port charges

[juicyjuju]

I called yesterday (2 different travel agencies) about booking a transatlantic cruise and the (similar) price they quoted me did not include port charges. I went back and looked at my invoice for the TA cruise we took last year and the rate DID include port charges.

The port charges on a TA apparently are $315 pp. Since we have three in a cabin that's almost a thousand dollars extra. Is this new that Cunard's rates don't include port charges, or did my rate from last year include port charges because it was a "flash" fare (I think in the UK it's called "saver" fare). Just wondered if anyone else had noticed this.

[jimmybean]

I'm not sure if my comment is in the same vein as posting by juicy juju, but….

 

We recently received an advertisement from Princess, which said (in fine print) that additional port charges COULD be added, if there was an increase in the port charges, even AFTER final payment had been made…

 

DH didn't know if this was a change from the way it was previously stated or if he never read the fine print as closely before.

 

We wondered if Cunard was now also taking this approach. ???

 

I would think port charges would have been agreed upon when a cruise ship books a berth… So, I am confused as to why there would be possibility of an increase (AFTER final payment has been made)…

 

DH stresses that Princess' wording was COULD, not would…

 

Anyone else out there reading the fine print?

[silver service]

In my experience, here in the uk,we pay an inclusive payment.

Covering our share of any shipping charges, taxes etc.

[Underwatr]

On cunard.com a NYC-Soton transatlantic in fall 2014 shows "Taxes, fees and port expenses" to be around $63.27 eastbound, $82.73 westbound. This is in addition to the posted cruise fare but nowhere near $315.

 

I don't think I have any record of whether previous quotes for cruises were inclusive of fees and taxes but port charges on a TA (assuming you're not calling on Liverpool or Halifax en route) are low because there are no ports of call, just embarkation and disembarkation.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Underwatr

[BlueRiband]

...The port charges on a TA apparently are $315 pp. ...

 

That sounds excessively high. For an EB TA next year mine is $68.12 and for a WM TA it's $97.98. Is there some other fee included in that $315? I'd call and ask for an explanation.

[Scrapnana]

In the US you will usually find the cost of the cruise and then in smaller print the taxes, fees and port charges. When you get your invoice they are all added to get the total amount you owe. Some other countries, by law, show the total to start with.

 

As others have mentioned $315 is much more than the usual taxes, fees and port charges. Looking on Cunard.com this figure is just under $150 for a R/T TA.

[bluemarble]

I'm not sure if my comment is in the same vein as posting by juicy juju, but….

 

We recently received an advertisement from Princess, which said (in fine print) that additional port charges COULD be added, if there was an increase in the port charges, even AFTER final payment had been made…

 

DH didn't know if this was a change from the way it was previously stated or if he never read the fine print as closely before.

 

We wondered if Cunard was now also taking this approach. ???

 

I would think port charges would have been agreed upon when a cruise ship books a berth… So, I am confused as to why there would be possibility of an increase (AFTER final payment has been made)…

 

DH stresses that Princess' wording was COULD, not would…

 

Anyone else out there reading the fine print?

 

I suspect it is pretty much standard practice to include wording such as you are seeing in cruise line passage contracts. Here is an excerpt from Cunard's U.S. passage contract.

 

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are subject to change and Carrier reserves the right to collect any increases in effect at the time of sailing even if the fare has already been paid in full.

 

With regard to Princess in particular, this happened to us on a Panama Canal cruise with Princess back in 2008. About three weeks after the final payment date, we were billed an additional $2.20 for increased port charges. I did not inquire about the particulars of which port had increased its port charges.

 

Regards,

John.

[jimmybean]

I suspect it is pretty much standard practice to include wording such as you are seeing in cruise line passage contracts. Here is an excerpt from Cunard's U.S. passage contract.

 

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are subject to change and Carrier reserves the right to collect any increases in effect at the time of sailing even if the fare has already been paid in full.

 

With regard to Princess in particular, this happened to us on a Panama Canal cruise with Princess back in 2008. About three weeks after the final payment date, we were billed an additional $2.20 for increased port charges. I did not inquire about the particulars of which port had increased its port charges.

 

Regards,

John.

 

Since we have never been "hit" with additional port charges, we weren't sure if this was a policy change or just our neglect to read all of the small print… Thank you, John, for clearing it up… It is not a change in policy, just something that doesn't come into play often…. and, from your experience (a trivial amount added) nothing to worry about…

 

Which doesn't explain juicy juju's $315 pp port charges…. Juicy juju, have you considered calling Cunard and asking why port charges are so high on the particular voyage you are interested in booking? Please post their explanation, if you do call them. I would be very interested in what they say. Best of luck!

[juicyjuju]

i will call Cunard and ask them

Edited August 17, 2014 by juicyjuju

[oxfordgal]

I'm not sure if my comment is in the same vein as posting by juicy juju, but….

 

We recently received an advertisement from Princess, which said (in fine print) that additional port charges COULD be added, if there was an increase in the port charges, even AFTER final payment had been made…

 

DH didn't know if this was a change from the way it was previously stated or if he never read the fine print as closely before.

 

We wondered if Cunard was now also taking this approach. ???

 

I would think port charges would have been agreed upon when a cruise ship books a berth… So, I am confused as to why there would be possibility of an increase (AFTER final payment has been made)…

 

DH stresses that Princess' wording was COULD, not would…

 

Anyone else out there reading the fine print?

 

Two years ago on a Holland America cruise it also stated "Could" on increasing the port charges. So there are other cruise lines that do this and it was in the fine print as well.

 

Soontoretire

[Underwatr]

Port charges are fees charged to the ship by individual ports and passed on to passengers. If the fees charged change the fees section of the cruise fare is amended. On my Panama Canal transit the taxes and fees actually went down before sailing, but Cunard imposed a fuel surcharge in the meantime so the total fare ended up increasing by $28.

[jimmybean]

Port charges are fees charged to the ship by individual ports and passed on to passengers. If the fees charged change the fees section of the cruise fare is amended. On my Panama Canal transit the taxes and fees actually went down before sailing, but Cunard imposed a fuel surcharge in the meantime so the total fare ended up increasing by $28.

 

Can't win for losing : ( Underwatr!

 

Of course, it is reassuring "adjustments" are not more substantial amounts.

 

In theory, there isn't any "cap" on additional charges, but if substantial, there would be very unhappy customers.

 

Interesting to learn others' experiences. Thank you for sharing, soontoretire and underwater!