Is Cunard Charging a Surcharge for Cruises which are Already Booked?

[tring]

Just wondering if Cunard is charging a surcharge for cruises which are already booked?  I have seen a post someone has made on a non CC site, that Cunard have charged an extra £1,000 pp for a cruise (I think it may be the 29 night transatlantic cruise next month, but not sure).  It sounds a very large amount of cash, so I do wonder if this was a true report and am also curious as to whether any cruise line had started charging fuel surcharges, which could well happen in the not too distant future.

[PORT ROYAL]

2 hours ago, tring said:

Just wondering if Cunard is charging a surcharge for cruises which are already booked?  I have seen a post someone has made on a non CC site, that Cunard have charged an extra £1,000 pp for a cruise (I think it may be the 29 night transatlantic cruise next month, but not sure).  It sounds a very large amount of cash, so I do wonder if this was a true report and am also curious as to whether any cruise line had started charging fuel surcharges, which could well happen in the not too distant future.

On this particular cruise in BC.  Heard nothing as yet.  If true, and one doubts it, then it is what it is and will just live with it, as it’s a long held wish to take.

If there is to be a surcharge, it will effect all three individual sections of the 29 nights, being sold separately.  East, Canada, West, plus the 29 nights

Edited August 25, 2022 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[Host Hattie]

That doesn't sound very likely 

[Windsurfboy]

Agree with Host Hattie it doesn't sound likely,

 

I  thought they couldn't increase prices after final payment.  Anyway even if before final payment any increase will most probably be under the threshold that entitles people to cancel and get a full refund (8% I think but not sure). This again makes it unlikely they will risk bad PR for a small sum. They won't increase prices over this threshold as they will loose more customers  than gain in revenue  from  those that remain. Many people even if they can afford it will cancel out of principle that Cunard don't reduce prices when oil goes down, and a contract is a contract.

[tring]

3 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

On this particular cruise in BC.  Heard nothing as yet.  If true, and one doubts it, then it is what it is and will just live with it, as it’s a long held wish to take.

If there is to be a surcharge, it will effect all three individual sections of the 29 nights, being sold separately.  East, Canada, West, plus the 29 nights

 

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.  Yes seems highly unlikely to have any substance whatever as a couple of weeks ago was mentioned as the date when this happened   The comment referred to New York and back this September and I do not see any other itinerary fitting that bill.  I suspect they may have been in the process of booking and the price went up, but was not how it was worded as a deposit was mentioned.  Some people just like to make weird statements in some places (heaven knows why), though thankfully Cruise Critic seems to be a far better place to get the truth.

 

[tring]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Agree with Host Hattie it doesn't sound likely,

 

I  thought they couldn't increase prices after final payment.  Anyway even if before final payment any increase will most probably be under the threshold that entitles people to cancel and get a full refund (8% I think but not sure). This again makes it unlikely they will risk bad PR for a small sum. They won't increase prices over this threshold as they will loose more customers  than gain in revenue  from  those that remain. Many people even if they can afford it will cancel out of principle that Cunard don't reduce prices when oil goes down, and a contract is a contract.

 

I have looked at the Cunard T&C's and they can add an extra charge up to 20 days  (I think) prior to the cruise and as you say only up to 8% maximum without the customer being able to cancel for a full refund.  If costs were to rocket beyond that 8%, a larger sum can be added, but then there would be a legal entitlement to cancel.

 

The clause is covered by the package travel regs. 2018 and also includes the position that reduction in costs would mean a company would have to reduce the cost to the customer as well if their costs decrease, so if this big increase in fuel charge is, eventually, reversed then we may actually see a reduction in charges.  The future is something we have no knowledge about though.  Also, that clause has to be explicitly mentioned in the contract for a company to be able to increase the charges to the customer, but I would think the clause will be in the T&C's for all companies.

 

I think there may well be extra fuel charges added if the pricing situation continues, but the fuel cost is only a part of the overall package cost of course, so hopefully not massive amounts.  As you say a company would be very wary of introducing extra charges, so more likely be something that is held onto for a while and then would keep pretty much in line with charges from other companies.

 

All extra stresses for the holiday companies as well as us in very difficult trading times, but if it is only holiday costs we have to worry about, we can hardly complain compared to some people who will be far worse affected over the coming year and possibly beyond.

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by tring

[Underwatr]

Looking (briefly) over the US contract terms at https://www.cunard.com/en-us/advice-and-policies/passage-contract, the only portion of the fare which can be increased for a US booking are 'taxes fees and port expenses' which are further defined to include: 

 

U.S. Customs fees, head taxes, Panama Canal tolls, dockage fees, wharfage fees, inspection fees, pilotage, air taxes, hotel or VAT taxes incurred as part of a land tour, immigration and naturalization fees, and Internal Revenue Service fees, as well as fees for navigation, berthing, stevedoring, baggage handling/storage and security services. 

 

"Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are subject to change and Carrier reserves the right to collect any increases in effect at the time of sailing even if the fare has already been paid in full."

 

I've seen clauses related to fuel surcharges in the past but they've always been announced a month or two in advance. I don't see a provision for retroactive adjustment of the fare due to fuel or crude oil pricing in the US contract terms.

[LittleFish1976]

It couldn't happen post-booking on the Australia and New Zealand contract.

 

This is all that may be changed after forming a contract with Cunard (passenger has booked and Cunard has received a deposit).

'Once booked, Your fare may be subject to increased taxes, fees and port expenses. You will be notified

of this before it is added to Your fare, or to Your on board account.'

 

And also:

'We may elect to impose a fuel supplement at any time, in which case any additional fees will apply to new bookings only. The total price quoted to You at the time of booking will be inclusive of any applicable fuel supplement. '

 

Note that any fuel supplement that may be imposed is only relevant to new bookings.

[jimbo1683]

The price of fuel has been falling - certainly in the UK in recent weeks (down 15% in the last 3 weeks at my local forecourt) - so it would be a very hard sell to convince Brits it was a legitimate need.

[bbtablet]

Just had a mental image of the Queen Mary filling up with E10 at pump number 4!

[exlondoner]

She'd certainly cause a big queue behind.