Drinking in port

Someone recently told me you can't use the all you can drink package on the boat while in port. Please tell me this isn't true.....leaving on Liberty in September. 

Not true.  What they may have been referring to was while in port in Galveston your choices are limited due to Texas Law. 

Hello Courtney.

Welcome aboard! Please feel free to ask away with any questions you may have. There is an abundance of seasoned Royal Caribbean cruisers here that will gladly and willingly help you out.

Yes, you can use your drink package on board the ship while in port. You can also use your drink package at Labadee and Coco Cay as they are Royal Caribbean ports. While in port, the casino is closed. Hope this helps out.  

3 hours ago, Clear Laker said:

Not true.  What they may have been referring to was while in port in Galveston your choices are limited due to Texas Law. 

Which choices are limited? Are certain drinks illegal in Texas? Just curious.

5 hours ago, Keeves said:

Which choices are limited? Are certain drinks illegal in Texas? Just curious.

Texas as a state doesn't approve every beer, wine or liquor made.  Amstel Light beer for example is not approved by TABC so it can't be served while in TX waters.  Diamond happy hour normally includes Amstel Light.  Not on day 1 for cruises leaving from Galveston.

Any liquor served has to be served from a bottle which has the TX tax paid and it carries a sticker to prove that TX tax has been paid.  Rather than paying the TX tax on every single bottle on board, they have a small selection, one vodka, one rum, one gin, etc that is paid up for TX tax.  

Within the 12 mile territorial limit any drink has to be made from one of those bottles.  So a vodka and cranberry will be a specific brand while other vodkas remain locked up until 12 miles out.  Once past the 12 mile limit and sailing in international water the TX bottles go away, waiting to be pulled back out at the start of the next cruise and the normal bar fully opens.

Carnival handles it differently.  They avoid drink packages until day 2.  On day 1 all drinks are paid on demand from TX tagged bottles.  

Wow. Interesting. Thanks!

Insane really...good to know about Carnival too as I would never consider them to be an option out of Texas based on that.

5 hours ago, twangster said:

Texas as a state doesn't approve every beer, wine or liquor made.  Amstel Light beer for example is not approved by TABC so it can't be served while in TX waters.  Diamond happy hour normally includes Amstel Light.  Not on day 1 for cruises leaving from Galveston.

Any liquor served has to be served from a bottle which has the TX tax paid and it carries a sticker to prove that TX tax has been paid.  Rather than paying the TX tax on every single bottle on board, they have a small selection, one vodka, one rum, one gin, etc that is paid up for TX tax.  

Within the 12 mile territorial limit any drink has to be made from one of those bottles.  So a vodka and cranberry will be a specific brand while other vodkas remain locked up until 12 miles out.  Once past the 12 mile limit and sailing in international water the TX bottles go away, waiting to be pulled back out at the start of the next cruise and the normal bar fully opens.

Carnival handles it differently.  They avoid drink packages until day 2.  On day 1 all drinks are paid on demand from TX tagged bottles.  

Your extensive knowledge never ceases to amaze me ..... It's like a Walking Google

5 hours ago, twangster said:

Texas as a state doesn't approve every beer, wine or liquor made.  Amstel Light beer for example is not approved by TABC so it can't be served while in TX waters.  Diamond happy hour normally includes Amstel Light.  Not on day 1 for cruises leaving from Galveston.

Is there anything you don't know??? You really are a BOT aren't you?? LOL!! I learn more from you on a day to day basis than I did in college!

For the record TX isn't the only state where local laws cause some variations in drink handling.   NY and AL also do, others possibly.  

When cruising Carnival with the drink package in 2013 through 2015 they would charge local taxes while in US ports.  I boarded in Fort Lauderdale and with the drink package each drink was $0.87 to $1.30 in taxes.  Guests are charged this.   Once we reached 12 miles no charge per drink using their Cheers! drink package.   Day 2 in Key West the tax charges returned.   That night after leaving port and for remainder of cruise no taxes charged in non US ports.  

When I took my 1st RC cruise I was expecting those same tax charges but RC eats them, or buries them into the cost of the drink package.  No doubt they have to account for them and submit them to each state though.  

It's really a PITA for the cruise lines to track each city/state/country local regulations for each port but that is exactly what they must do.  Imagine if they kept the on-board store open while in port - it would be subject to local regulations too.  

Another TX tax to be aware of - if you buy duty free booze upon returning to Galveston you have to pay the TABC taxes on each bottle.   TX resident or not, you pay.   They are setup right after US Customs and if you decalre a bottle of duty free booze you will be directed to visit the TABC tax collectors.  It's a few bucks per bottle but everyone pays even if you are flying out of Houston hours after arriving back into Galveston.  

Search for "TABC Tax Collection form" and you will see the charges for each bottle:

$4.25 on a 1.75l bottle, $3.75 on a 1l bottle, etc.  $3.50 on a 24 of beer, $3.75 on a bottle of wine, $15 on a carton of cigarettes.  Duty free they may be, but that is a federal rule and does not make them TX tax free.  

For this reason I do not buy duty free booze when cruising out of Galveston.

15 hours ago, Courtneyn09 said:

Someone recently told me you can't use the all you can drink package on the boat while in port

Perhaps what they meant is if you are in Cozumel and off on an excursion, you obviously cannot use your drink package while off the ship.  

The drink package does work anytime the ship is docked or at sea.

I haven't honestly paid attention on my last several cruises but I do remember being charged sales tax in the past while in port in Florida on individual drinks.  These were before they offered drink packages.