Fuel surcharge...

[mikeblum]

at what point can Rccl hit you with this charge...final payment has been made and we sail on March 19th...i think this issue in Lybia is an excuse for the oil producing nations and the fuel companies to jack up the price of gas...$3.29 per gal.in my neck of the woods...

[isdoo]

$10+ here in the UK - so you have it cheap!

[tulsacubfan]

$10+ here in the UK - so you have it cheap!

 

Ouch! Is that a gallon price?

 

$2.99 here...Oklahoma does have some of the lowest gas prices in the country.

[SpeedGeek]

It's all about demand. The oil companies already know we'll pay the prices from 2008 and the demand is steady. Add in the speculators who feel that oil has nowhere to go but up, and we'll have 5$/gal gas by summer.

 

isdoo, yeah it costs more in the UK but you also have an extensive public transport system. Not so here in the states. It's going to cost me about 200$ to drive to and from the port next week, and that's not even including parking. Bleh.

[mikeblum]

still cheaper then flying...alot easier to driver down from south caroliona to miami then from minneapolis to miami...

[Gonzo70]

It's all about demand.

 

Actually right now it is all about fear that supply will be disrupted - not demand.

[Gonzo70]

at what point can Rccl hit you with this charge...final payment has been made and we sail on March 19th...i think this issue in Lybia is an excuse for the oil producing nations and the fuel companies to jack up the price of gas...$3.29 per gal.in my neck of the woods...

 

They can hit you with the surcharge any time up until your cruise is over. Does not matter if you made final payment or not. Hopefully things in the Middle East will stabilize some in the coming days and oil will retreat to the $80s. They will not initiate a fuel surcharge with oil in the $80s since they can be very profitable as is with oil in that range - and their current profit forecasts are based on $80 something oil. The recent rise in gas prices is not an "excuse" but is based on legitimate fears that the tension in Middle East countries is going to lead to a significant disruption in the supply of oil. When a needed commodity's supply becomes threatened, it's value inherently increases. If tensions in the Middle East settle down, oil will drop back down and so will gas.

[gnocchi_mommy]

Around $3.60 in Honolulu right now, neighboring islands are worse though- was in Maui a few weeks ago BEFORE the latest hike and they were at $4/gall.

 

isdoo, ouch- we are ENG bound in 2 weeks and renting a car, between the painful USD/GBP exchange rate and your petrol prices we are preparing ourselves for sticker shock!

[SpeedGeek]

Actually right now it is all about fear that supply will be disrupted - not demand.

 

Today's worries, yes, but Saudi Arabia and OPEC have already said they'll increase supply if necessary to cover Libya's output. Libya's capacity is about 1.4 million barrels per day. Saudi Arabia says they have surplus capacity of about 4.5 million barrels/day ready if they need to put it on the market.

 

The market was already trending towards 100$ well before the revolutions in the Middle East. That trend is a result of constant and increasing worldwide demand and speculators on wall street who push oil futures ever higher. The 100$ mark is coming, with or without the mess in the Middle East.

[Gonzo70]

The 100$ mark is coming, with or without the mess in the Middle East.

 

Eventually yes, but I do not see $100 coming if the Middle East is able to regain some stability for a while. I think oil will drop back to the $80s and fluctuate between $70s and $80s for the time being if fear of disruption is no longer a burning issue. The past two days spike has been 100% about fear of disruption and 0% about demand.

[tulsacubfan]

The 100$ mark is coming,

 

Well, since it is now at $98.10, up $4.53 today, I would say you are correct....and sooner rather than later.

[uksimonusa]

The UK is a lot less than $10 per gallon, even at £1.44 per litre, the highest price today on petrolprices.com wand an exchange rate of $1.62 that only equates to $8.75, with the lowest price on petrolprices.com of £1.29 that equates to $7.84 a gallon, still expensive but over 20% less than $10.00 per gallon.

 

Don't forget there is only 3.75 litres in a US gallon

[mp466]

The UK is a lot less than $10 per gallon, even at £1.44 per litre, the highest price today on petrolprices.com wand an exchange rate of $1.62 that only equates to $8.75, with the lowest price on petrolprices.com of £1.29 that equates to $7.84 a gallon, still expensive but over 20% less than $10.00 per gallon.

