Disney Magic 12 nt. British Isles Cruise 2017

[poison ivy]

Time for a snack!

yes please! dinner is coming up

We just booked for next September and I'm really enjoying this trip report! Thank you for sharing all the details as I'm a little panicky about making everything work out.

Thanks and welcome. glad you're enjoying it. You made a great choice booking the BI cruise next year and you've come to the right place to help with planning. You will love that cruise.

Enjoying your trip report!!

I'm so glad. Thanks again..

What fabulous pictures! You documented everything so beautifully!!!! Even the food! I don't even have one picture of our hotel room!
Looks like a nice spread!!!

Thanks so much. I debated doing a trip report for this cruise before we left so we tried to capture as much as we could just in case. I'm glad we did.
Too bad you don't have pics of your room. How was your hotel breakfast? Ours gave new meaning to the term "continental". we really liked that lounge..

 

[poison ivy]

Eating at the Sofitel continues…………….


Arrival Day - July 7, 2017


The Sofitel truly is a family friendly place. Big enough to spread out and buffer the noise while comfortable enough to blend in.
I love this video. It showcases the hotel with emphasis on the family atmosphere and highlights a lot of what we just walked through here.

This one’s for the kids too. Have Fun!

Dinner at the hotel.

Where and what to eat when not on the ship was a recurring theme throughout the entire 2 wk vacation. Especially since most of those meals were on the fly.

And when you have 2 men in your 3 person travel party, food becomes an essential part of the trip.



Arrival day would be no exception.
It was after 9:30pm. The night was coming to an end - fast! JQ and Iron Man were starting to hit a wall. They needed to eat something – anything before they crashed.

Nobody felt like walking back to terminal 5 to check out the food situation, so we opted to dine at the hotel.
Plus, we had to stop by the transportation desk to figure out the best way to get into London by 5am tomorrow.

One of the positives about large international hotels like the Sofitel are the variety of dining options. Whether it be a club lounge, or a quick bite at the bar, or sitting down at a restaurant or just ordering room service – they’ve got you covered.


Here’s the list of choices presented when we checked in.

____________________________________________________________________




____________________________________________________________________


Our pick? Enter Vivre




Great casual place. They've got something for everyone - starters - kids menu - homemade rustic pizza - lite & full course meals - and they seat til 10:30pm. perfect!



I forgot to photograph the menu. So I'll walk you through as best I can.

We decided on dinner. This was a delicious meal.

Fresh bread service to start. (plus 2 soft drinks £2.50 ea)



Classic Caesar Salad - with anchovies, crispy parma ham, croutons and parmesan cheese £8



They had a gnocchi special on the menu, tossed in a blush sauce with fresh basil. £19
Sadly, this was our miss of the night. It turned out to be pre-made and not the best choice at this restaurant. (too bad)



The grills and curry dishes were recommended as house specialties and very popular.
Sounds good. We’ll try one of each.

Spicy Thai Green Curry - served with spiced coconut rice, prawn crackers £19
your choice of: Vegetable _ Chicken _ Seafood

Iron Man chose the seafood





Grills "All our steaks are from Dedham Vale in Suffolk."

Char-grilled Rib Eye Steak (10 oz) - with watercress, melted cherry tomatoes & pont neuf potatoes £24.50







Excellent Recommendations!

Total cost for this meal was £90**

I have nothing to compare this to since this was our only dinner in England.
(If anyone would like to share their London food experiences – please do! I’d love to hear how everyone else fared.)


**The bill was £75 the total £90 included a 20% VAT automatically added in.
What’s this??

We asked for an explanation because we couldn’t figure out if this was the gratuity or some other tax?

The response wasn’t very clear. We were told that the VAT was a fee at the restaurant but not the same as a gratuity. (Sounds like a tip to me).
Something along the lines of the funds are paid for all the services of the restaurant and they could take it off the bill if we wanted. (meaning what? that we weren’t willing to pay for service?)

It was late. We were confused. From what I've since learned, I'm now convinced I'm not even repeating this conversation correctly.

We didn’t want to do the wrong thing but we had no idea what the right thing to do was. So we decided to leave the VAT on the bill and add in a gratuity of around 10%.

