Port Cancelled - No Refund of Port Taxes & Fees!

[Ramjet1997]

We just returned from a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas where we paid over $238 in "port Taxes & Fees" for this cruise (2 people).

Our last port of Costa Maya was cancelled due to the windy conditions - the port closed arrivals at approximately 5 AM prior to arrival time of 8AM.  In the past, we always

received a small ($15-30 pp) OBC credit on our SeaPass account for the cancelled port of call.  This time we received zero.  After spending an hour with the customer relations 

group (after transfers, disconnected calls, and poor reception) I was told that no refunds were coming because the fees paid to the port were more than what we paid - huh?

Has anyone experienced this before?  SOMEONE had to pocket the fees that we were charged for visiting this port, and it sure wasn't the LOYAL paying customer......

 

Prefer positive, constructive comments - not interested in any comments from shareholders or Pinnacles who attempt to defend or rationalize this practice.  Thank you for letting me vent.

 

 

[Price31]

I believe it’s all in the contract we signed at the beginning. Happened to me 2 yrs ago

[gatour]

I think the working theory is when you originally booked your the port charges were...

 

1.  Port A  $10

2.  Port B $10

3. Port C $10

 

Between time of booking and sail date.  One of the ports raise their fees/taxes from $10 to $20 Royal Caribbean eats the eats the difference between $30 and $40 , i.e. they don't charge you the additional $10.  However, if one of the ports is cancelled, which bring the total charges back to $30, they don't do a refund, since your total fees are back to what you booked.

 

Do I agree, not necessary. 

[Ramjet1997]

Thanks for the constructive comments!  Not sure why the five (5) different Royal representatives (on the ship and Royal's wonderful telephone customer service reps) I have spoken to could not verbalize this logical explanation to me.  We purchased this particular cruise over a year ago, so yes, port fees probably go up every year, not down.  Since there is no transparency with these mysterious fees, you can't tell anything.  And, these fees are sometimes equal 15-25% of the fare, and going higher all the time.  Just like the resort fees in Vegas - they can do it, so they do! Thanks again!

[chengkp75]

Resort fees and cruise ship port taxes and fees are two totally different things.  Resort fees are, in essence, the same as the DSC charged on the cruise ship.  Port taxes and fees are "pass through" payments, essentially from the passengers to the governmental and local agencies for services at the port of call.  While there may not be complete transparency in the taxes and fees, due to a class action suit a decade or so ago, what the cruise lines can include in "port taxes and fees" is strictly limited by US law.  It has to be actual charges for the use of the port, not for things that the cruise ship does in the port, like fuel barge fees, or garbage removal services (unless these are mandated by the local government).

[jakeil7]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Resort fees are, in essence, the same as the DSC charged on the cruise ship.

What is DSC?

[Ourusualbeach]

11 minutes ago, jakeil7 said:

What is DSC?

Daily service charge.  Aka gratuities 

[John&LaLa]

We missed CM last week, got back $12.30 pp

[c-leg5]

I agree port charges are based on when you actually booked and refunds depend on whether fees are less at the time of sailing.
 

We missed Costa Maya last summer and got no refund. However we overnighted in Cozumel instead and so didn't expect anything. I know Liberty of the Seas has also done this in the last couple of weeks, probably the same week as you. Did you just get a sea day?

 

On another point, I had assumed we missed because we were on a smaller ship without azipods (as we had been there previously on Liberty when a Norwegian ship was unable to dock) but appears from the number of reports Costa Maya is missed more often than I thought. I know the piers are at right-angles, maybe that makes the difference.

Edited February 12, 2020 by c-leg5

[Sunshine3601]

I was on serenade ots and we missed our day in Costa rica due to a seriously sick passenger and we were refunded a whopping $4.24 pp.  Instead of costa rica we had extra sea day and dropped off the passenger at panama then floating at sea overnight then docked in panama in the morning.  

I hope the sick passenger is doing better now.

[Joseph2017China]

11 hours ago, Ramjet1997 said:

Thanks for the constructive comments!  Not sure why the five (5) different Royal representatives (on the ship and Royal's wonderful telephone customer service reps) I have spoken to could not verbalize this logical explanation to me.  We purchased this particular cruise over a year ago, so yes, port fees probably go up every year, not down.  Since there is no transparency with these mysterious fees, you can't tell anything.  And, these fees are sometimes equal 15-25% of the fare, and going higher all the time.  Just like the resort fees in Vegas - they can do it, so they do! Thanks again!

So did you know that when you fly, you pay anywhere from 40 - 50% in fess and taxes?  Have you ever received a refund if those fees changed slightly?  Have you ever paid more if they did?  No.  These are fees and taxes of foreign governments and are not a random, resort fee just to get money.  Cruise ships and airlines do not profit from fees.  If you always expect a refund, than you should also expect to pay more when it changes!!!!!

[BND]

Sometimes you get some back, sometimes you don't.  My favorite story recently about port taxes and fees was the guy (on FB I think, not here) who wanted the breakdown so he could claim the "tax" on his taxes for the year.  🤣  Makes you wonder what else he claims.

Edited February 12, 2020 by BND

[LilBlackDress]

26 minutes ago, BND said:

Sometimes you get some back, sometimes you don't.  My favorite story recently about port taxes and fees was the guy (on FB I think, not here) who wanted the breakdown so he could claim the "tax" on his taxes for the year.  🤣  Makes you wonder what else he claims.

While we were getting our taxes done a few years ago, there was someone complaining they couldn't claim their pet as a dependent. 
You wondered what else he claims and I questioned what else I miss out on claiming.