Fuel surcharge going up to $11

[mbisson]

I got everything covered:

 

 

Of course, if you're in the backyard....it's easy just to run back inside the house ;)

[DAGVBSB]

But....I work in tourism here in Florida, so this does not bode well for my job. :confused:

 

CeleBrat

 

I think Orlando will fair better than Vegas, Tahoe and especially Hawaii. I remember reading that something like 66% of the U.S. Population was within a 2 day drive of Orlando, but only something like 35% of the populationw was within a 2 day drive of LA, San Fran and Vegas. (I don't even need to mention driving to Hawaii....the car seems to flood....:D )

 

Even though gas is $4 a gallon, it will soon be much cheaper to drive than fly to places like Orlando. Families will still go to Florida, it will just be gridlock.

[DAGVBSB]

I hope you're correct and fuel costs eventually settle down!

 

I think though that, like the airlines often do, if one or two of the cruise lines go the other way and don't increase the cruise price, the others will fall that same way to keep their prices somewhat comparable (but I've been wrong lots of times b4) ;)

 

The news report this morning said that four of the major airlines had agreed to raise prices..... sounds like they are all falling the same way... the WRONG way!:(

[coaster]

Oil is up over $11 a barrel today... NCL's increase was just in time. I am in the process of canceling our hotels for our summer road trip to New York. We will be staying close to home and going to Orlando for a few days instead. The Europeans will continue to help Orlando as they are the one's benefiting from our slumping dollar.

[mbisson]

Of course with fuel costing about double there (I don't know if plane fuel is higher there though), let's hope they can get here to take advantage of the exchange rate ;)

[Ron & Kristy]

Well...this time we're sailing from San Francisco, only an hours drive, and we booked when the fuel surcharge was $7 not the $11 it is now. I guess those are two things to be thankful for.

 

Kristy

[CruisnGram]

The fuel surcharge is still cheaper for me then 1) flying somewhere or 2) using our RV for a road trip. Fortunately, we are in Maryland so can drive to NY, Philly, and even Boston to catch a cruise ship. And it was just on our news here this AM that Carnival is going to be sailing year round from Baltimore. So even with the fuel surcharge, cruising is still going to be viable for me...at least for a while.

[Urban trekker]

Back yard camper don't forget the hot dogs and relish.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Ms belp]

Something I heard tonight put it in perspective for me. A 42 cent stamp gets a letter from your mailbox, across the country to another mailbox, without you having to do anything except walk to your mailbox. A $15.00 baggage fee gets your luggage (say, 40 lbs+) across country in hours, with you along. If you try and ship it some other way to arrive in the same amount of time (FedEx/UPS overnight) it could cost you way more. I've heard women complaining about gas prices and then spending $50.00 for a 32 oz. bottle of "stuff" that promises to minimize their wrinkles! Look at the cost of our beloved perfume. And I could go on...

 

Think about it!

[Ms belp]

Something I heard tonight put it in perspective for me. A 42 cent stamp gets a letter from your mailbox, across the country to another mailbox, without you having to do anything except walk to your mailbox. A $15.00 baggage fee gets your luggage (say, 40 lbs+) across country in hours, with you along. If you try and ship it some other way to arrive in the same amount of time (FedEx/UPS overnight) it could cost you way more. I've heard women complaining about gas prices and then spending $50.00 for a 32 oz. bottle of "stuff" that promises to minimize their wrinkles! Look at the cost of our beloved perfume. And I could go on...

 

Think about it!

 

It's obvious that no one is going to touch this with a 10' pole, as my dear mother used to say.:D

[Cosmopolitan]

Thanks for the update. It is not a surprise though as NCL has been in the position in the recent past of having the highest fuel supplement among mass market cruise lines.

 

:confused:

[Ms belp]

But, NCL gives you until June 20th to book a future cruise and have the $9.00/pp/per day fuel supplement. We screwed up and didn't book our next cruise until the fuel charge had gone up. Thankfully, we locked that one in, as well as our 2009 cruise. I think we won't be cruising as much in the future, but that isn't NCL's fault. I'm looking forward to what we have already booked now.

[dreadlockjack]

Of course with fuel costing about double there (I don't know if plane fuel is higher there though), let's hope they can get here to take advantage of the exchange rate ;)

 

I can tell you, they will! Life here in Europe got so expensive - to travel to the U.S. for us IS a bargain! For us, lots of stuff in the US is 40% to 70% off, compared to our prices! A vacation in the US with a good shopping tour is still cheaper incl. airfare than it would be here! You can count on the Europeans this season.

 

But anyway - the low exchange rate of the US-$ is very unhealthy for the economics, i believe...

