Fuel Supplement announced (4 merged threads)

[Susan-M]

And what free "logo" items are we getting at the gas pumps these days when paying increased fuel costs? ;)

[Nibby1]

Has anyone heard if the surcharge is for the length of the cruise only, or does it include landtours also?

[Karynanne]

Has anyone heard if the surcharge is for the length of the cruise only, or does it include landtours also?

 

 

I would hope it's for the cruise part only.

 

I heard from our TA this today...and we will have an additional surcharge for our B2B in Feb./Mar. The way I view it....it's a little less than a Martini per person...per day. Not too bad, in the whole scheme of things.

 

Airlines are continuously adjusting their fares, according to the prices of fuel, so I'm not surprised at all, that the cruise industry had to follow likewise.

[omeinv]

I wish...

 

I wish that I could work for Celebrity...

 

And I wish that I could talk to some of you folks when you call in to see if there is a price reduction on your cruise...

 

And I wish I could say to: "But didn't we already agree on a price?"

 

And then I could listen to scream even louder about that than you are about the fuel charge.

 

I guess that what's sauce for the goose is not really sauce for the gander after all (to keep it in the holiday spirit!).

Funny you should say this:

 

I had just talked with my travel agent today and said that since Celebrity knocked $620.00 off the price of a booked cruise after final payment, contrary to what our "agreement" was, I can afford something like five cruises with the surcharge.

 

This is especially true since they had every right according to our agreement to add the surcharge, and NO requirement to lower the price after final payment for the booked cruise.

 

Even with the surcharge, I feel like Celebrity is far and away the best value for my vacation dollars. Would I rather it wasn't there? Of course. But I'd certainly rather have them charge the surcharge than economize in other areas, to off-set the expense that crude being close to $100.00 per barrel is creating.

 

Harris

[hermang]

Could someone clarify a point for me?

"The company has taken measures to soften the impact of this decision. For example, the company will not apply the supplement on any bookings where the guest has already paid the full cost of the cruise."(by when?)

 

Up to what date do you think this applies? I have a final payment at the end of Dec. I would pay it before if it meant saving the fuel supplement.

 

Checked with my TA this afternoon - If you paid YESTERDAY as in 11/15 - and traveling after Feb 1 2008 ( I think thats the date) you don't pay the supplement. Would have been nice if they said - you have a week to pay upfront - but hey $60 for a 6 night cruise for the two of us - no bigggie

[c-legs]

I understand that fuel oil is going up. I also understand that the cruise hedge there oil and that they do not use the same quality oil as the airlines, so it has to be cheaper.

:confused: Hi,

I just had a brilliant idea !! ( at least, I think it is....!) .If the cruise lines want to impose a fuel surcharge like everybody else in the transportation industry has done since the late 90's, we should absolutely insist that they use the same fuel ! ( who cares if the cost of CRUDE oil from which every sub-type of fuel is refined is the one hovering around $97/brl...).

Threathen a class action law suit if they don't !! Just think...all those lovely additional seadays we'll get to enjoy, free, as the ship dies at sea because of using airline kerosene fuel in their bunkers....and awaits a fuel barge arriving from the closest port to clean the mess up....additionnal days at sea !! Wow...I'm loving it already....

On the other hand.....we perhaps should be thankful it's taken the lines YEARS to catchup to something that's been the norm in the transportation

industry for quite a few years . We should all start a class action against all cruise lines for being so negligent in practicing due dilligence in their revenue/cost forecastings....:what were they thinking ???? Unfair for all of us, that's what I say !!

 

I vote for an accross the board ''fare per berth'' increase, effective right now, a solid one.....and be done with all that!!!

Then , we can adjust our ear muff when the protests start on THAT....

 

Cheers

All

(lol, ???)

:eek:

[Shirley and Les]

Just think...all those lovely additional seadays we'll get to enjoy, free, as the ship dies at sea because of using airline kerosene fuel in their bunkers....and awaits a fuel barge arriving from the closest port to clean the mess up....

Just a somewhat educated guess on this....but I think you could make the ship engines happy, with a little work, by supplying them with jet engine grade kerosene. And if you can't, you get to float around in the ocean for a day or two as you suggest.

