Fuel Surcharges

[LauraS]

Check out this brand-new feature article from Cruise Critic:

Fuel Surcharges

Read the entire feature article... (http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=580)

[bigred08046]

With the new fuel surcharges it means that I'm spending ~$43./day before I do ANYTHING! This could be a deal breaker I'm afraid. It could be a new bait/marketing tool too. I think it will hit the value line cruise lines the most. Days at sea and shorter cruises will go next. Sad. When/if the price of oil comes back to normal will they stop surcharges. I think not. After they get used to collecting anothe fee it will be hard to stop. We shall see.

[granghee]

They hop right on, don't they?:confused: Wasn't it enough for PC and Taxes and Tips???:rolleyes: Plus they make $$$ off excursions too. Will the greedy ever get enough?

[BuffySummers]

Why not just raise the price of a cruise, rather than tack on charges and then try to explain them away? This is what I don't understand about this type of policy when it comes to both air and sea travel. Regardless, it makes cruising somewhat less affordable for some, and completely unaffordable for others. Hopefully this won't last past 2008. :mad:

[JLC@SD]

Why not just raise the price of a cruise, rather than tack on charges and then try to explain them away? This is what I don't understand about this type of policy when it comes to both air and sea travel. Regardless, it makes cruising somewhat less affordable for some, and completely unaffordable for others. Hopefully this won't last past 2008. :mad:

I don't think they have to "explain them away" ...........the surcharge is easy to understand.............oil costs have gone sky high.

It seems people do not want to hear this.............just hide the cost in the fare.......:rolleyes:

[Snorkel2Much]

I don't think they have to "explain them away" ...........the surcharge is easy to understand.............oil costs have gone sky high.

It seems people do not want to hear this.............just hide the cost in the fare.......:rolleyes:
Why would you term including the labor & raw material costs of doing business in your "published fares" as "hide the cost in the fare"? :rolleyes:

[yarlenna]

I am only surprised that it is not worse. Look at what has happened to the dollar. Our cruises were cheep because of the dollar. I wonder how long that will last.

[Snorkel Dawg]

I understand completely about the fuel surcharges,the price of fuel has risen daily here as everywhere else. Unleaded is $3.39/gallon & diesel/$3.69 a gallon. I just think how it was added to our bill was quite deceptive. We are booked on a RCL cruise leaving in March 2008. Yesterday (November 11, 2007) I recieved an e-mail from RCL listing the fuel charges. Below the listed charge it states:

"*Note for North America reservations, a fuel supplement of $5.00 per day per person for the first two occupants of a stateroom (subject to a mamimum of $140.00 per stateroom) will apply to all sailings departing on or after Februrary 1,2008. Unless the stateroom was paid in full by November 15, 2007."


Here's my problem with this, when I booked this cruise there was no mention of an extra fuel charge. This e-mail was sent to me on 11/20/07, and not knowing this charge was applied we were not able to pay in full by November 15, 2007 and avoid the additional fuel charges. In my world that's quite deceptive & a load of crap!


*Cruise lines should add the fuel charge into the initial cost of a cruise.


PS. Snorkel2much...love the moniker!

[ChevyCruiser]

Remember, as the consumer we have the power to offset the fuel surcharge.

While I do not expect an answer, I emailed RCCL and told them that while they can impose the fuel surcharge with impunity on cruises I've already booked, I plan to offset that surcharge by reducing my onboard spending by at least a corresponding amount.:D

We have cruised enough that I know how much things onboard cost and about how much we'll spend per day for the "extras" I CAN control that spending.

May not make much of a difference to RCCL, but it will to me and at least I'm not gonna roll over and play dead.

[Cruise Cat]

The big problem with them adding it as a "Surcharge" instead of saying "HJey, the price went up because of fuel cost" is that the TA who have to go about collecting yhis from their customers don't get an increased commission from all this hassel.

[Mimeedonna]

I read an article recently that it takes 220 gallons of fuel for a cruise ship to go one mile.......

[Smooth Sailing]

............just hide the cost in the fare.......:rolleyes:No one has to hide this in the fare - just increase the fare to cover costs - isn't that what the fare is all about - cost plus some profit - the surcharge is a gimmick for more profit - they already are charging 4 bucks for a 25 cent beer - but, no alcohol surcharge.:eek::D

[Browneyedhunni85]

In 2004 I went on a senior trip to Cancun, Mexico. There was like a $50 deposit at the hotel that we were suppose to get back. Instead we got a letter saying that it would not be refunded instead used to cover fuel cost for the plane. It stinks. I can definetly see how people will reduce spending on board as well as reduce on board tips.

