Dropping of fuel supplement is a rip off!!!

[NevadaHiRoller]

For anyone feeling raw about current cruise fares, I will be happy to post prices from my 1983 Carnival Catalog. Folks were paying prices the same (or higher!) as what we are currently shelling out for the same length cruises. Keep in mind that 25 years of inflation factored in means we are paying FAR LESS for our cruises on much more modern ships with more ammenities!

 

Very true.

[NevadaHiRoller]

Years ago the average family could no way afford to take a cruise.

[afcj1]

My Sept Destiny cruise is the same price, less the fuel supp. No increase, so I guess it'll just depend on where you're going and when...as always;)

[popsec]

For the past 2 days we were trying to decide if we wanted to do the May 10 Pride cruise out of Baltimore. Finally this a.m. I put in a call to my PVP.....she called me back a little while ago. The price of a 7A had gone from $720 to $788....BUT...she talked to her supervisor and we got in for $687 pp!!!.....love that woman! She also said we could book as many friends and family at our military rate for the same price today only! Any takers?

[halos]

 

As much as I love cruising Carnival, I will NOT be booking any future cruises as long as this practice continues....the problem is....we won't know! The only reason I know is because I had a list of cruises for next year that I was watching, in addition, I checked the prices of cruises that I have already booked and ALL of them had increased by almost the EXACT amount of the fuel supplement being added. YOU DECIDE, but I feel that we are being totally RIPPED OFF!!!:mad:

 

Well, don't cruise if you feel you're being ripped off. Problem solved.

[BCFD 2357]

For the past 2 days we were trying to decide if we wanted to do the May 10 Destiny cruise out of Baltimore. Finally this a.m. I put in a call to my PVP.....she called me back a little while ago. The price of a 7A had gone from $720 to $788....BUT...she talked to her supervisor and we got in for $687 pp!!!.....love that woman! She also said we could book as many friends and family at our military rate for the same price today only! Any takers?

The Destiny is going out of Baltimore??? We are booked on May 10 on the Pride :D

[popsec]

The Destiny is going out of Baltimore??? We are booked on May 10 on the Pride :D

 

I'm a dope :o.....must have too many cruises booked :D....not!

[Kurbanfan]

For anyone feeling raw about current cruise fares, I will be happy to post prices from my 1983 Carnival Catalog. Folks were paying prices the same (or higher!) as what we are currently shelling out for the same length cruises. Keep in mind that 25 years of inflation factored in means we are paying FAR LESS for our cruises on much more modern ships with more ammenities!

 

 

Not enough competition back then.......too much now. They couldn't charge those prices if they wanted to today:D

[BND]

I know fares are really good for what we are getting, but I just checked our rate again. Since yesterday, it has gone up around $80 for our 8 day. I know rates will drop again and it really doesn't matter to us because we have a military rate and we got our suite for $440 less than the listed price so we won't see a lower rate than we already have. But, the reality is, Carnival just tacked the former supplement on which is what they should have done to begin with and we wouldn't have so many angry people.

[G'ma]

Exactly. Geez, will this never end?[/quote]

 

I was thinking the same thing lol! Let's see how many threads do we have on this now:confused:

 

 

 

I swear, there is more "whine" in here than in the Napa Valley. These boards weren't always that way. It's sad..

 

I agree. One poster was complaining that their "January cruise was the same price it was when she booked it 3 months ago". What's up with that.

 

Some folks are always trying to get something for nothing. I say if you don't like the new policy - and you don't like the prices, don't book a cruise.

 

Gimme, gimme, gimme is their mantra.

[moxie99]

on the Triumph in February, when we initially booked it was $899 for two and $549 for daughter - then daughters fare went down to $499 - called my PVP and the price was adjusted. Later the price for hubby and I dropped to $799 - called my PVP and price was adjusted as we had not made final payment yet. While searching the boards I noticed the senior discount was better than the past guest discount. Hubby is 66 - called PVP and he checked things out for us -- price for hubby and I had dropped to $709 pp. Then on Wednesday before Thanksgiving I noticed the price for our daughter had dropped - received that reduction as well. Paid the cruise off that night. Tonight I just got off the phone with my PVP - we're paid in full as of last week and we now have an on-board credit for our fuel supplement. We're all smiles here!

 

My PVP also told me that starting in the next few weeks we will be able to book future cruises while on our cruise and get OBC for doing so. Guess 2009 will be a cruising year for us - we normally do two cruises, but with these prices I think we can squeeze three in per year. Can't wait!

[glrounds]

And they will

 

Most definitely . . . read Forbes articles . . . cruising will be dirt cheap in 2009.

