Hidden cruise price

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Years ago the airlines were forced to post the full price of flights including all add ons including taxes and security per leg. Why isn't something done with the cruise lines? I just found a great deal on a 14 Panama Canal cruise where the hidden fees (port fees and taxes) added about 70% to the posted fare. And that doesn't include the $13 to 15 pp auto tips.

[BoDidly]

Are you saying that cruise lines should list their hidden fees ? We all know there tricky these days.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Are you saying that cruise lines should list their hidden fees ? We all know there tricky these days.

 

Yo Bo, that's exactly what I'm saying. In order to see the hidden costs you have to start making a fake booking.

[BoDidly]

Yes, its very deceiving to the customer . Always have people ask me ,but what's the hidden charges. What else do we have to pay.

 

Even booking rooms are deceiving. If your wanting an inside cabin you have to actually do a fake booking "as you said " to actually find the correct price you will be charged.

[chengkp75]

Years ago the airlines were forced to post the full price of flights including all add ons including taxes and security per leg. Why isn't something done with the cruise lines? I just found a great deal on a 14 Panama Canal cruise where the hidden fees (port fees and taxes) added about 70% to the posted fare. And that doesn't include the $13 to 15 pp auto tips.

 

One reason is that unlike airline fees, which the government sets per passenger, most ship's port fees and taxes are set per GT or meter of length, or other measure of the ship itself. Then, this amount is divided by the number of passengers actually booked, so that in many cases port fees and taxes can go up or down, with the cruise line usually eating an increase (not enough passengers) but crediting you for decreases. Panama Canal cruises are particularly brutal on port fees, as the canal tariff is based on the total number of passenger berths (maximum capacity), not on how many passengers are onboard. However, canal cruises also have some of the most volatile fees, as the number of passengers varies through the booking period.

[Princess@Sea]

One reason is that unlike airline fees, which the government sets per passenger, most ship's port fees and taxes are set per GT or meter of length, or other measure of the ship itself. Then, this amount is divided by the number of passengers actually booked, so that in many cases port fees and taxes can go up or down, with the cruise line usually eating an increase (not enough passengers) but crediting you for decreases. Panama Canal cruises are particularly brutal on port fees, as the canal tariff is based on the total number of passenger berths (maximum capacity), not on how many passengers are onboard. However, canal cruises also have some of the most volatile fees, as the number of passengers varies through the booking period.

 

That is good to know. I was wondering why the same same cruise could incur different port fees sailing to sailing.

[carrieluvsgreg]

Yo Bo, that's exactly what I'm saying. In order to see the hidden costs you have to start making a fake booking.

 

 

 

I don’t see them as “hidden fees”. Every advertised sailing says- plus taxes and port fees. They are hiding anything. Cruise rates very by category and even cabin; not to mention sailing. I always do a mock booking to see what my cost will be- total.

 

 

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[sfaaa]

Hidden? If you don't bother to read the fine print, don't click the I Agree button and proceed with your purchase.

[carib1]

Taxes and fees are not hidden--they are clearly posted. I can bring up any cruise and at the bottom it says "* Taxes, fees and port expenses are $103.54 additional to the prices displayed. Prices are AVG PP. ( I just picked a cruise out and copied the text--the amounts will vary).

[Nic6318]

Years ago the airlines were forced to post the full price of flights including all add ons including taxes and security per leg. Why isn't something done with the cruise lines? I just found a great deal on a 14 Panama Canal cruise where the hidden fees (port fees and taxes) added about 70% to the posted fare. And that doesn't include the $13 to 15 pp auto tips.

 

 

Hi

 

So you were easily able to see the total fare, you just had to know how.

 

If you had called Carnival or any TA, they would have quoted a fare that would included port fees and taxes. No deception there.

 

Of course those added gratuities aren't mentioned. However if anyone can imagine going on any vacation without incurring any additional fees such as tips, I can only think that they haven't ventured far from home before. In that case I would hope they asked the advise of friends.

 

Much more complicated is doing comparison shopping between cruise lines, especially when you start looking at the "freebies" and trying to understand what is included and what isn't. Plus the idea that some perks (or freebies) are only applicable to certain cabin classes. At least in that respect because Carnival doesn't generally offer any "freebies" confusing pricing, it is easier to get an understanding of a cabin price.

 

For any new cruiser it can be difficult, but for them it is more important to know that the main focus of the cruise line is to get them on the ship, where they can then proceed to entice people to spend as much as possible on any number of products that are not included. :D This would be the case for all the "mainstream" cruise lines, for those premium brands there would be less salesmanship onboard, but of course they would have already extracted an amount to compensate.

