Fuel Surcharge

[howard6933]

I looked at the story about how much the cruise lines are adding for the fuel surcharge. Most of the cruise lines are adding $5.00 per person per day. How in the world can Windstar have the nerve to charge $8.50 per day per person when practically all the companies with the "mega" ships charge only $5.00. :confused: Don't they take into consideration the number of hours when they travel under sail and don't use as much fuel as when their engines are under full power??? Maybe I'm being "picky" about this, but it seems like they are taking advantage of their passengers with an exorbitant fee.

[inaflash]

I looked at the story about how much the cruise lines are adding for the fuel surcharge. Most of the cruise lines are adding $5.00 per person per day. How in the world can Windstar have the nerve to charge $8.50 per day per person when practically all the companies with the "mega" ships charge only $5.00. :confused: Don't they take into consideration the number of hours when they travel under sail and don't use as much fuel as when their engines are under full power??? Maybe I'm being "picky" about this, but it seems like they are taking advantage of their passengers with an exorbitant fee.

 

Well.. i'll take a stab and say it probably has something to do with the fuel being split amongst 150 passengers as oppose to 3000 passengers. Who knows if this fee is truly going to the increase in fuel costs but in the end it is really adding a very small amount compared with the cost of the cruise as a whole. I certainly wouldn't let $50 make a difference on a $1600+ cruise like windstar.. but that is just me.

[lvtotrvl1]

Well.. i'll take a stab and say it probably has something to do with the fuel being split amongst 150 passengers as oppose to 3000 passengers. Who knows if this fee is truly going to the increase in fuel costs but in the end it is really adding a very small amount compared with the cost of the cruise as a whole. I certainly wouldn't let $50 make a difference on a $1600+ cruise like windstar.. but that is just me.

 

I believe it is going to fuel costs, but I agree with your passenger ratio....although Windstar is "under sail" more than cruiselines, they still are under power quite a bit of the time...8.50 is not much in the whole scheme of things....cancel if you don't like it.

[dharmapath]

Ironic the one line that has ships that use sail power charges the most surcharge. Their new motto should be "our sails use more fuel".

 

It is the reality of cruising. If one does something to nickel and dime you, they all will.

[schmidlapp]

Lets just face it, high fuel cost affect all of us and any of you that believe

the winstar ships are "under sail" power a lot are mis-informed. The sails do very little if any to propel the ships contrary to what the cruise line wants all of us to believe. I think they are a beautiful "prop" but the engines do most of the work...

Do'nt get me wrong, I enjoy Windstar and am looking forward to our next trip on the Windsurf (Monaco GP in May).

[drwex]

In July of 2007 we booked a Windstar cruise at the published price for the Virgin Islands for November of 2008 and paid a 50% deposit. In December we received a letter that a fuel surcharge of $8.50 per person per day (over $100) would be added to our agreed upon price.

 

When we canceled the cruise, they refused to refund the insurance fee of $174. First, when a customer makes a reservation over a year in advance and pays a deposit, the company should honor that price. Second, It is ridiculous to add a fuel surcharge to a cruise a year in advance since no one knows what the fuel cost will be at that time. Third, If they are not going to honor their agreed to price, the least they could do is refund the full deposit.

 

Be very careful booking in advance with Windstar Cruises. They do not honor their published prices, and any company that would try to tack $100+ onto a $3000 cruise seems like a company in financial trouble. We will never take another Windstar cruise.

[mjz]

drwex - Windstar refunded you the full amount of the cruise, less insurance, correct? Your third point is a bit confusing regarding Windstar supposedly not refunding your depost.

 

I, as well, booked a cruise in July 2007 for September/October 2008. I also purchased insurance. I asked if I cancelled the cruise prior to depature if the insurance was refundable and was informed no. Did you think to ask this question when you booked the cruise and added the insurance? In December I received 3 phone calls from Windstar informing me of the fuel surcharge and was informed if I paid the cruise in full by a certain date in December, then the surcharge would not apply. Did your letter from Windstar not outline this? As for the fuel surcharge, I don't have a crystal ball, but logic tells me that fuel prices are not going to decrease, but most likely continue their upward movement.

[heartofamerica]

I'm sorry...I only know that gasoline costs me over $1.00 per gallon more today than it did last year. That's $10 a tank every time I fill up. I drive a hybrid, so I won't quit driving if gas goes up to $4 a gallon...nor will I cancel a cruise if a fuel surcharge is added.

[lovecruisingtoo]

Third, If they are not going to honor their agreed to price, the least they could do is refund the full deposit.

 

Be very careful booking in advance with Windstar Cruises. They do not honor their published prices, and any company that would try to tack $100+ onto a $3000 cruise seems like a company in financial trouble. We will never take another Windstar cruise.

 

First, as others have said, they did refund your full deposit. They did not refund the purchase of insurance that you made.

 

If your last comment is correct, then just about every other cruise line must be in financial trouble also. If you look, Windstar was one of the last lines to institute the charge. So if you will never take another Windstar cruise because they added the fuel surcharge, then you should be very careful and not go on any cruiseline.