Unusual increase of port fee and tax on embarcation?

[MouseBerry]

Started our cruise yesterday on the Enchanted and noticed a strange charge on my account named „Government Port Tax“ 7.51$ per person. Well, i understand the term tax quite well, but my booked tarif has port fees and taxes included. So i went to the guest service and was told there was an increase in fees/taxes and it is common practice to hand increase/decrease to the customer. Never experienced this in 20+ cruises. Is this standard procedure with Princess? I‘m sure somewhere in the contract fineprint the legal right to do so is expressed. Still was very surprised by this.

Did someone encounter this before?

[donswife]

I have received credits in the past to my shipboard account when they have decreased (and not due to a missed port). 

[CineGraphic]

5 minutes ago, MouseBerry said:

Never experienced this in 20+ cruises.

 

With all due respect, that means nothing. There are thousands of cruises in just a single year.

Port charges change often, and the difference is usually passed on to the consumer.

Don't let $7.00 ruin your vacation!

 

 

[SomewhereGirl]

Thanks for posting.  I know they say they can but I've never experienced it or read about it happening before.  I'll be on the lookout when I board Emerald from Southampton in a couple weeks.  I closely monitor my account.

[skynight]

Port fees and taxes are not fixed when you book your cruise. They can vary. Many times we have received a credit for lower fees and taxes or missing ports, and a few times an extra charge.

[hobbyfarmer2]

We have received a small credit a couple of times but no increase.  Taxes change sometimes, I guess.  No big deal.

Edited August 6, 2022 by hobbyfarmer2
Sp

[Guest ldtr]

I have seen it happen on one (out of 50+ cruises on various lines) on a cruise that we had booked several months ahead and there was a change made by the government where one of the ports was located (increased in per passenger port charge)

[dog]

Have received credits for missed ports for cruises;

 and only once years ago a fuel surcharge, for a flight back in the early 1980’s.

Edited August 6, 2022 by dog

[Cruise Raider]

I've seen it before on my cruises.  I believe there is even a clause in the contract that extra taxes, port and government fees can be passed along to the passengers when they are increased.  There's probably a threshold where they will need to contact you to make sure it is ok with you.  As others have said, I've seen reductions as well on my folio as well due to those fees being overestimated.  

 

[that]

5 hours ago, MouseBerry said:

Started our cruise yesterday on the Enchanted and noticed a strange charge on my account named „Government Port Tax“ 7.51$ per person. Well, i understand the term tax quite well, but my booked tarif has port fees and taxes included. So i went to the guest service and was told there was an increase in fees/taxes and it is common practice to hand increase/decrease to the customer. Never experienced this in 20+ cruises. Is this standard procedure with Princess? I‘m sure somewhere in the contract fineprint the legal right to do so is expressed. Still was very surprised by this.

Did someone encounter this before?

Yea

[Coral]

Yes - it can increase or decrease. It happens all the time. They don't have control over local government fees.

[BlerkOne]

It's in the contract. Even before the cruise, if you have Princess open the booking it will reprice to whatever the current port charges and fees are.

 

At best, it is an estimate by Princess. They are usually close.

[MouseBerry]

Thx for the info. Seems to be a normal thing with Princess. Amount is so little it doesn‘t really bother. It is just unusual in the german market. Here cruise fares are final and the price includes all taxes and fees. Usually you even don‘t get an info about the included amount of fees/taxes. The right to adjust prices because of significant increased fuel cost is usually in the contract. But this actually never happend to me. In the current energy cost scenario i expect a fuel surcharge much more than tax increase.

[BlerkOne]

Some more info

https://www.princess.com/html/global/book/disclaimers/TFPE_definition.html

 

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses, as used by us, may include any and all fees, charges, tolls and taxes imposed on us by governmental or quasi-governmental authorities, as well third party fees and charges arising from a vessel's presence in a harbor or port. Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses may include U.S. Customs fees, head taxes, Panama Canal tolls, dockage fees, wharfage fees, inspection fees, pilotage, air taxes, hotel or VAT taxes incurred as part of a land tour, immigration and naturalization fees, and Internal Revenue Service fees, as well as fees for navigation, berthing, stevedoring, baggage handling/storage and security services. Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses may be assessed per passenger, per berth, per ton or per vessel. Assessments calculated on a per ton or per vessel basis will be spread over the number of passengers on the Ship. Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are subject to change and we reserve the right to collect any increases in effect at the time of sailing even if the fare has already been paid in full.

[ontheweb]

21 hours ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

We have received a small credit a couple of times but no increase.  Taxes change sometimes, I guess.  No big deal.

Same here. We have received a small credit a few times, but never an increase. I was under the impression that if there was a small increase, the cruise line ate the charge. I guess that was before they were bleeding money post Covid.

[Waynetor]

Post 14 covers the many items that go into the port fee calculation.  The fee is usually calculated when the itinerary is first released and cost can change.   Besides the actual items in post 14. exchange rates can impact the cost to the cruise line.

 

With around 60 cruises I think we have only had a couple increase.