[absolutonrox]

I don’t see them as “hidden fees”. Every advertised sailing says- plus taxes and port fees. They are hiding anything. Cruise rates very by category and even cabin; not to mention sailing. I always do a mock booking to see what my cost will be- total.

 

 

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I agree with this. I wouldn't call them hidden. Often I've seen the super low advertised rates as "From $99 per person" or something similar. As has already been stated, port fees vary from port to port. One 7 day cruise from Miami would not necessarily have the same port fees as another on the same ship if going to different ports.

 

OP I kinda get what your saying, I just don't think it's something that's necessarily viable for the cruise industry.

[thinfool]

We're doing the Panama Canal (partial) on HAL in January. When you shop for a cruise on their website you find the sailings...each lists the fare and the added fees and taxes. In our case $385. No need to start a booking.

Fees for Panama Canal cruises are very high...often $350-450. simply because a ship pays $300,000 and up to transit the canal.

That kinda money isn't coming from the tooth fairy.

[lcpagejr]

This post amuses me.... I don't see the issue...especially when it comes to gratuity's? That has ALWAYS been extra unless theres a special and its being thrown in as an incentive, and when that happens it's clearly stated at time of booking (like OBC are stated). I always book online...so all my fees are clearly shown before i hit "the pay" button...regardless of any booking agency I use

[CRZR58]

I agree with the OP. The prices should show the entire price for the trip including port fees, taxes, gratuities, and the cost for the cabin. Extra's are things like specialty dining and shore excursions, not things you have to pay for to get on the boat.

 

It wouldn't be hard for the cruise companies to do this. They are already doing it when you do a fake booking. What's the matter with showing the real price up front?

[cjcrowder]

They do show the real price upfront. When you go to a retail store and you buy an item, the price does not include taxes, but you know that taxes will be added— so what’s the difference?

 

Also, I believe that port fees fluctuate.

 

 

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[Drazil65]

I don’t see them as “hidden fees”. Every advertised sailing says- plus taxes and port fees. They are hiding anything. Cruise rates very by category and even cabin; not to mention sailing. I always do a mock booking to see what my cost will be- total.

 

This...have you booked a hotel recently? They never give you the bottom line, out the door, all in price. You have VAT fees in some cases, taxes, parking fees, resort fees...etc...even Amazon does not give you all the fees and taxes until you get to the end of the purchase...do the mock booking and read what you are agreeing to is the bottom line....

[sparks1093]

We are currently planning our 2019 foray onto Mother Ocean and I've been doing a lot of faux bookings. CCL includes this information at the bottom of the window once you've selected a ship and sailing date. I seem to recall seeing similar disclosures on other cruise line websites also. In any event if I am doing a faux booking I continue with the process until I see the total price for the particular cabin we are considering.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

Yo Bo, that's exactly what I'm saying. In order to see the hidden costs you have to start making a fake booking.

 

How else would i be possible without doing a trial booking? There are so many options that you have to choose from, that just showing a price for an inside cabin would be impossible without you telling the system exactly what you want. So they start with the lowest cabin price in each basic category. There are no hidden costs. Even on the airlines, if you really want to know the full costs, you have to tell them where you are going, what dates, what cabin you want to be in, pick the flights you want, pick the seats, are you checking luggage, and pick all the other services you want. Pretending that there is a way to get the actual cost of a cruise or airline flight without telling the cruise or airline line exactly what you want is disingenuous, dishonest, and throwing out a red herring.

[Havingfun2010]

They do show the real price upfront. When you go to a retail store and you buy an item, the price does not include taxes, but you know that taxes will be added— so what’s the difference?

 

Also, I believe that port fees fluctuate.

 

 

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You just made an interesting quote. So I'm going to use it. In the USA, it is commonplace that when you purchase an item, you will pay taxes on top of it, and if you eat in a restaurant, you pay taxes and than a tip. Many international nations, do the opposite, where the tax is inclusive of the price. What you see is what you pay.

 

However, this is the USA, so the price you see, is the base price, with taxes, port fees, and other costs added at the end, and it is the assumption, as a USA cruiser that you are accustomed to this method of pricing. If you changed it, it would be more confusing.

 

It would be great to see one price, and know that is it, but it's not going to happen in the USA, until a change in customs change.

[Sixtytwo]

I am curious as to what the OP found as a good deal. Did he see an ad saying a 14-day Panama Canal cruise for $199? Or, did he actually do a mock booking and suddenly discover that the advertised price is for a Deck 1 inside cabin and had the word "FROM $199" that he failed to see? I cannot imagine taxes and fees adding 70% to the cost of the cruise! :o

[carib1]

I am curious as to what the OP found as a good deal. Did he see an ad saying a 14-day Panama Canal cruise for $199? Or, did he actually do a mock booking and suddenly discover that the advertised price is for a Deck 1 inside cabin and had the word "FROM $199" that he failed to see? I cannot imagine taxes and fees adding 70% to the cost of the cruise! :o

 

There is actually a casino Pack N Play offer out right now, and there was a Panama Canal cruise listed for $25.00 pp for an interior--but the taxes and port fees were an extra $338.00 pp.

