Port fees went down $298 on TA in 2023 - X won't reduce our total due

[DebInAntigua]

Does that sound right? The port fees on our TA in April 2023 have dropped almost $300. Customer service confirmed it but refuses to adjust our invoice or give us equivalent OBC. Is that right? They don't pay the fees ahead of time so why can't they be adjusted if they drop?

[Ken the cruiser]

Just curious. If you have your original Celebrity confirmation with the higher port fees and taxes and the current confirmation with the lower fees, where did they add the difference to keep your bottom line the same?

[DebInAntigua]

They simply didn't want to change it, they wanted to leave our port fees and taxes at the higher rate. A push to speak to a supervisor just resolved the problem. My taxes and fees have now been reduce to match the current website pricing.

It pays to be persistent. The customer service rep told me over and over that X wouldn't do anything because it was a government fee. But pushing to speak to a supervisor cleared it up.

[TeaBag]

You are lucky.  We have been told you pay what they are when you booked.

[mom says]

So if the port fees rise by final payment  date, what then? Will you be demanding that they then increase your final payment accordingly?

[Oville]

1 hour ago, DebInAntigua said:

Does that sound right? The port fees on our TA in April 2023 have dropped almost $300. Customer service confirmed it but refuses to adjust our invoice or give us equivalent OBC. Is that right? They don't pay the fees ahead of time so why can't they be adjusted if they drop?

And have you paid anything other than a deposit?  Be patient, it will be sorted out in the year+ before final payment.

[jelayne]

Port fees can and often change from tge time you book until your cruises.  
When port fees increase you are not asked to pay additional because the price you and X agreed to is your contracted.   Similarly if port fees decrease your contracted price is not lowered 

[hcat]

We have had port fees adjusted  during a cruise when a port is missed or deleted from the itin. At that point it is usually a credit to the  on board acct.

 

For airlines I recall NOTgetting  fees back  from ins when we had to cancel  but might have that confused?? I know we recd much less than expected????

[Virgo61]

In the past if port fees went down after we booked the cruise, we were refunded on board the ship with a credit to our account. I hope they haven't changed this policy because the fees on my July cruise have dropped.

[adolfo2]

I'm very sure you would get a credit to your on-board account if the port fees went down since FINAL or if a port was skipped.

 

[nycruiser80]

Typically, they refund reduced government fees while onboard in a refundable OBC. I believe the thought process of this is that government fees can change up or down until the sailing commences but I could be wrong. It was like this years ago when I used to work in the travel industry but as always things change.

[jelayne]

The only time we have had any port fees refunded on board was when a port was missed and them not recently.  The last time we asked  (2019) when a port was dropped we were told that the total port fees for the sailing had increased vs the fees when we booked so no refund.  
 

[Arizona Wildcat]

A question about this thread.  The OP complains about Celebrity refusing to adjust her port fees and only about 15 minutes later everything is fixed?  

[DebInAntigua]

1 minute ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

A question about this thread.  The OP complains about Celebrity refusing to adjust her port fees and only about 15 minutes later everything is fixed?  

Yep - I posted the original post while I was still on the line with a customer service rep who was adamantly refusing to make an adjustment. CC always has a lot of people who are quick to jump in and assist with questions, so I asked. 🙂

I stayed on the line with X and insisted on speaking with a supervisor, and was successful in the end. That's why I added the additional comment only a few minutes later.

[JJCas]

  Just got off the Equinox (on 1/3).  We asked if port fees were going to be refunded for the ports we missed (as is the case when we sail NCL) and were flat out told no.

[hcat]

6 minutes ago, JJCas said:

  Just got off the Equinox (on 1/3).  We asked if port fees were going to be refunded for the ports we missed (as is the case when we sail NCL) and were flat out told no.

Worth  a call if  a few ports were missed.