After reading this article – I understand a little better what they were saying.
https://www.tripsavvy.com/when-is-tipping-expected-1662410

The VAT is a UK tax similar to a sales tax in the US and cannot be removed from a bill. What you need to watch out for is when a service charge is also automatically added in.

(apparently it is customary not to tip extra if both a VAT and service charge are billed and showing on the receipt, unless your server did something extraordinary)
I guess we now need to understand the definition of “extraordinary” when it comes to dining out in London.


London travel tip #3: Understand the VAT tax refund before you shop in the UK.
(much more on this later)

But you can start here: http://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/terminal-facilities-and-services/vat-refunds

This applies to shops in England, Ireland, Scotland and any Disney purchases on the ship.
There is a complicated refund process at the airport to contend with as one of ways to get your money back. (not sure about France)

Also, you MUST ask for a VAT refund form from EACH VENDOR AT THE POINT OF SALE if that purchase exceeds a certain amount. (for our trip £35 min at the store)
You need this VAT refund form in order to submit a valid claim for refund for that particular receipt.

Be diligent & learn before you go. (Hopefully, between everyone here, we can spell out a lot more details on this topic)

Do not make the same mistakes we did.
We didn’t find out about this until we were on the ship and unfortunately lost the ability to claim any refund at Stonehenge.


Next up: A walk among the stones.

 

[janiebubble]

Eating at the Sofitel continues…………….


Arrival Day - July 7, 2017


The Sofitel truly is a family friendly place. Big enough to spread out and buffer the noise while comfortable enough to blend in.
I love this video. It showcases the hotel with emphasis on the family atmosphere and highlights a lot of what we just walked through here.

This one’s for the kids too. Have Fun!

Dinner at the hotel.

Where and what to eat when not on the ship was a recurring theme throughout the entire 2 wk vacation. Especially since most of those meals were on the fly.

And when you have 2 men in your 3 person travel party, food becomes an essential part of the trip.

View attachment 263842

Arrival day would be no exception.
It was after 9:30pm. The night was coming to an end - fast! JQ and Iron Man were starting to hit a wall. They needed to eat something – anything before they crashed.

Nobody felt like walking back to terminal 5 to check out the food situation, so we opted to dine at the hotel.
But first, we had to stop by the transportation desk to figure out the best way to get into London by 5am tomorrow.

One of the positives about large international hotels like the Sofitel are the variety of dining options. Whether it be a club lounge, or a quick bite at the bar, or sitting down at a restaurant or just ordering room service – they’ve got you covered.


Here’s the list of choices presented when we checked in.

____________________________________________________________________

View attachment 263843


____________________________________________________________________


Our pick? Enter Vivre

View attachment 263844


Great casual place. They've got something for everyone - starters - kids menu - homemade rustic pizza - lite & full course meals - and they seat til 10:30pm. perfect!

View attachment 263846

I forgot to photograph the menu. So I'll walk you through as best I can.

We decided on dinner. This was a delicious meal.

Fresh bread service to start.

View attachment 263845

Classic Caesar Salad - with anchovies, crispy parma ham, croutons and parmesan cheese

View attachment 263847

They had a gnocchi special on the menu, tossed in a blush sauce with fresh basil.
Sadly, this was our miss of the night. It turned out to be pre-made and not the best choice at this restaurant. (too bad)

View attachment 263848

The grills and curry dishes were recommended as house specialties and very popular.
Sounds good. We’ll try one of each.

Spicy Thai Green Curry - served with spiced coconut rice, prawn crackers
your choice of: Vegetable _ Chicken _ Seafood

Iron Man chose the seafood

View attachment 263850

View attachment 263860

Grills "All our steaks are from Dedham Vale in Suffolk."

Char-grilled Rib Eye Steak (10 oz) - with watercress, melted cherry tomatoes & pont neuf potatoes


View attachment 263849




Excellent Recommendations!

Total cost for this meal was £90**

I have nothing to compare this to since this was our only dinner in England.
(If anyone would like to share their London food experiences – please do! I’d love to hear how everyone else fared.)


**The £90 included either a 12 or 15% VAT automatically added in. (can't remember)
What’s this??

We asked for an explanation because we couldn’t figure out if this was the gratuity or some other tax?

