BVI Cruising Permit Tax 800% Increase ... Yikes!!!

[BlowMeAway]

I might have to develop a new cruising destination and plans for 2018. $6.00 per pax per day from $0.75 per pax per day.

http://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/...il&utm_term=0_7f76651e40-fffb0c562c-283290925

 

[justsomeguy]

One more place to avoid.

 

[Jackdaw]

I might have to develop a new cruising destination and plans for 2018. $6.00 per pax per day from $0.75 per pax per day.

http://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/...il&utm_term=0_7f76651e40-fffb0c562c-283290925

And yet your very own state parks charge more per day. Still sounds like a hell of a deal. ;^)

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee of between $6 and $10 dollars for day use.

https://parks.ny.gov/admission/

 

[justsomeguy]

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee of between $6 and $10 dollars for day use.

Yah, but I could make it a clown-car's worth of passengers for the same price, no?

 

[justsomeguy]

Her Majesty’s Customs remains committed to serving the Government and the public with professionalism, fairness and integrity by providing quality service, maximising the collection of revenue, protecting the Territorial borders and facilitating legitimate trade efficiently, effectively and economically in order to safeguard the well-being and security of the Territory.

So, it's for your own good?

 

[Parsons]

So this only applies to charters, and $6 / day is for a "home" charter. I say "Meh" ... I pay a few hundred each for transportation down including ferry, a couple thousand to charter a small boat, several hundreds to provision, any meals ashore etc. etc. etc. So $6 * 7 days = $42 per person for the week -- small potatoes in my vacation decision model.

On more reflection, I agree that you all should stay away - BVI is already over-crowded. Perhaps the government looked at all those full moorings in the busy season, and thought about the supply-and-demand curves?

 

[JRacer]

[QUOTE="

On more reflection, I agree that you all should stay away - BVI is already over-crowded. Perhaps the government looked at all those full moorings in the busy season, and thought about the supply-and-demand curves?[/QUOTE]

Agree. If they can increase the price by 8X and only run off a small percentage, they are way ahead in total revenue. Where the Supply and Demand curves intersect is the "right" price to equal MAX REV.

When this works, the mooring ball rent will be next. Stay tuned.

 

[Jackdaw]

increase the price by 8X and only run off a small percentage,

It's silly getting caught up on the percentage . SIX DOLLARS??? Nobody is going anywhere.

 

[BlowMeAway]

The reason the BVI is so crowded is not due to we monohull cruisers. With two new docks for cruise ships in Roadtown, Tortola, all of the hot spots and best beaches are filled with, well...tourists, not sailors. Anytime we've made charter arrangements for a bareboat, I've always paid that silly cruising tax for the entire crew. Typically 10 days and 6-8 sailors. So do the math for a 4 cabin, 8 pax, 50 foot Beneteau, 2nd or 3rd tier boat, not a 2 person 30'...and perhaps you'll see my point of view a bit clearer. Factor in the provisioning, mooring ball fees, the departure tax from Tortola, BVI and the other travel expenses that are paid individually by the crew, not to mention the Rum and Caribe costs, as well as onshore dining, island transportation, new entrance fees at the Baths, and that dreaded diesel bill on refill...painful, especially to those that come for the first time with us. So the new tax, if you've done the math for 6 Sailors over 10 days is $360.00. This is not trivial. By the way, you guys from Kansas, Michigan, and Wisconsin got no say over who goes to the BVI. My advice...include Anegada on you next itinerary...no big ships getting in there...yet!

 

[JRacer]

We never miss Anegada. Best island of the bunch, IMO. Stayed an extra day there last trip. Going back in Nov.

Took these in that harbor.

 

[BlowMeAway]

We never miss Anegada. Best island of the bunch, IMO. Stayed an extra day there last trip. Going back in Nov.

Took these in that harbor.
View attachment 138863 View attachment 138864

Nice pics. We have hundreds of the mooring field encompassing the last few years. But my favorite is of this last skilled crew, also Harley-Davidson and Triumph Enthusiasts taking the wenches out for ownership of the Island on the scooters with German style helmets. Besides that, they're brave enough to launch the dinghy underway and get our own Yacht Shots.

