Early Saver-just found out that cruise fees are updated when repricing or getting OBC

[lego7191]

So I noticed a price drop on my Oct 27 Carnival Ecstasy cruise. For the sake of explaining, I am going to give the rates I paid.

 

Booked a balcony cabin at $818 for 2 guests (409 per person). Taxes, fees, and port expenses totaled 165.82 (82.91 per person). Prepaid gratuities of 96 total (48 per person). Total price paid for all that = $1,075.82

 

Noticed a drop in the per person price of the basic cruise fare (before taxes, fees, gratuities) for a Past Guest Sale of $379 per person (758 for two). Submitted a price drop form thinking i would get a $60 on-board credit. Rec'd a rejection notice at first (saying there were one or more criteria I did not meet - since it was past guest, not sure what I supposedly didn't meet), so I called the number for explanation.

 

Got nice rep on the phone who said I qualified for $28.98 OBC. She gave me the breakdown: $379 per person cruise fare, 96.42 taxes, fees and port expenses (increased from 82.91), and 48 per person gratuities, for a grand total of $1046.84 for two.

 

I did not realize it, but if the taxes, fees, port expenses change, that new cost is reflected in your total cruise cost and/or your OBC (or lack thereof).

 

Just wanted to pass that along in case I am not the only person who never realized that. (I always thought it was simply the per person rate before all the taxes and fees were added.)

[Carnival_Brides]

It is one of the unfortunate things about ES. Our taxes have gone up $20 since we booked in June, but our price drops seem to always be higher. I usually mock book when possible to check pricing since it's based on the total cost, not just the cruise fare.

[lego7191]

It is one of the unfortunate things about ES. Our taxes have gone up $20 since we booked in June, but our price drops seem to always be higher. I usually mock book when possible to check pricing since it's based on the total cost, not just the cruise fare.

 

Yeah that is what the rep explained to me. She said when doing the mock booking, look at that cruise cost with the actual fare, taxes and then add the prepaid gratuities in to see if it's an actual drop or not. I honestly always thought it was just the per person fare. Had not clue they would recalculate the taxes, fees, port expenses.

 

I still got $28 though. That's a few drinks. :-)

[Sparky2]

So I noticed a price drop on my Oct 27 Carnival Ecstasy cruise. For the sake of explaining, I am going to give the rates I paid.

 

Booked a balcony cabin at $818 for 2 guests (409 per person). Taxes, fees, and port expenses totaled 165.82 (82.91 per person). Prepaid gratuities of 96 total (48 per person). Total price paid for all that = $1,075.82

 

Noticed a drop in the per person price of the basic cruise fare (before taxes, fees, gratuities) for a Past Guest Sale of $379 per person (758 for two). Submitted a price drop form thinking i would get a $60 on-board credit. Rec'd a rejection notice at first (saying there were one or more criteria I did not meet - since it was past guest, not sure what I supposedly didn't meet), so I called the number for explanation.

 

Got nice rep on the phone who said I qualified for $28.98 OBC. She gave me the breakdown: $379 per person cruise fare, 96.42 taxes, fees and port expenses (increased from 82.91), and 48 per person gratuities, for a grand total of $1046.84 for two.

 

I did not realize it, but if the taxes, fees, port expenses change, that new cost is reflected in your total cruise cost and/or your OBC (or lack thereof).

 

Just wanted to pass that along in case I am not the only person who never realized that. (I always thought it was simply the per person rate before all the taxes and fees were added.)

 

Yes, if the taxes & fees have gone up you will not get the whole amount you were expecting. However, if the taxes & fees go down before you board, you will receive a credit on your S & S card when you board the ship. That's happened to us the last couple of years (4 cruises). Wondered what the small ($3 - 7) credit was for.

 

I've never seen them come after you for the increase in taxes/fees unless you request a price drop.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Sparky2

[dramaqueenjan]

Same thing happened to me this morning .Should have been 80.00 and was 15.27 due to increased fees taxes

[fergusonvt]

Last year on the Valor our taxes and fees never changed through about 5 drops in price. We ended up with over $200 in OBC.

[Lovefuninthesun]

 

I've never seen them come after you for the increase in taxes/fees unless you request a price drop.

 

That's because when you request a price adjustment they are essentially rebooking your cabin, so they have to book at the current tax/fee structure.

[lego7191]

Last year on the Valor our taxes and fees never changed through about 5 drops in price. We ended up with over $200 in OBC.

 

Yeah, see, I got lucky last year on Breeze. Submitted at least five price drops and ended up with $240.00 in OBC and the port fees/taxes never changed throughout all those price drops. That was my first real experience with it, so I thought the taxes/fees stayed at whatever you paid (despite the fine print that says CCL can collect increased port fees, taxes, etc.)

[Mistyhon]

I hear ya. The same thing happened to us (and boy was I cheesed.) However, we've received several hundred in OBC since then so I'm less irritated. In all, our taxes and fees went up about $100 with all of the price reductions we've received.

[jks336]

YEP, happened to me to the first (and only so far) price drop I got. AND, that was when they raised the gratuity to 11.00. what I didn't think fair was that since we pre-pay our tips that since we can't adjust them, why could they adjust and charged us more just because I got a price drop.. lol.. and btw, we do tip extra accordingly.

 

we still ended up with about a drink each "free" with the price drop.. so wth. free drink is free drink. lol..

[ready2cruzagain]

It has been like this for the past couple of years. Use to be that when you matched the price they did not charge you the difference in taxes and fees if they went up but about 2 years ago they started charging it.