The response wasn’t very clear. We were told that the VAT was a service fee at the restaurant but not the same as a gratuity. (Sounds like a tip to me).
Something along the lines of the funds are paid for all the services of the restaurant and they could take it off the bill if we wanted. (meaning what? that we weren’t willing to pay for service?)

It was late. We were confused. We didn’t want to do the wrong thing but we had no idea what the right thing to do was. So we decided to leave the VAT on the bill and add in a gratuity to gross it up to 20%.

After reading this article – I now understand exactly what they were saying.
https://www.tripsavvy.com/when-is-tipping-expected-1662410

(apparently it is customary not to add extra to the bill when a VAT tax is already being charged, unless your server did something extraordinary)
I guess we now need to understand the definition of “extraordinary” when it comes to dining out in London.


London travel tip #3: Understand the VAT tax refund before you shop in the UK.
(much more on this later)

But you can start here: http://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/terminal-facilities-and-services/vat-refunds

This applies to shops in England, Ireland, Scotland and any Disney purchases on the ship.
There is a complicated refund process at the airport to contend with as one of ways to get your money back. (not sure about France)

Also, you MUST ask for a VAT refund form from EACH VENDOR AT THE POINT OF SALE if that purchase exceeds a certain amount. You need this in order to submit a valid claim for refund for that particular receipt.

Be diligent & learn before you go. (Hopefully, between everyone here, we can spell out a lot more details on this topic)

Do not make the same mistakes we did.
We didn’t find out about this until we were on the ship and unfortunately lost the ability to claim any refund at Stonehenge.


Next up: A walk among the stones.

VAT is value added tax. It's the same as sales tax in the US, it is paid on most items and services (some things are VAT free such as books and children's clothes and essential food and drink but not luxuries like soda or candy). VAT is, unlike in the USA usually charged as an inclusive cost not as a 'plus tax' amount but you may see a breakdown on your receipt. This is not in any way linked to a gratuity.

Tipping is less common and usually less generous in the UK than in the USA. I would normally tip around 10% in a restaurant.

 

[JenTen1585]

Great information and pictures!
I think we vastly overtipped the entire trip as we tipped on US standards instead of UK standards. I knew it was different in the UK, but it was just so habit that we often forgot. Ah well.

Rant warning: I tried to get the VAT back at the airport. This is my 3rd trip abroad and I am 0 for 3 for actually getting my VAT back! It takes so much work! This time, I saved all the receipts and I filled out all the forms! It was confusing and time consuming but I did it! I left my family at the gate with our carry on luggage and walked all the way back to the window to try to get the VAT refund at Gatwick. Apparently you also have to bring the physical items that are on your receipts!!!! I did not read this and of course, most of it was in my checked luggage, and the stuff that was with me was a 10 minute walk away. So I gave up $30.00 once again! I swear it's a VEXATION added tax, not value added tax! For me, it seems a mythical amount that they pretend you can get back, but it takes so much rigmarole that they know most people will just give up. It's for people with more patience and attention to detail than me, that's for sure! Sorry! Rant Over!

Onto happier topics:
I thought food in London was expensive overall but we had a fantastic dinner at Jamie's Italian in the West End, right near the theaters, before going to see Matilda at Cambridge Theater.
Here is the link to the restaurant:
https://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/restaurants/piccadilly-circus/
It was really cool in decor and the pasta was homemade and so well done! The service was good too! I had the gnocchi too, which was 10.95 pounds for the large portion, but I got the small portion for 6.75 pounds! My husband had Sicilian chicken I think for 14.95 pounds. My daughter had spaghetti and meatballs off of the kids menu (which they had a great activity set for kids) for 6.50 pounds. My husband got a glass of wine, I got iced tea, and we shared some dessert (the Epic Chocolate Brownie for 5.75 pounds). I thought these were extremely reasonable prices for what felt like fine dining inside the restaurant! We felt like it was a great value and was the best meal we had off the ship all week.

In comparison, the first night, we got lazy and decided to eat at a little grill/tourist trap right near the London Eye. We paid approximately 30 pounds for two burgers and a side of onion rings and 2 drinks and it was DISGUSTING!!! The burgers tasted like they were prefrozen and the onion rings were only a little bit done and extremely greasy and the buns were stale. After that first night, we were determined to be more picky and less lazy, thus being so happy to find Jamie's on the second night. A much, much better meal for only a little bit more money!

