Fuel surcharge question??

[WhiteSoxFan]

I don't think that being paid in full will help you much. Look at it this way, they are doing this on a quarter by quarter basis. The decision date is about 2 week before the start of the quarter and final payment is due 10 week before you cruise. If they were only going to add the surcharge to those who are not paid in full they could not start adding the surcharge until the 8th week of the quarter, they would then charge the next 5 weeks before the process started all over again. If they decide to reinstate the fuel surcharge it only makes sense to add it to all cruises paid in full or not.

 

Since the verbage states no more than $10 pp/per day they could decide to charge less than the full $10 and increase it as oil rises if necessary.

[pcur]

I don't think that being paid in full will help you much. Look at it this way, they are doing this on a quarter by quarter basis. The decision date is about 2 week before the start of the quarter and final payment is due 10 week before you cruise. If they were only going to add the surcharge to those who are not paid in full they could not start adding the surcharge until the 8th week of the quarter, they would then charge the next 5 weeks before the process started all over again. If they decide to reinstate the fuel surcharge it only makes sense to add it to all cruises paid in full or not.

 

Since the verbage states no more than $10 pp/per day they could decide to charge less than the full $10 and increase it as oil rises if necessary.

 

That's why I paid my cruises in full EARLY: hoping to avoid the fuel surcharge when the decision is made for the upcoming quarter that my cruise is in. That, and the fact that my TA called twice and was told paid in full would not be charged the surcharge.

 

It's a true roll of the dice, however. But, I have pretty uncanny and weird intuition sometimes. I decided to upgrade our last cruise to a JS to get us our Diamond Plus status, and during that cruise all the announcements about changes to the Diamond program came out. I hadn't even got home yet!!

 

I also got us out of the stock market about a month before it went nasty last year. I also refinanced our house just before the real estate mortgage implosion started.

 

My husband says I'm weird about second guessing things. We'll see if I'm right this time. :D

[seagoer55]

Keeping my fingers crossed they don't re-instate the fuel charge, but I agree the new wording on the website makes it seem highly likely...with 3 cruises coming up over the next 1-1/2 years there is no way to pay them off early even if it "would" mean not being charged for fuel...

[finucane]

Keeping my fingers crossed they don't re-instate the fuel charge, but I agree the new wording on the website makes it seem highly likely...with 3 cruises coming up over the next 1-1/2 years there is no way to pay them off early even if it "would" mean not being charged for fuel...

 

I don't think paying off early exempts the charge if it is reinstated.

I believe the new contract states fuel surcharges "may" be imposed regardless of payment status... They reserve that right under contract...

So I'd hold onto your $'s :cool:

[ScotFi]

Hi

 

We booked our cruise in October 2008 for Sept 6th 2009. We were charged fuel supplement they then stated we would be refunded and as we had not paid in full they would take it off our final statement. They then changed their mind and stated it would be given as OBC. If they re-instate the charge will this be our OBC gone. We have also paid in full.

 

Scotfi

[finucane]

Hi

 

We booked our cruise in October 2008 for Sept 6th 2009. We were charged fuel supplement they then stated we would be refunded and as we had not paid in full they would take it off our final statement. They then changed their mind and stated it would be given as OBC. If they re-instate the charge will this be our OBC gone. We have also paid in full.

 

Scotfi

 

My guess they would just charge it back to your card so they could get the double dip on the OBC, you'll spend it.

I would hope they would give you the choice...

[PhinsAndGills]

DH and I have been talking about this. DISCLAIMER: I understand that RCI says they "have the right" to impose the charge and by agreeing to cruise with them, I agree to their policies. It's just an interesting POV for arguments' sake.

 

Isn't charging a fuel surcharge to people who have already paid their cruise in full kind of like buying a car, the price of steel going up the next day, and the dealership calling you and saying "hey, we know you just bought a car for such and such a price, but the price went up after you bought it and now you owe us the difference or you can't drive your car."

[finucane]

DH and I have been talking about this. DISCLAIMER: I understand that RCI says they "have the right" to impose the charge and by agreeing to cruise with them, I agree to their policies. It's just an interesting POV for arguments' sake.

 

Isn't charging a fuel surcharge to people who have already paid their cruise in full kind of like buying a car, the price of steel going up the next day, and the dealership calling you and saying "hey, we know you just bought a car for such and such a price, but the price went up after you bought it and now you owe us the difference or you can't drive your car."

 

Exactly, that was the point that a lot of us made on the original "fuel surcharge" thread. That thread was partially responsible to the AG of Florida filing suit of which a lot of us had signed onto. RCCL and others backed down.

