Which would you prefer? -- A fuel surcharge poll.

[Drew B]

There are a variety of possible ways the fuel surcharge has been handled or could be handled. Which would you prefer?

[Susan-M]

Hi Drew,

An interesting poll .... and one I had to think about for a bit. I chose #1 because the rising fuel price affects everyone equally on a cruise, and I feel that a supplement should be shared by everyone equally, regardless of when you booked or when you made your final payment. An important factor though is that people should be aware when booking, that a supplement may be implemented....instead of catching everyone by surprise.

[Petert]

I think that Celebrity took the best option available to meet the unanticipated rise in the cost of fuel. By making it a surcharge it leaves Celebrity the flexibility of removing or revising the marginal fuel expenses while maintaining the cost of the cruise to their customers. Those that had committed to a price earlier may be impacted with the additional fuel costs to the extent that they can no longer comfortably afford the cruise, and Celebrity has taken this into account. It is easier to remove the additional fuel costs than to try and juggle pricing to maintain profitability.

 

I feel that Celebrity has acted responsibly in the face of unprecidented increases in fuel costs.

 

Petert

[Drew B]

I find that people would complain about any of the options if faced with them, but it's only by seeing them all lined up together that we can really decide which would be preferable.

[Jade13]

I voted for number 1. As I have expressed, I understand the need for the fuel surcharge, but totally object to the way it is being handled by Celebrity and not either across the board (Carnival/HAL) or a grace period to pay in full and not receive fuel surcharge (Regent).

[bububr]

If you look at other lines, X, RCL, and Azamara have the LOWEST per day charge company wide.

 

So I'm not going to complain about anything.

 

Dave:eek:

[DC2OC]

I voted for #1.I certainly don't want them to lower quality to pay for it.I'm wiling to pay for quality .I have to admit that I have nothing booked,though I'm planning on the Connie in early 2009...............Frank

[Kathie44]

We are in the "Ala Celebrity" category, having just paid for the cruise less than a week before the surcharge was initiated. Dodged a bullet there! :D Good thing my TA paid it a week early. Maybe she knew it was coming.

If they didn't do it with the cost of the cruise, it would have to show up somewhere else, so it probably doesn't matter. We still get dumped on.

[Host Kewlguy]

I chose #3 which is for new bookings only. Carnival's was the most unfair.

[FinelyCruising]

Drew I voted for 'other'...

 

I'd like our world with better fuel prices. It's a tall order, I know.

 

But since I am trying to cope...I think I am fine with what Celebrity did but for the lack of opportunity for cruisers on the cusp.

 

It is fair to recapture the added costs for the increase in fuel, but not so fair to those who needed a few mere days to avoid the hit in the gap of paid up and about to be paid up.

 

To blend it into the rates may be an inevitable, but for right now, this seems OK to me and is not a double hit. Sooner or later there will be a change again, so the cruiselines need to plan several years out in their strategy for consumption and costs to operate for each ship and lock in now to lock in for the consumer with some predicatability in the costs despite a changing market.

 

This is do-able.

[glgolfer]

Agree with Finely Cruising. RCCL assessed the charge more equitably than most anyone else.

As FC said, they could have given everyone a window to make final payment before assessing the charge.

 

I also agree with Kewlguy about Mickey, who took the lead in greed. (Not that Mickey).

[kyrisong1]

Hi Drew, I voted for other, thinking that the way that Celebrity did it was fair, everyone sharing the cost, and like many others, I think that the flexibility of being able to remove it later works fine too.

I think with the costs of fuel rising we have to expect the cruise industry to offset it somehow, I for one would like it to be straightforward, like they are doing. We are charging you x amount because that is what the fuel costs are, instead of just raising prices.

I think we all have very different ways of looking at this, which doesn't make one way wrong or right, just different, it is what it is. Cheers, Carole

[happynewbie]

Hi Drew,

An interesting poll .... and one I had to think about for a bit. I chose #1 because the rising fuel price affects everyone equally on a cruise, and I feel that a supplement should be shared by everyone equally, regardless of when you booked or when you made your final payment. An important factor though is that people should be aware when booking, that a supplement may be implemented....instead of catching everyone by surprise.

 

 

Agree with Susan. Happynewbie

[tcocktail]

Obviously this fuel charge was coming. The way in which Celebrity handled this announcement to their loyal customers was not right. It looks to me that they just didn't know what to do. It's my understanding that the cruise hedge their oil, so they know how long they have gas at a certain price. This should not have been an surprise to them. as consumers we all know the prices are going up! I wish they would explain this to us. It was a big surprise to many and hopefully not to Celebrity. There has to have been a better way.

[sunpsyche]

I voted for #4. Just give me the total, please. If I had my way, fares would be listed including port charges also. I don't like the add ons that tax my poor math skills!

 

However, I do believe that if you've already paid in full for your cruise, i.e., "final payment," then you deserve to be exempt from fuel surcharges.

[leoandhugh]

what most pax do not seem to realize is that the cruise lines choose to keep surcharges and port fees and taxes as separate items, rather then building them in to the cruise fare because by doing so they do not have to pay TAs commission on those separate charges. I think that RCCL has chosen the best method of several possibilities:)

[glgolfer]

If RCCL raised the prices of cabins across the board, they couldn't charge anyone already booked for the price increase per their "contract" with those already booked.

By using a surcharge, they collect equally from everyone. Which is probably the fairest way.

 

If your cabin price goes down, you will still get the decrease as long as you request it. They don't have to do that and that is one of the things they could have done, cut out rebating (or whatever you want to call it) the price drops.

[chessbriar]

People seem to prefer building it into the fare. As a company keep in mind they are competeing with the other lines, so they need to keep prices competitive. Yes, on the whole the price would be competitive, but someone looking at prices first on a website of through a TA might not know about or remember the fuel surcharge. All they will see is higher prices on X.

 

I understand why they did it the way they did. Because everyone else did.

[summerwind2]

Seems to me that a cruise that is currently underway is the cruise using the "expensive" fuel. (the price of oil is falling for the past couple of days). I think Celebrity missed the boat here (pun intended), when they say the surcharge is due for cruises beginning in February. The way it is rigged now is that I am paying for someone else's cruise.

 

Why not say that a surcharge will be assessed at the time of sailing, if necessary.

 

I also wonder how quickly they will delete the surcharge if the situation changes.

[usha]

I'm sure as the fuel prices get lower, Celebrity will be crediting my visa...:rolleyes:

[Susan-M]

I wonder why Celebrity can't answer my question, which I emailed last Monday, asking them to explain their right to impose a fuel surcharge when there was no provision in their contract for doing so, and when they specifically stated in their FAQ section that prices would only be increased (following booking) for government taxes and fees. :confused:

 

Seems like a simple question to answer. I can't blame the lack of response on Celebrity's generally poor response time as they were able to respond to an email on another matter within 48 hours.