Tax / Fees Help Needed

[Glenrie]

We're booked on the Golden to Hawaii in December. I need to make my final payment now and have a problem. My travel agent says the Tax / Fees are $376.38 per person (3) notcounting the fuel supplement. Princess online shows them to be $63.38. This is almost $1,000 difference. When I asked the agent, they said that Princess doesn't show the port charges on-line and if I call Princess, they will confirm the fees. When I called Princess, they said they cannot discuss fees since I have an agent. I don't want to discuss the cruise rate, just normal fees. Princess was rather nasty and said that's what happens when you have an agent, they cannot talk to you. Any suggestions? If the money is due fine, but strangely enough, I'd like to know what I'm paying for. :(

Help!!!

[Pia1913]

We're booked on the Golden to Hawaii in December. I need to make my final payment now and have a problem. My travel agent says the Tax / Fees are $376.38 per person (3) notcounting the fuel supplement. Princess online shows them to be $63.38. This is almost $1,000 difference. When I asked the agent, they said that Princess doesn't show the port charges on-line and if I call Princess, they will confirm the fees. When I called Princess, they said they cannot discuss fees since I have an agent. I don't want to discuss the cruise rate, just normal fees. Princess was rather nasty and said that's what happens when you have an agent, they cannot talk to you. Any suggestions? If the money is due fine, but strangely enough, I'd like to know what I'm paying for. :(

Help!!!

 

When you booked this cruise with the TA, you agreed to pay whatever it was you were quoted. You must have gotten an initial invoice, wherein the cost, deposit and final payments were all listed. Why the surprise now? When you go to the Princess site the price they are listing includes the fuel supplement and port charges, but not the taxes. Do some arithmetic and see where you are and your bottom line will most likely be much lower than what you are seeing on the Princess site.

 

Pia

[-Lew-]

The Princess web site currently lists government fees and taxes at $63.38 per person for both Hawaii cruises in December. See below...

 

You can't blame Princess for not discussing this with you. They are paying your TA a hefty commission to provide service to you. I'm sure their TA agreement states such.

 

I would call your TA and demand they double check their numbers.

 

Lew

 

[Pia1913]

The Princess web site currently lists government fees and taxes at $45.50 per person for both Hawaii cruises in December. See below...

 

You can't blame Princess for not discussing this with you. They are paying your TA a hefty commission to provide service to you. I'm sure their TA agreement states such.

 

I would call your TA and demand they double check their numbers.

 

Lew

 

 

Lew, you're showing Dec. 6, 2009. The OP is going in December of this year. There are 2 cruises in December; the 10th and the 24th, with as much as an $1100 difference in the price of a balcony.

 

Pia

[-Lew-]

Lew, you're showing Dec. 6, 2009. The OP is going in December of this year.

You're right, Pia. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I've edited my post to show this year.

 

Lew

[Pam in CA]

I would call your TA and demand they double check their numbers.

I agree. Call your TA and if they insist on the higher number, ask them to provide documentation as to why they are quoting so much higher fees.

[Colo Cruiser]

My TA shows taxes broken down like the OP stated, it is not port charges it is something else figured on the cruise fare. :)

[chrysalis]

My TA shows taxes broken down like the OP stated, it is not port charges it is something else figured on the cruise fare. :)

 

Mine does that also....but the total fare always end up still considerably lower than anything Princess quotes.

[Toto2Kansas]

With a new TA, I recently ran into this problem and sent them an email enquiring about the added taxes and fees. It was explained to me that she lists fees differently then Princess does.

The bottom line was still showing $1000 savings over Princess pricing, so no matter what the fees are for, it saved me a bunch over and above what I would have had to pay booking direct. Anyone that can save me $1000 can list it anyway they want too IMHO. LOL

[Suzieb]

Just thought i would stop by since we are going on the OCt15 Hawaii cruise, and we looked up our original price breakdown. and on it is showed Tax/Fees as $368.38 per person. Hope this helps

 

Val & Suzie

[mytime53]

I've also run into this tax difference when booking with TAs. No matter how it is broken down, the TA saves me money.

[Glenrie]

Thanks for all your opinions. You are all correct, my ta did save me money. I wouldn't even mind if they said the difference was their commission, just tell me what the extra $1K represents. I'm just one of those people who crosses their t's and dots their i's. It helps knowing that someone else has over $300 in taxes/fees. :)

 

It's going to be a great cruise!!

 

Marie

[caribill]

The cruise price quoted on the breakdown by the TA will be the cruise prise without any government fees/port taxes/fuel surcharges.

 

The cruise price shown on the Princess web site will include port fees and fuel surcharges.

 

The total fees/port charges/fuel surcharges will end up being the same whether you booked directly with Princess or with a TA. They are shown differently to a TA because these items are not commissionable.

[chasetf]

Thanks for all your opinions. You are all correct, my ta did save me money. I wouldn't even mind if they said the difference was their commission, just tell me what the extra $1K represents. I'm just one of those people who crosses their t's and dots their i's. It helps knowing that someone else has over $300 in taxes/fees. :)

 

It's going to be a great cruise!! Marie

Glad you got it straighten out.

 

I know with my TA she always quotes me the "complete out the door" price. I would not accept anything less and the invoice I get states the same. Any differences (so far we have never had one) would get resolved immediately.

 

Have a great trip. :)

[cacy6893076]

We're booked on the Golden to Hawaii in December. I need to make my final payment now and have a problem. My travel agent says the Tax / Fees are $376.38 per person (3) notcounting the fuel supplement. Princess online shows them to be $63.38. This is almost $1,000 difference. When I asked the agent, they said that Princess doesn't show the port charges on-line and if I call Princess, they will confirm the fees. When I called Princess, they said they cannot discuss fees since I have an agent. I don't want to discuss the cruise rate, just normal fees. Princess was rather nasty and said that's what happens when you have an agent, they cannot talk to you. Any suggestions? If the money is due fine, but strangely enough, I'd like to know what I'm paying for. :(

Help!!!

The key phrase here is "normal fees", in case you have not noticed, the recording at the beginning of the call states that the call will be recorded. Any discussion on a ta booking involving $$$$ is a serious no-no....you would be pressing the agent to give you infomation that could put their position at risk. Of course they can and will talk to you, just not about $$$

[owntvl]

The price you see on the web site includes the port taxes but not the government fees.

 

Also as far as your Travel agent making a huge commision, that is not true. Commisions run anywhere from 10 to 16 per cent and that does not include the taxes, its on the base fare you pay.

 

If the base is 1000.00, the agent will get anywhere from 100.00 to 160.00 . That is not a lot.

 

Your travel agent can get discounts and perks that you won't find online.

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

Kathy

[Sandytoes]

Glad it worked out.

Usually TA's have a better price than Princess.

They bill differently because their commission is based on the cruise fare only not including tax\fees.

Being the Tax / Fees were a lot more than what was shown on Princess's web site you started to panic. Like you were being riped off.

(I felt the same way the first time I booked with a TA)

As long as you get the better deal. That's what counts.

Enjoy your cruise.

Thanks for all your opinions. You are all correct, my ta did save me money. I wouldn't even mind if they said the difference was their commission, just tell me what the extra $1K represents. I'm just one of those people who crosses their t's and dots their i's. It helps knowing that someone else has over $300 in taxes/fees. :)

 

It's going to be a great cruise!!

 

Marie