Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It had a population of 5,512 in 2001, reducing to 5,064 at the 2011 census. Their combined population at the above census was 6,822. And today we must dock at an alternate port as the weather is not permitting docking where initially scheduled.
Cute town.
Requisite castle.
Bubs thought this should be the way to see Dartmouth.
Better have had 2 days in Dublin and skip this port.
Boca had time to get her toes did....and those pesky grey hairs. Enjoying learning this magnificent ship- stunned and awed at every corner. Love that the elevators have directions to everywhere- large print and all around-the signage on a ship is critical for convenience for not going in the right direction. God forbid one should be lost and late for cocktails.
Admiring the gazillion crystal chandelier. Praying Pleep stays completely away from it.
Yes, Pleep it is ok to twirl the prayer wheel.
An afternoon lecture by a gent we have heard on Regent before- Hugh Neighbor- former State Department guy and always full of knowledge to share with us.
Do I have to go to the Captains cocktail party? It is so lame...yes Bubs you do.
My captain, my captain - Rosario Giovanni Vasta- born in 1969!!!- 48 yrs old-introduces the management team. Ladies, he is also single. How come they always have big girls handling the money bubs? Yes Boca, maybe you could get a part time job on Regent.
What are you gawking at Bubs??
Hey, ya can't blame a guy for enjoying the view Boca.
Dinner at Prime 7- now here's a wine selection that even Boca would appreciate.
We dinned with an interesting couple- he is a Linguistics professor at Stanford and his wife is a book editor. It was fascinating to learn about the Stanford student selection process. FYI-No political fights broke out at the table. They were way too smart for that!
Bone in rib eye- medium rare- one of Prime's best! Death by meat for the Serbian Girl please.
Can anybody help Boca figure out where and how to do the VAT papers overflowing in her purse???
from article By Rick Steves
Every year, tourists visiting Europe leave behind millions of dollars of refundable sales taxes. For some, the headache of collecting the refund is not worth the few dollars at stake. But if you do any extensive shopping, consider that the refund is hard cash — free and fairly easy to claim. You just have to bring your passport along on your shopping trip, get the necessary documents from the retailer, and track down the right folks at the airport, port, or border when you leave.
The standard European Union Value-Added Tax ranges from 15 to 25 percent per country. Exact rates change; you can double-check with merchants when you're there.
Though you aren't entitled to refunds on the tax you spend on hotels and meals, you can get back most of the tax you paid on merchandise such as clothes, cuckoos, and crystal. You're not supposed to use your purchased goods before you leave Europe — if you show up at customs wearing your new Italian shoes, officials might look the other way, or they might deny you a refund.
To get any refund, your purchase has to be above a certain amount — ranging from about $20 to $300, depending on the country. Typically, you must ring up the minimum at a single retailer — you can't add up your purchases from various shops to reach the required amount — so if you're doing a lot of shopping, you'll benefit from finding one spot where you can buy big. If you'll be in Europe for a long time, shop near the end of your trip. You need to collect your refund within three months of your purchase.
The details on how to get a refund vary per country, but generally you'll need to follow these basic steps:
At the Shop
Bring along your passport. You'll likely be asked to present your passport when you make the purchase, in order to start the refund process.
Shop at stores that know the ropes. Retailers choose whether to participate in the VAT-refund scheme. Most tourist-oriented stores do; often you'll see a sign in the window or by the cash register (if not, ask). For any significant purchase, even at a boutique shop, it's always worth asking about a VAT refund. It'd be a shame to spend big bucks at a place and not have a chance of getting a refund.
Get the documents. When you make your purchase, have the merchant fill out the necessary refund document, often called a "tax-free form." Make sure the paperwork is done before you leave the store so there's nothing important missing. If they leave any blanks for you to fill out, be sure you understand what goes where. Attach your receipt to the form and stash it in a safe place.
Some stores may offer to handle the rest of the hassle for you (if they provide this service, they likely have some sort of "Tax Free" sticker in the window). If you're charming and at the right store, try talking the merchant into mailing your documents for you and reimbursing your credit card on the spot. You may also be able to take your paperwork to a nearby third-party agency to get an immediate cash refund (minus a commission for the quick service; these tend to be located at money-exchange counters near touristy landmarks). In either case, you'll still need to get the documents stamped at the border, then mail them back; if they never receive the documents, they'll charge the refund to your credit card.
If the store ships your purchase to your home, you can still collect a refund (or you may even be able to avoid paying the VAT in the first place). However, shipping fees can be pricey enough to wipe out most of what you'd save in VAT. I wouldn't mail a purchase home just to avoid paying the VAT, but if you're having things shipped anyway, ask for the refund at the shop. (Depending on the country, you may still have to handle some VAT-related red tape — ask the merchant.)
At the Airport or Departure Point
Bring your paperwork and purchases to the airport or border crossing, and arrive early. Assuming you left the store with your purchase, receipt, and VAT paperwork (but no refund), you'll need to get the refund processed before going home. If you've bought merchandise in a European Union country, process your documents at your last stop in the EU, regardless of where you made your purchases. So if you buy sweaters in Denmark, pants in France, and shoes in Italy, and you're flying home from Greece, get your documents stamped at the airport in Athens. (If the currencies are different in the country where you made your purchase and where you process your refund — say, pounds and euros — you may have to pay an extra conversion fee.) And don't forget — Switzerland, Norway, and Turkey are not in the EU, so if you buy in one of those countries, get your documents stamped before you cross the border.
Get your documents stamped at customs. At your point of departure, find the local customs office, and be prepared to stand in line. In smaller airports, ports, and less-trafficked border crossings, finding the right customs agent can be tough. If you run out of time and have to leave without the stamp, you're out of luck. At customs, an export officer will stamp your documents and may ask you to present your unused goods to verify that you are, indeed, exporting your purchase — if your purchases are inside your checked luggage, stop by customs before you check it. (Some retailers, particularly those in Scandinavia, will staple and seal the shopping bag to keep you from cheating.)
Collect the cash — sooner or later. Once you get your form stamped by customs, you have to turn it in. If your purchases were bought from a merchant who works with a refund service such as Global Blue or Premier Tax Free, find their offices inside the airport. These services take a cut of your refund (about 4 percent), but save you further fuss and delay. Present your stamped document, and they'll likely give you your refund in cash, right then and there. The refund will be in the currency of the country you are leaving; if you want to be reimbursed in a different currency, such as US dollars, you'll be subjected to their unfavorable exchange rates (although you lose money in fees and conversions, this method ensures you get paid). Otherwise, they'll credit the refund to your credit card (within two billing cycles).
Other refund services may require you to mail the documents — either from home, or more quickly, just before leaving the country (using a postage-free, pre-addressed envelope — just drop it in a mailbox after getting your customs stamp). Then you wait. It could take months. Look for a refund on your credit-card statement or for a check in the mail. If the refund check comes in a foreign currency, you may have to pay a fee ($40 or so) to get your bank to cash it.
Don't count on it. My readers have reported that, even when following all of the instructions carefully, sometimes the VAT refund just doesn't pan out. (For example, they have all the paperwork ready when they get to the airport but can't find the customs official to process it, or they turn in their forms but never get paid.) These problems seem most prevalent in Italy. Your best odds are to buy from a merchant who knows how to deal with the red tape for you — but even that is not infallible.
Only you can decide whether VAT refunds are worth the trouble. As for me, my favorite trip souvenirs are my photos, journal, and memories. These are priceless — and exempt from taxes and red tape.
NEWS FLASH