 

[poison ivy]

VAT is value added tax. It's the same as sales tax in the US, it is paid on most items and services (some things are VAT free such as books and children's clothes and essential food and drink but not luxuries like soda or candy). VAT is, unlike in the USA usually charged as an inclusive cost not as a 'plus tax' amount but you may see a breakdown on your receipt. This is not in any way linked to a gratuity.

Tipping is less common and usually less generous in the UK than in the USA. I would normally tip around 10% in a restaurant.

Ok so apparently, I am continuing to confuse this issue because I remained confused on it. I thought the VAT was the same as the Service fee. So I still didn't get this right. Thank you very much for helping to clear things up.

I've gone back and added the pricing to properly edit that post because I was not correctly distinguishing between the VAT tax on our receipt and the gratuity. Really couldn't have done it without you. excellent!

(I lost the receipt but managed to reconstruct prices online) The bill came to £75 The VAT we were charged was 20% bringing the total to £90. According to our hotel receipt we added a Vivre tip of £7 which was listed by itself in addition to the £90. Now I'm wondering what fee the server was offering to remove?

 

[poison ivy]

Great information and pictures!
I think we vastly overtipped the entire trip as we tipped on US standards instead of UK standards. I knew it was different in the UK, but it was just so habit that we often forgot. Ah well.

I can see how easy this could happen. We were struggling with adding a 20% tip to a 20% VAT = 40% markup on the bill. It's too high IMO. But their food service industry pays a better living wage than we pay our servers the US. So it looks like we did only tip 10% here.

Rant warning: I tried to get the VAT back at the airport. This is my 3rd trip abroad and I am 0 for 3 for actually getting my VAT back! It takes so much work! This time, I saved all the receipts and I filled out all the forms! It was confusing and time consuming but I did it! I left my family at the gate with our carry on luggage and walked all the way back to the window to try to get the VAT refund at Gatwick. Apparently you also have to bring the physical items that are on your receipts!!!! I did not read this and of course, most of it was in my checked luggage, and the stuff that was with me was a 10 minute walk away. So I gave up $30.00 once again! I swear it's a VEXATION added tax, not value added tax! For me, it seems a mythical amount that they pretend you can get back, but it takes so much rigmarole that they know most people will just give up. It's for people with more patience and attention to detail than me, that's for sure! Sorry! Rant Over!

We need to talk about this so much more. I'm going to get into it in detail. Gatwick is where we flew home from too and I got in a miserable line that never moved to try to get this VAT tax refund. We were hours early at the airport which was the only way I eventually succeeded - and found a better place to use. What a joke! Btw - They never asked me for any physical items so that was different.

the Disney paperwork took a ridiculous amount of time to complete properly with many trips back and forth between merchants. No two stores gave the same story on how this worked. Shutters was the worst.

I think when it was all said and done, we got around $30 back too. couldn't believe the fees we were charged to do this.

Onto happier topics:
I thought food in London was expensive overall but we had a fantastic dinner at Jamie's Italian in the West End, right near the theaters, before going to see Matilda at Cambridge Theater.
Here is the link to the restaurant:
https://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/restaurants/piccadilly-circus/
It was really cool in decor and the pasta was homemade and so well done! The service was good too! I had the gnocchi too, which was 10.95 pounds for the large portion, but I got the small portion for 6.75 pounds! My husband had Sicilian chicken I think for 14.95 pounds. My daughter had spaghetti and meatballs off of the kids menu (which they had a great activity set for kids) for 6.50 pounds. My husband got a glass of wine, I got iced tea, and we shared some dessert (the Epic Chocolate Brownie for 5.75 pounds). I thought these were extremely reasonable prices for what felt like fine dining inside the restaurant! We felt like it was a great value and was the best meal we had off the ship all week.

In comparison, the first night, we got lazy and decided to eat at a little grill/tourist trap right near the London Eye. We paid approximately 30 pounds for two burgers and a side of onion rings and 2 drinks and it was DISGUSTING!!! The burgers tasted like they were prefrozen and the onion rings were only a little bit done and extremely greasy and the buns were stale. After that first night, we were determined to be more picky and less lazy, thus being so happy to find Jamie's on the second night. A much, much better meal for only a little bit more money!

