Carnival announced today that for bookings made on or after April 21, the daily fuel surcharge for the first and second passengers in a cabin will increase from $5 to $7 per person. This charge is not to exceed $98 per person per voyage.
Also, they are starting to charge third, fourth, and fifth passengers in the cabin at the rate of $2 per person, per day, not to exceed $28 per person per voyage.
Bookings made between November 7, 2007 and April 20, 2008 will retain the original $5 fuel surcharge for the first and second passengers.
This applies to all of the cruise lines under the Carnival umbrella.
Just wait until the price of oil goes up to $125 a barrel. I for one, am getting tired of paying for increased oil prices on every thing I purchase. When is someone going to do something about it? How is it that the oil company profits increase every quarter?
All the cruise lines will probably follow suit. I believe it was Carnival that originally emposed a fuel surcharge. They're in business to make money, and their fuel costs are a major expense of operation. However, if they just raised the booking prices instead of charging a higher fuel surcharge, people probably wouldn't notice, and not be so outraged.
They're going to have to increase the price of cruises as well. The food costs are going up and I'm sure the ports are going to raise docking fees to cover their charges (Pilot boats, fork lifts, etc.). Maybe that sheik in Bahrain will let us all live with him. His estate has something like 1400 rooms and 1200 bathrooms. With the profits they're making I'm sure he could easily add on another few thousand rooms. As long as we can cruise, I'm thankful. I don't want to sit tied up to the dock for 2 weeks
Maybe, just maybe-all these price increases are due to the devaluation of the US Dollar and not so much to real cost increases! It is a very frightening thought! My last cruise I noted the increased number of passengers from countries using the Euro as their currency. They also seemed to be outspending US passengers!
What a great way to save money on cruising, the longer we cruise-the more we'll save! I think of the Carnival groups, only Cunard offers cruises of great length-unless,of course, we never debark any ship! (But then we'd become crew,wouldn't we?)
It is a complex thing to wade through. As I posted someplace else on this board, the devalued dollar fuels (ha ha) some of this since foreign currency is more valuable so they come here to invest. Speculators in the oil commodities market drive up the price per barrel, and then the oil companies get the blame for it. Profits increase because the barrel price has increased. Just as a cruise line is in business to make money, so are the oil companies. If you have a product and the people controlling the price (it is not the oil companies) run it to $108 per barrel, what are you supposed to do - say no? It wasn't too long ago that oil was $10 a barrel and the oil companies were in trouble.
But this is not even close to being over. Cruise prices in general are the next things to increase and I think that will happen very soon, just as Penny predicts.
we are booked on the legend for sept 08. we are paying in 2 installments, the first has been paid and the last needs to be paid before july 21. will we have to pay the extra fuel charge?
we booked in january and the fuel charge was added to the price at $5 a day. just wondering if we will be charged the extra 2 bucks a day when we board or finish paying it off
Your booking falls in the Nov 7-Apr 20th window. You booked it during that time frame. It says you must have your cruise booked during the time frame, not paid in full. Therefore; you shouldn't be charged the extra.
As much as the rules are changing I think I'd pay off any balances before they impose new rules about bookings that are not paid by X date. If you can do so without it hurting the budget. If fuel continues to climb the rules will continue to change.
What it amounts to is there is nothing we can do about the fuel prices. We all complain but all we can do is conserve. If I want to cruise I will pay what is asked - my choice. Any way in less that two weeks, Lord willing, my husband and I will be on the Spirit on our way to sunny Hawaii. Aloha all.
Yankeeso-How we envy your upcoming cruise-It has been nealy 40 years since I last cruised those waters! Someday soon I hope to repeat it! Enjoy-and don't sweat the surcharge!!
I agree with Sonny. I would rather see the cruises increase $50.00pp than to impose these extra fuel charges. Same goes with UPS, Fed Ex and the rest. Just raise the rates and stop adding these fuel charges to the bill. Must have to do with taxes on them that they would do it this way rather than just raise rates. If they even think of adding a food surcharge I will re-think cruising. Just raise the rates already!
I couldn't agree more! They adjust cruise fares multiple times in one day sometimes. It could be a way of hedging the profits, and still be able to advertise at a lower fare to get bookings.
You probably won't see any more Carnival TV ads with price points like $249 for a cruise though. The fine print disclosures would take up too much space. I just hope they get their act together about this entire matter.
Dwayne
Posts: 4993 | Location: South Carolina | Registered: August 22, 2005
