Question for the experts re: cruiseline port charges

[Cindy G]

On a recent Zenith cruise, it was decided by Celebrity that it was too rough to tender to Ocho Rios, and we missed a port day. Later that same day there was an open bar for two one hour sessions. All well drinks were free to each passenger. During dinner it was discussed what costs might be associated with the open bar. Passengers lined up like.....well free drinks, even the pool emptied. One of the tablemates suggested that Celebrity would not be losing money because they did not have to pay the "port charges." He suggested that each time a cruiseship visits a port, there is a charge. Is this true? How is this charge determined? By size of cruiseship? Number of passengers? Location (do certain ports charge more that others?) Dates? Time of season? Day of the week? It brought up a nice discussion and no one had answers. I have never heard of this concept....is it true? Thanks to those with the knowledge and expirtise to answer.

[Logic]

Cindy

 

My Husband Just Spoke With Celebrity Last Night In Regards To Our Canceled St. Maarten Port & They Told Him That Even If A Ports Canceled That They Still Must Pay Those Port Charges. Sounds Strange To Me! But That Was Celebrity's Response To Us.

 

We Got $100 Cabin Credit For Losing That Port. Nothing Was Givin To Us For Them Cutting The Other Port Down From A Full Day To 4 Hours! Glad You Got The Free Drinks But What About The People Who Dont Drink Or Cant Drink Do To Medical Reasons? Or The Children....Their Fares Had Port Charges Tacked Onto Them Also. I'd Hardly Say Free Drinks Is A Fair Compensation To All Passengers.

 

Carnival Ecstasy 1998

Carnival Paradise 2001

Star Princess 2002

Carnival Legend 2003

Celebrity Horizon 2004

 

Days Past Since Last Cruise

[charlielinda]

Logic -- when did you miss your port and get the $100 credit. Did you miss your port due to weather conditions? Who did you talk to?

 

We missed Grand Cayman earlier this month and I was told that we would receive nothing because the cancellation was due to weather.

 

I was told that even if we don't visit the port they cruiseline still pays the port charges.

 

We had dinner with the hotel manager the night that we missed Grand Cayman and he said that the cocktail party costs about $50,000.

 

Voyager of the Sea -- September 2001; Galaxy -- May 2002; Zuiderdam -- September 2003; Summit -- APRIL 2004; CAN'T WAIT -- SUMMIT OCTOBER 2004

[CruisingChick]

I thought there were port charges in every port they stopped in. I could have sworn there were.

 

It differs by port what the charge is. It must be per person because each person has to pay for port charges.

 

On another note the Cruiseline is not obligated to give you anything for a missed or shortened port. It states it in your Cruise Ticket Contract.

 

Until Celebrity Zenith - NYC to Bermuda

 

 

Big Red Boat II – New York to Canada/New England, August 2000

Regal Empress – New York to Canada/New England, August 2001

Millennium – 10 Night Southern Caribbean, August 2002

Millennium – 13 Night Mediterranean, August 2003

Infinity – 7 Night Eastern Caribbean, April 2004

Zenith - 7 Night NYC to Bermuda, August 2004

[Nitemare]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> My Husband Just Spoke With Celebrity Last Night In Regards To Our Canceled St. Maarten Port & They Told Him That Even If A Ports Canceled That They Still Must Pay Those Port Charges. Sounds Strange To Me! But That Was Celebrity's Response To Us. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Is it harder to read typing like this or harder to type like this?

[Cindy G]

I sure would have rather had the $100.00 credit. How does Celebrity decide what, or if anything will be done? Also, my orginal question remains.....how much are the charges and how are they determined?

[Logic]

BasketLady -

In Our Rollcall Thread April 12, 2004 Horizon, Someone Found Out A Few Days Before Departure That St. Maartens Was Canceled. A Few People Called To Find Out Why & All Got Different Replys. When We Boarded The Ship We Got A Letter Saying It Was Because Of Sea Conditions & Saying As A Sign Of Goodwill They Were Giving Each Cabin $100 Credit.

 

They Told My Husband On The Phone That They Paid St. Maarten Port Charges Even Though We Never Stopped There.

 

What About This Cocktail Party? Sorry I Didnt Follow That? Which Hotel & Did Celebrity Pick Up A $50,000 Bar Tab? Ludicrous! Wouldnt You Rather Have The Couple Thousand People SPLIT Half That As A Credit? LoL

 

CruisingChick - Yes I Was Aware Of The Wording On Out Ticket About Them Reserving The Right To "Change" The Itinerary...But They CANCELED A Port Not Changed A Port For A Port. In My Opinion Had They Advertised This Cruise As 3 Ports And 9 Sea Days Then No One Wouldve Bought It! They Advertised 5 Ports & A Nice Separation Of Sea Days Vs Ports & It Sold OUT!

