Fuel Surcharge started again?

[Cinderose]

I have a coworker that just booked her Hawaiian cruise on POA for April 2011. She said they added in the cost the fuel surcharge and said if it keeps going up that they have a right (in the contract) to adjust it upward too. Yikes - I leave in 3 days - will they add the charges at the port onto my bill if this is started going into effect?

[smeyer418]

They haven't added the fuel surcharge yet...but there has always been a component of the fare called NCF(non-commissionable fare) that included some amount for fuel. They have been reserving the right to implement a further surcharge for over a year. Even though the bench mark has been over that amount for a while no surcharge has been in fact imposed....yet to my knowledge... and they reserve the right to impose it even to paid in full fares

 

"NCL is suspending the company's fuel supplement for all voyages departing at this time. The Company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $65 per barrel. NCL may collect any fuel supplement charge in effect at the time of sailing, even if the cruise fare has been paid in full."

[jmcdon7230]

... and they reserve the right to impose it even to paid in full fares

 

"NCL is suspending the company's fuel supplement for all voyages departing at this time. The Company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $65 per barrel. NCL may collect any fuel supplement charge in effect at the time of sailing, even if the cruise fare has been paid in full."

 

I thought that after the last go round of fuel surcharges it was decided that they couldn't impose it on cruises that were already booked. Didn't they provide refunds after being sued over that?

[smeyer418]

I thought that after the last go round of fuel surcharges it was decided that they couldn't impose it on cruises that were already booked. Didn't they provide refunds after being sued over that?

no this is different last time there was no disclosure about the reservation to increase except for taxes. This time the cruise lines have been careful to say that the surcharge was just suspended. I am not sure what position the Florida AG will take..

[newmexicoNita]

no this is different last time there was no disclosure about the reservation to increase except for taxes. This time the cruise lines have been careful to say that the surcharge was just suspended. I am not sure what position the Florida AG will take..

 

yep that is right. As for them being re-instated I don't know about the OPs friend but I just booked a couple of NCL cruises today and no fuel charges were even mentioned.

 

Nita

[IWORK2CRUISE]

yep that is right. As for them being re-instated I don't know about the OPs friend but I just booked a couple of NCL cruises today and no fuel charges were even mentioned.

 

Nita

What comes to mind here is that the OP refers to POA. In other words, a US cruise. This may have a bearing on the decision to impose the FSC.

[luvmysox1]

It is probably just the Hawaii cruise POA. I don't see anything on my cruise details yet.

[KandJCruising]

None on any of mine that I'm aware of either. Hope it holds for the next 15 months.

[JohnIreland]

No fuel surcharge at the moment.

 

Any chance it was for airfare ?

[NMLady]

I have a coworker that just booked her Hawaiian cruise on POA for April 2011. She said they added in the cost the fuel surcharge and said if it keeps going up that they have a right (in the contract) to adjust it upward too. Yikes - I leave in 3 days - will they add the charges at the port onto my bill if this is started going into effect?

 

Are you also on POA or on a different NCL cruise?

POA belongs to the NCL-A company which has slightly different policies than NCL does. So that might account for the difference.

[BikerAl]

yep that is right. As for them being re-instated I don't know about the OPs friend but I just booked a couple of NCL cruises today and no fuel charges were even mentioned.

 

Nita

 

Nita... Actually, if you look at the file they sent you when you booked. it says

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

For general questions please contact a Personal Cruise Consultant at 1-877-416-9722.

Documentation:

As visa and documentation requirements vary by country and are subject to change, all guests are urged to contact their travel professional,

local immigration office, or the embassy or consulate for each country they will visit on their cruise to verify current entry requirements. It is the

guest's responsibility to obtain required visas and other documentation prior to sailing, including vaccinations for infectious diseases.

Additional information for booked guests is available on http://www.ncl.com.

Online Check-In:

Guests are requested to complete their Online Check-In form at http://www.ncl.com at least 24 hours prior to departure date. Guests who have

not completed their online Check-In form at least 24 hours prior to departure date are required to complete the Check-In process at the pier

2 hours prior to departure time noted on their cruise documents.

Final Boarding Time Policy:

Please be advised that on embarkation day, all guests must be onboard the ship no later than one (1) hour prior to the departure time noted

on their cruise documents or they will not be permitted to sail. Additional information for booked guests is available on http://www.ncl.com.

Terms & Conditions:

Please refer to the applicable NCL brochure or http://www.ncl.com for additional terms and conditions that apply to your booking.

Booksafe Travel Protection:

Please refer to the applicable NCL brochure or http://www.ncl.com for our Payment and Cancellation policy. NCL highly recommends that every

guest purchase Travel Protection to include trip cancellation coverage.

Service Charges:

NCL now offers you the ability to pre-pay your Onboard Service Charges of $12 per person per day for guests 3 years and older. Please

contact your travel professional to add to your reservation. See our brochure or http://www.ncl.com for details.

