Fuel surcharges

[bossmum1]

We have just got our fuel price of £86.54P WHICH will be refund if oil price comes down this cruise seems to costing us a fortune. Well its all payed now just hope no more hidden costs come up. Gift sets for my friends birthday all payed and booked, we just got sit back twiddle our thumbs till 23rd April.

Chrissy

[bossmum1]

Ditto - we too paid early in January and then took the upgrade which on reflection is rather like shooting oneself in the foot. Just hope we don't get asked for more surcharges if the price of the oil rockets up any more. If this goes on, it is going to seriously undermine confidence in cruising because you will never know what price you are actually going to pay. Someone from Saga said as much this week. They are not imposing a fuel surcharge. Wipes away any discount you got in the first place also either by way of Oceans or Travel Agent perks.

Hi we too are going on 23RD April took the upgrade and fully payed January got invoice this morning for add charge of £86.54.

Chrissy

[snettisham]

I have read on some websites (but not Fred. Olsen's) that Fred. Olsen has introduced a new form of fuel surcharge. Rather than a standard charge it will be a percentage (5.5%??) of the fare after all discounts. Whilst I understand the need for a surcharge at the moment with high fuel prices this seems very steep. It would be nteresting to learn if this information is correct. :confused:

I have just undertaken a quick calculation of a 15 night cruise based on 882 passengers and the various price charges. At the proposed 4.5% surcharge this would amount to FO receiving an extra £88721 even after allowing for a 15% reduction for Oceans and other discounts. Had the £4 per day charge been implemented the figure would be £52920. The most unfair thing is that cruisers in higher priced accommodation having to pay more even though they are on the same ship and travelling the same distance.

 

I received an email from a cruise agent this week advertising FO 12 night cruise on Black Watch to the Canaries in April and depending on the catergory of accommodation the prices were up to 27% lower than those in FO's brochure and guess what "PRICE INCLUDES FUEL SUPPLEMENTS. "

Whether this refers to all passengers who have booked early or just to new bookings I don't know but in any case it confirms the belief that booking early is not always the wisest thing to do.

[Host Sharon]

At least you guys seem to have some communication from FO. I paid the balance of a cruise booked last year last week and today the TA phoned to ask for another £74. I do think FO should have emailed or written to all its passengers warning this was retrospective. That is one tour less I will be booking.

[Popsey Wopsey]

I wonder what would happen if everyone refused to pay,has anyone contacted citizens advice or trading standards over this.:)

[Host Sharon]

I wonder what would happen if everyone refused to pay,has anyone contacted citizens advice or trading standards over this.:)

 

 

They sent me loads of small print following my complaint to them - they say it is legal !! I have to say their shoreside Customer Relations department has left me less than impressed !

[Popsey Wopsey]

I have had dealings with the person that wrote to you over another matter,he said that ,was water tight legal,till I informed him I,d taken legal advice,2 days later solution resolved in my favour.:)

[Newcomertocruising]

I have received a letter today from my booking agent about this surcharge on the Balmoral Baltic Cruise leaving on 13th May. Looking at the FO website 'news' it is obvious that they have been imposing surcharges for some time, it is just not good enough that I should only now be informed. Moreover the cabin I booked in August last year from the brochure is now £200 less on the website. This is my first cruise, I am not impressed with it so far!!!!!

[MMDown Under]

I have received a letter today from my booking agent about this surcharge on the Balmoral Baltic Cruise leaving on 13th May. Looking at the FO website 'news' it is obvious that they have been imposing surcharges for some time, it is just not good enough that I should only now be informed. Moreover the cabin I booked in August last year from the brochure is now £200 less on the website. This is my first cruise, I am not impressed with it so far!!!!!

 

Surely, if the cabin cost on the website is 200 pounds less than you booked in August last year, the difference should be taken into account in the calculation of any extra fuel surcharges?

 

This is morally wrong, at least.

[Pugwash123]

I have just booked on Braemar for May next year and have noticed a large increase on next years priced over all cabin grades. It would seem to me that these prices will more than cover any fuel increase in the coming year.

[jokskot]

Hi Newcomertocruising

 

Fancy joining us?

 

We are hoping to make contact with others on this cruise to arrange a bespoke 3-day tour of St Petersburg for up to 10 persons. We are already a group of 4 persons (2 couples who have met through a St.Petersburg travel agent).

 

If interested, and you're able, please PM me.

Regards J

[Newcomertocruising]

Many thanks for the offer but i shall decline. Partly because I am with my rather elderly parents and while I don't intend to be tied to their apron strings I also ought to be around from time to time. Sorry about a public reply but I haven't yet sussed out how to reply privately!!!

[camaraz]

Yes unfortunately we got caught for the extra surcharge, we sail on the Braemar on 14TH April :), We booked this cruise in the October of 2009, we paid the full amount which was due on the 12th Jan and 2 weeks later got billed for another £129, wasnt happy but had to be paid within 10days of reciept, Reading the small print if not paid then we could have lost our money and holiday. Not only did we feel it unfair it was also a bit of a cheek to be honest, asking someone who had just forked out 2500+ 14 days earlier.

