Q regarding taxes and fees

[nomadgirl]

I'm currently looking at a few different sailings to Bermuda, and am confused by the wide range of fees/taxes. Does the departure port make a difference, or are these set by the cruiseline?

 

For example, I looked at one sailing from NYC for $350 pp, and the fees were $250. Then I looked at a sailing from Baltimore on a different cruise line for $540, but the fees were $65.

 

Just wondering what makes them so different. Thanks!

[MaggieSweet]

Hi,

 

Each port charges a fee to each ship that is there, whether it is a stop on the trip or the location of embarkation/debarkation. Fees, fees everywhere. The cruiseline divides those over the number of cabins they expect to sell to calculate the fees in total.

 

Tammy

[heathyrg]

Some cruise lines include some of the taxes/fees in the actual cruise fare as well. Princess is a good example. Each cruise line does it differently.

 

Also, taxes and fees can cover everything from charges incurred by the cruise line for docking at a certain port, to fuel surcharges and sales tax. Look at the overall value of the cruise, per diem, to get a better perspective.

[rain_bowbrite]

I'm currently looking at a few different sailings to Bermuda, and am confused by the wide range of fees/taxes. Does the departure port make a difference, or are these set by the cruiseline?

 

For example, I looked at one sailing from NYC for $350 pp, and the fees were $250. Then I looked at a sailing from Baltimore on a different cruise line for $540, but the fees were $65.

 

Just wondering what makes them so different. Thanks!

 

There is also a fee called the Non Comissionale Fare which is "kind of" separate from the cruise fare. My guess is that the 350 for the NYC cruise does not include the NCF in the price whereas the Balitimore sailing does. $250 is about right for the NCF and government taxes and fees combined. Hope this helps.

[happy cruzer]

Hi, I was going to post a question but found this thread. Hopefully my question is somewhat on topic.

 

First what is this Non commissionale fare and who recieves it?

 

Now my original question - Does anyone have any examples of what the port fees and taxes are for many of the ports? Is the port fee different if it is a point of embarcation? I remember hearing how much the panama canal charges per ship and then what this amounted to per person and it seemed high even if I can't remember what it was now. So I am really curious about all the ports but some a little more than others like:

Galveston, New Orleans, San Francisco, Vancouver, Tampa, San Juan, Cozymel, Gran Cayman, and on and on....

[cherylandtk]

NCF is the portion of the cruise fare on which the travel agent does not receive a commission. It is not the commission itself, it is just not used in the calculation of the commission. It is paid to the cruise line and is part of your fare.

 

Instead of trying to break down all the different charges into fare, port fees and taxes, you probably should be looking at it the other way, at the TOTAL cost. As suggested above, just make sure that any quote you get includes fare +port+ tax=TOTAL.

 

Most sites quote an initial price that includes fare + port (I read somewhere that they must do this, cannot quote just fare without port fees as it was much too misleading). But you will find that taxes are often not included on the first page, so make sure you look at the final numbers when you compare one cruise to another. Taxes do vary (as do port fees) between cruises, but they are the same on any given exact itinerary.

 

I have not seen any postings about the actual port fees for specific ports. If you are trying to find cruises that have lower overall port and tax costs, look into Western Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruises.

[heathyrg]

From what I understand, NCF or port charges are fees that the cruise line has to pay to various governments or ports. The reason why they are non commisionable is because these fees are not part of the cruise lines profit.

 

Different cruises will have different port charges. And Panama Canal cruises are quite a bit higher becuase of the fees paid to pass through the locks. The amount can differ based on the port of embarkation-New York is generally higher than Miami, for instance. Also, the size of the ship can also factor in.

 

Hope this is helpful!