Awesome dinner! Great prices. Looks like we definitely paid for convenience. JQ loves gnocchi. He tries to order it whenever possible but it's only good if it's homemade. Always gets it at Palo. It's so good there.

That's too bad about the burgers. One of the hazards to eating on the fly I guess.

 

[janiebubble]

Ok so apparently, I am continuing to confuse this issue because I remained confused on it. I thought the VAT was the same as the Service fee. So I still didn't get this right. Thank you very much for helping to clear things up.

I've gone back and added the pricing to properly edit that post because I was not correctly distinguishing between the VAT tax on our receipt and the gratuity. Really couldn't have done it without you. excellent!

(I lost the receipt but managed to reconstruct prices online) The bill came to £75 The VAT we were charged was 20% bringing the total to £90. According to our hotel receipt we added a Vivre tip of £7 which was listed by itself in addition to the £90. Now I'm wondering what fee the server was offering to remove?

Other countries systems are so confusing aren't they?? I'm so used to the fact that VAT is already included in the price I forget to add sales tax in the states so I think the total in shops is wrong! I know in some stores in the US you can get the sales tax removed if you can prove that you're not a US resident but it's always seemed complex to me, sounds like claiming VAT back is similarly complex and time consuming!

Some restaurants, especially in big cities do add a service charge automatically (which often catches people out so they tip twice!), sounds like that may be what was added to your bill?

 

[poison ivy]

Other countries systems are so confusing aren't they?? I'm so used to the fact that VAT is already included in the price I forget to add sales tax in the states so I think the total in shops is wrong! I know in some stores in the US you can get the sales tax removed if you can prove that you're not a US resident but it's always seemed complex to me, sounds like claiming VAT back is similarly complex and time consuming!

Some restaurants, especially in big cities do add a service charge automatically (which often catches people out so they tip twice!), sounds like that may be what was added to your bill?

great points. Apparently the VAT tax issue extends across many countries. Who knew??

Without that hotel receipt I can't remember if there was a service charge thrown in over and above it. I'm tempted to get a copy from the hotel.

The process to get our VAT taxes refunded was really something. We made a lot of rookie mistakes. Part of me thinks that if you make something that difficult, it's designed with the intention that people will just give up feeling it's not worth it. I thought about walking away as @JenTen1585 did. What an ordeal to save around $30.00.

It's funny that for all the years I've lived here, this is first time I am hearing that non - US citizens may have a way to get the sales tax removed. It makes sense. They derive no benefit from this tax. But if it's anything like a typical US tax rebate, I'm sure it's not going to be easy or convenient.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I never thought about telling you guys about VAT and VAT refunds. I guess its another thing I take for granted. Ireland has such a big American tourist industry that have grown up seeing the American Tourists VAT free shopping / dont forget your VAT returns signs in shops around Ireland. Theres even a outlet mall about an hour from where I live which has a VAT return customer service desk.

Also VAT is an EU / European wide tax system so it applies in Ireland, UK and most central European countries.

As for non USA tourists like me claiming back the sales tax, I have done this. But unlike our VAT, the sales tax returns can only be claimed in certain states. I think its really only Louisiana that non USA tourists can claim back tax. I did in when I went to New Orleans. There is a mall in the centre of town which has a tourist sales tax return kiosk. You need to claim back the sales tax before you leave the state. It can be done at special kiosks like in the New Orleans mall or at the airport. If you claim back the sales tax in the mall, you can only claim back sales tax on purchases made in the mall. When you pay in a store you need to ask for a sales tax refund form. You then bring all the forms and the store receipts to the kiosk and they process it for you and give you a cash refund.

 

[tlynk]

I'm enjoying your review!! You put so much detail into it and I'm grateful! If all goes well DH and I are taking the BI cruise next fall followed by the WBTA. Your reviews and tips are extremely helpful. Thank you!!

 

[Mathmagicland]

I would not have considered a hotel at the airport, but reading thus far I may have to rethink that idea as I am liking what I see at the Sofitel. I'm most anxious for your info on getting into London for your Stonehenge tour. I was planning to look somewhere in the city, as I will need to get to the London Euston station to head out of the city. Going to the London transit web site, that looks to be not too easy from Heathrow between rail, walking, tube, then more walking.