 

Where are we running to...????:confused:

[Ms belp]

I can tell you, the:) y will! Life here in Europe got so expensive - to travel to the U.S. for us IS a bargain! For us, lots of stuff in the US is 40% to 70% off, compared to our prices! A vacation in the US with a good shopping tour is still cheaper incl. airfare than it would be here! You can count on the Europeans this season.

 

But anyway - the low exchange rate of the US-$ is very unhealthy for the economics, i believe...

 

Where are we running to...????:confused:

 

Welcome! We have been to Europe when the exchange rate was in our favor, so I'm more than happy to return the favor! There are so many things to see in the US that I hope you will love. If you can tell me what you are interested in seeing, I'll try to help. No, I'm not a travel agent, but someone who has been "over there" enough times to fall in love. If I can investigate something for you, please let me know.:)

[Down-Unders]

NCL Corp. is raising its fuel supplement from $9 to $11 per person, per day for the first and second passenger in a cabin. For additional passengers in the room, the amount is going from $4 to $5 per person, per day.

The amounts apply to new reservations made on or after June 20.

 

 

My wallet is now in charge of my loyalty. Will look at other cruise line.

[bagelsnbrew]

It's apparent that NCL's surcharge strategy is competition+$2. Carnival matched NCL's $9 and within 48hrs, NCL was $11. Amusing in sad way. How long before one of the other lines "head fakes" NCL and gets them to go $4 over?

 

I understand the difficulty that the lines face with rising fuel costs, but the fuel surcharge shouldn't be rising. The surcharge is supposed to be a temporary stop gap because if fuel cost instability, it is understandable that it exists. I think the surchage should be a stagnant amount and future cruise prices should be adjusted for the increased fuel costs. The lines are now using the surcharge as a way of raising their price without it showing up in the advertised price. The less educated customer see's the lower price, gets commited to the idea, then finds out that the price is really higher than expected. I think this is purposfully deceptive. The fuel surcharge should be a temporary thing, but it's my guess that it will be permanent even after fuel costs stabilize.

[DAGVBSB]

Something I heard tonight put it in perspective for me. A 42 cent stamp gets a letter from your mailbox, across the country to another mailbox, without you having to do anything except walk to your mailbox. A $15.00 baggage fee gets your luggage (say, 40 lbs+) across country in hours, with you along. If you try and ship it some other way to arrive in the same amount of time (FedEx/UPS overnight) it could cost you way more. I've heard women complaining about gas prices and then spending $50.00 for a 32 oz. bottle of "stuff" that promises to minimize their wrinkles! Look at the cost of our beloved perfume. And I could go on...

 

Think about it!

 

I just love when people complain about prices but yet have no problem shelling out hundreds of dollars to get a new cell phone six months after their last one.

 

They let kids run up hundreds of dollars in "Text messaging" charges and don't blink an eye. (you know talking is cheaper than texting and much more polite....)

 

They want the latest in Blue Ray equipment, etc. They will shell out hundreds of dollars for this stuff, but complain about a $2 increase in Fuel charges????

 

They want the latest technological equipment but complain that they can't pay their mortgage or loans??? It's called PRIORITIES. Do you HAVE to have the newest phone... NO, do you have to have the latest Blue Ray...NO, do you have to be able to text message.... NO. Do you have to eat....YES, Do you have to pay your bills....YES.

 

I just love the kids at school.... they are on the Free Lunch program, (as in... your tax dollars are paying for their lunch.) They sit there and enjoy their free, hot lunch..... while texting their friends on the latest cell phone while listening to their Ipod.........

[CruisinMaterial]

I cannot fault NCL or any other fuel related industry for having surcharges. The worse they get the more they are pricing people out of the market though. The cruise I am eyeballing for January to South America keeps going up - up - UP in price. I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it now. I have to wait until after this Wednesday to find out how my schedule is running for next year. Thankfully this latest charge doesn't go into effect until June 20th but homeport cruising might be more of an option.

 

Thankfully NCL already has a ship sailing from Boston and will again next year. I wonder if any of the other cruiselines will reconsider homeporting ships some place else other than Miami and Port Everglades. Carnival is already starting to go that way... hopefully Carnival's other brands follow. (Of course I'm excluding the brands that already sail from NYC.)

[Russian Blue Mom]

Oil is up over $11 a barrel today... NCL's increase was just in time. I am in the process of canceling our hotels for our summer road trip to New York. We will be staying close to home and going to Orlando for a few days instead. The Europeans will continue to help Orlando as they are the one's benefiting from our slumping dollar.