[chengkp75]

I am curious as to what the OP found as a good deal. Did he see an ad saying a 14-day Panama Canal cruise for $199? Or, did he actually do a mock booking and suddenly discover that the advertised price is for a Deck 1 inside cabin and had the word "FROM $199" that he failed to see? I cannot imagine taxes and fees adding 70% to the cost of the cruise! :o

 

A quick search shows that most of the lines have Canal taxes and fees at around 25-38% of the cheapest fare. I'm starting to believe the OP found a deal with a TA that rolls the NCF into "port charges, taxes, and fees", to reduce the fare advertised.

[CRZR58]

It's disingenuous to advertise from $199 per person if you don't have any cabins that cost $199 per person. The 'From Price' should the cheapest cabin on the ship. No one would expect anything more than that.

 

Newbies don't know that they have to do mock bookings to figure out most of the cost of their trips. They take the advertising at face value then find out that the trip costs double or more than the advertised price, because lots of cruising costs are hidden until you do a mock booking.

 

Trying to compare one cruise to another takes a lot of work. Different amounts for taxes, frees, tips etc from cruise line to cruise line. Different drink package prices and inclusions. Different specialty restaurant prices. Different costs for flights, hotels, transfers, etc. 40+ different cabin types, some that you can't even get the advertised extras on. Basically, you need a spreadsheet with a ton of columns to do a real comparison, then you have to sign on to each cruise site and do mock bookings to figure out what the actual price is.

 

Comparing other travel options pricing like all-inclusives is pretty easy. Total cost is for an all in price airport to airport, booze and tips included. You even get a certain number of included specialty restaurants. You expect that's for the cheapest room in the place and that upgrades are available.

 

The 'Other Companies Lie To Me With Their Advertising' and the 'I Expect To Be Lied To' aren't good arguments for the cruise industry lying in their advertising. They are good arguments for better advertising laws so everyone stops lying to you.

[thinfool]

I really don't know what all the fuss is about....this notice appears on the opening page of Carnival.com.

 

Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses range from $58.63to $367.25 and are additional for each guest based on itinerary.

It is in fine print, and not in red letters, but it is there...on the opening page.

Obviously a wise and likely legal move by Carnival.

[Pops, Esq.]

Out of curiosity, I started a "mock" booking to see about the "hidden fees". I don't know where this is headed as I start this post, as I have the carnival website open on another screen.

 

Clicked on Carnival's website. Found a Panama Canal cruise leaving in October from Galveston (my home port). Web page says "From $1389* AVG PP" the * indicates "Taxes, fees and port expenses are $327.25 additional to he prices displayed."

 

So, here we are, before I have even put any information in. Just selected the cruise I want and I have a "From $1389" plus $327.25. I suppose they could do the math for me, and have a "From $1,716.25". I call that "inconvenient" not "hidden."

 

So, let's see if I can book for that price....

 

Click "book now" and start the process. I will go with 2 persons in a stateroom, as that is a fairly common configuration.

 

There we are, interior cabin showing $1389 pp. It's an upper/lower with early saver restrictions, but the price is as advertized (at this point, at least).

 

To keep that price, I'm looking at deck 1, a sideways cabin. But, still $1389.

 

So now, at the booking page and it has a per guest price of $1389 and taxes of $327.25. (I wont include gratuities for these purposes, but if you gotta know, it's showing an additional $362.60 per room).

 

So, I am kinda of two minds here. The "taxes, port fees, etc." were identified early on and were accurate. The "from" price was accurate and available. The only hidden fee I see could be the gratuities, which are optional (not wanting to start that discussion, but, for our purposes here, they are still optional). They could do the math for me with the taxes, etc., but they are displayed early on. Again, inconvenient, but not exactly hidden. They could put the "advertised price" (the big number on the first screen) at the $1716.25 per person, rather than the $1389, but that seems to be a mild irritation rather than a hidden fee, since it shows up before I get to Step 2.

 

BUT, they do know enough to give a quote on the fees, taxes, etc. I mean, they KNOW which ports they are going to and have a pretty good idea what the charges are going to be. Sure, they change, but they are usually pretty close. The "*" could be "price may be adjusted if port fees and taxes change."

 

 

 

It looks like -- to me at least -- they are fairly open on the cost to cruise.