 

[Pat]

Anegada and the Pelicans...I guess instead, I'll be working on my AC....9 times there...beautiful!
Pat; boy from Kansas

 

[Gunni]

It's silly getting caught up on the percentage . SIX DOLLARS??? Nobody is going anywhere.

The horror! A NY state campsite starts at $15/day...going to Cayuga? $25/day...weekend +$4...need a hookup?- +$14/day, not a New Yorker, ka-ching! +$5/day.

 

[BlowMeAway]

Here's some math to consider, found this on TRAVELTALKONLINE and credit goes to Traveler LianeLeTendre.

The various Government fees are now:

BVI Cruising Tax - Effective August 1, 2017
Collected by the charter company or yacht operator
$6.00 per person per day for all BVI based charter yachts.
$16.00 per person per day for all foreign yachts.

BVI Departure Tax:
Included in the price of your airline/ferry ticket.
$20.00 per person

BVI Environmental Levy - Effective September 1, 2017
Payable at Port of Entry
The monies collected will be used to facilitate environmental protection and improvement, climate change, and the maintenance and development of tourist sites and other tourism related activities.
$10.00 per person.

Children under 2 exempt ... as are residents and belongers.

National Parks Trust Mooring Fees - BVI Based Boats
Collected by the charter company or yacht operator
$25.00 per boat/week (4 persons)
$35.00 per boat/week (6 persons)
$45.00 per boat/week (8 persons)
$55.00 per boat/week (10 persons)
Each added person pays $5.00/week

Foreign Based Charter Boats:
$50.00 per boat/week (4 persons)
$70.00 per boat/week (6 persons)
$90.00 per boat/week (8 persons)
$110.00 per boat/week (10 persons)
Each added person pays $5.00/week

What this amounts to for a BVI Based boat for 10 nights with 8 people aboard would be:

BVI Cruising Tax @ .......... $480.00 Collected by your charter company
BVI Departure Tax @ ......... $160.00 Collected by airline or ferry company
BVI Environmental Levy @ .... $80.00 Collected at Port of Entry
National Parks Trust @ ...... $45.00 Collected by your charter company

Total Government fees = ..... $765.00

---------------------------------------------------------------------

This obviously does not include the cost for overnight moorings or dockage as those are fees charged by privately owned companies.

 

[Tim22]

I could live with the increased fees if the BVI"s weren't quite so crowded. It seems that every year we sail less in order to arrive at an anchorage in time to get a mooring. My first trip to the BVI was 1980 - times have changed!

Tim

 

[Jackdaw]

Here's some math to consider, found this on TRAVELTALKONLINE and credit goes to Traveler LianeLeTendre.

The various Government fees are now:

BVI Cruising Tax - Effective August 1, 2017
Collected by the charter company or yacht operator
$6.00 per person per day for all BVI based charter yachts.
$16.00 per person per day for all foreign yachts.

BVI Departure Tax:
Included in the price of your airline/ferry ticket.
$20.00 per person

BVI Environmental Levy - Effective September 1, 2017
Payable at Port of Entry
The monies collected will be used to facilitate environmental protection and improvement, climate change, and the maintenance and development of tourist sites and other tourism related activities.
$10.00 per person.

Children under 2 exempt ... as are residents and belongers.

National Parks Trust Mooring Fees - BVI Based Boats
Collected by the charter company or yacht operator
$25.00 per boat/week (4 persons)
$35.00 per boat/week (6 persons)
$45.00 per boat/week (8 persons)
$55.00 per boat/week (10 persons)
Each added person pays $5.00/week

Foreign Based Charter Boats:
$50.00 per boat/week (4 persons)
$70.00 per boat/week (6 persons)
$90.00 per boat/week (8 persons)
$110.00 per boat/week (10 persons)
Each added person pays $5.00/week

What this amounts to for a BVI Based boat for 10 nights with 8 people aboard would be:

BVI Cruising Tax @ .......... $480.00 Collected by your charter company
BVI Departure Tax @ ......... $160.00 Collected by airline or ferry company
BVI Environmental Levy @ .... $80.00 Collected at Port of Entry
National Parks Trust @ ...... $45.00 Collected by your charter company

Total Government fees = ..... $765.00

---------------------------------------------------------------------

This obviously does not include the cost for overnight moorings or dockage as those are fees charged by privately owned companies.