 

Don't forget there is only 3.75 litres in a US gallon

 

Why is the cost in the UK so much more that the US? Is there a greater amount of tax added or is it refinery capacity?

[mommabean]

Why is the cost in the UK so much more that the US? Is there a greater amount of tax added or is it refinery capacity?

 

Yes, taxes are much higher in the UK.

 

Gina

[whitshel]

$3.59 here in San Diego. Guss you pay to live in paradise:(

[loudbmw]

$3.07 a gallon in Richmond VA. The reason its so low is that they haven't raised the gas VA tax in years. No politician wants to run on a record that he voted to raise taxes.

 

While I like low gas taxes, I like good roads even better!

[GaryfmCol]

Around $3.60 in Honolulu right now, neighboring islands are worse though- was in Maui a few weeks ago BEFORE the latest hike and they were at $4/gall.

 

isdoo, ouch- we are ENG bound in 2 weeks and renting a car, between the painful USD/GBP exchange rate and your petrol prices we are preparing ourselves for sticker shock!

 

:) When I was in the U.S.N., based in Hawaii, I had to pay $0.45 cents a gallon for gas, for my Suzuki motorcycle.

I thought that was outrageous, considering, back in Ohio,

where I was originally from, we were paying $0.32 per gallon at the time.. :rolleyes:

[tulsacubfan]

Ouch! Is that a gallon price?

 

$2.99 here...Oklahoma does have some of the lowest gas prices in the country.

 

And it is $3.09 this morning......

[cruiser-007]

We just booked our cruise for December and now I'm wandering too about a surcharge. I'm seeing $10 per person per day if so. I did the math and I think it's best to factor it in to your costs just in case. If it means less souvineers or mixed drinks I don't care, we're still going! We've waited too long since our last cruise.

[griffy116]

We have 2 cruises booked (April & July). I always count on the possibility, but I know my SIL is going to go beserk if the surcharge is added (3 of them on his bill). YIKES!!!

[B-52]

:) When I was in the U.S.N., based in Hawaii, I had to pay $0.45 cents a gallon for gas, for my Suzuki motorcycle.

I thought that was outrageous, considering, back in Ohio,

where I was originally from, we were paying $0.32 per gallon at the time.. :rolleyes:

 

 

I used to pump gas back then as a H.S. job. Regular was .28 cents. Majority of people who came in asked for $2 worth. Got their windshield cleaned and oil checked.

[pkexton]

The price per gallon of gas at the WaWa I pass on my way to work was at $3.23 a gallon - the night before it was $3.18:eek: I drive roundtrip 75 miles to work from Exton to Horsham on the PA turnpike - also add in the $3+ toll each way.

 

Pat

[cardamon]

at what point can Rccl hit you with this charge...final payment has been made and we sail on March 19th...i think this issue in Lybia is an excuse for the oil producing nations and the fuel companies to jack up the price of gas...$3.29 per gal.in my neck of the woods...

RCI tried to ad the sucharge in 2008 when we went to the Western Caribbean. A class action suit was threatened, and the surchage was refunded o those who had already paid the entire amount. Perhaps RCI has had laws changed sincethen to allow them to do it anytime, but I can only speak from experience.

[Gonzo70]

RCI tried to ad the sucharge in 2008 when we went to the Western Caribbean. A class action suit was threatened, and the surchage was refunded o those who had already paid the entire amount. Perhaps RCI has had laws changed sincethen to allow them to do it anytime, but I can only speak from experience.

 

In 2008 the cruise contract read that once you paid a deposit your fare would not increase other than to cover increased taxes or government imposed fees. A fuel surcharge is not a tax or government fee. Since that time RCI has amended the cruise contract and it now reads that fuel surcharges may be tacked on at any point during the reservation process - new booking, deposited or paid-in-full. So they would not be breaking any laws/violating any contract this time if they commenced a fuel surcharge for people who had already paid a deposit or paid-in-full.

 

On a positive note, oil after being up a few dollars per barrel this morning is now down a bit, so maybe we will see a pullback. I really think this spike was overdone and not warranted unless things further deteriorate in the Middle East resulting in an actual significant disruption in the oil supply. Oil is too high IMHO right now and hopefully will pullback over the coming days (again assuming the Middle East does not flare up further).