Why do taxes/fees amounts vary?

[Annieeee]

While checking the taxes and fees for a cruise I have booked I saw that those fees per the TA were $305.85 pp. I was checking the RCI website for price drops and decided to check what they were charging for taxes and fees and their amount is $192.20 for two! Anyone have any idea why there is such a significant difference? This is per the RCI site for a 12 night on the Explorer in 2008 out of NJ.

Annieeee

[Sue L]

While checking the taxes and fees for a cruise I have booked in Feb I saw that those fees per the TA were $305.85 pp. I was checking the RCI website for price drops and decided to check what they were charging for taxes and fees and their amount is $192.20 for two! Anyone have any idea why there is such a significant difference?

 

Annieeee

 

Wow, are you saying you are paying 610+ dollars in fees and taxes? And RCCL is only charging 192 for the same thing? That is a 419$ difference. If yes, then I would get your TA to explain the discrepancy. Could it be airfare? Insurance? tips?

[Annieeee]

Per the TA's invoice the pp charge for taxes and other fees is $305.85. If you go to the RCI website their have it listed as $192.20 for both!

 

Guess that is why I very, very seldom ever use a TA. I usually book with RCI. Only reason I use a TA this time is cause they had the stateroom I wanted. The stateroom was the same never thought there would be that much difference in the taxes and fee when booking through a TA. I noticed that in March when I went on a group cruise, their taxes and fees were a bit higher too. Now I am have to ask the TA why the difference.

 

Annieeee

[wrp96]

What cruise and category are you looking at?

[Annieeee]

I have a D1 booked, 12 night on the Explorer. I just checked the RCI website and the taxes and fees are the same regardless of the category.

I never paid much attention to these fees before, but then in March of this year I noticed the fees were higher than if I had booked thru RCI and the same hold true for this cruise out of NJ on the Explorer.

 

Annieeee

[petesweet]

I've almost always done all the work myself. For sure I do all the legwork first and then have the TA match the price. That way you don't have any surprises. Why not just make your reservation with RCCL directly and then move the reservation to your TA? (Be sure he/she doesn't charge anything if you have to cancel.) Are you getting some perks from this TA? Doesn't sound like a very good one to me, but then I'm not up on that sort of thing. If you don't get any benefits from the TA, then stick with RCCL, I think.

[Annieeee]

I've almost always done all the work myself. For sure I do all the legwork first and then have the TA match the price. That way you don't have any surprises. Why not just make your reservation with RCCL directly and then move the reservation to your TA? (Be sure he/she doesn't charge anything if you have to cancel.) Are you getting some perks from this TA? Doesn't sound like a very good one to me, but then I'm not up on that sort of thing. If you don't get any benefits from the TA, then stick with RCCL, I think.

 

Well they had the stateroom I wanted. It just did not occur to me that the taxes and fees were subject to the TA's or the agencys' whim. And of course now the price of the cruise has gone up quite a bit so I would not save anything by canceling and then rebooking it directly thru RCI. I am though going to call RCI and ask them why there is such a difference between what they charge and what the TA charges and will also ask the same of the TA.

 

Annieeee

[cruiseco]

But does the total due agree? Usually it does.

 

One reason for this is that the agency may be using an older in-house accounting system that still needs to break out what's commissionable and what isn't.

 

In the olden days, the TA and the cruise line would quote prices exactly the same way:

 

Cruise fare (commissionable) plus port charges/taxes/fees (not-commissionable)

 

But RCI now has two separate ways of quoting fares:

 

To anyone checking directly it's Cruise fare plus taxes and fees (the port charges have been rolled into the cruise fare.

 

To the TA the quote is:

 

Commissionable cruise fare + non-commissionable cruise fare + taxes/fees (also non-commissionable).

 

With this new method, some older accounting systems can't break the fare into commissionable and non-commissionable. So for their internal accounting purposes (they need to know how much they're making on the booking) they wilol list the commissionable fare as the "cruise fare" and everything that's non-commissionable -- the taxes/fees and the non-commissionable portion of the cruise fare -- end up in the taxes and fees.

 

This works fine from the TA's end but gets confusing from the client's end who rightly wonders why things don't match. If the total cost of the cruise as quoted by the TA matches the total cost of the cruise as quoted by the cruise line match then don't worry about it. But if the TA's total figure is higher than the cruise line's then ask some questions.

[Inshape]

The RCI site does not include the taxes but does include the port fees. Your TA has added it all in, but that alone should not account for such a big difference. Many TA add automatically the travel insurance to the invoice and you must decline it, then ask for a new invoice. Better yet, why not ask your TA the question as to the difference.

