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Port taxes/Fees went up


rgmacm
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Since booking our cruise the port taxes and fees have gone up.  Nothing has changed in our "amount due" column...it's still listed at the old price.  Are those taxes/fees locked in when you book - similar to cruise fares.... or can we expect PCL to charge that additional amount on the cruise?

In the fine print is says Princess "reserves the right" to collect that....but wondering if anyone has information or experience as to whether they actually 'exercise' that right  😉

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we are kinda/sorta in the same current situation .. we booked at $ 70 and current is $ 105

 

we have re-fared 3 times and have kept the $ 70 each time, even with the current being $ 105 when we re-fared

 

we'll know in less than 2 months about what the 'final' fees turn out to be ...

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I believe that once Princess gives you a final price it stays the same even it prices go up for anything.  On many cruises we have received money back in the form of OBC because the port fees were less.  Princess may be showing a higher number in anticipation of higher port fees.  

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I have been charged additional port fees on my onboard folio when they went up, and I have received a refund on my onboard folio when it went down. It can go in either direction, and you may find either a charge or a credit on your onboard folio. I have seen it in both directions, but it was never very much.

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1 hour ago, rgmacm said:

Since booking our cruise the port taxes and fees have gone up.  Nothing has changed in our "amount due" column...it's still listed at the old price.  Are those taxes/fees locked in when you book - similar to cruise fares.... or can we expect PCL to charge that additional amount on the cruise?

In the fine print is says Princess "reserves the right" to collect that....but wondering if anyone has information or experience as to whether they actually 'exercise' that right  😉

 

Is that going to be a deal breaker whether you take the cruise?

Edited by Kingofcool1947
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24 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

I have been charged additional port fees on my onboard folio when they went up, and I have received a refund on my onboard folio when it went down. It can go in either direction, and you may find either a charge or a credit on your onboard folio. I have seen it in both directions, but it was never very much.

 

That sounds fair to me. If you get a refund when they go down it only makes sense that you would get charged more when they go up. It's not going to be a huge amount either way.

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4 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Is that going to be a deal breaker whether you take the cruise?

  

Before I answer your question, I have a couple of questions for you:

1.  Did you really take the time to click on the reply box to type that question?

2.  Does your question stem from a genuine concern about our future cruise plans?  🤨

3.  Have you ever known ANYONE....E-VER.... to cancel a cruise over $37?

 

Now, to answer your question  (since you DID ask it....)

After much thought....much deliberation....and several sleepless nights (dripping sarcasm just fyi)  we have finally decided that we will STILL go on this cruise that we've been planning for 16 months....and anticipating for quite a bit longer than that....IN SPITE of the additional $37 cost.

 

*sigh*

Edited by rgmacm
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28 minutes ago, rgmacm said:

  

Before I answer your question, I have a couple of questions for you:

1.  Did you really take the time to click on the reply box to type that question?

2.  Does your question stem from a genuine concern about our future cruise plans?  🤨

3.  Have you ever known ANYONE....E-VER.... to cancel a cruise over $37?

 

Now, to answer your question  (since you DID ask it....)

After much thought....much deliberation....and several sleepless nights (dripping sarcasm just fyi)  we have finally decided that we will STILL go on this cruise that we've been planning for 16 months....and anticipating for quite a bit longer than that....IN SPITE of the additional $37 cost.

 

*sigh*

Love your reply. 😀

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1 hour ago, rgmacm said:

  

Before I answer your question, I have a couple of questions for you:

1.  Did you really take the time to click on the reply box to type that question?

2.  Does your question stem from a genuine concern about our future cruise plans?  🤨

3.  Have you ever known ANYONE....E-VER.... to cancel a cruise over $37?

 

Now, to answer your question  (since you DID ask it....)

After much thought....much deliberation....and several sleepless nights (dripping sarcasm just fyi)  we have finally decided that we will STILL go on this cruise that we've been planning for 16 months....and anticipating for quite a bit longer than that....IN SPITE of the additional $37 cost.

 

*sigh*

 

 

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

So,  why the concern over a $37 increase in port fees?

Others seem to agree, it’s not a big deal.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Edited by Kingofcool1947
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3 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

 

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

So,  why the concern over a $37 increase in port fees?

Others seem to agree, it’s not a big deal.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

After composing several responses, I realized that none of them are the person I want to be.... so I'll just 'go' with this one.  🙂

 

My question in the original post was simple....Are Port taxes/fees locked in the same way cruise fares are?

 

It was a reasonable, logical, understandable question....and I'm grateful to those who answered it...there were several. 

At first when you suggested that we might cancel over $37, I thought you were being absurd.  But perhaps I misjudged....  Perhaps you REALLY thought that was a viable response. 😮  I need to just give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that your question was legitimate...that you really thought that....and answer accordingly.  😉

 

Answer:  We have no plans to cancel our cruise for $37. (and we never did)

I would cancel if my daughter went into premature labor....I would cancel if elderly parents had a setback....I would cancel for serious health issues...I would cancel for personal tragedy... There may be a few other things that are just not coming to mind right now that we would cancel for.  

I would NOT cancel for $37 in taxes/fees.

