Hull-Rotterdam-Hull ferry

drobe

Is there so called duty free shopping on the Hull-Rotterdam-Hull ferry i.e. cheap cigarettes and tobacco?

Thanks.

totallybonkers

Yes there's a duty free shop although I can't comment on the prices.
For some reason (legal or not?), on the ferry I went on if you went to the bar on one of the outside decks cigarettes were much much much cheaper but the barman could only sell 3 packs at a time, and there had to be a gap in between revisits - makes me think this wasn't legal?

drobe

Thanks, so I can be down to my last ciggie when I board.

Katiehound

I'd be surprised if there was duty free shopping simply because both countries are in the EU. Might be cheaper to buy your goodies from local shops in Holland.
This is what it says online for P&O ferries:
"We are proud to offer a superb shopping experience aboard our ships with hundreds of items discounted way below high street prices. Even though ‘duty free’ no longer strictly exists the good news is that you will still enjoy generously discounted shopping on board*. -up to 30% on beers, wine spirits. No mention of cigarettes!

Proxy

The onboard duty free is very reasonably priced - but as the above says it's cheaper to buy stuff at the bar. You can buy three packets with every round.

Holland itself isn't as cheap as Belgium for tobacco. Didn't find anywhere cheaper than the ferry.

scragend

There is a shop on board, but it is not "duty free" - duty free was abolished within the EU in 1999, although a lot of people still don't seem to have noticed!

I'm not a smoker so I can't speak for tobacco prices on the ferry, but I never think that the alcohol prices are much to write home about. I think the shop gets a lot of its custom from people who just assume it's cheaper because it's on the ferry.

"30% below high street prices" is a bit vague; it doesn't mean very much. Supermarkets with their offers probably sell at quite a bit less than "high street prices" anyway. I forget the exact figures but when I was last on the ferry earlier this month I remember noting that I could get some of the alcohol at Tesco for less than P&O were asking.

As I say, these comments do not relate to tobacco. All I'm saying is have your eyes open and look at the prices, don't automatically assume it will be the cheapest.

pstuart

P&O gear their tobacco and cig prices around the country that they are docking at, so the Hull ferries will be cheaper than the Dover ones ie. French prices are higher than Holland, Belgium.
I agree with scragend, booze, certainly at the moment, is just as cheap at UK supermarkets and don't forget that if you buy on board you can't take it until the morning of disembarkation.
Cigarette but mainly tobacco prices are considerably cheaper than the UK, so buy on board.

drobe

There is a shop on board, but it is not "duty free" - duty free was abolished within the EU in 1999, although a lot of people still don't seem to have noticed!

That is why I wrote

so called duty free shopping

I won't be stopping in Rotterdam, straight off the ferry and on my way.

I usually buy 200 cigarettes on a Friday night after getting paid.

The day I sail I won't.


And my luggage will be stuffed full with them when I return.
I am going to Italy.

My OH and my son and daughter don't smoke so I will be able to bring back 4 times the so called limit.

Can I buy 3200 cigarettes going out of England and bring back another 3200 as well or is the allowance only one way?

800 each.