 

[poison ivy]

I never thought about telling you guys about VAT and VAT refunds. I guess its another thing I take for granted. Ireland has such a big American tourist industry that have grown up seeing the American Tourists VAT free shopping / dont forget your VAT returns signs in shops around Ireland. Theres even a outlet mall about an hour from where I live which has a VAT return customer service desk.

Also VAT is an EU / European wide tax system so it applies in Ireland, UK and most central European countries.

As for non USA tourists like me claiming back the sales tax, I have done this. But unlike our VAT, the sales tax returns can only be claimed in certain states. I think its really only Louisiana that non USA tourists can claim back tax. I did in when I went to New Orleans. There is a mall in the centre of town which has a tourist sales tax return kiosk. You need to claim back the sales tax before you leave the state. It can be done at special kiosks like in the New Orleans mall or at the airport. If you claim back the sales tax in the mall, you can only claim back sales tax on purchases made in the mall. When you pay in a store you need to ask for a sales tax refund form. You then bring all the forms and the store receipts to the kiosk and they process it for you and give you a cash refund.

Right. I think the term "VAT free shopping" mistakenly gets equated with "Duty free shopping" when you first hear it. I know I made that assumption. Yet the 2 couldn't be further apart. There's a learning curve to this and I'm sure the majority of first timers lose money on the deal. I don't even remember seeing any signs in shops. They certainly weren't loud and obnoxious like a big colorful "sale banner" in a store. It'll be great when I get to Ireland on this report because that was actually the 1st time I managed to speak up at the register and ask for a VAT refund return slip.

So of all the states, New Orleans has a kiosk for processing sales tax refunds. Gotta love that. They have a great history all their own. It would have to be a state by state issue.
I learn something new everyday!

I'm enjoying your review!! You put so much detail into it and I'm grateful! If all goes well DH and I are taking the BI cruise next fall followed by the WBTA. Your reviews and tips are extremely helpful. Thank you!!

Thanks very much and welcome! I didn't realize the BI cruise next year precedes the WBTA.
That would be an incredible B2B. tempting.................very tempting................... OMG! so many days! but what a trip that would be. I hope it all works out for you guys. very jealous.

I would not have considered a hotel at the airport, but reading thus far I may have to rethink that idea as I am liking what I see at the Sofitel. I'm most anxious for your info on getting into London for your Stonehenge tour. I was planning to look somewhere in the city, as I will need to get to the London Euston station to head out of the city. Going to the London transit web site, that looks to be not too easy from Heathrow between rail, walking, tube, then more walking.

LG, you are absolutely right in your thinking on this. There are definite pros and cons to staying at the airport vs within London and it's smart you're weighing them carefully.
We were surprised how limited the transportation options were from Heathrow to London at the early hours of the morning. Plus there's an added layer which I'll mention briefly here - the Stonehenge inner circle tour companies vary day to day. Fortunately, I found the spot where they're all listed so no worries.

As far as the London transit system - it's not more complicated than NYC - just runs on a different timetable. But for you guys out west, where commuter rail lines aren't as prevalent, it could be confusing to navigate - but only at first. Our experience with getting around is coming up next - including the tube, and you'll see it was fairly easy to utilize and well run - BUT we did screw up - slightly!

I really hope you jump on the BI next year. JQ and I keep wanting to go back. I wonder if that feeling will ever change.

 

[keighttf]

Thank you so much for writing such a detailed report. We are probably going on next year's version of this trip. Thanks for explaining the VAT more. I have always been confused by this. I lived near London for 8 months in undergrad but that was awhile ago so I'm glad for some more info. Also I love reading about all the European cruises. Looking forward to more updates.

 

[jhoannam]

This is a wonderful report. Thanks for the details.

 

[figment52]

The person at the cashier ahead of me at Stonehenge asked about the VAT refund and were told that since it was a charity store there was no VAT refund available. I don't know where my receipt is so I cannot look at it but I remember the conversation clearly.

 

[poison ivy]

Thank you so much for writing such a detailed report. We are probably going on next year's version of this trip. Thanks for explaining the VAT more. I have always been confused by this. I lived near London for 8 months in undergrad but that was awhile ago so I'm glad for some more info. Also I love reading about all the European cruises. Looking forward to more updates.

