Math Is Not Computing Port Fees/Taxes/Etc.

[tuxieloaf]

I am looking at a Getaway cruise to Bermuda in late August. Online when you are looking at information about the cruise, NCL claims that taxes, fees and port expenses are $162.37 USD (presumably per person). When I go to book the cruise, they then argue that Gov. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses are really $280 per person (from the itemized bill). Why is there such a large discrepancy? What exactly am I being charged for differently?

[tallnthensome]

Are you sure that the drink package gratuities aren't thrown into your final total above and beyond taxes and port fees ? 

[tuxieloaf]

8 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Are you sure that the drink package gratuities aren't thrown into your final total above and beyond taxes and port fees ? 

No the gratuities are put in a different area of the itemized bill.

[tuxieloaf]

6 minutes ago, ChC said:

 

I think that is categorised as Special Services. For that cruise it is $109 per person. On the itemised bill it is clearly separated from taxes/fee.  

It is not separate on the bill I saw.

[tuxieloaf]

Here are screenshots.

[trivimp]

The port fee (which is in tiny tiny type under the pink-sand picture) is a fixed amount, $162.37.

The other taxes & fees are variable depending on what cabin you book, how many are in the cabin, and so forth.

$279.70/pp is the sum of all of the taxes & fees (excluding the Free at Sea gratuities.) They can't show you that number until they know all the variables I mention in the second line.  

 

To clarify:  Read the pink-sand-picture information as "Now starting at 299, plus taxes, plus fees, plus port fee of 162" or something along those lines.  Is it deceptive, or merely ambiguous?  Your call, but it's pretty typical of fine-print shenanigans everywhere {shrug} 

Edited May 11, 2022 by trivimp

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, trivimp said:

The port fee (which is in tiny tiny type under the pink-sand picture) is a fixed amount, $162.37.

The other taxes & fees are variable depending on what cabin you book, how many are in the cabin, and so forth.

That's incorrect.

 

Except for cruises in Hawaii, which are unique because the state imposes a Gross Excise Tax that is similar to a sales tax, the per person taxes and fees are identical  for all cabins, from the least expensive inside to the most expensive Haven suite on any particular cruise. NCL estimates the total non per capita taxes and fees applicable to the ship such as docking fees, tug fees and harbor pilot fees, divides that amount by the estimated number of passengers who will be on the ship to get a per capita value and then adds the charges that are already per capita to get  a total per passenger.

 

Pick a cruise and do a mock booking of the least expensive inside cabin and compare that to a mock booking of the most expensive Haven cabin on the same sailing and you'll see that the taxes, fees and port expenses per person will be identical.

 

I just think there's a systems glitch causing the apparent discrepancy in what the OP is seeing.

[trivimp]

@njhorseman missed the point, although he is correct that the taxes are usually the same for all cabins (except in HI.)

 

The point is that, in the example, $162 is the port fee by itself.

$279 is the total of all taxes & fees.  

[njhorseman]

46 minutes ago, trivimp said:

@njhorseman missed the point, although he is correct that the taxes are usually the same for all cabins (except in HI.)

 

The point is that, in the example, $162 is the port fee by itself.

$279 is the total of all taxes & fees.  

No...if you price out certain dates on that itinerary, for example the December 13, 2022 sailing, you'll see that the total of all taxes and fees comes to the $162, just as stated and shown on the screen shot, while on other dates it's higher, for example on the August 29, 2022 sailing, it's $279.

 

In thinking about this some more I seem to recall that port taxes in Bermuda are seasonal  so it would make sense that the taxes and fees for a summer high season cruise such as August 29 are higher than an off season cruise such as December 13 . The $162 shown on the screen shot is the lowest possible taxes and fees charge, just as when you look at the same screen shot you see they display a $299 cruise fare, which is the cheapest fare  available for the itinerary, but that $299 fare is not available on every departure.

[trivimp]

That makes sense.  You dug into it further than I did.  Thanks for clarifying 

[cruiserbear55]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

No...if you price out certain dates on that itinerary, for example the December 13, 2022 sailing, you'll see that the total of all taxes and fees comes to the $162, just as stated and shown on the screen shot, while on other dates it's higher, for example on the August 29, 2022 sailing, it's $279.

 

In thinking about this some more I seem to recall that port taxes in Bermuda are seasonal  so it would make sense that the taxes and fees for a summer high season cruise such as August 29 are higher than an off season cruise such as December 13 . The $162 shown on the screen shot is the lowest possible taxes and fees charge, just as when you look at the same screen shot you see they display a $299 cruise fare, which is the cheapest fare  available for the itinerary, but that $299 fare is not available on every departure.

 

     The cruise we just did on 4/8-4/15 from Boston to Bermuda (with Bar Harbor thrown in.God only knows why!) the taxes, port fees, and port expenses were $260.77pp:$521.54 total.Our upcoming cruise on 10/28 is exactly the same cost in   taxes, fees, and port expenses.

   I also did 2 mock bookings , one for 5/27 and other for 8/12. You guessed it! Exactly the same costs.

   So. comparing 4 cruises, 1 at the very beginning of the season and 1 at the end (off season), and 2 during "high season", I can find no variability in these costs.

  You are 100% correct in your post above that there is no difference in costs associated with different cabin categories. Whether you book an inside GTY or the Villa, you're going to incur the same costs.

   The bottom line is it is d**n expensive to visit Bermuda. The "fixed" costs-- taxes,fees,port expenses,Bermuda Travel Authorization, cost of covid testing- are quickly meeting or surpassing the cost of a cheaper inside cabin.

 

  taxes,fees, port expenses, Bermuda Travel Authorization, cost of covid testing