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Two cruise lines skip Amsterdam over city's new tax on cruise ship passengers

Gypsy65

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I say stop going there period until they reverse their tax
It’s just a money grab and once they realize what that $9 actually costs them in lost revenue to their post and businesses then they most likely will change their mind
 

Passepartout

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This story was from Jan. 7th and only affects cruisers who make cruise stops in Amsterdam, not those who embark or disembark in Amsterdam. Highly doubtful many TUGgers would call into the taxed category.

The two cruise lines that chose to visit Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam are Costa and a British line that few Americans cruise on.

Jim
 

pedro47

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I would refused to pay this tax. I agree with the two cruises lines. I prefer to visit Rotterdam over the taxation policy of Armsterdam.
 

andysnovel

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This story was from Jan. 7th and only affects cruisers who make cruise stops in Amsterdam, not those who embark or disembark in Amsterdam. Highly doubtful many TUGgers would call into the taxed category.

The two cruise lines that chose to visit Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam are Costa and a British line that few Americans cruise on.

Jim
MSC is a Italian Cruise Line and very popular. This tax affects all passengers on ships that dock in Amsterdam. My guess is this tax is going to go away.
 

CanuckTravlr

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MSC is a Italian Cruise Line and very popular. This tax affects all passengers on ships that dock in Amsterdam. My guess is this tax is going to go away.

That is not accurate. The article clearly points out, as Passepartout stated, that the tax only applies to passengers who are doing day visits and Amsterdam is a stop between other stops. It does not apply to passengers who are starting or ending their cruises in Amsterdam. Whether there is sufficient push-back and/or impact on Amsterdam's visitor revenues to have the tax reversed remains to be seen.
 
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Passepartout

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I would refused to pay this tax. I agree with the two cruises lines. I prefer to visit Rotterdam over the taxation policy of Armsterdam.
Easy enough to do. If you want to visit Amsterdam (a favorite city of mine) by cruise ship, just choose cruises that either originate or terminate in Amsterdam. Passengers who either arrive or depart by rail, road, or air, are exempt from the tax. But really, is a $9 tax when you are already paying port charges and duties on every other port your cruise stops at is splitting hairs.

If you want a tax on cruisers to be upset about, give some thought to the tariff to cruise through the Panama Canal. Panama charges the cruise lines $138- $148 PER BED to transit the canal that was built by Americans over 100 years ago at considerable expense and loss of life. So a freighter with a crew of say, 10, will pay ~$140 to transit while a cruise ship with 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew can be charged over $400,000,

Jim
 
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If you want a tax on cruisers to be upset about, give some thought to the tariff to cruise through the Panama Canal. Panama charges the cruise lines $138- $148 PER BED to transit the canal that was built by Americans over 100 years ago at considerable expense and loss of life.

Jim

Not an entirely accurate claim Jim. The Panama Canal was built by the US and the French, during the US construction period according to hospital records, 5,609 died of diseases and accidents. Of these, 4,500 were West Indian workers. A total of 350 white Americans died. The actual worker death toll during the French construction period will never be known, as the French would only record deaths at the hospitals, which were a small percentage of the total. According to a report it is possible that some 22,000 workers died during the French construction period.
 

Passepartout

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Not an entirely accurate claim Jim. The Panama Canal was built by the US and the French, during the US construction period according to hospital records, 5,609 died of diseases and accidents. Of these, 4,500 were West Indian workers. A total of 350 white Americans died. The actual worker death toll during the French construction period will never be known, as the French would only record deaths at the hospitals, which were a small percentage of the total. According to a report it is possible that some 22,000 workers died during the French construction period.
Agreed- that the majority of the fatalities were NOT Americans, and that the French effort was abandoned when the difficulties and losses became impossible to overcome. But in the context of the thread (tax on cruise passengers who stop in Amsterdam) the $9 tax pales in comparison to the $140 each passenger pays to transit he canal.
 

LisaH

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$9 is not a significant amount. For those who would like to see Amsterdam, it will cost at least $10 to go from Rotterdam to Amsterdam plus considerable amount of time spent on travel. However, I agree it’s better to choose a cruise that either starts or ends at Amsterdam if one wants to visit Amsterdam. It has too much to see for a cruise stop.
 

pedro47

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Second opinion... Any cruise line could simply increase the overall cost of the cruise by $10 and you will never know it IMO.
 

dioxide45

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Second opinion... Any cruise line could simply increase the overall cost of the cruise by $10 and you will never know it IMO.
They would just put it in to the port charges, fees and taxes. $9 isn't really anything but cruise lines often try this tactic of pulling out in order to bully the ports. Carnival recently did it with Antigua.
 
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But in the context of the thread (tax on cruise passengers who stop in Amsterdam) the $9 tax pales in comparison to the $140 each passenger pays to transit he canal.

I agree entirely and in the context of the cost of the entire cruise, $9 tax is not a great amount.
 
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