[Happy ks]

They hop right on, don't they?:confused: Wasn't it enough for PC and Taxes and Tips???:rolleyes: Plus they make $$$ off excursions too. Will the greedy ever get enough?

I'm a little confused by your statement. There have always been port charges and/or taxes or government fees for cruises. There have always been gratuities to be paid. The excursions, well, that's your choice completely.

I don't like the surcharge for fuel costs, but I also don't like the fact that I'm spending a whole lot more at the gas pump these days. The only thing that comes as a surprise to me is the cruise lines waited this long.

These companies are in business to make money and to just absorb the higher cost in fuel charges will affect the bottom line for the stock holders and eventually can be the reason for lowered standards and services. Hopefully they will reduce the surcharges if fuel costs get lower, or just include the charges into the fare for future bookings.

It's not the first time we've been hit by an increase. In 2002 we had to pay an extra government tax that was imposed on NCL for the Hawaii/Fanning Island run. We had no choice, either pay it or don't go...it looks like the same thing with this fuel surcharge.

Finally, I would not be surprised to see RCI respond if there are many complaints, perhaps I'll file mine with them.

[javagirl]

Why not just raise the price of a cruise, rather than tack on charges and then try to explain them away? This is what I don't understand about this type of policy when it comes to both air and sea travel. Regardless, it makes cruising somewhat less affordable for some, and completely unaffordable for others. Hopefully this won't last past 2008. :mad:


I think legally they are required to say that it is a fuel surcharge. I think for accounting reasons that if they want to use that money to truly offset fuel costs, they must take it in as such. Some other Poster had mentioned some bylaw in Florida about the way fuel surcharges are collected.

[ptcruzers]

It would be nice if the cruise lines would offset the fuel surcharge with some type of :mad: credit, possibly either in the form of on-board credit, casino credit for those who opt for that, possibly a 10-15% reduction in the cost of shore excursions. I am afraid that the workers will take the brunt of this action via a decrease in their tips.

[Sharon2U]

Crude oil prices have dropped recently, is anyone refunding fuel surcharges?:mad:

[Leafpeeper]

We wouldn't have minded as much about being hit with an unexpected $120 charge this week until I found out that if I had made my final payment on Nov 15 instead of Nov 21 that I wouldn't have been charged.

Unlike NCL, who will not charge a surcharge until Dec 1, RCCL decided to notify us on DEC 16 that we had to have our final payment in by DEC 15 to waive the fuel surcharge on our upcoming cruise.

Why not give people 7 days to get their payments in? It just doesn't seem right that some people on our cruise don't have to pay a fuel surcharge simply because they were lucky enough to get their payments in a few days ahead of the final payment due date.

We have another RCCL cruised booked for October and don't mind the fuel surcharge on that cruise because we have plenty of time to back out if we see a better deal.

[CRUZIN'NANA]

Guess what? We sent in our FINAL payment on Nov.7th on our Princess cruise -- the very same day they announced the fuel surcharge. No warning at all--so there's another $140 we had to pay for our trip. I kind of wish I'd booked our cruise through NCL--at least they gave a date to book new cruises by before the charges were added. Didn't think it was fair that all of us booked so long ago had to come up with this new charge. But, what can you do?

Hope you folks enjoy your cruise and hope to see you sometime soon!

Take care...

Linda & John

[bwolfe8140]

RCCL is charging the fuel supplement on North American reservations. Why don't people from Non-North American countries have to pay this? :confused:

[Borrego]

We paid in full for our Princess February cruise on Nov 4. Yesterday an email from our TA came saying we had to pay an additional $70 "or your cruise is subject to cancellation".

This reeks! How can a merchant sell you a product, promise future delivery, and after having received your payment, threaten to cancel your order unless you pay him more money? Isn't that bait and switch?

I ordered Christmas gifts from LL Bean and Landsend and also paid them with a credit card online. With Christmas fast approaching, can they now come back at me and say "if you don't pay us more money, we'll cancel you order"?

[Pengawin3]

We paid in full for our Princess February cruise on Nov 4. Yesterday an email from our TA came saying we had to pay an additional $70 "or your cruise is subject to cancellation".

This reeks! How can a merchant sell you a product, promise future delivery, and after having received your payment, threaten to cancel your order unless you pay him more money? Isn't that bait and switch?

