Are extra fuel charges going to go in effect again?

[firefly333]

Oil looks like it will open above $66 a barrel this morning :(

 

Trading premarket $66.14, doesnt look good.

[firefly333]

Me, again. I just figured what I'd be out-of-pocket early to pay my booked cruises in full. At the interest rates today, I'm losing less than one person's fuel surcharge in interest. I think I'll do this in the next two weeks just to protect us from paying a surcharge. Our cruises are the end of this year and 1st quarter next year, and I have to pay in full from July - January, anyway.

 

I dont think that protects you. If oil is over $65 a barrel on the dates mentioned on page 1 of this thread, before your quarter, it says they will be added, and it says on the booking that they may be added, not like last time where they tried to add them without the wording they could to already booked cruises.

 

Cant hurt to pay them off early, but if they add them they will add them to all now imo. I had a booking on Oasis where they took the fuel off. I guess we will know mid June if RCL intends to re-add the fuel.

[uksimonusa]

so that means I'm in the clear for my June 6th cruise.

 

Yes, you are clear for your June cruise, because the Fuel Surcharge Decision for your cruise was made 2 weeks prior to the 1/4 that you are sailing in, i.e. around March 18th.

 

June 17th is the date for sailings from July 1st thru Spetember 30th, if oil is over $65.00 a barrel on that date the RCI reserve the right to charge a fuel surcharge on those sailings. Just because the have the right, doesn't mean that they will, we sail July 25th so are watching closely to see what happens with the price of oil and what decisions RCI make

[bajathree]

The economy being what it is, I would think that the cruise lines would wait as long as possible to re-instate the fuel surcharge. I would think it would have to go quite a bit over the base lines they have set before they would move in that direction. They are already sailing with ships that are not full and the passengers that are sailing, are sailing with incredibly discounted rates. The last thing they really want, is for passengers to start cancelling due to the implementation of the fuel surcharge.

 

 

You can say that again....I just saw a 3 night on Majesty for $149/pp:eek: for next week.

 

Vacationing right now is dead....the new hip trend and buzz word circlating the water cooler is "STAYCATION". I have been closely monitoring my future sailings as well as others in the same time period and see little to no change of availability....so future advanced reservations look to also be very slow......get ready for some terrible #'s to come out 3rd and 4th quarter of this year related to travel.

[pcur]

I dont think that protects you. If oil is over $65 a barrel on the dates mentioned on page 1 of this thread, before your quarter, it says they will be added, and it says on the booking that they may be added, not like last time where they tried to add them without the wording they could to already booked cruises.

 

Cant hurt to pay them off early, but if they add them they will add them to all now imo. I had a booking on Oasis where they took the fuel off. I guess we will know mid June if RCL intends to re-add the fuel.

 

I'm paying them all in full today. We are paying for a family cruise, and we have a b2b that is REALLY long, so with all my bookings we are potentially out $1,300 in fuel surcharges if they reinstate it.

 

I already have written proof that they did not charge me a fuel surcharge on an already paid in full cruise last year, AND I have a pit bull for a travel agent who loves to sink her teeth into something like this.

 

So, at 1.87% interest on my liquid savings, having to pay these all off in the next 6 months anyway, I'll just go ahead and lose the pittance in interest and have a better chance of not paying that $1,300.

[Guest nhrich]

Sorry, Peggy, but I don't think that's going to help. For last year's cruises, they did not have language in the contract to allow them to add the fuel surcharge, so they had to back down. There is now language in the contract that allows them to add the surcharge at any time, if oils goes (stays) over $65 per barrel.

[Gonzo70]

I'm paying them all in full today. We are paying for a family cruise, and we have a b2b that is REALLY long, so with all my bookings we are potentially out $1,300 in fuel surcharges if they reinstate it.

 

I already have written proof that they did not charge me a fuel surcharge on an already paid in full cruise last year, AND I have a pit bull for a travel agent who loves to sink her teeth into something like this.

 

So, at 1.87% interest on my liquid savings, having to pay these all off in the next 6 months anyway, I'll just go ahead and lose the pittance in interest and have a better chance of not paying that $1,300.

