HAL Fuel Surcharge

[Tredebo]

I've just been hit up for an additional US$140 for our NZ cruise in February, despite being fully paid before the announcement of the application of the surcharge. This is despite representations from my TA. HAL have advised that it is in the Terms and Conditions, so there goes some of my spending money! :mad:

[bepsf]

Name me a cruiseline (or Airline for that matter) that isn't imposing fuel surcharges these days...

[hammybee]

HAL paid every travel agency with a booking $10 to notify their clients of the fuel surcharge and give them the opportunity to cancel if they did not want to pay it. That time has come and gone.

 

Sounds like your agent was asleep at the wheel. I think the surcharge was announced during the first week of November and it's applicable to all sails on or after 2/1/2008, regardless of when booked.

[Aussie Gal]

It does depend on when you paid your money. If it were months ago, then I don't feel you should pay the extra tax but if it were only a few weeks ago, you have to pay like everyone else.

 

You are lucky it is only $140, some cruise lines are charging up to $11 a day and for the entire length of the cruise.

 

HAL, Princess and Carnival are limiting the amount to 14 days which is very fair.

 

Jennie

[jtl513]

It does depend on when you paid your money. If it were months ago, then I don't feel you should pay the extra tax but if it were only a few weeks ago, you have to pay like everyone else.

That would mean that most people on Feb/Mar cruises would not be paying it, and I don't think that it would be fair to the relatively few that booked inside the 75 day final payment period.

[Aussie Gal]

There has to be a cut off somewhere. Usually people who buy cruises within the 75 day limit get their cruises cheaper so paying the tax is just part of the cost of the cruise and as HAL is only charging a maximum of $90 per person, it is not a huge amount to be out of pocket.

 

We are doing an Oceania cruise in April and our final payment had to be paid in November. We were lucky as the cut off time was for anyone who hadn't paid their full amount by the 1st December. As we are on a 35 day cruise, our extra would have cost us $245 each.

 

There will always be someone not happy when a tax is imposed. I have read that Canadians are able to dispute the tax and do not have to pay it.

 

Jennie

[mrblack]

I have read that Canadians are able to dispute the tax and do not have to pay it.

 

Jennie

 

I'm Canadian. I had to pay it. How do you get out of paying the tax?

[jimgev]

Suggestion: READ YOUR CONTRACT!

I booked in October for a cruise in April and was informed in November that I had to pay a fuel surcharge. I have no problem with that. If I did, I had the opportunity to cancel.

The reality of the world economy is that oil prices are excallating. The surcharge is a very modest reaction to that reality.

[Aussie Gal]

I'm Canadian. I had to pay it. How do you get out of paying the tax?

 

Here is a posting from the Oceania Board, read posts 9 and 13.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=677153&highlight=canadian

 

and this one as well.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679702

 

Jennie

[Tredebo]

I but did not hear anything about the surcharge until I read it on the CC boards last night and shot an email off to my TA today. I've paid it - not much choice really. It's been a revealing afternoon - my TA (as in the lady looking after my booking) has left the company so that may be why I didn't hear anything.

 

By the by re the fine print (which I do read), HAL "reserve the right to pass through the extra amount". Doesn't mean they must - I agree with Aussie Gal, there ought to be a cut off point, if only as an act of faith (I paid in full in one hit on 2 October).

 

Regardless, I believe that I have paid a fair price for this trip and to keep putting my hand in my kick to top it up before I even leave the country rankles a little.

 

Such is life. I'm going to have a wonderful trip whatever comes.

[CroozeAddict]

How do you get out of paying the tax?

 

First of all, it's not a tax. It's a surcharge. Only the government can impose a TAX. AND ... this has been publizied for quite a while. If your travel agency didn't notify you and you feel strongly against this ... fire them.

[navybankerteacher]

The "fine print" has always implied that such surcharges can be applied. HAL did notify all well in advance that the surcharge would be applied for all sailings after 2/1/08. Look at it this way: if you had been planning a Spring road trip since last summer and you learned that gas prices had increased, regardless of when you started booking motels, etc. wouldn't you be faced with the same problem? Why should HAL be expected to guarantee future costs - after they have specifically advised you that they would not?

