Cruise prices to be affected by increased fuel prices

[Sascol]

Before the QE2 was re-engined in 1988 each gallon of fuel used to move her 36 feet ( yes feet) now she moves a whopping 49.5 feet for each gallon of fuel burned.

 

I have heard that a gallon of fuel moves a ship even LESS than this (less than 10 feet per gallon) depending on the ship.

[balconyonly]

I have no doubt about that, remember the QE2 is not even 70,000 tons. I'd hate to think how much fuels true monsters like the voyager class use.

[BobBeaSea]

I think the next 6 months will be BAD. The president released oil from the strategic reserve and temporarily eliminated epa fuel blends to lower refined fuel prices, but the biggest issue is the loss of refineries.

 

As hard as it is to believe, I think in 6 months we will hear about how quickly things have improved (I am a firm believer in Americans - especially after the 9/11 clean-up) and this will lead to a glut of oil on the market. Much of the oil issues, prior to the Gulf disaster were commodity market fears.

 

The next six months will see surcharges and elevated fares (and falling stock prices for those looking to get their 100 shares of RCL stock :)). Those looking further out from there should not worry.

 

Sorry Rev, but unless the world's economies pull back severely and demand is reduced there will never be a "glut" again. The strategic reserve is approx. 700 million barrels at capacity, 60% of this is heavy, sour crude-the type that some refineries cannot refine into products such as gasoline while others can at great cost. 700 million barrels sounds like a lot but when you consider the U.S. consumes 20-21 million barrels per day (world consumption is approx. 82-83 million barrels per day), it is not much. Current U.S. production of crude is about 8 million barrels per day, the rest must be imported. During the oil crisis (political, not supply related) of the early 70s, U.S. production was about 11-12 million barrels per day with a consumption rate of approx 13-15 million barrels per day and we saw what happened then. The resulting programs to become more energy efficient delayed world Peak oil production by about 10 years. Peak Oil is now imminent. Anyone familiar with world oil knows what this means and it's impact on society. To be blunt, Peak Oil will literally change our way of life. This will be the single greatest crisis of the 21st century, dwarfing everything else.

 

Surcharges for fuel on cruise ships will be the least of our problems.

[jaxon41]

Bob,

You are absolutely right -- Peak Oil is the name of the new game, and there will NEVER be another glut unless we nuke China, which is consuming at alarming rates. We have nuclear powered subs, right? Wonder if we will ever have nuclear powered cruise ships? The time is coming when air travel and ship travel will return to the province of the better off. Celebrity increased its prices 1000 per cabin in 2006 over 2004 rates for the same cabin, aprx. same itinerary, according to our professional association's yearly seminar cruise info.

 

I love cruising, but after 3 cruises of 7-12 days each in 11 months -- I am actually ok to go land based for awhile, and I know my waist line will appreciate the change. I am passing on the seminar cruise this time as I cannot justify 1000 more for the same thing -- it's about a 30% increase per year.