 

I personally would keep my money in the bank and earn a little interest. If RCL does resume the fuel surcharges it will not matter if you a paid in full or not. What happened last year is irrelevant as the cruise contract now has completely different language regarding how fuel surcharges can be implemented.

[xpcdoojk]

Peggy, I agree with Rich and Gonzo on this one. I don't think that pre-paying will change the end result if they re-instate the fuel surcharge. IE they will charge you the $1300. I further agree with Gonzo that they won't re-instate the surcharge unless oil is significantly above $65, and the way the economy is... I don't think there is significant support by the economy to increase the prices significantly. Having said that at some point inflation and higher interest rates are coming at some future point due to the enormous fiscal debt we are dumping on our country. When that happens, welcome back to the 70s! :mad:

 

jc

[pcur]

Peggy, I agree with Rich and Gonzo on this one. I don't think that pre-paying will change the end result if they re-instate the fuel surcharge. IE they will charge you the $1300. I further agree with Gonzo that they won't re-instate the surcharge unless oil is significantly above $65, and the way the economy is... I don't think there is significant support by the economy to increase the prices significantly. Having said that at some point inflation and higher interest rates are coming at some future point due to the enormous fiscal debt we are dumping on our country. When that happens, welcome back to the 70s! :mad:

 

jc

 

Been to the 70's; done that!! I still remember racing from work to get in line at a gas station in Oakland, CA!!

 

It's OK, I get a free SW roundtrip by paying now, anyway.

 

We all know that RCCL isn't all that consistent about following through on their policies, so I'll take my chances. My cruises have to be paid in full July, October, and January, so I'm losing $58 in interest to get my free roundtrip, and "maybe" avoid a fuel surcharge of more than that.

 

We'll see.

[firefly333]

I personally would keep my money in the bank and earn a little interest. If RCL does resume the fuel surcharges it will not matter if you a paid in full or not. What happened last year is irrelevant as the cruise contract now has completely different language regarding how fuel surcharges can be implemented.

 

It could matter, in that they would charge you once you were onboard, rather than upfront. I have one cruise with some extra OBC that Id rather pay the fuel out of if it is imposed, rather than upfront.

[xpcdoojk]

Been to the 70's; done that!! I still remember racing from work to get in line at a gas station in Oakland, CA!!

 

It's OK, I get a free SW roundtrip by paying now, anyway.

 

We all know that RCCL isn't all that consistent about following through on their policies, so I'll take my chances. My cruises have to be paid in full July, October, and January, so I'm losing $58 in interest to get my free roundtrip, and "maybe" avoid a fuel surcharge of more than that.

 

We'll see.

 

In that case good job. :cool: Everyone has different financial needs and oppurtunities.

 

jc

[jhmoore143]

. . . June 17th is the date for sailings from July 1st thru Spetember 30th, if oil is over $65.00 a barrel on that date the RCI reserve the right to charge a fuel surcharge on those sailings. . . .

 

So, I might have dodged the bullet if they do re-instate it? We sail on June 29th and come back on July 3rd. . . .

[Gonzo70]

So, I might have dodged the bullet if they do re-instate it? We sail on June 29th and come back on July 3rd. . . .

 

You will not have a fuel surcharge on that sailing.

[pcur]

In that case good job. :cool: Everyone has different financial needs and oppurtunities.

 

jc

 

I just wish my opportunities included RECEIVING money instead of GIVING it!!

 

By the way, I want to hear all about the Indy asap when you get back. We are on her in December with the whole family. Don't worry.....I'll nag you about it. :D

[pcur]

So, a very good friend of ours called us today. He and his wife have never been on a "big ship" cruise, only Windjammer Cruises, and they decided to go with us on the second leg of our b2b, which is our Australia cruise.

 

So, I'm on the phone with my TA figuring out cabins, coupons, etc., and she calls RCCL. She talks to both the regular ressie people, and the b2b people, too.

 

She mentions that she is in the middle of paying my cruises in full today, and was I correct about thinking that if I'm paid in full I would not be charged a fuel surcharge if one was to come out of the oil prices on 6/17 (our first cruise leaves on 9/30).

