Fuel Supplement fee

Norwegian has information about a fuel supplement fee on their website:

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-faq/fuel-supplement

Basically, they reserve the right to charge a fuel supplement fee if the West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65.00 USD per barrel. As of today, the price is above $65. When do they timestamp this? Is it the price at the start of the cruise? End of the cruise? At booking time?

Should I expect to pay an additional fee on my cruise leaving tomorrow?

The answer is right in the link:

Norwegian reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice should the closing price of West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65.00 USD per barrel on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index). In the event a fuel supplement is charged, Norwegian will have sole discretion to apply the supplementary charge to both existing and new bookings, regardless of whether such bookings have been paid in full. Such supplementary charges are not included in the cruise fare. The fuel supplement charge will not exceed $10.00 USD per passenger per day.

Thanks, but that didn't answer my question. A discretionary charge doesn't mean they will apply it, or when that charge is bookmarked from (what day of sailing).

As far as I know they have never charged a fuel supplement fee before. I wouldn't expect to have to pay any additional, although they have the right to do so so it's not a guarantee.

My first cruise back in 2009 was the only cruise i had to pay this fuel supplement fee. Since then, nearly 10 years later, i never had to pay this fee

If NCL does add a fuel supplement fee, they will be a huge outcry here on cruise critic, facebook and other sites. then other cruise lines will follow too.. I think the cruise lines is being smart and adding these fees in with the cruise fare or taxes/surcharges

I wouldn't expect it. The price has been much much higher and it hasn't been applied in a long time.

My first cruise back in 2009 was the only cruise i had to pay this fuel supplement fee. Since then, nearly 10 years later, i never had to pay this fee

 

If NCL does add a fuel supplement fee, they will be a huge outcry here on cruise critic, facebook and other sites. then other cruise lines will follow too.. I think the cruise lines is being smart and adding these fees in with the cruise fare or taxes/surcharges

Ditto

Should I expect to pay an additional fee on my cruise leaving tomorrow?

No.

Nine years with NCL, fuel prices up and down, much higher than now, never paid one.

I wouldn't expect to pay, but you should be prepared to pay.

Thanks, but that didn't answer my question. A discretionary charge doesn't mean they will apply it, or when that charge is bookmarked from (what day of sailing).

The cruise industry did it years ago, ended up with a lot of lawsuits and bad publicity. I doubt they would do it again, more likely just raise rates on unbooked cabins.

Cruisers Sue Over Fuel Surcharges

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2403

The cruise industry did it years ago, ended up with a lot of lawsuits and bad publicity. I doubt they would do it again, more likely just raise rates on unbooked cabins.

 

Cruisers Sue Over Fuel Surcharges

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2403

Does anyone have the outcome of this?

Does anyone have the outcome of this?

If I remember correctly, and it was a long time ago, the cruise lines lost based if the fees were charged after the people booked but not if they were charged before they booked. But I think they lost more from the bad publicity since it really came down to "Do we get a price drop if the fuel cost goes down?"

Norwegian has information about a fuel supplement fee on their website:

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-faq/fuel-supplement

 

Basically, they reserve the right to charge a fuel supplement fee if the West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65.00 USD per barrel. As of today, the price is above $65. When do they timestamp this? Is it the price at the start of the cruise? End of the cruise? At booking time?

Should I expect to pay an additional fee on my cruise leaving tomorrow?

chances are they will not add the extra fuel charge: it simply says, they have the right I remember when this went into affect, back in 2008 when oil prices just kept climbing. I am not sure they ever enforced the additional cost, but am pretty sure, with a sailing coming up so soon they will not add anything, But, yes, they can if they choose.

Norwegian has information about a fuel supplement fee on their website:

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-faq/fuel-supplement

 

Basically, they reserve the right to charge a fuel supplement fee if the West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65.00 USD per barrel. As of today, the price is above $65. When do they timestamp this? Is it the price at the start of the cruise? End of the cruise? At booking time?

