Gas surcharge - please don't kill the messenger

[saraet4464]

Just got of of the Oasis this morning and I thought I would share something I heard at dinner last night. One of my dinner table mates met a cruiser earlier that day who was taking the Oasis back to back with this week, starting today, being his second week. Anyway, he checked his shipboard account and discovered a $56.00 gas surcharge per person on his account for this second half of the cruise. We weren't charged this for this past week's cruise.

 

I feared it was inevitable and am glad I just missed it.

[The Viking]

I see no indication of a fuel susrcharge on their website and when I made a test reservation I dood not sshow fuel surcharge.

 

Would not think that one company will implement the fuel surcharge but if they all agree to it that is quite another story.

[deborahjo]

Wouldn't you think it would be added to bookings? I looked at booking a cruise this morning and no such thing showed up. That is a very small amount for a fuel charge.

[saraet4464]

All I know is what was related to me by a fellow passenger. The charges were added to his onboard account for the second week. I didn't pay any surcharges. I guess we will know more next week when those currently cruising return and relate if they were charged or not.

[Brittgrrl]

Just phoned RCCL and spoke to Luisa to ask if I should expect this in 3 weeks and she stated "absolutely not". She said that there's always the bogus gossip with people trying to stir things up, then reiterated with "there are absolutely no fuel surcharges and we are absolutely not implementing them". I followed up with a chat with Brandy at RCCL, and she stated that it was absolutely untrue. I have the chat detail email to prove it. :mad:

[Merion_Mom]

All I know is what was related to me by a fellow passenger. The charges were added to his onboard account for the second week. I didn't pay any surcharges. I guess we will know more next week when those currently cruising return and relate if they were charged or not.

 

That is the problem with what you posted.

 

You left this person on the last night of a cruise.

 

S/he would not even HAVE an onboard account for the next week until after you had left the ship. There would have been nothing for this person to "look at" and "see", whether it's a fuel surcharge or anything else.

[wg6530]

All I know is what was related to me by a fellow passenger. The charges were added to his onboard account for the second week. I didn't pay any surcharges. I guess we will know more next week when those currently cruising return and relate if they were charged or not.

 

Sara, if they posted the fuel surcharge to the accounts the first day (or the night before), we would be hearing about it today. I do not think we would have to wait until people return. So many people carry electronic devices or use ship computers. We would have gotten reports before the ships left the docks. Might your dinner companion have been pulling your leg? Or might he have misinterpreted some other charge as fuel surcharge?

[SamFritz]

Just got of of the Oasis this morning and I thought I would share something I heard at dinner last night. One of my dinner table mates met a cruiser earlier that day who was taking the Oasis back to back with this week, starting today, being his second week. Anyway, he checked his shipboard account and discovered a $56.00 gas surcharge per person on his account for this second half of the cruise. We weren't charged this for this past week's cruise.

 

I feared it was inevitable and am glad I just missed it.

 

So...not to kill the messenger but... "one of my table mates met a cruiser who said..." It sounds to me like kids playing "telephone". I'm pretty sure the first person misread his Onboard Account Summary and the rest is history.

 

Fuel surcharges are not ineveitable though higher fares in the future may be.

[rolloman]

I think you got played by your tablemate.....if and when they do a fuel surcharge it will be announced with a date named sometime in the near future. It will not be a surprise addition to ones bill.

[awboater]

I am sure it is inevitable at some point, but $50 ~ 100 is not a significant charge given the price you paid for the cruise.

 

For one, I'd rather pay an extra charge then potentially have the cruise line change itinerary to closer ports to save on fuel costs.

[cb at sea]

I'm sort of surprised they have started the "fuel surcharge" before now, seeing as how prices have skyrocketed.

[Mapleleafforever]

Nice try.

[saraet4464]

As I said, I am relaying a message. I am pretty confident that my table mate was not pulling a joke and she seemed to believe that the other person was truly upset about his bill. I was also confused as to why he had a surcharge on a bill for an upcoming cruise, but she wasn't sure. In any case, I will be interested to hear from other cruisers when they return to see if it is for real or not.

[rolloman]

I will be interested to hear from other cruisers when they return to see if it is for real or not.

You won't hear from anyone because it does not exist. Something of this magnitude would make national news. Your friend of a friend who has a friend fed you bogus information.

[wg6530]

As I said, I am relaying a message. I am pretty confident that my table mate was not pulling a joke and she seemed to believe that the other person was truly upset about his bill. I was also confused as to why he had a surcharge on a bill for an upcoming cruise, but she wasn't sure. In any case, I will be interested to hear from other cruisers when they return to see if it is for real or not.

 

If it were true, it would be all over the CC boards by now. And Royal would have announced it. And the people you called Royal would have been told about the charge.

 

Nobody needs to wait a week to realize it is either a misunderstanding or a bad joke.

[negc]

All I know is what was related to me by a fellow passenger. The charges were added to his onboard account for the second week. I didn't pay any surcharges. I guess we will know more next week when those currently cruising return and relate if they were charged or not.

 

I suspect he either misread his statement or was just handing you a line. :rolleyes: Another case of "trust but verify" and it appears that his statement can't be verified. We just returned from Explorer of the Seas and there was no such surcharge added. When and if a surcharge is added, the line(s) will make a public announcement of the fact and we will immediately hear from anyone who receives such a charge.

 

Your tablemate may have been the victim rather than the perpetrator of the hoax, but the odds are that the so-called fuel surcharge didn't happen.

[negc]

I'm sort of surprised they have started the "fuel surcharge" before now, seeing as how prices have skyrocketed.

 

You shouldn't be surprised. The line has successfully hedged its fuel costs and the steady increases have been budgeted for. "Skyrocketed" doesn't really describe the fuel price increases that we have been experienced, even those of late. But you seem to be accepting as fact, a statement that is more likely than not, fiction.

[deborahjo]

Maybe they gambled to much and did not want other half to know. LOL

[Sue L]

As I said, I am relaying a message. I am pretty confident that my table mate was not pulling a joke and she seemed to believe that the other person was truly upset about his bill. I was also confused as to why he had a surcharge on a bill for an upcoming cruise, but she wasn't sure. In any case, I will be interested to hear from other cruisers when they return to see if it is for real or not.

 

After all of the issues the last time they added the surcharge it would NOT be done in such a secretive manner. There would have been an announcement. What ever your table mate told you is BS.

[Paulxyz2004]

Always fun to see how unfounded rumors get started.

 

I guess with no real message, no shooting of the messanger necessary;)

[believer33323]

I'm sort of surprised they have started the "fuel surcharge" before now, seeing as how prices have skyrocketed.

 

The probably already did. It is more than likely they are calculated into the cruise cost. This way it is not noticed. As far as I can see cruise prices change almost daily so how would you know. You have to figure also that as far as the cruise lines go, no one wants to be the first to start charging.

[morganboys]

IMO, it is doubtful that we will be seeing any fuel surcharges from any of the cruise lines. They will just up the prices of their cruises so the we won't realize it. It could explain why the cruises they have released for 2012 are so high.