Where to find information on port fees, taxes, and parking prices?

[TravelinGert]

Is there any sort of consolidated location for information such as how much port fees and taxes will be added on to a cruise? How about a price guide for parking at the docks? :confused:

 

I'm looking at possibly taking a short Carnival cruise from Galveston to Cozumel and back, just as a way of sticking a toe in the water you might say. I need information on all taxes, port fees, parking costs, and other hidden fees in order to decide if we can afford this trial run and still afford the big cruise we're looking at next year. DH and I try to stick to a set travel budget. I thought if there is a list somewhere, it would be a big help to lots of cruise planners, and this seemed like the place to ask.

[Keith1010]

You can get a lot of this by posting on the Carnival Cruise Line Board.

 

Keith

[njhorseman]

Port taxes and fees are part of the bottom line price you'll pay for your cruise. They're not something that you pay later.

 

Questions about parking options and prices for a particular port are best posted on the Ports of Call board for the particular location.

 

Questions about any additional costs (such as tips/service charges) that are typically charged to your on board account as well as additional cost items purchased on the ship (beverages, shore excursions, and the like ) are best asked on the particular cruise line's board.

[paul929207]

The port charges, taxes, etc should be on the cruise line site and also any TA site.

[Essiesmom]

Port charges/fees can change daily. On our recent Panama Canal cruise, we were refunded $49pp as OBC. We were refunded a smaller amount on our TA. They can also go up, and be charged to your onboard account. EM

[donaldsc]

With regard to port fees and taxes, have you called the cruise line? They know.

 

DON

[sparky-elpaso]

Do a mock booking on the cruise line web site. You should be able to see the final cost without going thru the whole process.

[TravelinGert]

Ok, now I am even more confused / concerned. So we might book the cruise, and at the end be handed a large bill we were not expecting because port fees changed? That's pretty scary. How often does this happen? Is there such a thing as trip insurance maybe covering that sort of nonsense? I'd never heard of this before and now I am not so certain I want to take a cruise. I was already concerned enough about added charges to have carefully researched how much things on board like drinks might cost. Now you are telling me there might possibly be a charge of any amount just tacked on without any warning or say-so? How can this be? Surely there would have been some sort of fuss up before now over people unexpectedly asked to pay an amount they cannot cover if this were true?

[sparky-elpaso]

Ok, now I am even more confused / concerned. So we might book the cruise, and at the end be handed a large bill we were not expecting because port fees changed? That's pretty scary. How often does this happen? Is there such a thing as trip insurance maybe covering that sort of nonsense? I'd never heard of this before and now I am not so certain I want to take a cruise. I was already concerned enough about added charges to have carefully researched how much things on board like drinks might cost. Now you are telling me there might possibly be a charge of any amount just tacked on without any warning or say-so? How can this be? Surely there would have been some sort of fuss up before now over people unexpectedly asked to pay an amount they cannot cover if this were true?

 

Port charges and taxes aren't that big of a percentage of the final amount. The amount on our upcoming 26 day cruise is $405 per person - about 10% of the total amount. And no, trip insurance won't cover things like that.

[beachbum53]

Ok, now I am even more confused / concerned. So we might book the cruise, and at the end be handed a large bill we were not expecting because port fees changed? That's pretty scary. How often does this happen? Is there such a thing as trip insurance maybe covering that sort of nonsense? I'd never heard of this before and now I am not so certain I want to take a cruise. I was already concerned enough about added charges to have carefully researched how much things on board like drinks might cost. Now you are telling me there might possibly be a charge of any amount just tacked on without any warning or say-so? How can this be? Surely there would have been some sort of fuss up before now over people unexpectedly asked to pay an amount they cannot cover if this were true?

 

To the best of my knowledge, once you've booked your cruise and "locked in" the price, even if port taxes should go up, you won't be arbitrarily charged for the increase. At least, that's never happened to us, and we've been on nine cruises so far. On the other hand, if port taxes should go down, you'll receive an on board credit (OBC) on your ship's account. As to the cost for parking near the port, go to the "North American Homeports " board, NOT the "Ports of Call" board (as njhorseman suggested) to find out about where to park, and the cost.

[njhorseman]

Ok, now I am even more confused / concerned. So we might book the cruise, and at the end be handed a large bill we were not expecting because port fees changed? That's pretty scary. How often does this happen? Is there such a thing as trip insurance maybe covering that sort of nonsense? I'd never heard of this before and now I am not so certain I want to take a cruise. I was already concerned enough about added charges to have carefully researched how much things on board like drinks might cost. Now you are telling me there might possibly be a charge of any amount just tacked on without any warning or say-so? How can this be? Surely there would have been some sort of fuss up before now over people unexpectedly asked to pay an amount they cannot cover if this were true?

 

In 25 years of cruising of we've never been charged for an increase in port taxes while on board. We have been given small refunds for decreases in taxes.

 

In any event you're not talking about a lot of money...a few dollars at most.

