fuel surcharge refund booked prior to Nov. 16 problem

[39august]

I am about to make final payment on a cruise that was originally a Next Cruise booked in June, 2007, but convereted to this specific cruise August 16, 2007. My TA is saying that RCI is still going to charge the fuel surcharge. WHAAT? This is obviously booked before the Nov. 16, 2007 date and according to the original press release, all bookings before that date will have the surcharge eliminated. Just wondered if anyone else has had to work this out with RCI? I have advised her that if RCI won't remove the surcharge per their original press release, to get me on a 3-way call with them.

[cruisinfanatic]

I am about to make final payment on a cruise that was originally a Next Cruise booked in June, 2007, but convereted to this specific cruise August 16, 2007. My TA is saying that RCI is still going to charge the fuel surcharge. WHAAT? This is obviously booked before the Nov. 16, 2007 date and according to the original press release, all bookings before that date will have the surcharge eliminated. Just wondered if anyone else has had to work this out with RCI? I have advised her that if RCI won't remove the surcharge per their original press release, to get me on a 3-way call with them.

Your TA is definitely wrong. All Next cruise bookings made previous to the surcharge date do not get charged. Heck you booked the specific ship before the date anyway. Is you TA awake?

[remmy810]

Your TA is right. At least that is the same response we got from our travel agent. We originally booked Nov 1 for a late August cruise and then we had to change it to a different week. We have called RCI and received the same response. It is very frustrating but there isn't anything we can do.

[Mark_K]

Your TA is right. At least that is the same response we got from our travel agent. We originally booked Nov 1 for a late August cruise and then we had to change it to a different week. We have called RCI and received the same response. It is very frustrating but there isn't anything we can do.

If you changed it to a different week after Nov 16, then the surcharge would apply.

[39august]

No, I made no changes after the Aug. 16 date. Obviously everyone is getting different ideas/responses. That is what I was afraid of.

[cruisinfanatic]

No, I made no changes after the Aug. 16 date. Obviously everyone is getting different ideas/responses. That is what I was afraid of.

You can't pay a surcharge then. I personally as well as 2 other clients booked next cruise bookings on my Sept 07 cruise. I used my next cruise booking on October 13th and was charged the surcharge when it went into effect in Nov. The charge later was taken off because RCL rescinded the charge on previous bookings.

[Bobbigrl27]

I booked our cruise in October 2007 directly with Royal Caribbean. I have a friend who is a TA so I transferred it to her in December. When she sent me an updated invoice, I noticed there was a fuel surcharge. I called her immediately and told her is shouldn't be there. She called RC and they took it off.

 

From what I have read on these boards, if you make any changes to the reservation, such as cabin choice, then you are subject to the fuel surcharge.

[cruisinfanatic]

I booked our cruise in October 2007 directly with Royal Caribbean. I have a friend who is a TA so I transferred it to her in December. When she sent me an updated invoice, I noticed there was a fuel surcharge. I called her immediately and told her is shouldn't be there. She called RC and they took it off.

 

From what I have read on these boards, if you make any changes to the reservation, such as cabin choice, then you are subject to the fuel surcharge.

Just changed my cabin and still have no charge.

[Bobbigrl27]

Just changed my cabin and still have no charge.

 

 

Well, I stand corrected then. :p It seems like I remember some people on here saying that they were charged the fuel surcharge after making a cabin change.

[wieslaw]

I am about to make final payment on a cruise that was originally a Next Cruise booked in June, 2007, but convereted to this specific cruise August 16, 2007. My TA is saying that RCI is still going to charge the fuel surcharge. WHAAT? This is obviously booked before the Nov. 16, 2007 date and according to the original press release, all bookings before that date will have the surcharge eliminated. Just wondered if anyone else has had to work this out with RCI? I have advised her that if RCI won't remove the surcharge per their original press release, to get me on a 3-way call with them.

 

Hi,

 

We booked the "Next cruise booking" while on board Mariner on Nov 15 or 16 , 2007.

We convereted that booking to a specific sailing on AOS for June 22, 2008, that was done in end of May ....... no fuel surcharge was added.

Beginning of June we changed the booked category ( which was on sale on that day) to save some money, we received refund to our Credit Card and no fuel surcharge was added - that was our experience.

 

Wes

[jmezmom]

If you change your cabin BUT stay on the same ship and date you are NOT charged the fuel charge.

 

I booked a trip in Sept 07 and have changed my cabin twice, as late as 2 weeks ago and was not charged. I even asked before i changed cabins.

 

If you change your sail date, ship, itinerary, etc you are charged the current fuel charge.

[Micki Dee]

We had a NC that we booked in Oct. of 07 and converted to a specific booking in early March 08. RCCL charged me a fuel charge of $5pp. The charge has been there for months, and today I checked on some Future Cruise Coupons that I had applied and they sent me an updated invoice and guess what...the fuel charges have been removed.

 

Now I have to check on my other cruise that I booked a month after this one using a NC booked at the same time (Oct 07) and see if those fuel charges have been removed.

[whyrlygig]

I called to upgrade our cabin last week and they were going to charge me the current rate surcharge. All I had to do was correct her and she was able to research and see that it should only be $35 each.

[Jfultz81]

If you change your cabin BUT stay on the same ship and date you are NOT charged the fuel charge.

 

I booked a trip in Sept 07 and have changed my cabin twice, as late as 2 weeks ago and was not charged. I even asked before i changed cabins.

 

If you change your sail date, ship, itinerary, etc you are charged the current fuel charge.