Yes but back into perspective, less than $10/day/person.

FWIW, nothing is immune from this anymore. 'Charges' on my last flight to Barcelona.

Carrier-imposed International Surcharge (YR) $250.00 USD
Taxes, Fees and Charges
United States - September 11th Security Fee(Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee) (AY) $11.20 USD
Netherlands - Security Service Charge (CJ) $12.60 USD
Spain - Departure Charge (JD) $15.90 USD
OG Tax $0.60 USD
Spain - Security Tax (QV) $3.90 USD
Netherlands - Passenger Service Charge (RN) $12.20 USD
United States - Transportation Tax (US) $36.00 USD
United States - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Fee (APHIS User Fee - Passengers (XA) $3.96 USD
United States - Passenger Facility Charge (XF) $9.00 USD
United States - Immigration and Naturalization Fee(Immigration User Fee) (XY) $7.00 USD
United States - Custom User Fee (YC) $5.50 USD

 

[NotCook]

It's silly getting caught up on the percentage . SIX DOLLARS??? Nobody is going anywhere.

To be clear, it is $6 per day, per person, not per vessel.

On the other hand, if you are using your own boat, or a boat from outside of the BVIs, this rate does not apply.

Then again, The U. S. Virgin Islands just doubled the annual Mooring Permit from $5/foot to 10/foot, and double that again for liveaboards. They justified it as necessary to improve their enforcement. So let me get this straight - I pay more in annual fees to fund more enforcement stops? In actuality, they hardly enforce ANYTHING down here. They aren't even effective at collecting the fees they impose...

 

[timover5969]

Wow. This is scary news since I just booked a Saba 50 thru CYOA in St. Thomas with 12 people on board. If my calculations are correct I will be paying a large sum of money upon entering the BVI's as follows:

Cruising tax - 12 people x $16 x 7 days = $1,344
National Parks permit = $120
Departure tax - $20 x 12 = $240
Cruising fee (flat rate) = $55
Environmental Levy - $10 x 12 = $120
Visar - $2 x 12 = $24
Total = $1,903

Thats just crazy. I have done this trip every year for the last 7 years. Last year I had 10 passengers on a Salina 48 and if I remember correctly my total fees were less than $450. For almost $2,000 it is making me seriously consider maybe a trip to the Spanish Virgins, possibly St. Croix and/or just staying in the USVI's. I love the BVI's but that is a lot of money to pay in taxes. Somebody please tell me I am calculating this incorrectly

 

[Gunni]

You should be chartering in the BVI, not the USVI. Or, as you say, stay in the US.

 

[timover5969]

You should be chartering in the BVI, not the USVI. Or, as you say, stay in the US.

I see that now. I've chartered with both US and BVI based charter companies, I find it much more convenient having the charter base only a 10 minute taxi ride from the airport instead of having to take the soul sucking ferry and wait in line at customs with 100+ other people. It is a much more pleasant experience to depart in the morning and sail to Sopers Hole or Jost Van Dyke to check in. Well worth the extra $200 or so. Hell, when you factor in the ferry tickets, in the past it probably cost less to do it this way. But the money it costs now? I'm not so sure. I guess I'm already committed now, my group really wants to go to the BVI's and I already paid the downpayment. I was going to rent an extra dinghy from Island Time but with these extra fees I'm thinking that is no longer an option. We could probably just stay in the USVI's and Spanish VI's but I'm not sure there is enough of a variety of night life to keep this group happy - but I've never actually stayed in the US so I can't say for sure. Any advice is very welcome. This tax is really going to hurt CYOA's business.