[ 10-19-2006: Message edited by: Tom Burke ]

[ 10-19-2006: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

765,000 is an awful lot of cigarettes. Its not like its a couple of carrier bags full, its more like a pallet load, the sort of thing that would need a fork-lift truck to load.

Can you see the officer in charge of the crew gangway or the loading dock happily calling up a fork-lift truck to load a crewmember's shopping? And then locking it away safely for them?

1000 cigarettes is 5 cartons which more than fills a standard carrier bag and there were 765 of these?

765000/200 = 3825 cartons
150000/3825 = £39.21

The revenue 'evaded' would not be equal to the cost of each carton, revenue would be payable yes, but on that amount if taken ashore.

Or perhaps these were not marked as per the cans of drinks along the lines of 'Maritime sales only'? [if the same system applies?] & Cunard have been purchasing cigarettes cheaper elsewhere than they can obtain from the normal suppliers?

Perhaps someone can enlighten us to the real story and goof or otherwise?

Pam

[ 10-20-2006: Message edited by: PamM ]

quote:

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Originally posted by PamM:
Seems to me they should have come under the 'bonded' duty free goods held aboard and for some reason were not declared? and yup the guy in charge got arrested.

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It is supprising what some senior ships crew will get up to !

On the old ss Oriana in 1983 we caught a barman who was buying his own bottles of duty free spirits ashore and then selling them by the measure through his bar.

All the profit from these sales was going in to his pocket !

As the ships Hotel Manager I suspected something was wrong with the sales for this bar and as a result although we were on Australian Cruising we had British police flown out to the ship, from the UK, to investigate.

They dressed to mix in with the passengers !

At that time all our bar sales were for cash !

Using marked large demomination Australian dollar paper currency the police bought drinks at this bar but this currency was not paid in by the barman when he did his pay in of the days taking for his bar !

This resulted in the barman being caught at Sydney airport, when returning home on leave to the UK, with a brief case containing some of the marked Australian dollar notes.

He was arrested at the airport and returned to the UK at a later date with a police escort.

He was charged with theft by P&O and received a jail sentance.
A large amount of money was also recovered.

On our next drydock, at Singapore, all our bars were fitted with computerized tills for stock control !

quote:

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Originally posted by Neil Whitmore ( Bob ):
Hi All

It is supprising what some senior ships crew will get up to...

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Neil,

Interesting story. That got me to thinking that you might be able to shed some light on the true relationship between the shops recommended by the ship's staff during port talks and the cruise line/ship/staff.

Thanks for asking about recommended shopping !

It often happens that the lecturers on the ports of call tell you which shops to visit when in a port.

They often receive a back hander from these shops or the supermarket type businesses selling only booze and cigarettes.

This is more likely to happen where they give you a card for the shop !

These are not always regular ships staff but just on board for certain cruises where they know the areas visited.

Even entertainments staff, table waiters or cabin stewards have been known to give out cards for certain shops !

We did not allow this to happen with the port lecturers on the old ss Oriana when she was on Australian cruising around the Pacific Islands or on a cruise to the Far East ports.

Often at the booze supermarkets they receive a free case of wine or spirits for recommending that outlet !

Neil ( Bob )

[ 10-27-2006: Message edited by: Neil Whitmore ( Bob ) ]