 

Umm.. didn't happen to us! We originally booked Mariner 10/25/09 with our NC that we purchased on 11/13/07 (barely made it!!). We weren't charged a surcharge. Since then we have changed to the Indy 12/12/09 and still no surcharge..and were told by C&A there wouldn't be. Guess maybe we're lucky? :D

[My Lady Sydney]

Sorry to be so stupid, We booked in August 07 and are being charged a fuel surcharge, is this incorrect and should I ? this? Out final pay is due in 3 weeks and I would surely like to not have to pay the surcharge.

[lvtotrvl1]

I think the computers just added it on to alot of bookings...I had a whole group that had it added...they took it off as soon as I noticed it...Not hard at all.

[fweerilly]

Hey, I know how you feel. My TA quoted me the surcharge price months before final payment in June. By June, I paid only the cruise, tax, and insurance; no fuel surcharge. When I spoke with TA (Susie from A E Travel), she told me it had been on and off my booking at least two times. RCCL seems confused. Just call and don't take "no" for an answer.

[pcur]

Umm.. didn't happen to us! We originally booked Mariner 10/25/09 with our NC that we purchased on 11/13/07 (barely made it!!). We weren't charged a surcharge. Since then we have changed to the Indy 12/12/09 and still no surcharge..and were told by C&A there wouldn't be. Guess maybe we're lucky? :D

 

Same thing happened to us. We booked the Radiance last May 2007, before surcharges were a glimmer in RCCL's accountants' minds. It was paid in full, however. On 6/27/2008 we changed the whole cruise to the Serenade, and no fuel surcharge was charged.

 

If they charged the OP when they shouldn't have, then RCCL needs to have that pointed out. I think they audit them for dates, etc., and don't see the original booking dates sometimes. They need to be "reminded".

[goldiemom]

I just paid my final for a cruise on the Splendour. I booked it on Nov. 13, 2007 while onboard the Serenade. TA stated that I was to pay the fuel surcharge. I called the C&A desk and they removed it right away. TA verified, all is well.

[cruisinfanatic]

Sorry to be so stupid, We booked in August 07 and are being charged a fuel surcharge, is this incorrect and should I ? this? Out final pay is due in 3 weeks and I would surely like to not have to pay the surcharge.

Absolutely not. The fuel surcharge is not retroactive to bookings made before it went into effect. Get a new statement and see if it's still there. If it is, start calling.

[39august]

To update all: It seems I have won this round. After I quoted the original press release to my TA, she indicated that she would "try again" and if there was any problem, she would call me. That was yesterday early AM. So far no call from her. It disturbs me that RCI just willy-nilly charges the surcharge to some and not to others...all of whom purchased BEFORE Nov. 16. By the way, the lame excuse that Next Cruise doesn't count until the cruise is selected won't stand up either. The original press release stated ..."agreed to eliminate its fuel supplement on ANY bookings made prior to...November 16, 2007". I had to fight to get OBC on a Voyager cruise back in April. Fortunately, I had brought a copy of the press release and my Next Cruise paperwork. At that time, the Chief Purser tried to tell me that Next Cruise was not a booking. Funny, the heading on my Next Cruise is "Booking Information". She had to contact Miami, quote RCI's own words to them and then advised that I would see my OBC the next day. Hope I don't have to fight this out again when my January cruise is up for final payment!

[Dive Master]

Sorry you guys are going through this but I must admit I am not at all surprized.RCCL tried to change our contract after booking in November 2007 and I ran out of time waiting for the Florida AG to help RCCL see the light! That expalins why my "NEXT CRUISE" is on NCL!!! Yep, I am paying a fuel surcharge but at least it was explained clearly at the time of booking.

[cruisinfanatic]

To update all: It seems I have won this round. After I quoted the original press release to my TA, she indicated that she would "try again" and if there was any problem, she would call me. That was yesterday early AM. So far no call from her. It disturbs me that RCI just willy-nilly charges the surcharge to some and not to others...all of whom purchased BEFORE Nov. 16. By the way, the lame excuse that Next Cruise doesn't count until the cruise is selected won't stand up either. The original press release stated ..."agreed to eliminate its fuel supplement on ANY bookings made prior to...November 16, 2007". I had to fight to get OBC on a Voyager cruise back in April. Fortunately, I had brought a copy of the press release and my Next Cruise paperwork. At that time, the Chief Purser tried to tell me that Next Cruise was not a booking. Funny, the heading on my Next Cruise is "Booking Information". She had to contact Miami, quote RCI's own words to them and then advised that I would see my OBC the next day. Hope I don't have to fight this out again when my January cruise is up for final payment!

Chances are, if your TA bothered to get an updated statement, the fuel charge likely would have been gone. When RCL decided not to charge the fuel surcharge for previous bookings, all those bookings were changed to reflect no fuel charge. If you didn't get an updated statement you wouldn't know.

[Jfultz81]

Hope I don't have to fight this out again when my January cruise is up for final payment!

 

I have the same hope! Luckily, my husband got a great C&A phone rep who applied our credit to our statement, so at least I have that. Final payment is a long time away for us, so we have a long wait and see.. *crossing my fingers for both of us*

[temple1]

I think you need to be talking to your TA about the problem. I booked a cruise direct with RCCL sometime last year for a Dec 08 cruise. It showed the fuel surcharge and for a long time after RCCL rescinded surcharges for prior reservations it still showed. I called RCCL and they said they were being removed. To keep an eye on it - and yes it went away without me having to do anything. Earlier this year I called and talked to the reps about changing my cruise date and ship and I asked what happens with the fuel surcharge?

 

According to RCCL as long as you keep the same reservation number you will not be charged the surcharge.

 

I think many on here are having problems with the TA's, not RCCL. I am not a rah rah RCCL person, it is just my experience with them on this particular topic and the experiences I've read on here of cruisers and some of the TA's.