Compare that to making a jet engine happy with ship-grade fuel oil! If it doesn't work, what happens? It's much easier to float in the ocean if you aren't approaching it at from an altitude of 30,000 feet. :eek:

I agree that 'X' was aware of the petroleum grade needed when it established the fuel surcharge. They didn't base it on buying Plus at the loca BP station. :o

Les

[Hflors]

Well I thought I would wait a day or two before posting since after the bombshell yesterday (if customers paid by 11/15 Note: posted on 11/16) there would be a fuel surcharge, but I find myself still as angry as yesterday! One day the cruise lines will be sorry for treating their loyal customers like dirt. God forbid if we are attacked again like another 9/11 they will be begging their customers to board their ships. I reminded Celebrity of that fact when I called and complained about sneaking in this fuel surcharge. (Wow you would think they were politicians in the good old state of Maryland! OUr reps. In ANnapolis voted in the Largest tax increase at 1:30 in the morning last Sunday! Now if we could just get the people in this state to vote them all out of office) Anyway I am beginning to believe that the cruise lines are getting too big. I know some of the people on this board will say "just cancel", but what do I do with my airlline tickets which were purchased "non refundable?" and the hotel before and after I bought "non refundable?" Will my travel insurance reimburse me for the loss there? NO I don't think so!

 

I'm beginning to believe that the newest celebrity comercial with the logo of "Staring you" is a key to "staring you SUCKER"!

 

Thanks you all for letting me vent!

 

I'm thinking of looking at one of the islands we've visited on our many cruises and possibly spending a week or so on a land vacation.

 

I feel better now!

[FLOURTOWN]

We booked 11 nights on the Constellation while cruising in September. We are to receive a $200.00 shipboard credit. However with the $110.00 surcharge that makes our credit worth about 2 drinks! We have taken

13 Celebrity cruises in the past and this might be the last. We booked the cruise on board and they didn't waste any time charging my credit card

$900.00. I have already e-mailed my displeasure to Celebrity and will probably

not hear from them since they're probably laughing all the way to the bank!

[tcocktail]

I too am still outraged at the way this was handled to their loyal customers. There should of been a grace period. I understand the need for the surcharge but I don't understand the the manor in which it was handled. It looks to me that they didn't know how to handle this situation. Yes we can cancel but as others have said the nonrefundable airline tickets have us. If this is the way they treat their loyal customers what are we to look forward to in the future under the new president. I encourage all to write to Celebrity and voice your opinion.

[Susan-M]

Thanks you all for letting me vent!

 

 

 

The fuel surcharge (which almost every cruise line has implemented) is hardly a bombshell; I don't feel that they are treating clients like dirt..or that we have "sucker" stamped on our foreheads. It's $110. for your cruise....skip a meal or two out in the next few months and the cost will be covered. And if you do change to a land vacation, please let us know how the costs compare.

[LuLaLuvlee]

I just look at the fuel charge as less than 2 tanks of gas for my car...would I cancel a cruise over it?? NOT a chance.

[Cruisenouvelle]

Frankly, I was wondering when it was going to happen. Package shipping companies like FedEx and UPS have been attaching fuel surcharges for years. It's pretty much to be expected when so much of us are so dependent on oil.

Just go and enjoy your cruise!!

[JJinVista]

:confused: I was hoping some attorney would weigh in on this issue by now.

 

I just checked my reservation statement which was sent to me last month, and it says I paid them a deposit, and in return, they've promised to give me a cruise for a stated price, paid by a future date. Something about contract law should apply here.

 

I understand businesses have to cover their overhead, but that's how the bean counters come up with the price that should be charged for fares.

 

Airlines can't get away with this - why do cruise lines? Because they're foreign based? When oil goes up, airlines up their prices for new bookings.

 

And no, I can't just cancel - I'd lose money on my travel arrangements.:mad:

[jeanneful]

Guess I better get my May cruise paid in full before it goes up again!! You never know. The airlines may do the same thing, and I booked my air through Celebrity. Yep going to pay it all in full today!!

[Susan-M]

Something about contract law should apply here.

 

Hard to imagine that almost every cruiseline implemented a surcharge without anyone at H.O. checking on the legality of it first.:confused:

 

p.s. After posting this, I found this contract on-line-scroll down to #7a.

Haven't found Celebrity's contract. http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/ticket_contract.aspx

 

And no, I can't just cancel - I'd lose money on my travel arrangements.:mad:

Even if you could get out of all of your travel arrangements without any penalty...is it worth giving up a vacation such as this over an extra $140.?

[Lois R]

Its the timing, not the amount that bothers me.

I am paying it and would have paid in full if I had known earlier.

 

I was told all the cruiselines have been charging it and Royal and X

are the last ones to do so. Would anyone know if that is an accurate

statement?

[Susan-M]

I was told all the cruiselines have been charging it and Royal and X

are the last ones to do so. Would anyone know if that is an accurate

statement?

 

Hi Lois, there have been a few "news stories" on CC on this topic. RCCL is not the last holdout on this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2270

 

And some other lines have handled the implementation in the same manner as RCCL did:

"Carnival Corporation said that its U.S.-based Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and Seabourn would all begin assessing a charge of $5 per person, per day. That applies to all bookings (no distinction is made for those who've paid in full) made for cruises on or after February 1, 2008."