 

BOTH of these reps at RCCL agreed that we would NOT be charged the fuel surcharge if we were paid in full. I guess they are not going to enforce all the wording in their contract.

 

So, I pulled out my contract from my 4/6/09 cruise and checked the wording. It says "may apply, at the Carrier's sole discretion" blah, blah, blah.

 

Again, we'll see if it happens, but my $58 lost interest in my savings is looking more and more worthwhile to me.

 

Just thought I'd pass it on.

[Gonzo70]

She mentions that she is in the middle of paying my cruises in full today, and was I correct about thinking that if I'm paid in full I would not be charged a fuel surcharge if one was to come out of the oil prices on 6/17 (our first cruise leaves on 9/30).

 

Sorry, but I would not get my hopes up about this. There is no way a phone rep would be in the know about this issue. They probably were just thinking of how things were handled last year (when there was a completely different policy). In the event they resume the fuel surcharges I do not think it will make a difference if people are paid in full or not - it is so much more difficult logistically for them to charge it for some people only. Also last time they tried to charge everybody when they legally were not able to do so, so why would they not do this when they are now legally able to? Hopefully you are right, but I think it is wishful thinking. I will keep my fingers crossed for you though that you are correct.

[PCWalton1]

I always know exactly when gas is going to go down. It's the day After I fill up.

 

You must fill up the same days as me. :eek:

[firefly333]

Sounds like there are going to be some unhappy cruises if RCL does what it says it plans on. If oil if above $65 on June 14, 2009, then the fuel surcharge will be added back on.

 

If those who are paid in full are exempt, what would be the point of RCL announcing doing it qtr by qtr? (almost everyone would be past final payment for a July or even August cruise by June 14th).

[Guest nhrich]

You must fill up the same days as me. :eek:

 

I must fill up the day after both of you. They're waiting in the doorway with the lower price signs when I fill up, and come out as I'm pulling away from the pump. :(

[Guest nhrich]

I'm not even convinced the quarter by quarter dates still apply. That was what they announced when they added them, but when they pulled the supplements, they just said that they reserved the right to add them if fuel went back up.

 

Peggy, I hope you're right and that you won't have to pay them, but I definitely wouldn't trust what the phone reps say. They're just going based on what happened last time. Heck, I wouldn't even trust it if it came directly from Richard Fain's mouth.

[uksimonusa]

So, I might have dodged the bullet if they do re-instate it? We sail on June 29th and come back on July 3rd. . . .

 

Yes you've dodged the bullet, the cut off for your cruise was March 18th

[firefly333]

I'm not even convinced the quarter by quarter dates still apply. That was what they announced when they added them, but when they pulled the supplements, they just said that they reserved the right to add them if fuel went back up..

 

I thought the qtr by qtr came later when oil rates were dropping and folks were demanding the fuel be removed, RCL announced the qtr by qtr thingee. I had a cruise booked on Oasis and they said it wouldnt come off unless oil was below $65 that far in advance, and they just a little later they raised my rate $70 just before taking the fuel off totally.

 

I dont think the qtr by qtr determination came until way later in the game as I remember it unrolling.

[LuckiePuris]

If the fuel surcharge is reinstated, is this added to your fare for your cruise? If full payment has already been made, will you still need to pay the fuel surcharge?

 

If it isn't added to your fare, is it added to your onboard account?

 

What is the general cost of the fuel surcharge? Is it a one off amount for the duration of your cruise or is it charged on a per-day basis?

[firefly333]

If the fuel surcharge is reinstated, is this added to your fare for your cruise? If full payment has already been made, will you still need to pay the fuel surcharge?

 

If it isn't added to your fare, is it added to your onboard account?

 

What is the general cost of the fuel surcharge? Is it a one off amount for the duration of your cruise or is it charged on a per-day basis?

 

When they removed my fuel surcharge from my booking, the TA said it could be reinstated. It was $10 per day per person. To be determined quarter by quarter. Sure didnt take long to hit $65 to add it back again.

 

Its by how many days your cruise is. per day.