http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviat...carnival-to-ref.html

IF you booked before Nov 7, 2007....

Here is another write up about it with more detail.

Here is another stock link, so it is official.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080331/clm289.html?.v=1

Press Release Source: Carnival Corporation & plc


Carnival Corporation & plc to Voluntarily Rescind Fuel Supplement for Guests Booked Prior to November 7, 2007
Monday March 31, 6:01 pm ET


MIAMI, March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) has announced a voluntary refund of the company's fuel supplement for applicable U.S. bookings that were made prior to November 7, 2007, under an agreement with the Florida Attorney General's Office.
The fuel supplement, announced November 7, 2007, was applied to all U.S. bookings for voyages departing on or after February 1, 2008, regardless of when the booking was made, for cruises on the Carnival Corporation & plc brands Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. However, this effective date allowed guests already booked at the time of the announcement the opportunity to cancel and receive a full refund.

The company will now refund the fuel supplement for those guests who were already booked at the time the supplement was announced. Refunds for affected guests will be implemented based on cruise departure date according to the following schedule:


-- For cruises departing on or prior to April 4, 2008, guests will
receive a refund in the same form they used to purchase their cruise.

-- For cruises departing from April 5, 2008 through June 23, 2008, guests
will receive an on-board credit.

-- For cruises departing on or after June 24, 2008, guests' bookings will
be adjusted to remove the supplement.


The fuel supplement remains in effect for all bookings made on or after November 7, 2007. The $5 per person per day fuel supplement applies only to the first and second guests in a stateroom and will not exceed $70 per person per voyage. Also, at the time the fuel supplement was announced, travel agents whose clients had existing reservations were offered $10 per booking in administrative compensation for notifying those clients of the supplement. Those travel agents will still receive the $10 per booking.
__________________

Thanks for the update! Carnival and RCI have "done the right thing" for those who had booked cruises prior to the supplement implementation dates. I believe this leaves NCL as the outlier.

I completely agree Dave.

I understand the fuel crunch and have no problems paying it for any cruises NOW that I know about it. But simply having it "tacked on" after I had booked and paid for my cruise was a little irritating!!

Thanks LHP for posting this! I just checked my email and it was sent out late Monday evening. This is the right thing to do. I never agreed with the business practice of adding it after the booking was made, even if it was covered in the legalease.

I must admit I didn't think they would do it unless forced to. I was wrong on that if it was voluntary as is being touted. Way to go Carnival !

They have the site updated now too.

Fuel Supplement Update on Carnival.com

Dwayne

That's good news I am going to tell my family members and also call my TA too. Thanks for the update.

Way to go Carnival - this is the right thing to do and will make a lot of people happy! Me included! Yeah for on board credit!

HUMMM guess I still have to pay it, we booked in Feb 08. Ya well I'm going anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by DUTCHMAN:
HUMMM guess I still have to pay it, we booked in Feb 08. Ya well I'm going anyway.

Sadly yes. As best as I understand it, the AG for Florida determined that it was "legal" to charge a fuel charge as long as it was listed separatedly and clearly stated.

However, Carnival realized that charging folks for cruises already booked BEFORE the 11/7 announcement was just not a very "cool" thing to do.

Which is how it should have been all along.

Everyone charges fuel surcharges now....it just needed to be "upfront" and not added after a booking.

quote:

was just not a very "cool" thing to do.

You really have to wonder what they were thinking, and that includes RCI. Surely someone at the conference table said "you know, this could easily become a PR nightmare and blow up in our faces".

One would think so. It is hard to have much pity for them trying to be greedy like that.

Dwayne

I'm with you IslandCruz that the itty bitty word "Florida Attorney General's Office" agreement tells me they announced a voluntary refund with a little arm twisting. If Carnival would have done it on its own would have been voluntary and the right thing to do for its customers. I also have no problem paying on future crusies, but thought the prior to the announcement should have been let go as we booked so early.

I agree as we booked way back in July and were just charged a while ago it was a big surprise to all when our TA asked for more money on top of what we were already quoted because of fuel. But in saying all that the great thing is we get it all back so going forward it is great Carnival came around. Now we have more on our ship board credit Yea Us!!!

Will Carnival let us know about the refund or do we have to request it?

quote:

Will Carnival let us know about the refund or do we have to request it?

You will not need to request it. It will be handled by Carnival and show up. Since your cruise is so close I don't know if you'll see it as a shipboard credit or as a refund on the credit card you used to pay for the cruise fare.

well is good to know I will be affected anyway but congrats to the others

yankeeso, If you are sailing on the Spirit April 20th., and you booked prior to November 7th, 2007 you should receive an automatic onboard credit.

Dwayne

Has anyone seen the credit being applied to there cruise booking yet? I have been checking mine but we are a couple of months out and figure they are working the cruises that are departing shortly first.

I am so glad that I check the postings on a bi -weekly basis. The info on the fuel refund has made my day! We booked 1 year ahead (Feb.2007) for the cruise in Feb. 2008.I was irritated when I was informed about the additional charge but just went with the flow knowing the fuel situation , and I was not going to cancel.
Thanks for the info .I just need to wait for the credit to be applied right ? Thanks again for the info !

From what I have heard it may take a while to get all the refunds processed. I bet their accounting department is overwhelmed at this point.

Dwayne