Single Supplement and Port Fees

[custompcsys]

Hard to imagine I know, but I am getting two different answers on this one :D I just got a quote from my TA on a CB Caribbean cruise for next summer out of NY of which one of the cabins is a single. When she quoted me she doubled the port fees but not the government taxes. When I called back to question I thought she had left for the day so I called Princess customer service (shudder!) and they told me they did not double the port fees or taxes, only charging the appropriate single supplement on the fare itself.

 

A little while later I got an e-mail from my TA who said she had gotten my voice mail and that yes, it WAS Princess policy to double port fees in singles, but not taxes...and that she got this directly from Princess. Can anyone help clear up this confusion?

 

Thanks! :)

[Coral]

Hopefully a TA can answer this but I am pretty sure Princess does charge singles double port fees.

[Pam in CA]

In comparing my quote (as a single) with my sister and brother-in-law's for the Crown Princess in July 2009, the ONLY difference in the total cost of the cruise (including cruise fare, govt taxes, fees and fuel surcharge) between us is $34. We have balcony cabins next to each other so I'm being charged 200%.

[willysgrandma]

I just did a booking as a double and a single. The single did not double the port fees, taxes nd fuel surcharge, only the cabin fee.

 

That said, Carnival does double them, so perhaps your TA got confused. Or she got wrong info from Princess - and believe me, that happens quite a bit with any cruise line. You can call the cruise line five times and get five different answers.

[montgomeryfamily]

I've booked Princess several times as a solo. Every single time there has been double port fees. Some of my bookings were even booked directly through Princess. The taxes and fuel surcharge are not doubled.

 

Actually there are no port fees--instead Princess has "non-commissionable fares" instead of port fees. The port fees are included within this.

 

The first time I booked, which was direct with Princess, I was told that Princess always doubles the NCF (non-commissionable fares) for singles. I talked to supervisors and Captain Circle who all confirmed this and also talked with a couple of travel agents I knew who confirmed this too. So I didn't pursue it further.

 

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not charge double port fees for singles.

 

If there has been any change with Princess, I would certainly like to know as I have a single booked for a cruise in May.

[custompcsys]

Looks like no changes. My TA called and re-checked after I told her the rep from Princess told me they didn't double the port fees, and she was told again that they did. She also stated that since they have the highest status a TA can have with Princess, they have a separate number to call and apparently get the most experienced reps, and she was told this twice by 2 different people. From what I am reading here this seems to be correct.

 

Oh well, $198 less I can spend at the bar! :)

[Coral]

She also stated that since they have the highest status a TA can have with Princess, they have a separate number to call and apparently get the most experienced reps, and she was told this twice by 2 different people. From what I am reading here this seems to be correct.

 

This is true - I think IXL Gold agents/agencies (I think that is the term) have a different Princess number to call compared to agencies that do not do much business.

[willysgrandma]

Looks like no changes. My TA called and re-checked after I told her the rep from Princess told me they didn't double the port fees, and she was told again that they did. She also stated that since they have the highest status a TA can have with Princess, they have a separate number to call and apparently get the most experienced reps, and she was told this twice by 2 different people. From what I am reading here this seems to be correct.

 

Oh well, $198 less I can spend at the bar! :)

 

You can confirm this by going to the website and doing a booking (without going all the way through).