False Advertising At The Very Least....Of Course I Guess They Could Predict The Sea Conditions Well In Advance....AMAZING LoL....My Theory Is They Wanted The Extra Bucks To Come Rolling Into Their Casino On All Those Sea Days & Added Bar Tabs ...And To Get To The New Summer Port Early Since It Was Their 1st Time Ever To Dock There. We Did Get Their Early.... 1AM Then Sat Just Off Shore VA Until 6am When They Proceeded To Pull Into Dock.

 

Cindy - The Port Charges To Each Passenger Will Be On Your Docs Or Ask Your Agent.But Ive Never Seen Them Broken Down By Ports...Just 1 Lump Sum. What The CruiseLine Actually Pays Each Port I Have No Idea.....Maybe We'll Get Someone Else To Give Us An Answer

 

Carnival Ecstasy 1998

Carnival Paradise 2001

Star Princess 2002

Carnival Legend 2003

Celebrity Horizon 2004

 

Days Past Since Last Cruise

[Cindy G]

Right, I know we always have port charges, but I am wanting to know....how much does Celebrity, Carnaval, Princess, or any other cruiseline pay at each port. There must be a scale by size of cruiseship, number of passengers, day of the week, time of the year....something.

[MBMiner]

Basketlady - Somehow I have trouble beleiving the hotel manager about the cocktail party costing $50,000. That would be roughly $25 for every man, woman and child on the ship, including all those who don't drink or didn't want to attend. Even at the ship's drink prices, that would be impossible. Cruise line's buy liquor dirt cheap because of the freedom from excise taxes. I would be surprised if the party cost the cruise lines $5,000.

 

Vera Cruz - 6/68

Ecstasy - 10/93

Sensation - 5/94

Tropicale - 11/94

Soverign of the Seas - 5/96

Summit - 9/03

Zenith - 2/04

Constellation - 5/04

Summit - 10/04

Zenith - 1/05

Infinity - 5/05

[The Mate]

Hi Cindy G,

I believe the information you're looking for about port charges is 'inside' information, available only to a select few employees within each company that deal with the port authorities at each 'port of call'. We've cruised 8 times and had port charges ranging from $30 to $120 with no explanation of how they arrive at the number.

 

However several years ago [1997??] I believe there was a 'legal action' against several of the cruise lines for price 'gouging' passengers on port charges, and the cruise lines were directed to refund monies to past passengers, I can't name all the cruise lines involved [there were several] but apparently Carnival was involved, and as we had sailed with them, we recieved a coupon from them to be used towards our next cruise with them, or we could 'cash' it in, it was not a significant amount, if I remember rightly I believe it was $15 or $20 a person. So I think in light of being subjected to legal actions, the cruise lines 'tread' very carefully where port charges are concerned, and are probably extremely reluctant to disclose the pricing structure to the public.

 

Don't count the days.....make the days count. M&Ms

 

1989 - Carnivals Mardi Gras

1996 - Carnivals Holiday

1998 - Norwegians Leeward

1998 - Norwegian Sea

2000 - RCL Monarch of the Seas

2002 - Norwegian Sky[repos]

Norwegian Sky[bk to bk]

2003 - Norwegian Sea[repos]

2004 - Horizon [reposition]

 

[This message was edited by The Mate on 04-30-04 at 04:35 AM.]

[brigittetom]

The Mate, I agree whole heartally. We also recieved I think $20.00 way back when. I also cannot believe that it would cost the cruiseline $50,000. to have the open bar. You have the first seating getting ready for dinner which leaves only the second seating people ordering the drinks at around 5:30. When the second seating comes around, the first seating is in the show, the second seating people may want a drink but there are not enough bartenders to actually wait on the passengers that want drinks. That was our experience.

 

Zenith from Jacksonville

Feb. 13 05

[charlielinda]

Maybe I heard wrong. Sorry.

 

Voyager of the Sea -- September 2001; Galaxy -- May 2002; Zuiderdam -- September 2003; Summit -- April 2004; CAN'T WAIT -- SUMMIT OCTOBER 2004

[teedee]

Basketlady - I would be willing to bet you heard correctly, I just don't know that you were given correct information. The hotel manager is probably giving numbers to make them look better, I'm sure they wouldn't want the passengers to know the "real" cost of the party, or everyone would be having a s!!t fit about so little compensation for what they lost.

 

Terri

 

Skyward - 1989

Carnivale - 1991

Holiday - 1994

Fantasy - 1998

Century - 2002

Century - 2003

Jubilee - 7/04

Century - 9/04

Coral Princess 3/05

[Cindy G]

I did the math too...max. occ. on the Zenith = 1374 divided into $50,000 = $36.38/person. Seems a little on the high side. Another question, during these "free drink hours" are the bartenders/servers paid any incentive by Celebrity? We tipped our server, but I did not see anyone else even offer. I felt bad for them, some of the passengers were almost rude because they were not getting drinks fast enough. Offer people something for free and you will see the real person. Wonder what it does cost if everything is calculated, right down to the glasses being washed?