Thanks for following along. I hope you do get to go on next years cruise. It's going to be a really good one. I hear you about the VAT tax. Ugggh! Still learning on this end too but it'll be weaving in and out of this report so stay tuned.

This is a wonderful report. Thanks for the details.

Thanks so much. Glad you are enjoying it.

The person at the cashier ahead of me at Stonehenge asked about the VAT refund and were told that since it was a charity store there was no VAT refund available. I don't know where my receipt is so I cannot look at it but I remember the conversation clearly.

You know, I swear we paid that tax at Stonehenge. I'll be home Tues and will check that receipt. But I know I had it in with the group I couldn't get any VAT refund back from. Thanks for letting us know. It makes sense they shouldn't charge it there. But that tax seemed to be EVERYWHERE!!

 

[janiebubble]

Thanks for following along. I hope you do get to go on next years cruise. It's going to be a really good one. I hear you about the VAT tax. Ugggh! Still learning on this end too but it'll be weaving in and out of this report so stay tuned.

Thanks so much. Glad you are enjoying it.



You know, I swear we paid that tax at Stonehenge. I'll be home Tues and will check that receipt. But I know I had it in with the group I couldn't get any VAT refund back from. Thanks for letting us know. It makes sense they shouldn't charge it there. But that tax seemed to be EVERYWHERE!!

It's not that they don't charge VAT, they have no choice, they have to charge it and pay it to HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs). It is up to the retailer whether they allow you to claim it back or not. This is taken directly from the governments website and may explain things better than I can.

"
You can sometimes get VAT refunds on goods bought in the UK if you:

• visit the UK but live outside the EU and are going back home
• are an EU resident leaving the EU for 12 months or more
• are a non-EU resident but work or study in the UK and are leaving the EU for 12 months or more

Not all retailers offer tax-free shopping and you can only get VAT refunds for goods bought within the last 3 months.

How to get a VAT refund

1. Get a VAT 407 form from the retailer - they might ask for proof that you’re eligible, eg your passport.
   
   
2. Show the goods, the completed form and your receipts to customs at the point when you leave the EU (this might not be in the UK).
   
   
3. Customs will approve your form if everything is in order. You then take the approved form to get paid.
   

If you’re changing planes in another EU country and checking your goods with your luggage, you must do step 2 in the UK when you check in.

Getting paid
You can either get paid immediately at a refund booth, eg at the airport, or send the approved form to the retailer or their refund company. The retailer will tell you how you’ll get paid.

Some retailers charge a fee for handling your form. This money will be deducted from your refund.

If there are no customs officials available, you can leave your form in a customs post box. Customs will check it and contact your retailer to arrange the refund if everything is in order.

Goods you can’t get a refund for
You can’t get a VAT refund for:

• mail order goods, including internet sales, delivered outside of the UK
• goods you’ve already used in the EU, such as perfume
• service charges, eg hotel bills
• new or used cars
• goods worth more than £600 exported for business purposes
• goods to be exported as freight
• goods that need an export licence (except antiques)
• unmounted gemstones
• gold over 125g, 2.75 troy ounces or 10 tolas
• a boat you plan to sail to a destination outside the EU"

 

[poison ivy]

Thanks @janiebubble . Really excellent information. Helps a lot!

 

[rcchello]

Here is a link to a good description of VAT refunds independent of country from the Rick Steves' website. https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/vat-refunds. It includes a link to a page with VAT percentages and the minimum purchases eligible for a refund.

 

[poison ivy]

Here is a link to a good description of VAT refunds independent of country from the Rick Steves' website. https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/vat-refunds. It includes a link to a page with VAT percentages and the minimum purchases eligible for a refund.

excellent link. Thanks so much. It really spells out in an easy to read format exactly what the VAT tax refund entails. It's funny how he mentions several key points we've talked a little about here.

The one area I didn't get into yet was the dollar amount. I believe your purchase had to exceed 35 pounds. You were allowed to combine receipts in the same shop to get to this total, but you could not add different merchants together.

So for the DCL - each shop had to reach this maximum. We had to get refund paperwork from Shutters, Disney Mainsail, and the Spa independent of one another.
Also certain things you buy don't qualify. for example: batteries and pics at shutters = no, vs a camera = yes (which was weird because you aren't supposed to "use" the item before leaving the country.

So many nuances. We'll be much better educated thanks to all the great input here.