[sapper1]

I'm Canadian. I had to pay it. How do you get out of paying the tax?

 

If you booked through a Canadian travel agency before the surcharge was imposed then you are protected by law from having to pay the increase. We booked our upcoming April cruise in September and have not been charged the extra amount. There was a lot of discussion of this fact on several of the boards a few months ago when the situation first arose.

 

If I am not mistaken, UK residents also have similar protection. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have a couple of cruises coming up in March -- and we had to fuel the increase charges. No big deal.

 

All the airlines are also doing it.

[spcl4cs_gal]

If you booked through a Canadian travel agency before the surcharge was imposed then you are protected by law from having to pay the increase. We booked our upcoming April cruise in September and have not been charged the extra amount. There was a lot of discussion of this fact on several of the boards a few months ago when the situation first arose.

 

This is supposedly correct. I booked in May '07 with a Canadian TA, was told that I would have to pay the surcharge, and then told by my TA that I wouldn't have to pay and would be refunded the money paid ($70).

[mindydaile]

I contacted my TA back in November when news of the surcharge first came up here on the boards. Luckily for me, I booked through my AAA travel agent and they paid the surcharge for all their members who'd already paid in full for upcoming cruises.

[Jade13]

I'm Canadian. I had to pay it. How do you get out of paying the tax?

 

RCCL/Celebrity are not having Canadians pay their fuel surcharge regardless if they booked through an America TA and paid in US dollars. It has something to do with Canadian laws.

 

Regarding HAL, I am not mad at HAL and at least they are applying the surcharge accross the board.

 

To the OP -

 

Celebrity on the other hand has implemented this in a very poor way. They made their announcement including announcing that anyone who paid before the announcement in full did not have to pay the fuel surcharge. Then they moved that paid in full day to the day of the announcement. I had called that day and tried to pay in full without the fuel surcharge (two cabins) and was denied, so you can imagine how pissed I am (I even have the fulll name of the person that I spoke to).

 

Go to the Celebrity board and especially the RCCL board. Unlike HAL, they changed their contract the day of their announcement. The RCCL folks even had info from the "Need to Know" page stating once they paid a deposit the cruise fare would not change.

 

At least HAL had this right in their contract.

[NudeSleeper]

Disney is also offering its passengers another treat in 2008: No fuel surcharge. While every other major cruise line has announced $5 per passenger per day charges to offset fuel costs, Disney has pledged not to enact one at least through the spring

[hammybee]

Disney is also offering its passengers another treat in 2008: No fuel surcharge. While every other major cruise line has announced $5 per passenger per day charges to offset fuel costs, Disney has pledged not to enact one at least through the spring

 

And the mouse stands alone on this one. :)

[Desdemona01]

Disney is also offering its passengers another treat in 2008: No fuel surcharge. While every other major cruise line has announced $5 per passenger per day charges to offset fuel costs, Disney has pledged not to enact one at least through the spring

 

which is why my Disney stock is stagnant and sinking....:mad:

[navybankerteacher]

Also why Disney cruise prices are so high - try comparing on a similar destination/similar accomodations basis with any other line -- they are regularly significantly more pricey.

[sail7seas]

which is why my Disney stock is stagnant and sinking....:mad:

 

 

Not to mention the difference in price for their cruises!

[RuthC]

I agree with Aussie Gal, there ought to be a cut off point, if only as an act of faith (I paid in full in one hit on 2 October).

Ah, but there was a cut-off point. The announcement date was before final payment date for every cruise it applies to.

You make not like the cut-off date, and there were other choices for cut-off date, but one does exist.

[atmywitsend]

Hi

 

In early November, my travel agent advised me that a fuel surcharge was being added to all cruises. At that time I was given the opportunity to either cancel my cruise or to agree to it. I didn't want to cancel this trip over $42.66, so I gave my ok.

 

Then in early December, I received another letter from my TA and it stated "after further review of the fuel surcharge to Canadians, the cruise lines have agreed to not charge the fuel surcharge to passengers who have booked by a certain date and for travel during a certain time period". I was not given the time lines so I can't help with that.

 

I believe that the removal should have applied to everyone who had booked within these dates.

 

Have a great day