New Celebrity Fuel Surcharges
 

Celebrity matches Carnival's fuel surcharges, $5 a day, $70 max.:

http://www.rclinvestor.com/phoenix.z...8918&highlight

I guess if we want to play we gotta pay.

Manuel

Of course, it had to happen but I think RCI should apply the surcharge to new bookings only. Just add $35 per person to a 7 day cruise-who'd even notice?? We've been booked on the Constellation Feb.8 cruise since July with balance tomorrow-there goes our $100 onboard credit! But like Manuel says.....gotta pay if ya wanna play.

Jacdenv24, it's as you said , we have RCL as well as Celebrity cruise booked, so there go our shipboard credits for both cruises. Of course we are still going to enjoy them. Besides we are getting use to the price of everything going up because of fuel costs,
Happy Thanksgiving to all cruisers reading this post

Manuel

Do you understand that you had a contract when you put down your deposit that did not allow for this surcharge? That the contract was changed on Nov 16th, after you deposited?

You do not have to put up with this. You can complain to the Florida Attorney General that you expect your contract to be honored.

You may find this of interest
http://myfloridalegal.com/__85256222...=0,norris,1997

You can use the tabs on the top to file a complaint.

Very interesting, Jaxon. I had not thought of this-how many of us read all the fine print! We paid the balance of our cruise last week and so far we have not been billed for the fuel surcharge. Maybe our agent has absorbed the cost? We are Canadian so I don't think I can complain to the Attny.Generals office but seeing as we're snowed in here I'm going to read all the fine print today.

If you paidin full before the 16th of Nov, you should not be charged (or sailing before Feb 1st). If you are charged, you shouldn't think you cannot contact the Fl AG -- you are a cruise comsumer like everyone else, even though you live in Canada. While I advise folks to also contact their state Attorney General, I do not know what the equivalent would be in Canada. European contracts with RCI/Celebrity are different because of the laws there (only increases in costs above 2% can be charged to the customer), but I have not heard that they are different for Canadians -- always good to check, however, before taking action.

Going forward, the biggest problem is that the new contract language is totally open-ended. They can tack on an added cost for ANYTHING! The new language says they can increase costs for any unexpected cost increase to them, not just fuel, and at any time. Lettuce going up? A pod breaks down? It is really onerous. Carnival, on the other hand, is not open ended -- just for fuel.

I read all the fine print-ambiguous to say the least. They start out telling you the price cannot go up after you make the deposit, then proceed to list all the exceptions. "In addition, Celebrity reserves the right to assess air/sea guests a charge covering any fuel,security or other applicable surcharge increases assessed against Celebrity"
We really are at their mercy,aren't we? Nonetheless, we can hardly wait for Feb.8- our 5th. Celebrity cruise but first on the Constellation.

My take on that clause, particularly because it is right beneath the clause which says there will be no increase, except for taxes and other government fees, is that air/sea means those who booked their air through the line. If read this way, the statement makes sense, since the lines reserve blocks of air tickets well in advance, and they may be hit with added surcharges for the flight, not just fuel but TSA and airport fees, which they pass through to their air/sea customer. The fact that similar language is used in the area of the brochure dealing with booking air through the cruise lines, helps to confirm my readin, imo.

jacdenv24,

Since the company's headquarters is located in Florida, it's subject to Florida law even when selling cruises to people who do not reside there. Thus, the Attorney General of Florida does have jurisdiction to take the case.

And in reality, he probably will consolidate all of the compaints into a class action and bring it on behalf of all affected passengers.

Norm.

Just read that Crystal is imposing a $10 per day per person fuel surcharge. What?? Does Crystal use more expensive fuel? Or do they figure their customers are well heeled and can afford more? Sounds like a case of "whatever the market can bear"!

It is allways what the market will bear that sets the price of all commodities. What we are willing to pay determines the price of every thing we consume including cruise prices.

Manuel

I am taking a cruise for the first time in April to the Bahamas. Do all cruise lines add a fuel charge. I don't remember them saying anything about it.

The first I heard about it was around Nov.16-I believe Carnival was the first. Now it appears that all the other lines have followed suit. As I said previously, it would make more sense to simply increase the cruise prices in the new bruchures because this isn't going away anytime soon.

Time to check with your TA or cruise planner -- Carnival has now waived the surcharge on all Canadians deposited or paid in full before their implementation date -- while the line just says it has reconsidered, many are pointing to certain Canadian regulations which disallow it.

jacdenv24,

Crystal's vessels should consume more fuel per passenger, partly because the vessels are smaller and drag is not linear and partly because all accommodations are suites, so each passenger occupies more space than on other lines.

Norm.

Cruise lines should wait until the end of the cruise to impose fuel surcharges. They could gage fees by the additional weight we gain since more poundage equates to additional thrust to the props to push our bloated selves to the next port!

Every pound gained could be an additional $10.00 fee. By my calculations, I would owe around $110.00 for a 7 day cruise. :shock:

cute -- but don't give them any ideas!