens.  We are boarding the Westerdam tomorrow for a 53 day cruise.  If I order a wine package while in port at Seattle, will there be local taxes involved?  Next port is Victoria.  Could Canada tax us?  Or should we wait until we are twelve miles out to sea?

Ray

I'm not sure whether the Government of Canada would tax your purchase (I suspect not) but it will be some time before Westerdam is outside of Canadian waters by 12 miles. So if there is a tax in Washington state or British Columbia then it would be sometime around 0200 hrs. on the 5th of September.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It happens in some ports.

[Dutchman48]

12 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

I have heard this mentioned before, but not sure if it always happens.  We are boarding the Westerdam tomorrow for a 53 day cruise.  If I order a wine package while in port at Seattle, will there be local taxes involved?  Next port is Victoria.  Could Canada tax us?  Or should we wait until we are twelve miles out to sea?

Ray

As @Gail & Marty sailing away said it could be an issue in some ports, but not on the cruise you are taking. Have sailed out of both Seattle and Vancouver multiple times and local taxes were not an issue.

[SilvertoGold]

There has been talk about taxing once ship is in Gatineau Channel. Best to ask on board and see what is happening. Thing change, the ship should be very aware of exactly how thing are working.

[USN59-79]

Thanks for all the input.  Looks like it is one less thing I have to worry about while preparing for the trip.  When we were on Westerdam last year I preordered but the ship was in Yokohama when we boarded.  They charged me full price, knowing that I was entitled to the 5 star discount.  Discussed it with them at the front desk a few times, they promised a refund, but it never happened.  Now I know not to order before  boarding.

Ray

[Cruise Junky]

We paid Alaska State tax when ordering drinks while in port in Juneau.  

[Blackduck59]

When we travel we pay whatever taxes are due. As guests in a foreign land we are using the infrastructure those taxes pay for. I think those who visit Canada or any other country, and use the roads, public facilities and any other services that taxes pay for and then apply to have taxes refunded, are just short sighted.

[Hlitner]

The tax issue, with regard to cruising, is dependent on a few factors including whether in (or near) a port as well as the ship's itinerary.  Some cruises. that only visit EU ports may have taxes imposed on every purchase for an entire voyage.  A visit to a non-Schengen or EU port (such as Kotor, Montenegro; or Dures, Albania) may be enough to eliminate those taxes on the cruise.  If one wants to make an expensive purchase, aboard, such as a wine or drink package, it is wise to ask the seller if there will be any taxes imposed on the purchase.  

 

We have been a several cruises out of Florida ports, where the crew would advise us that if we purchased some kind of drink package, they would not process the sale until we were well out into international waters...thus avoiding Florida taxes.  At one time, we cruised on some lines that would actually handle package sales, in a Florida port, by writing them up on a manual invoice.  This made it a simple matter to delay the processing (and the taxes).

 

Hank

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

We paid Alaska State tax when ordering drinks while in port in Juneau.  

Actually, Alaska has no state sales tax, that was a Juneau municipal tax.  Several cities in Alaska, including cruise ports, have municipal sales taxes, but some decide to apply it to the ships and some don't.

[Cruise Junky]

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Actually, Alaska has no state sales tax, that was a Juneau municipal tax.  Several cities in Alaska, including cruise ports, have municipal sales taxes, but some decide to apply it to the ships and some don't.

Thanks for the clarification. 

[WriterOnDeck]

On 8/31/2024 at 5:40 PM, USN59-79 said:

I have heard this mentioned before, but not sure if it always happens.  We are boarding the Westerdam tomorrow for a 53 day cruise.  If I order a wine package while in port at Seattle, will there be local taxes involved?  Next port is Victoria.  Could Canada tax us?  Or should we wait until we are twelve miles out to sea?

Ray

I'm on the same cruise. I asked my MDR steward the first night about paying tax on an 8-bottle package. He looked it up and said yes, I would be charged the local sales tax. I ordered the package the next day.

Edited September 9 by WriterOnDeck

[Sherry H]

Conflicting reports!  Some say charges will be processed the next day, others that they will be charged tax if still in port.  I am hoping to hear from more fellow cruisers who actually had the experience of ordering a wine package while still in port.

Edited September 10 by Sherry H

[WriterOnDeck]

12 hours ago, Sherry H said:

Conflicting reports!  Some say charges will be processed the next day, others that they will be charged tax if still in port.  I am hoping to hear from more fellow cruisers who actually had the experience of ordering a wine package while still in port.

Like all things HAL, I'm sure it varies -- by port, ship and the whims of the local authorities. So even if you hear from someone who ordered while in port, it doesn't mean the same things will happen next time. That's why I suggest you ask -- as I did earlier on this cruise, and learned I would be charged local tax, so didn't order the wine package till the next day. Always ask and you should be OK.

[VMax1700]

On 9/9/2024 at 7:05 AM, Hlitner said:

A visit to a non-Schengen or EU port (such as Kotor, Montenegro; or Dures, Albania) may be enough to eliminate those taxes on the cruise.

Schengen has no bearing on tax regulations.  It requires a port outside of the EU tax area, such as Gibraltar, a UK port, or as mentioned Kotor or Sarande, Denmark...to limit the tax liability.

[wdw1972]

18 hours ago, Sherry H said:

Conflicting reports!  Some say charges will be processed the next day, others that they will be charged tax if still in port.  I am hoping to hear from more fellow cruisers who actually had the experience of ordering a wine package while still in port.

The times I've booked a wine package it was done in Ft Lauderdale, on embarkation day. It would take days for the charge to appear on my statement, and it was always without tax. Based on that, I can say they did not run the charge while we were in port (FL) but I don't know why it sometimes took several days since there were no US ports we were visiting. 

 

Sue/WDW1972

[Sherry H]

Hi WriterOnDeck!  I will ask but I have found sometimes if you ask 3 different people you may very well get 3 different answers.  I was hoping to hear from others who might have ordered a wine package will still in port.  I am leaving from Ft Lauderdale so WDW1972 answer is encouraging that I won't be charged until leaving Ft Lauderdale.

[WriterOnDeck]

13 hours ago, Sherry H said:

Hi WriterOnDeck!  I will ask but I have found sometimes if you ask 3 different people you may very well get 3 different answers.  I was hoping to hear from others who might have ordered a wine package will still in port.  I am leaving from Ft Lauderdale so WDW1972 answer is encouraging that I won't be charged until leaving Ft Lauderdale.

Yes, asking 3 different people can get 3 different answers, so you won't know which will apply for you until you are actually on board and try to book. I recommend you ask that first night before you order and decide accordingly. That's what I did -- and when the steward told me the tax would be applied, I waited until later to order.