[njhorseman]

To the best of my knowledge, once you've booked your cruise and "locked in" the price, even if port taxes should go up, you won't be arbitrarily charged for the increase. At least, that's never happened to us, and we've been on nine cruises so far. On the other hand, if port taxes should go down, you'll receive an on board credit (OBC) on your ship's account. As to the cost for parking near the port, go to the "North American Homeports " board, NOT the "Ports of Call" board (as njhorseman suggested) to find out about where to park, and the cost.

 

I agree with your observation on port taxes...and you're right... I should have said the Homeports board, not Ports of Call.

[donaldsc]

Ok, now I am even more confused / concerned. So we might book the cruise, and at the end be handed a large bill we were not expecting because port fees changed? That's pretty scary. How often does this happen? Is there such a thing as trip insurance maybe covering that sort of nonsense? I'd never heard of this before and now I am not so certain I want to take a cruise. I was already concerned enough about added charges to have carefully researched how much things on board like drinks might cost. Now you are telling me there might possibly be a charge of any amount just tacked on without any warning or say-so? How can this be? Surely there would have been some sort of fuss up before now over people unexpectedly asked to pay an amount they cannot cover if this were true?

 

I have another thing for you to worry about, If crude oil goes above $100 per barrel, they can add a fuel surcharge.

 

Don

[donaldsc]

Ok, now I am even more confused / concerned. So we might book the cruise, and at the end be handed a large bill we were not expecting because port fees changed? That's pretty scary. How often does this happen? Is there such a thing as trip insurance maybe covering that sort of nonsense? I'd never heard of this before and now I am not so certain I want to take a cruise. I was already concerned enough about added charges to have carefully researched how much things on board like drinks might cost. Now you are telling me there might possibly be a charge of any amount just tacked on without any warning or say-so? How can this be? Surely there would have been some sort of fuss up before now over people unexpectedly asked to pay an amount they cannot cover if this were true?[/quote

 

DOuble post

[SadieN]

No hidden fees or costs. Many things are already included in the final cost -- Basic drinks, Dining Room and Buffet, entertainment, etc.

 

Things we have paid for a cruise--

 

Before the cruise--

Fare, hotel, air, parking, taxi, porter tips, travel insurance, excursions

 

During the cruise--

Autogratuities ($11.50pp/pd for the Steward, Waiters and Behind the scene staff. Can be paid before the cruise)

Photos

Drinks (Coffee, tea, water, lemonade, milk. Some juices at breakfast are also free.)

Casino

Excursions

Onboard shopping

Room Service tip

Spa (some parts are free to use)

Speciality Dining (CoffeeShop, Steakhouse, etc.

 

After the cruise-

Parking, air, hotel, taxi

 

**

 

Some cruises we have had only to pay the gratuities and other cruises we have spent quite a bit.

 

Look on the Carnival board for specific costs.

[njhorseman]

I have another thing for you to worry about, If crude oil goes above $100 per barrel, they can add a fuel surcharge.

 

Don

 

Actually, the oil price benchmark the cruise lines use is typically about $60-65 dollars per barrel, a threshold that was exceeded long ago...but none of the cruise lines operating in North America except Cunard have opted to add a fuel surcharge, nor are they likely to. They adjust to higher fuel prices by increasing base fares, which passengers find more palatable than a surcharge. I wouldn't expect the cruise lines to impose a surcharge unless oil prices increased a tremendous amount in a very short time.

[CruiserBruce]

Very occasionally a port charge or other fee can go up. For example, on a Panama Canal cruise a few years ago, we arrived on board to find a letter in our stateroom explaining the fee for the Canal had gone up a little over $12 per cabin for our passage. That is probably the largest increase you might see.

 

By law and a number of lawsuits, port charges and fees are not "hidden charges". They have to be clearly listed and explained.

[smeyer418]

...

By law and a number of lawsuits, port charges and fees are not "hidden charges". They have to be clearly listed and explained.

 

really? what has happened because of the lawsuits and the FTC is that the cruise lines show all this on their websites as part of the fare. The TA's sometimes show this separately "as port charges/fees/taxes" but that is really just what they won't be paid commission on but it includes fuel and other things not really port fees and charges/taxes. Most cruise lines consider how they charge these as trade secrets and getting a detailed explanation is near impossible. they will increase it when its an added tax like when Alaska added a $50 pp tax the cruise lines passed that along even to people who had paid in full. They will add something when a port charge per person goes up but they probably won't increase it if the pilot charge per ship goes up since they don't want to show how they calculate that(based on lower two's or actual number of passengers on the ship).

as people have said it can go up or go down but normally its not significant. If it is significant like the Alaska tax was they will explain it and blame it on the government that imposed it.

BTW the agreement with the cruise lines(not the TA's) is with the Florida AG. When some of the cruise tried to retroactively increase fares because of fuel prices, that agreement stopped them and resulted in the language you now see from them. That agreement does not cover the TA's.