[Annieeee]

The RCI site does not include the taxes but does include the port fees. Your TA has added it all in, but that alone should not account for such a big difference. Many TA add automatically the travel insurance to the invoice and you must decline it, then ask for a new invoice. Better yet, why not ask your TA the question as to the difference.

 

I just checked the RCI website and it clearly says Taxes / Fees and then it lists the amount.

 

I have sent an email to the TA. A few dollars difference I would not have bothered asking, but this is a (to me) a sizeable difference.

Annieeee

[Annieeee]

But does the total due agree? Usually it does.

 

One reason for this is that the agency may be using an older in-house accounting system that still needs to break out what's commissionable and what isn't.

 

In the olden days, the TA and the cruise line would quote prices exactly the same way:

 

Cruise fare (commissionable) plus port charges/taxes/fees (not-commissionable)

 

But RCI now has two separate ways of quoting fares:

 

To anyone checking directly it's Cruise fare plus taxes and fees (the port charges have been rolled into the cruise fare.

 

To the TA the quote is:

 

Commissionable cruise fare + non-commissionable cruise fare + taxes/fees (also non-commissionable).

 

With this new method, some older accounting systems can't break the fare into commissionable and non-commissionable. So for their internal accounting purposes (they need to know how much they're making on the booking) they wilol list the commissionable fare as the "cruise fare" and everything that's non-commissionable -- the taxes/fees and the non-commissionable portion of the cruise fare -- end up in the taxes and fees.

 

This works fine from the TA's end but gets confusing from the client's end who rightly wonders why things don't match. If the total cost of the cruise as quoted by the TA matches the total cost of the cruise as quoted by the cruise line match then don't worry about it. But if the TA's total figure is higher than the cruise line's then ask some questions.

 

Thanks for your reply, lol that really is confusing. What a way to figure it out. Wow you almost need a degree to figure all that gibberish out.

 

Annieeee

[traveler/]

Thanks for your reply, lol that really is confusing. What a way to figure it out. Wow you almost need a degree to figure all that gibberish out.

 

Annieeee

RCI price will list base cruise price and then taxes and fees. get an itemized listing of what is being charged. If your TA price is not the same for the same items (there might be transfers or insurance, etc.) and if you don't agree, get the TA to adjust otherwise consider transfering the booking if you can, or go direct next time to RCI.

[TwoTravelin]

I was checking the RCI website for price drops and decided to check what they were charging for taxes and fees and their amount is $192.20 for two!

 

Anniee, for a 12 night cruise the $192 amount seems too low. It seems that this is the tax only and not port charges, which should be about $160 more.

[cruiseco]

Anniee, for a 12 night cruise the $192 amount seems too low. It seems that this is the tax only and not port charges, which should be about $160 more.

 

No, what the RCI web site is quoting is exactly right. You will NEVER see a quote for "port charges" on their site. They don't exist. Every quote is "Cruise fare" plus "taxes/fees".

 

The sooner lazy TAs quit using this obsolute term the sooner all of this confusion will go away.

[firefly333]

Because the TAs often break out the port fees and RCI includes them in the cruise fare.

 

If you add them up, they come out the same, the TA is just showing you what the cruise amount is (thats the only part the TA gets commission on).

 

Breaking out the port charges should not be that confusing??? But yes, often TAs show you all the break down which RCI doesnt show you.

[firefly333]

No, what the RCI web site is quoting is exactly right. You will NEVER see a quote for "port charges" on their site. They don't exist. Every quote is "Cruise fare" plus "taxes/fees".

 

The sooner lazy TAs quit using this obsolute term the sooner all of this confusion will go away.

 

But port charges do exist. TAs dont get paid on the noncruise part of the fare. Just because RCI hides it in the cruise fare doesnt mean it doesnt exist. Port charges are approx $50 per port or a little more and so if the difference is about $160 pp, then Ill bet you dollars to donuts there are 3 ports on the cruise.

 

If you look at the bottom line and its the same, whats the difference how the TA breaks it out to you?

[Merion_Mom]

Royal Caribbean doesn't want you to know what the port charges are.

 

If your sailing has to miss a port, they don't want thousands of passengers lined up at the Purser's Desk demanding their "$45" back!

 

:)

[Mark_K]

Royal Caribbean doesn't want you to know what the port charges are.

 

If your sailing has to miss a port, they don't want thousands of passengers lined up at the Purser's Desk demanding their "$45" back!

 

:)

And yet, if they substitute a port with higher fees, there doesn't seem to be a big line of people trying to pay the extra $$$. :)