 

My point is i have never known someone like BA or Ryanair or the likes to send you another invoice, dear sir actually those flights you got for £70 each have now gone up to £150 because the fuel has gone up.

 

Freddy i think your wrong for doing this, you should have released a statement and added the extra to new cruises and honoured the bookings all ready taken.:mad:

[historyman]

Yes unfortunately we got caught for the extra surcharge, we sail on the Braemar on 14TH April :), We booked this cruise in the October of 2009, we paid the full amount which was due on the 12th Jan and 2 weeks later got billed for another £129, wasnt happy but had to be paid within 10days of reciept, Reading the small print if not paid then we could have lost our money and holiday. Not only did we feel it unfair it was also a bit of a cheek to be honest, asking someone who had just forked out 2500+ 14 days earlier.

 

My point is i have never known someone like BA or Ryanair or the likes to send you another invoice, dear sir actually those flights you got for £70 each have now gone up to £150 because the fuel has gone up.

 

Freddy i think your wrong for doing this, you should have released a statement and added the extra to new cruises and honoured the bookings all ready taken.:mad:

 

Yes indeed. Fred has I am sorry to say lost a deal of goodwill around here on this issue. But if the cruise that we are both going on comes up to scratch I might just forgive them...

[Hawks11]

We cruise on 10th april and recived the letter this morning, think it very unfair as we have already paid the balance in full but we have no choice but to pay it, they have said if fuel prices come down it will be refunded. I am not holding my breath

 

If it helps we had a fuel surcharge imposed by Fred a few years ago which was refunded when the price of fuel dropped which, naturally, we were pleased about.

[Parsman]

If you book a 2012 cruise before 31 August, 2011 there will be no fuel surcharge. See the full details ***** the Fred. Olsen website. They have already lifted these on the 2012 "Grand Voyages". Some good news despite the continuing sky-high price of crude oil.;)

[historyman]

If you book a 2012 cruise before 31 August, 2011 there will be no fuel surcharge. See the full details ***** the Fred. Olsen website. They have already lifted these on the 2012 "Grand Voyages". Some good news despite the continuing sky-high price of crude oil.;)

 

They have recognised that uncertainty regarding the actual final cost of a cruise is a serious disincentive to booking in advance which is the point some including myself made a while ago. This goes some way to addressing this issue and I am pleased to see this step being taken despite having being caught by one surcharge this year.:)

[Robbo123]

Still catches lots of people, like myself and my wife, who were good enough to book early and show some loyalty to Fred, and still have to pay 5.5% fuel charge despite book several months ago and not cruising until 2012:mad:

 

Seriously thinking of cancelling and going with a rival company

[simonpjd]

Robbo a question for you.

If you were to book the same cruise you already have for 2012 - are the current prices higher. What I am getting at is that the fuel surcharge is now built into the price of the cruise. So maybe your cruise would cost about 5% more now anyway.

If it is still available at the same original price then I too would seriously consider cancelling and trying another line.

[jeanlyon]

Just had a letter from FO saying there will be no fuel surcharges from April 2012, even if you have booked already, so we are OK.

[KenQE2]

I received the same information by email today.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Still catches lots of people, like myself and my wife, who were good enough to book early and show some loyalty to Fred, and still have to pay 5.5% fuel charge despite book several months ago and not cruising until 2012:mad:

 

Seriously thinking of cancelling and going with a rival company

 

Hi Steve, hope you are both well. We have booked with Princess for next year, but it is very expensive compared to "Fred" this year. Our friends that we are going with chose this cruise as it is going to Belize, Honduras and Bahamas and he thinks Fred is "small and grotty"!! What does he know - he's never been on anything but Princess!

 

I love the Braemar,but I think Fred is changing a lot of things that loyal customers won't like. Things like paying for afternoon tea, prepaid tips and now this business with fuel charges. Would you lose money if you cancelled? Remember, the prices are much higher next year on all holidays!

[jeanlyon]

When you say "paying for afternoon tea" - what exactly do you mean. On P&O, we normally pop up tothe buffet and get a cup of tea. Or do you mean full tea with cakes and buns and things, cos we don't eat that. And "prepaid" tips? Do you mean, tips are added to the bill and you can remove them? That's what we have been told.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

When you say "paying for afternoon tea" - what exactly do you mean. On P&O, we normally pop up tothe buffet and get a cup of tea. Or do you mean full tea with cakes and buns and things, cos we don't eat that. And "prepaid" tips? Do you mean, tips are added to the bill and you can remove them? That's what we have been told.

 

There is free tea and cakes, but they now do special teas on certain days which you pay for, but obviosly you don't have to go. We don't have afternoon tea either (wouldn't eat our dinner:D)

 

One of the attractions was that, as on P&O, you pay tips at the end in envelopes, now you have to go to Reception and fill in a form, stating why you don't want to pay for them. I still can't believe that people are "embarrased" to give tips personally, as Fred. Olsen says:confused:

[KenQE2]

I still can't believe that people are "embarrased" to give tips personally, as Fred. Olsen says:confused:

I would be happy to pay a defined levy, knowing that it will be distributed to everyone that has contributed to the service, not just to people you see first hand. I find having to handle tipping for every item of service a PITA.