How much money do you think they got?

[hammybee]

What if one had insurance other than HAL's?

 

Beats me.

 

Refund policies and transferability of such policies to another cruise vary from insurer to insurer. Those with pre-existing conditions tend to purchase insurance sooner rather than later.

 

I am thinking that until such time that cruise lines, like airlines, require upfront non-refundable payments in full, the cruise price is never going to be completely protected.

 

That I can tie up a cabin for more than a year, with as little as a $100 onboard deposit and change my mind and/or get a better price than the one I booked at as late as 90 days or so before sailing, makes me comfortable that cruise line policies are far more advantageous to passengers than the cruise lines.

 

Imposition of a fuel surcharge is not an ordinary event. Conversely, passenger cancellation of a cruise before final payment date is quite common. In otherwords, it's a two-way street.

 

I do appreciate that threads like this are useful to blow off some steam. They are not however, going to change the end result. Our cruises will cost us $70 more per person, regardless of how any of us feel about it.

[shipshape sam]

Don't you think HAL/CCL anticipated fallout? While the number of posters on this board is small comapred to the number who sail HAL each year, I am aware of only a few who cancelled and they did so, because it was an opportunity, not because of the fuel surcharge.

 

Everyone was given the opportunity to cancel their cruise, get their deposit or full payment back, plus the cost of the otherwise non-refundable HAL like insurance.

 

It saddens me somewhat, that some have chosen to not cancel and instead, appear to be preparing to board with a fuel surcharge chip on their shoulder. What a misrerable way to start a vacation.

 

I agree, it would be a bummer to start with a chip on your shoulder.

 

I am eating the fuel surcharge on a March cruise. I already booked flights, taken time off from work, our 30th anniversary, so just gettng back the cruise deposit would not make me 'whole' monetarily or psyhcologically. We are 'pumped' for cruises. I do think it is an opportunity to raise prices and make higher fuel charges the 'bad' guy as it were.

 

Am I bummed out, no. But I for sure have less tolerance for less than steller service/product by cruise lines now. This is not to say I am a complainer. I am not. I have never had less than a great cruise, some just greater than others. And will continue to have great cruises, maybe just less of them.

[Opinions]

That I can tie up a cabin for more than a year, with as little as a $100 onboard deposit and change my mind and/or get a better price than the one I booked at as late as 90 days or so before sailing, makes me comfortable that cruise line policies are far more advantageous to passengers than the cruise lines.

 

.

 

In reading cruise line contracts I find that in most cases cruise line policies are far more advantageous to the cruiseline than to the passengers...I have cruised for over 40 years because I enjoy cruising but to be honest I have never felt comfortable after reading those contracts...Happy to hear that you have found one advantage to them.

[bUU]

Generally, whenever there is a service agreement with the mass-market, most of the contract is dedicated to protecting the service provider from opportunism on the part of consumers, and comparatively little of the contract is dedicated to protecting the consumer. That disparity is what helps keep mass-market offering affordable.

[chasetf]

And was it worth it?

 

.....................It has been my experience that many people become disproportionately angry over small things. HAL will receive just a small increase in revenue for the sailings, but I suspect many people will remember the surcharge with a great deal of anger.

 

What do you think?

My thought is ......HAL and all the other lines that have implemented this surcharge hope that those that make a big deal about it and threaten to walk...... do walk...... ;)

[hammybee]

Generally, whenever there is a service agreement with the mass-market, most of the contract is dedicated to protecting the service provider from opportunism on the part of consumers, and comparatively little of the contract is dedicated to protecting the consumer. That disparity is what helps keep mass-market offering affordable.

 

Again, I like the way you often put things into perspective.:)

[Copper10-8]

May I suggest fuel surcharges aren't really about the rising cost of fuel, but the falling buying power of the U.S. dollar?

 

Those of us who use a different currency always have to factor money fluctuations into the cost of our U.S. vacation.

 

At one point, Canadians had to add 40 percent to the cost of everything U.S. when tallying costs. :( Ouch!

 

But, due to the money markets' changed perception of politics/fiscal management/trade conditions, that's changed. Perhaps this dip in the U.S. dollar will be short lived.

 

Granted but we don't have toonies and loonies..........................I take that back, we have lots of loonies especially here in Lalaland. But we don't have any toonies

[jhannah]

Granted but we don't have toonies and loonies

Sure we do! Just ask Warner Bros.! :D