[Vanessa L]

Carnival announced today that it will "suspend the fuel supplement from all cruises departing on or after December 17, 2008", BUT BEWARE....THEY HAVE ALSO INCREASED EVERY CRUISE PRICE I CHECKED BY ALMOST THAT EXACT AMOUNT!!!! In addition, they also noted that they "reserve the right to re-instate the fuel supplement" effectively charging all of us DOUBLE!!! At least when they were listing the $9 per day charge as a fuel supplement, we were assured that if the price of oil stayed below $70, we would receive that amount back in the form of on-board credits, but now we get NOTHING, yet are paying it anyway! :mad:

 

As much as I love cruising Carnival, I will NOT be booking any future cruises as long as this practice continues....the problem is....we won't know! The only reason I know is because I had a list of cruises for next year that I was watching, in addition, I checked the prices of cruises that I have already booked and ALL of them had increased by almost the EXACT amount of the fuel supplement being added. YOU DECIDE, but I feel that we are being totally RIPPED OFF!!!:mad:

 

I get your point, but also know that this is business. I used to work in jewelery retail and you know that jewelery is marked up something like 2000-3000%? Even with a "sale" they are making a killing!!! So when you swoon over that "great" price you got on that diamond ring, the retailer is also swooning--all the way to the bank! :p I suspect Carnival is the same way. If they raise the price to offset the now defunct fuel surcharges they laugh all the way to the bank. Even IF the price of the cruise drops (which, if you follow this board fairly closely seems to be about a 50-50 chance it will), they are still not losing money (my guess, I am NOT an MBA, but this seems logical to me). It's called business and I am fairly sure, like all companies that are for profit, making money is the end desired result. We can choose to cruise or not, based on any decision they make.

 

Personally, I get your gripe and think it's ridiculous to raise the price of the cruise to offset the fuel charges that are no longer needed--why not just leave the stupid fuel surcharges in place??? You know why? Because enough people have whined about the fuel surcharges and so I guess that the PR department thinks that the consumer is so utterly stupid as to not notice that they are giving us nothing by taking the fuel surcharges away but raising the price of the cruise the exact equal amount of the taken-away surcharge. It is comical in a not comical way! What happened to the prices BEFORE the crazy surcharges went into effect anyway? Why can't they go back to those? It's not like they were losing money on the prior-to-surcharge days.

 

Anyway, none of this nonsense is going to keep me from cruising my favorite line, but I feel you, suze. Really.

[zqvol]

Carnival announced today that it will "suspend the fuel supplement from all cruises departing on or after December 17, 2008", BUT BEWARE....THEY HAVE ALSO INCREASED EVERY CRUISE PRICE I CHECKED BY ALMOST THAT EXACT AMOUNT!!!! In addition, they also noted that they "reserve the right to re-instate the fuel supplement" effectively charging all of us DOUBLE!!! At least when they were listing the $9 per day charge as a fuel supplement, we were assured that if the price of oil stayed below $70, we would receive that amount back in the form of on-board credits, but now we get NOTHING, yet are paying it anyway! :mad:

 

As much as I love cruising Carnival, I will NOT be booking any future cruises as long as this practice continues....the problem is....we won't know! The only reason I know is because I had a list of cruises for next year that I was watching, in addition, I checked the prices of cruises that I have already booked and ALL of them had increased by almost the EXACT amount of the fuel supplement being added. YOU DECIDE, but I feel that we are being totally RIPPED OFF!!!:mad:

 

Give it a few days. Prices are bouncing like rubber balls. Unless your planned voyage is within the next 75 days just wait for prices to go back down.

 

BTW you are NOT being ripped off, no one is forcing you to book anything with anyone, and you are already booked your price did not change.

[Cruzman]

Gotta disagree with the OP. Our next cruise in April has not gone up in price at all. As a matter of fact, many categories have gone down significantly. Doing away with the fuel surcharge means a total price reduction for the three of us amounts to $161. We certainly aren't complaining!

[wonderfullife]

Carnival announced today that it will "suspend the fuel supplement from all cruises departing on or after December 17, 2008", BUT BEWARE....THEY HAVE ALSO INCREASED EVERY CRUISE PRICE I CHECKED BY ALMOST THAT EXACT AMOUNT!!!! In addition, they also noted that they "reserve the right to re-instate the fuel supplement" effectively charging all of us DOUBLE!!! I think you are making too big a deal about it. Personally, I hope that they don't reinstate it but maybe they are raising the price so that they don't have to and are just leaving the note in there, just in case. I would rather it be included in the original price in the first place. Geez. First people complain about the surcharge and now they complain about it going away. Can't seem to make people happy anywhere, huh?

 

Aleece

[sappygirl]

Odd none of my cruises increased in price and I check them every day, Ecstasy and Conquest still the same. No beef here, not even if I was booking new no, they havent gone up.

 

Some prices will always go up and down.