 

Gas prices in Europe per gallon are *double* what ours are in the US. In fact it's so bad, they have been holding massive protests (Italy, France, UK, etc) in the ports due to how it is affecting their fishing industries, etc. (Hope this doesn't affect the ports for our upcoming Med cruise. They are being crunched too and less of them will be coming as expected. The oil crisis has become economic terrorism. Where and when will it end? :(

[newmexicoNita]

Gas prices in Europe per gallon are *double* what ours are in the US. In fact it's so bad, they have been holding massive protests (Italy, France, UK, etc) in the ports due to how it is affecting their fishing industries, etc. (Hope this doesn't affect the ports for our upcoming Med cruise. They are being crunched too and less of them will be coming as expected. The oil crisis has become economic terrorism. Where and when will it end? :(

this is something too few realize. It is hard on us, everyone knows how much the oil prices have affected our lives and more each day. Thank goodness, at least we have a car that gets great milage, other car was sold so we wouldn't have to drive 2 cars to AR next week. DH will buy an inexpensive, small, truck which will get good milage. One think he always did when still in the work force, he car pooled or depended on mass transit to go from the burbs to the city, regardless where we lived.

 

Most people can't just up and sell gas guzzlers right now, but more could look at altenative computing. I sure most of us have already started thinking about combining trips to the bank, with shopping, doctors visits or whatever. Anything to cut back on fuel. Unfortunitely the cruise lines can't do this too well.

 

Nita

[Bigdog49]

I sure most of us have already started thinking about combining trips to the bank, with shopping, doctors visits or whatever. Anything to cut back on fuel. Unfortunitely the cruise lines can't do this too well.

 

Nita

 

But they have where posible. No more 10/11 day cruises from NYC all winter long. No 11 day at all. The Majesty itinerary changed to reduce the excessive fuel cost from the western itinerary.. The 7 day Gem from NYC changed to eliminate the run down to Key West and spend more time in port.

[Dolphins]

Why doesn't the Dawn spend an extra day in Bermuda as the Crown used to do? The extra sea day the Dawn now has burns a lot of fuel. Even if dock space is not currently available, the Dawn could tender that extra day in Bermuda. Here's hoping they do it in 2009.

[Bigdog49]

Why doesn't the Dawn spend an extra day in Bermuda as the Crown used to do? The extra sea day the Dawn now has burns a lot of fuel. Even if dock space is not currently available, the Dawn could tender that extra day in Bermuda. Here's hoping they do it in 2009.

 

Perhaps by cruising slowly to Bermuda they in fact use less fuel then racing down in one day,

[Cruzin2paradise09]

I wonder why NCl did not hedge their fule costs with options for lower costing fuel when they were available like airlines do???-- was it because they are already are in bad financial straits and had no money available???Southwest Airlines did that and so far they are the only airline not asking for extra fuel surcharges, baggage charges etc.

My guess is when fuel costs settle down, NCL will not reduce the fuel surcharges-- they will just increase their cruise price because

the market will bare it.

 

 

big green

 

Um, Northwest hasn't imposed a luggage fee . . . And fuel hasn't gone down in like what seems forever, so how do you know what NCL will or won't do IF fuel ever goes down? Making speculative comments like this isn't fair to anyone, IMHO.

 

I don't understand why the complaining (not from you, but in general), I filled up last night here in the midwest, I had between 1/4 and 1/2 tank - cost me $40 at $3.93 . . . have some of you been hiding and not seeing the rising fuel prices which have aggravated everthing else? Don't know about anyone else, but my salary isn't going up . . .

 

I'm not sure what we are supposed to do, but, to complain about the cruiseline raising the surcharge is silly. You have a choice, cruise or don't cruise. If you've already booked, then you aren't going to pay the higher price. Good grief people.

 

Show your frustrations at the polls come November!! Unfortunately, I don't know if there is anything else that we can do. I have to get to work and where I live, I would have to drive past my work to get to the bus stop . . . now that would be dumb!

[sakapfet]

I can tell you, they will! Life here in Europe got so expensive - to travel to the U.S. for us IS a bargain! For us, lots of stuff in the US is 40% to 70% off, compared to our prices! A vacation in the US with a good shopping tour is still cheaper incl. airfare than it would be here! You can count on the Europeans this season.

 

But anyway - the low exchange rate of the US-$ is very unhealthy for the economics, i believe...

 

Where are we running to...????:confused:

 

 

As long as the US dollar is weak, oil prices will never go down. Our government likes a cheap dollar because it helps them pay on our national debt.

In conclusion dont expect the value of the dollar to increase or the price of oil to go down anytime soon, we owe too much money to foreign banks.