Grand Cayman new law?

[SL6827]

So what is with the Grand Cayman law now about closing almost every bar on ship while dock in their port?

 

[Dug720]

It's a tax thing. They're going to tax the ships for liquor sold onboard which takes money away from Grand Cayman.

It's on all ships - I heard about it on Celebrity forums back in January and was shocked I hadn't seen people fussing about it anywhere else.

 

[SL6827]

Wonder if it would apply if the ships docked further out of GC port?

 

[Sykes]

Wonder if it would apply if the ships docked further out of GC port?

It would have to be 12 nautical miles away, which would make for a pretty long tender. Plus, I doubt Grand Cayman would allow such a clear circumvention of these new taxes.

 

[Kwami]

Wouldn't it be better to keep the bars open and collect the tax than to close the bars? Disney would still be making money on sales and the bartenders would still be collecting gratuities. Guests would surely prefer it that way, too, right? Closing the bars seems silly to me.

 

[Flip flops in winter]

So you won't be able to get a drink while docked? When does this go into effect?

 

[Sykes]

So you won't be able to get a drink while docked? When does this go into effect?

The Cove Bar remains open, so you can still get a drink. Celebrity is doing similar and only opening the pool bar while docked. I suspect that isolating sales to a single bar makes it a lot easier to track sales and remit the required taxes.

 

[CamColt]

I'm not sure where my son saw this but he sent it to me yesterday. From this wording I'm curious if the Cove Bar can sell ALL alcohols, or just limited drinks(beer and wine? ???).

 

[insureman]

They would probably get more people off the ships in GC if they built that pier they've been talking about for 20 years instead of tendering everyone.

 

[insureman]

It's a tax thing. They're going to tax the ships for liquor sold onboard which takes money away from Grand Cayman.

It's on all ships - I heard about it on Celebrity forums back in January and was shocked I hadn't seen people fussing about it anywhere else.

First I have heard about it.

 

[Eastcoast02]

We couldn't even tender in at Grand Cayman last week due to flooding, and barely made it in to Castaway Cay. A near epic fail of a cruise lol.

*Edit: that pier would've been helpful. Choppy seas too, that was probably my only shot at a Grand Cayman visit.

 

[Dug720]

First I have heard about it.

People on the Celebrity forums on Cruise Critic were talking about it back in January and February but have moved onto other things now (though admittedly maybe because the majority of their ships are elsewhere now since they only leave one in the Caribbean for the summer).

 

[Mommb]

I'm not sure where my son saw this but he sent it to me yesterday. From this wording I'm curious if the Cove Bar can sell ALL alcohols, or just limited drinks(beer and wine? ???).

My interpretation of the wording is that while the ship is docked in Grand Cayman, Cove Bar will sell the usual full array of alcoholic beverages, Cove Cafe and Vista Cafe will sell only coffee drinks without alcohol, and other bars will be closed. I don't see any indication of a difference between beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks.

 

[soniam]

It's a tax thing. They're going to tax the ships for liquor sold onboard which takes money away from Grand Cayman.

It's on all ships - I heard about it on Celebrity forums back in January and was shocked I hadn't seen people fussing about it anywhere else.

I'm not sure where my son saw this but he sent it to me yesterday. From this wording I'm curious if the Cove Bar can sell ALL alcohols, or just limited drinks(beer and wine? ???).

I thought DCL would be immune or willing to pay the taxes, since I had only heard of people complaining on Celebrity. However, I guess it's affecting DCL now too. Bummer. At least it's not Nassau, where most people stay on board for DCL and there would be more demand at the bars.

 

[bigAWL]

I experienced this policy in March on the Dream. I got a beer from the Cove bar while still in port, and I seem to remember there was a limitation to beer and wine only (can't say that was the policy for sure).

 

[Dug720]

At least it's not Nassau, where most people stay on board for DCL and there would be more demand at the bars.

It may sadly only be a matter of time. Especially if it nets GC the extra money and/or people flow they are hoping. If it works, I wouldn't be surprised to see other islands implement the same kind of thing. Not saying I agree with it...just saying I wouldn't be surprised. We all know how once one person/company/country does something that works others want to do the same thing.

(To be fair, I've only been on Celebrity boards until recently over on CC and DCL here, so I can't say for sure people haven't complained on other lines. I am shocked it took this long for people to comment about it on Disney.)

 

[OpieDoodle]

This is interesting. I wonder why they're limiting it to a single bar. I've been on quite a few cruises with other cruiselines (never to GC) and I've been at multiple ports where drinks on the ship while docked we had to pay tax. I guess I don't understand why close all bars except 1, unless maybe GC is charging the cruise lines a fee per bar they have opened. Which then it would make sense to narrow all the sales down to one bar especially since more people do get off at GC than say Nassau for example.

 

[OpieDoodle]

It may sadly only be a matter of time. Especially if it nets GC the extra money and/or people flow they are hoping. If it works, I wouldn't be surprised to see other islands implement the same kind of thing. Not saying I agree with it...just saying I wouldn't be surprised. We all know how once one person/company/country does something that works others want to do the same thing.

(To be fair, I've only been on Celebrity boards until recently over on CC and DCL here, so I can't say for sure people haven't complained on other lines. I am shocked it took this long for people to comment about it on Disney.)

On the other side of that coin tho is if its too much of a hassle for the cruise lines there are SO MANY places they could go to instead of GC. The cruise lines could play hard ball and just stop going there. Not saying they will but they could. GC thrives because of tourism, pushing the cruise lines away wouldn't be in their best interest.

 

[Flip flops in winter]

I experienced this policy in March on the Dream. I got a beer from the Cove bar while still in port, and I seem to remember there was a limitation to beer and wine only (can't say that was the policy for sure).

Nooooooooo. I need my Captain's mai Tai!!

 

[Kae]

This is interesting. I wonder why they're limiting it to a single bar. I've been on quite a few cruises with other cruiselines (never to GC) and I've been at multiple ports where drinks on the ship while docked we had to pay tax. I guess I don't understand why close all bars except 1, unless maybe GC is charging the cruise lines a fee per bar they have opened. Which then it would make sense to narrow all the sales down to one bar especially since more people do get off at GC than say Nassau for example.

When were on an Alaskan Cruise (NCL) when docked in Victoria they could only have one bar opened per level. Some law on the books.