I hope that answers your question.  😉

 

Thank you for well wishes on our cruise!  🙂

 

Edited by rgmacm
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5 hours ago, rgmacm said:

 

After composing several responses, I realized that none of them are the person I want to be.... so I'll just 'go' with this one.  🙂

 

My question in the original post was simple....Are Port taxes/fees locked in the same way cruise fares are?

 

It was a reasonable, logical, understandable question....and I'm grateful to those who answered it...there were several. 

At first when you suggested that we might cancel over $37, I thought you were being absurd.  But perhaps I misjudged....  Perhaps you REALLY thought that was a viable response. 😮  I need to just give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that your question was legitimate...that you really thought that....and answer accordingly.  😉

 

Answer:  We have no plans to cancel our cruise for $37. (and we never did)

I would cancel if my daughter went into premature labor....I would cancel if elderly parents had a setback....I would cancel for serious health issues...I would cancel for personal tragedy... There may be a few other things that are just not coming to mind right now that we would cancel for.  

I would NOT cancel for $37 in taxes/fees.

I hope that answers your question.  😉

 

Thank you for well wishes on our cruise!  🙂

 

how long is your cruise?

 

when does your cruise start ?

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1 hour ago, voljeep said:

thanks - my potential increase above  $ 70 to $ 105 is on a 3-day, 1 port in December ...

 

we'll see what happens:classic_angry:

So....I've learned a lot in the last hour.  🙂 Thought  I'd share with you and anyone else who wants to read. 🙂  

 

I called Princess last week to make final payment.  It's not due until this week, but I wanted to take care of it so it wasn't hanging over my head...worries about forgetting, etc...  haha!!  

My question to them at that time was -- If our credit card is charged the current 'balance due' at final payment....then the computer 'updates' or does a 'correction' in a few weeks and that extra $37 appears on our account as an amount due, will that cause the computer to see our cruise as not being paid in full after final payment...and automatically cancel  our cruise?     

The guy I spoke to last week assured me that would NOT happen...but later admitted to being a new employee....  That left me a little 'uneasy' with accepting his answer 'no questions asked'.  haha!!  

 

That's why I came here to cruisecritic to ask....turns out I probably should have just made a second phone call to Princess...  ha!   I could have avoided.......  hmmm....

I made that call this morning.  

The guy I spoke with today put me on hold to ask supervisors as he'd not had that question before.  He came back saying that the amount would be due and they would send me an email.  I would need to make that payment within a few days of receiving it or my cruise would show as 'unpaid' and be cancelled.  That was a little unsettling as I don't always check email every day... If I get a migraine, I may not check it for several days!!!  What if I didn't get the email in time to respond and POOF, there goes my cruise!  😲

 

At that point, I asked if I could just pay it now...but he didn't have the capability to charge my credit card for an amount that doesn't show  on my account as due....yet. (right now, our account shows as 'paid in full'. )

He put me on hold again to ask the Business office how to charge a credit card for an amount NOT DUE....then came back and corrected his previous information.

 

This is the CORRECTION which I have been assured several times is accurate:  That $37 will show up on our folio when we check in.  I guess we either pay it at check in...or it will go on our onboard account (not totally clear on that part) but our cruise will not be arbitrarily cancelled if I'm not checking and responding to email every few hours. 🙂  🙂

 

That was a relief....and I thought it might be interesting information for others... Though honestly, if you're in a situation like this, I would recommend calling Princess to confirm everything...since I DID get 2 different answers within the same phone call today.  🙂 🙂

 

Edited by rgmacm
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4 hours ago, rgmacm said:

This is the CORRECTION which I have been assured several times is accurate:  That $37 will show up on our folio when we check in.  I guess we either pay it at check in...or it will go on our onboard account (not totally clear on that part) but our cruise will not be arbitrarily cancelled if I'm not checking and responding to email every few hours. 🙂  🙂

 

Any increase or decrease in port taxes will go on your onboard folio. They will not charge your credit card when you check in. They will charge your folio at the end of the trip if you have a balance after adding all of the charges and deducting all of the onboard credit. I've seen port taxes on my onboard account fairly often - sometimes a charge and sometimes a credit.

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We have had the taxes / fees change upon final payment in the past ... usually in the direction of owing more, though.  We once received a call from our travel agent that there was an Alaska tax that was imposed well after final payment and they wanted to make sure that was paid before we boarded ... I think it was approx $50 pp at the time.  

We just sailed earlier this month and noticed some additional onboard credit had been added to our account ... approx $58 as refundable OBC for port charges that actually were reduced.  

We've never had additional taxes or fees to our folio once we were already onboard but I'm sure it does happen on occasion.  I think they would rather overestimate and then refund it than tack it on later.  

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6 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

Any increase or decrease in port taxes will go on your onboard folio. They will not charge your credit card when you check in. They will charge your folio at the end of the trip if you have a balance after adding all of the charges and deducting all of the onboard credit. I've seen port taxes on my onboard account fairly often - sometimes a charge and sometimes a credit.

 

This is how it is supposed to work. Whomever you spoke with at Princess who said it could cause the cruise to be cancelled was a total idiot. Seriously. If that was the case there would have been about a bazillion people who had their cruise cancelled. Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. Not.

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