Should I expect to pay an additional fee on my cruise leaving tomorrow?

Under the contact they can charge it. You will find out once on the cruise. But just because they charge it does not mean you need to pay it. If the add $10.00 per day for a fuel charge take $10.00 per day off the DSC. Just following the contract they have in place.

This all goes back to around 2008 when fuel prices were sky high. Cruiselines started charging fees, people got upset, lawsuits started.

I don't recall all the details but it seemed most lines only had them for a short time (a few months) and back tracked in cases. Then all the lines put in the wording to protect themselves if they implemented them again. I haven't seen any since that time on any line we sail.

Thanks, but that didn't answer my question. A discretionary charge doesn't mean they will apply it, or when that charge is bookmarked from (what day of sailing).

No, it didn't answer your question.

Is there some reason why you don't just pick up the telephone and call NCL to ask them directly?

Typically, it seems to me, these forums on CC are primarily for:

• circumvention of policy- how to smuggle liquor on board or food off while in port
  
• revision of policy- "I shouldn't have to pay the DSC for my 3 y/o because..."
  
• evasion of policy- "Non-refundable OBC has to be used, but I did this...."
  

Let us know what you find out.

No, it didn't answer your question.

 

Is there some reason why you don't just pick up the telephone and call NCL to ask them directly?

 

I would venture to guess because the collective wisdom and knowledge on these boards VASTLY outweighs just about all the monkeys that answer the phone at NCL.

I would venture to guess because the collective wisdom and knowledge on these boards VASTLY outweighs just about all the monkeys that answer the phone at NCL.

Good Answer.

I'd suggest that any upcharge for Fuel could be expunged. Its a different time now.

Does anyone have the outcome of this?

The case is "Ablelove v. Carnival Corporation et al" I don't have a subscription but this site has what Carnival did in the preview:

Law360 (April 1, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT) -- Carnival Corporation and its five subsidiary cruise lines will refund approximately $40 million to passengers who paid an unfair fuel surcharge, according to a settlement reached Monday with the Office of the Attorney General of Florida. A separate state antitrust investigation into fuel pricing by the cruise industry is still ongoing.

The fuel surcharge is almost antiquated now. When it was first enacted, the cruise lines were buying hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel and paying the daily volatile price, which compromised their ability to control their profit margin. The class action suit was brought by folks who had booked and paid for their cruise, and were then charged the new surcharge. The court ruled that if the surcharge was in the contract at the time of booking, then it could stay, but for those who had booked without the fee being in existence, and who had already paid for their cruise, it could not be charged.

Nowadays, the cruise lines use bunker contracts, much like trading futures on the stock market, where they contract for fuel to be delivered for a specific amount of time at a fixed price. While they may lose money on these types of contracts, if the price of fuel drops for long periods, it gives them a much more stable cost basis to set cruise fares against. While the surcharge is still in the ticket contract, I personally don't see it being charged ever again.

No, it didn't answer your question.

 

Is there some reason why you don't just pick up the telephone and call NCL to ask them directly?

 

Typically, it seems to me, these forums on CC are primarily for:

• circumvention of policy- how to smuggle liquor on board or food off while in port
  
• revision of policy- "I shouldn't have to pay the DSC for my 3 y/o because..."
  
• evasion of policy- "Non-refundable OBC has to be used, but I did this...."
  

Let us know what you find out.

You forgot it being for "cruise line employees to come on here pretending to be ordinary folks"

You forgot it being for "cruise line employees to come on here pretending to be ordinary folks"

And they also forgot "Do tip extra if the room steward gives me a rub and tug or is that included in the DSC?"

I can only recall the surcharge put on one of my cruises...BUT then it was removed before sailing. There have been other times price went over $65 and it was never added. I, too, agree..it will probably not be instituted unless something very dire happens. NCL leaves it in the wording to cover their a**.