I ordered Christmas gifts from LL Bean and Landsend and also paid them with a credit card online. With Christmas fast approaching, can they now come back at me and say "if you don't pay us more money, we'll cancel you order"?

Borrego, I had the same thought yesterday when I heard about this "fuel surcharge". Check your contract of carriage, or talk to your TA. If you made "final payment" by or before the due date AND before notification of the surcharge you should have at least half a leg to stand on.

I agree, it IS BAIT AND SWITCH. I have never seen anything in any cruise contract that states they can raise the price AFTER FINAL PAYMENT. Your only recourse, aside from a legal one, is to cancel your trip and DEMAND a full refund. Don't changes to a contract require advance notification AND a reasonalbe timeframe to respond? They changed the rules willy-nilly, so I guess you can too!

Did you pay with a CC? You could also dispute the extra charge thru the CC company. Maybe they'll fight for you.

It is disgraceful that the cruise industry decided to hit holiday travellers with this surcharge. Gas has been expensive for many months, so why NOW?

What are they gonna surcharge us for next time, toilet paper if we use more than two rolls a week? ;)

[Ringtail]

Princess Cruises' owner, Carnival, has dictated its wishes: regardless of when booked ... regardless of when paid in full, passengers cruising after February 1 are subject to pay this Fuel Surcharge. Our fares were paid November 4, three days before the line's decision to implement the surcharge.

We've spoken with the poor TA, whose job it is to collect the surcharge. Their hands are tied. Our only option is to pay or to cancel, with the agency collecting a $35 cancellation fee.

We've spoken with Princess Cruises, as well. We are welcome to cancel the cruise. Of course, since we are within 90 days of the date of cruise, we would have to forfeit the FULL CHARGE for this booking.

You can bet we're likely to encounter plenty of disgruntled passengers during what was supposed to be a relaxing cruise.

[B+S]

Now that crude oil is back selling for less than 100.00 a barrel perhaps an article on why the cruise lines have not repealed their fuel charges is in order.

Today a barrel of light sweet crude is $91.00.





Check out this brand-new feature article from Cruise Critic:

Fuel Surcharges

Read the entire feature article... (http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=580)

[Dan Askin]

Hello B+S,

We've certainly been following the (dropping) price of crude, waiting for some response from the cruise industry. The issue is complicated (relationship between price per barrel and post-refinemnet price), and given the incredibly volatility of the market, the cruise lines are suggesting that it's premature at this point to adjust the surcharges.

We are closely monitoring the situation, and will keep you posted should anything change in the coming weeks.

Thanks,

Dan

[dutchess43]

Right now crude oil is trading for 96.00 a barrel does anyone think the cruiselines will forgo their new profit's? I feel the biggest offenders are the airlines charging so much for luggge including the first piece. It all boils down to the new found profits they are all gaining . IMHO there is no way we will see a decrease in the near future of these excess charges.

[B+S]

I think it's fair to say the industry will drag their feet and "monitor the situation" themselves as long as their patronage is willing to accept it.

Honestly, lines should price their cruises however they wish (it's a fantastic value) but a continued fuel surcharge in the face of much lower fuel prices would appear to be an opportunistic "windfall profit" they (and oil companies) would do well to avoid.

Among a lot of other things, I don't know the correlation between the cost of a barrel of unrefined oil and what cruise ships use but it's sure not as refined as gasoline, and the cruise industry has the ability to negotiate long term high volume contracts at fixed prices. They came to us and essentially said "Look we have a crisis." and patrons accepted that, but is that still the situation? I'm ready to suggest it is not.

Conversely, it is the sky high cost of air fair (and jet fuel) to distant destinations that allow my wife and I to drive to a closer port and enjoy a cruise at a fantastic value.





Hello B+S,

We've certainly been following the (dropping) price of crude, waiting for some response from the cruise industry. The issue is complicated (relationship between price per barrel and post-refinemnet price), and given the incredibly volatility of the market, the cruise lines are suggesting that it's premature at this point to adjust the surcharges.

We are closely monitoring the situation, and will keep you posted should anything change in the coming weeks.

Thanks,

Dan

[Mozart527]

The cruise lines made an announcement at the time of implementing their fuel surcharge that the surcharge would be removed if oil prices dropped to a certain level and remained there.

If I remember correctly, most of them stated that oil had to drop below $80/barrel and remain that way for 30 days in order for the fuel surcharge to be discontinued.