We booked in Oct. for a Feb. cruise on Conquest and price has gone up at least $100.00 for our catagory. I feel we got a great deal on it.:)

[halos]

We missed by 2 days.......but I got rock bottom prices. Can't complain here........

I wish everyone had this attitude.

 

There are so many whine threads on the front page I can't believe it.

[bigboatrider]

Carnival announced today that it will "suspend the fuel supplement from all cruises departing on or after December 17, 2008", BUT BEWARE....THEY HAVE ALSO INCREASED EVERY CRUISE PRICE I CHECKED BY ALMOST THAT EXACT AMOUNT!!!! In addition, they also noted that they "reserve the right to re-instate the fuel supplement" effectively charging all of us DOUBLE!!! At least when they were listing the $9 per day charge as a fuel supplement, we were assured that if the price of oil stayed below $70, we would receive that amount back in the form of on-board credits, but now we get NOTHING, yet are paying it anyway! :mad:

 

As much as I love cruising Carnival, I will NOT be booking any future cruises as long as this practice continues....the problem is....we won't know! The only reason I know is because I had a list of cruises for next year that I was watching, in addition, I checked the prices of cruises that I have already booked and ALL of them had increased by almost the EXACT amount of the fuel supplement being added. YOU DECIDE, but I feel that we are being totally RIPPED OFF!!!:mad:

 

 

Great, that means those of us who are living in the real world will have more room on the ship and won't have to listen to your whinning. People like you can't be satisfied, and do nothing but irritate those of us with a little common sense and can think rationally.

[VABeach]

When I plan my vacations, I look at the price and what I'm getting for what I am paying. I either want it for that price, or I don't.

 

I have paid more than I really wanted to on occasion, and I have gotten deals that I thought were FABULOUS on occasion.

 

Bottom line is, if I didn't feel like paying the money, I didn't.

 

No one has ever MADE ME go on a cruise.

 

Personally, this is one of those cruises that I feel like I am getting a fabulous deal on and I am so excited about going.

 

I also have my next three cruises booked at equally fabulous prices, so I don't really care if the prices go up. :D

[optiron]

You can still afford to cruise and your crying over $20 or less a day. Sorry it's a hardship. Wake up! Your life isn't too bad.

[Vanessa L]

Carnival announced today that it will "suspend the fuel supplement from all cruises departing on or after December 17, 2008", BUT BEWARE....THEY HAVE ALSO INCREASED EVERY CRUISE PRICE I CHECKED BY ALMOST THAT EXACT AMOUNT!!!! In addition, they also noted that they "reserve the right to re-instate the fuel supplement" effectively charging all of us DOUBLE!!! I think you are making too big a deal about it. Personally, I hope that they don't reinstate it but maybe they are raising the price so that they don't have to and are just leaving the note in there, just in case. I would rather it be included in the original price in the first place. Geez. First people complain about the surcharge and now they complain about it going away. Can't seem to make people happy anywhere, huh?

 

Aleece

 

In theory, it is NOT going away--they've just rerouted the fuel surcharge into price increases equivalent to said removed fuel surcharge. THAT is the gripe. We have a net of zero if they raise prices the equivalent of the removed surcharge. I still contend, if you're going to raise prices the equivalent of the surcharge, why not just keep the surcharge? It makes no sense.

[Kaboochi]

Wooo Hooo, dropping the fueul surcharge means an OBC for us on on Feb Victory cruise, I can't wait. Plus we got a great balcony rate - life is good! Kaboochi

[firefly333]

 

In theory, it is NOT going away--they've just rerouted the fuel surcharge into price increases equivalent to said removed fuel surcharge. THAT is the gripe. We have a net of zero if they raise prices the equivalent of the removed surcharge. I still contend, if you're going to raise prices the equivalent of the surcharge, why not just keep the surcharge? It makes no sense.

 

None of my 3 Carnival cruises went up. Im not saying that some others didnt go up, but folks are talking as if they all went up. I have one in Jan, Sept and dec 09, none of these went up. 3 different ships and 2 different ports Im watching.

 

Im just happy that Im getting money back. whoo hoooo. so much grumbling. If you are already booked and the price went up who cares??

[wonderfullife]

--they've just rerouted the fuel surcharge into price increases equivalent to said removed fuel surcharge. THAT is the gripe. We have a net of zero if they raise prices the equivalent of the removed surcharge.

 

-------------

If you are already booked and paid, your price is not going up. If you book later at the higher price then you know what you are paying for. By having it in the original price, it is not an add on. People are always complaining about the nickel and diming and that is how I feel the surcharge feels. If it is just part of the price than I know it from the start. I was not looking at the surcharge removal as a way of saving money just as a way to have less added on expenses above the original price. I had no problem with the actual cost in the first place.

 

Aleece