Panama Canal fee increase ?

[Stock Cop]

I have been advised that the Panama Canal Authority is raising per person transit fees from $199 to $230 per passenger.

Does anyone know when this increase is effective and is that fee for both full and partial transits?

Most importantly, have T/A's been advised of this and what might be the next step? I assume the pax will bite the bullet again !:mad:

 

Rich :cool: :cool:

[boards]

Why would we be advised? I would think it will simply be added into the cost of the cruise. The port charges all are, so why not this cost too? Will you not take the cruise if you know the fee because you feel it is too high. Too bad.

[CrystalLady]

I'm a TA (and a Mariner) with a group on Volendam 11/03/2007. We were officially notified several days ago of a toll increase of $18.27 per person on our cruise - I, in turn, notified members of our group immediately.

 

Ours is a partial Canal transit.

[cp556]

We received an "emergency notification" from HAL that Panama Canal taxes had been increased ... $6.84 per person. Our cruise will be in October and it's a full transit.

[CrystalLady]

Why would we be advised? I would think it will simply be added into the cost of the cruise. The port charges all are, so why not this cost too? Will you not take the cruise if you know the fee because you feel it is too high. Too bad.

 

As a TA, it's common courtesy and good business practice to advise our Clients of any change in fare when we are so notified by a cruise line.

[cp556]

CrystalLady is right ... it's a TA's responsibility to advise customers if prices change on their already-bookedcruise, as has happened in our case.

I would think, though, that on new bookings where the Canal Toll Increase is included, customers won't get a breakdown of those addtl charges (port charges, taxes, etc.) unless they ask ... we never had the Canal Toll broken out in the past....

[Stock Cop]

Thanks for the info. I too, will be on the Volendam for 11-03 partial transit. And yes, I will still take the cruise, just like gas prices---everything keeps gping UP.

 

There were two diff fee amounts quoted---will see what my TA tacks on.

 

Rich :cool: :cool:

[Stevesan]

Why would we be advised? I would think it will simply be added into the cost of the cruise. The port charges all are, so why not this cost too? Will you not take the cruise if you know the fee because you feel it is too high. Too bad.

 

Be nice, Borden.:p

 

Say hi to Monica.:) Is she up and about again?

[MSammy]

I recieved a notice today from our TA about the $18.27/per person increase in the Panama tax for our 12/3/07 cruise.

[RetiredMustang]

Yes, we booked directly with HAL a long time ago for this fall's Noordam full transit, and were notified this week that the cost had gone up, about $25 pp in our case. DW and I had been expecting a fuel increase, but a tax increase is not all that unexpected, either.

 

I called HAL customer relations to pay the extra fee by credit card, and the agent said they had been getting some grief about it. I was nice to her, because it was hardly HAL's fault, and in the scope of the total cost of our cruise it is not really that much.

 

Dave

[kiwichick]

On our recent transit of the Panama Canal on the Noordam I was interested to read the following in the Daily Program on the day of transit:

 

Panama Canal Transit Fees

-----------------------------

The fees levied on the Noordam to transit the canal are approximately $170,000. Add to that agents fees, the cost of tugs, and other fees; the cost of our passage through the canal will total approximately $200,000!

[kwahl1]

StockCop

 

Noticing your sailing credentials. Have you heard of this group and their cruise? I'm tagging along this Sept.

http://www.aaawa.com/submarine/index.htm

[boards]

Sorry Stock-cop guess I misunderstood the request. We just completed an Hal Panama Canal cruise in May and did not experience an increase or hear of one pending. Steve, Monica is fine, sorry to hear about your wife. God Bless.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In August 2002 the Panana Canal raised prices and we expected to be notified via our TA about it before our Oct 1 full transit cruise. That didn't happen. In fact no one was notified until we got on the ship. About the 5th or 6th day into the cruise we all got notices that there would be an extra charge, I think around $15 per person, for the canal and that it would be added onto our shipboard account.

[billsrobb]

I'm a TA (and a Mariner) with a group on Volendam 11/03/2007. We were officially notified several days ago of a toll increase of $18.27 per person on our cruise - I, in turn, notified members of our group immediately.

 

Ours is a partial Canal transit.

 

I talked with my TA last night and she told me that she was told about the increase. She did not know if the travel agency would bite it or not. She left today for a week so I won't know any more till she gets back.

Robb

[Stock Cop]

StockCop

 

Noticing your sailing credentials. Have you heard of this group and their cruise? I'm tagging along this Sept.

http://www.aaawa.com/submarine/index.htm

 

 

Thanks for the link. I am already a sub-vets member, however, I am booked on Volendam in November and won't make the Sept Alaska cruise.

 

Rich :cool: :cool:

[TedC]

We did a full transit in January on Amsterdam and were notified, while on board, that $14.87 pp would be charged to our account. To the best of my knowledge, no one got off in protest.