[ECCruise]

Hi Lois, there have been a few "news stories" on CC on this topic. RCCL is not the last holdout on this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2270

 

And some other lines have handled the implementation in the same manner as RCCL did:

"Carnival Corporation said that its U.S.-based Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and Seabourn would all begin assessing a charge of $5 per person, per day. That applies to all bookings (no distinction is made for those who've paid in full) made for cruises on or after February 1, 2008."

 

Except, at least, Oceania. Oceania gave their passengers a grace period of about 18 days:

 

Guests choosing to pay in full prior to December 1, 2007 will be exempt from this surcharge.

[Hflors]

The fuel surcharge (which almost every cruise line has implemented) is hardly a bombshell; I don't feel that they are treating clients like dirt..or that we have "sucker" stamped on our foreheads. It's $110. for your cruise....skip a meal or two out in the next few months and the cost will be covered. And if you do change to a land vacation, please let us know how the costs compare.

 

Susan-M I respect your right to disagree, but I beg to differ. It's $140.00 in my case and yes other cruise lines have implemented these charges, but cruising on some of those other lines is considerly cheeper than cruising on Celebrity. If celebrity comes back next month and says Oops we made a mistake it will now be $200.00 pp and by the way you will need to pay the charges no matter if you paid in full or not will you then feel like you are being treated as "dirt" or a "sucker"? I understand that businesses are in business to make money, but after you make a deal and agree on a price you don't then inform the customer and say "well if you had paid me in full yesterday I wouldn't charge the increase."

 

I just hope that Celebrity/RCCL don't regret the day that they treated their loyal customers this shabbily. If got forbid we ever have another 9/11 some of the loyal customers that continued their cruises after the first 9/11 may not be so willing to do so once again. They depended on us to fill their ships when all our friends and family thought we were crazy for taking the chance to fly getting there.

 

I think Oceana has the right idea. They are alllowing their customers until Dec 1 to pay off their cruises before the implement the charge. I was willing to pay my cruise off yesterday to avoid the surcharge, but Celebrity said no so now they can wait until the date of final payment for my money!

[FLOURTOWN]

I received my reply from Celebrity concerning the $5.00 a day fuel charge they are adding to all cruises. All they did was cut and paste the original

letter that is on their website explaining the reason for the surcharge. They

even left the part in that if you don't like it "cancel". They obviously don't

care about their loyal customers. We'll go on this cruise because I couldn't

find any other cruise lines this late in time with the ports I wanted to visit that had cabins available. I hope the people who booked the new ships coming out next year have their wallet open. They not done yet!

[dmk]

Well, I paid my March cruise online in full yesterday Actually, twice but that's another thread).

Anyway, my confirmation sent to me by email doesn't show the fuel surcharge. However, it does state that if the fuel supplement doesn't show, I should contact their reservation department for an updated invoice.

I'll take my chances:) I'm not rushing to call reservations and tell them that they didn't charge me. If they nab me later, so be it.;)

[Susan-M]

If celebrity comes back next month and says Oops we made a mistake it will now be $200.00 pp and by the way you will need to pay the charges no matter if you paid in full or not will you then feel like you are being treated as "dirt" or a "sucker"?

 

Yes I would feel that way...but I think this it is a highly unlikely scenario. At this point, Celebrity is in line with what other cruise lines are doing, including some lines that are very expensive to cruise on, and where I'm sure more than a few clients are scratching their heads over another $5. or $7.pp/day.

 

I agree that Oceania's way of handling it would have seemed more fair - perhaps that is why they are charging $7. pp/day - to offset the funds that they will not be receiving from those who make payment prior to Dec. 1st.

[dabear]

Hflors: I beg to differ with you. I hope that RCCL/X does regret the day that they treated their loyal customers shabby. No, I'm not going to cancel my cruise that I booked 9 months ago for $140, especially since I would be penalized with other non refundable reservations. On the other hand, after this cruise (9th with this company) I don't think I will use X or Azamara again and go back to O, which by the way was great. Gee, my final payment was due in only 2 weeks, but I didn't know that waiting until that date would cost more. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth!

[MoreCruisesNow]

Look at it this way bear...

 

All the Carnival folks who had paid in full and were still charged will go to RCI and take the places of all the folks who feel abused because they had bookings that were not paid in full.

 

Then all the RCI folks who are reasonable and have some perspective will become Celebrity cruisers precisely because they are reasonable and have some perspective.

 

And all the mad folks will begin taking all-inclusive land vacations and spend their time drinking the free booze and griping.

 

Sounds good to me.