Duty Free Texas Style

Sailing From Galveston?
Know Before You Go



The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has begun collecting personal importation taxes on alcohol and cigarettes from passengers returning from cruises in Galveston as of this month.

If you purchase liquor or cigarettes during your cruise, you may have to pay importation taxes when you return to port in Galveston.
It doesn't matter if you purchased the items on board the ship or while in one of the ports of call.

According to the press release issued by the TABC, Section 107.07 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code, in effect for over 40 years, requires that each adult (21 years old and over) importing alcoholic beverages into the state for personal consumption pay the state tax and an administrative fee of $3.00. The law limits personal importation by an adult to once every 30 days with limits of: 1 gallon of distilled spirits, 3 gallons of wine, and 288 ounces of malt beverages (24 12-ounce containers). Persons importing alcoholic beverages must personally accompany the product as it enters the state. View the detailed list of the taxes for both cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

TABC operates several collection points along the Texas / Mexico border but Galveston is the first seaport to set up shop for collecting the taxes.   Plans call for the port of Houston-Bayport later in the fall of this year as well.

Once passengers clear U.S. Customs, they can pay the tax to TABC personnel via cash or credit card.  The agency says they have worked with port officials to make sure the process doesn't disrupt port operations.

Note that these taxes are in addition to any tax imposed due U.S. Customs.  For more information about allowances, see the U.S. State Department website (Customs Duty Information).

Cruise Passengers There's a Price on Your Head

Increased Bahamas

Head Tax

Effective Oct. 1st 

"It's Better in the Bahamas" is the well-known slogan for the Government of the Bahamas.  It's also going to be more expensive for cruise ships to call there starting October 1, 2010.  When the Government of the Bahamas looked at their 2010-11 budget needs, it was clear that some additional revenue was necessary.   One of the ways they decided to meet their budgetary needs was to increase the so-called "head tax" (air and sea departure tax) from $15 to $20.   The increase for the airlines is effective July 1st and the cruise line increase is effective October 1st.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) makes several calls in the Bahamas each sailing season.   NCL has notified passengers, on sailings on or after October 1st, that they will automatically add $3 per guest (age 6 and above) to all reservations that are currently not paid in full and will resend a confirmation showing the new balance due. 

In the event of cruise cancellation, this tax, like any other Government Taxes and Fees (GTF), is fully refundable. Norwegian Cruise Line is required by law to collect this from ALL guests and acts only as an agent of the Bahamian Government in collecting the tax.

In May, 2008, the Bahamian Minister of Tourism estimated that more than $22M in tourism revenue would be generated from the head tax and increased passenger spend in the Bahamas.   He said: "The Bahamas is now in a position to earn between July 2008 and December 2009 some $22 million dollars in terms of passenger spend, with Norwegian Sky generating almost 50 per cent of this amount," said Mr. Grant at a press briefing at the Lucayan Harbour.

NCL isn't the only cruise line serving the Bahamas.   When the increase was announced, Carnival Corporation, who operates three lines (Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises) that call in the Bahamas, estimated that the increased tax would generate $9.2M for the government.  Since NCL is only adding $3 per guest, it appears that there was a negotiated deal between the cruise line and the Government of Bahamas since the tax was announced.

In this economy governments are looking for ways to increase their coffers and an increase in head tax is one way to achieve that goal.  This may become the new replacement for fuel surcharges we saw in recent years.  It is just another cost that is being past along to the consumer.

Elsewhere, Royal Caribbean has squared off against Rockland, Maine's City Council who recently voted to increase the head tax fee for large cruise ships from $1 per passenger to $6.  Last fall, Royal Caribbean's 2,504-passenger Jewel of the Seas called in Rockland and is scheduled to call there again this October.  

Royal Caribbean is opposed to the fee hike and made the following statement:

"We believe the 600% increase to the passenger fee is excessive and ill-timed given current economic conditions," the cruise line said in a statement. "We are also concerned by the short notice of the increase. Cruise line operators, including Royal Caribbean, plan port calls 24 months in advance and begin selling these cruises to guests 12 to 18 months in advance. We strive to mitigate costs that jeopardize any financial hardships to our guests, but an increase such as this will have a negative impact.

"We feel that the fee increase should be rescinded and tariffs reset to their previous levels," the statement concluded.

Rockland councilmen haven't taken the remarks too kindly, and aren't planning to rescind the fee at this time.  We'll continue to watch this developing story.

So you see, there is a price on your head in the Bahamas and elsewhere.  Even with these added head taxes, a cruise vacation is still a good value.   Even if you were to fly to the Bahamas, you'd still be subject to the increased fee.   I would hope that this wouldn't alter your travel plans, but be aware that there may be changes to your cruise cost to cover the mandatory fees.