Shore Excursions:

Guests are encouraged to book their Shore Excursions through NCL for the widest selection of tours along with some important added

benefits – safe and reliable tour operators, easy pick-up and drop-off at the pier, and the ability to conveniently charge your onboard account.

For complete tour descriptions and to pre-book, please visit http://www.ncl.com/shorex or call 866.625.1167, Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm or

Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm EST.

 

Then, if you go to the terms and conditions, it says:

Guarantee and Rate

 

Once we have received your deposit or full payment, the cruise rate is secure except in the event of substantial increases in operating costs, tariffs or taxes prior to the sailing date. In such cases, we reserve the right to add a surcharge. If you select an Air/Sea package, additional governmental taxes and customs fees may apply. All assessed government or quasi-government fees and taxes are subject to change without notice at any time, and we reserve the right to add a surcharge for these fees and taxes whether you have a confirmed booking under deposit or have made final payment. All rates and information in this brochure were in effect at time of printing and are subject to change. The Company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $65 per barrel. NCL may collect any fuel supplement charge in effect at the time of sailing, even if the cruise fare has been paid in full.

Personally, I hate that they don't come out and say it in your booking document, so if they do re-instate, the majority of people won't claim ignorance of a healthy expense. A young family of 4 on a 7 day cruise could end up paying $336, a very big hit in these economic times.

 

Al

[newmexicoNita]

Nita... Actually, if you look at the file they sent you when you booked. it says

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

For general questions please contact a Personal Cruise Consultant at 1-877-416-9722.

Documentation:

As visa and documentation requirements vary by country and are subject to change, all guests are urged to contact their travel professional,

local immigration office, or the embassy or consulate for each country they will visit on their cruise to verify current entry requirements. It is the

guest's responsibility to obtain required visas and other documentation prior to sailing, including vaccinations for infectious diseases.

Additional information for booked guests is available on http://www.ncl.com.

Online Check-In:

Guests are requested to complete their Online Check-In form at http://www.ncl.com at least 24 hours prior to departure date. Guests who have

not completed their online Check-In form at least 24 hours prior to departure date are required to complete the Check-In process at the pier

2 hours prior to departure time noted on their cruise documents.

Final Boarding Time Policy:

Please be advised that on embarkation day, all guests must be onboard the ship no later than one (1) hour prior to the departure time noted

on their cruise documents or they will not be permitted to sail. Additional information for booked guests is available on http://www.ncl.com.

Terms & Conditions:

Please refer to the applicable NCL brochure or http://www.ncl.com for additional terms and conditions that apply to your booking.

Booksafe Travel Protection:

Please refer to the applicable NCL brochure or http://www.ncl.com for our Payment and Cancellation policy. NCL highly recommends that every

guest purchase Travel Protection to include trip cancellation coverage.

Service Charges:

NCL now offers you the ability to pre-pay your Onboard Service Charges of $12 per person per day for guests 3 years and older. Please

contact your travel professional to add to your reservation. See our brochure or http://www.ncl.com for details.

Shore Excursions:

Guests are encouraged to book their Shore Excursions through NCL for the widest selection of tours along with some important added

benefits – safe and reliable tour operators, easy pick-up and drop-off at the pier, and the ability to conveniently charge your onboard account.

For complete tour descriptions and to pre-book, please visit http://www.ncl.com/shorex or call 866.625.1167, Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm or

Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm EST.

 

Then, if you go to the terms and conditions, it says:

Guarantee and Rate

 

Once we have received your deposit or full payment, the cruise rate is secure except in the event of substantial increases in operating costs, tariffs or taxes prior to the sailing date. In such cases, we reserve the right to add a surcharge. If you select an Air/Sea package, additional governmental taxes and customs fees may apply. All assessed government or quasi-government fees and taxes are subject to change without notice at any time, and we reserve the right to add a surcharge for these fees and taxes whether you have a confirmed booking under deposit or have made final payment. All rates and information in this brochure were in effect at time of printing and are subject to change. The Company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $65 per barrel. NCL may collect any fuel supplement charge in effect at the time of sailing, even if the cruise fare has been paid in full.

Personally, I hate that they don't come out and say it in your booking document, so if they do re-instate, the majority of people won't claim ignorance of a healthy expense. A young family of 4 on a 7 day cruise could end up paying $336, a very big hit in these economic times.

 

Al

 

Al, thanks for the info, I am a TA and I was referring to booking a couple of NCL cruises for clients. When you call NCL they always inform you, they could reintate the fuel charges, but no one has said they have so far. If I book, using the net, yes, I get what you are saying, but this does not mean they did re-instate. That is my point, I think the OPs friend may have mis-understood. I also have a group going in April and no, so far, the fuel charge has not been re-instated. Again, I think the person may have misunderstood. The terms says, has the right to, not they are going to...

Nita