 

It's like agreeing to buy something, depositing on it at "said" price and then the price goes up? They gave you the choice to cancel or pay the surcharge. Now with the economy the way it is I think more people would opt to cancel, kind of an easy choice for most.

We had no problem paying the surcharge at time of booking on new bookings.

 

Oh well, that is old hash now that may be coming back and I don't think the cruise lines want to go there right now, just my hunch.

 

With the exception of the present economy I think they have structured the fuel increases (within reason) into the new higher fares coming out in the upcoming years and that to me is very fare, costs go up. I certainly don't want them going out of business, we all enjoy them to much but it has to be fair. Problem is who decides what is fair, we can only speak with our dollars and that is very fair.

 

The cruise lines felt burned by the AG's decision and that is when they changed their contracts to "we can now do anything we want about anything"... We all have choice!

[04cruises]

DH and I have been talking about this. DISCLAIMER: I understand that RCI says they "have the right" to impose the charge and by agreeing to cruise with them, I agree to their policies. It's just an interesting POV for arguments' sake.

 

Isn't charging a fuel surcharge to people who have already paid their cruise in full kind of like buying a car, the price of steel going up the next day, and the dealership calling you and saying "hey, we know you just bought a car for such and such a price, but the price went up after you bought it and now you owe us the difference or you can't drive your car."

 

If you signed the contract with a statement that says ''if steel prices go up ,we can increase the price of your car,then they could. You do not 'finish the deal' until you drive off the lot.

[chriskwarren]

My fiancee and myself broke the bank for our cruise (12 nights). That would be a heck of a fuel surcharge by the looks of it. Paid in full too.

 

I have purchased some 'gifts and gear' for our July cruise....can I get a refund on those if I get a surcharge?

[finucane]

If you signed the contract with a statement that says ''if steel prices go up ,we can increase the price of your car,then they could. You do not 'finish the deal' until you drive off the lot.

 

OK, her we go...

 

The point is the car automobile companies don't do that, I can not think of any business that do, especially those that cater to the public consumer... I don't think anybody is arguing the fact the we all accept/sign this contract stating this possible increase. Again the point is that it is not common or sound business practices to include such an open end contract and granted we don't have to sign it, it's just poor business...

They have the right to practice these poor practices and the consumer has the right to cancel or take business elsewhere, a lot do...

 

I'm outta here...:D

[xpcdoojk]

OK, her we go...

 

The point is the car automobile companies don't do that, I can not think of any business that do, especially those that cater to the public consumer... I don't think anybody is arguing the fact the we all accept/sign this contract stating this possible increase. Again the point is that it is not common or sound business practices to include such an open end contract and granted we don't have to sign it, it's just poor business...

They have the right to practice these poor practices and the consumer has the right to cancel or take business elsewhere, a lot do...

 

I'm outta here...:D

 

In the real world, ie business... almost every contract has a bit of French written into it. Those French words are Force Majeure...

 

http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/contracts-agreements/541-1.html

 

In my real job, I have seen this exercised one time, and several companies took advantage of this clause to not increase the price of their product by 7 dollars a day but tripled the price overnight, even for orders placed a week before. This was when Hurricanes hit New Orleans and the Texas Gulf Coast, and the products increased were increased based on guess what, yep, petroleum products. There were some outraged customers who still haven't gotten over it. :D I can, also, gaurantee that this wording exists in virtually all contracts that are never actually negotiated over.

 

 

jc

[04cruises]

OK, her we go...

 

The point is the car automobile companies don't do that, I can not think of any business that do, especially those that cater to the public consumer... I don't think anybody is arguing the fact the we all accept/sign this contract stating this possible increase. Again the point is that it is not common or sound business practices to include such an open end contract and granted we don't have to sign it, it's just poor business...

They have the right to practice these poor practices and the consumer has the right to cancel or take business elsewhere, a lot do...

 

I'm outta here...:D

 

If a company is at it's break even number and has already cut corners{deep discounts,reductions in help etc.} then they just about have to do something to turn a profit.You cannot sale something at a lost and survive either. We will not cancel our cruise over the fuel supplement but would try to save some of it on board.{we always say that before a cruise but it has never happens}.We don't want a charge but we would understand if it happens.

[hels]

anyone know when they will add it I cruise in 3 days will I still get mine back as OBC as I was told or is there a chance I will pay fuel supp or will they add it to later cruises:confused:

[luvscruising2007]

anyone know when they will add it I cruise in 3 days will I still get mine back as OBC as I was told or is there a chance I will pay fuel supp or will they add it to later cruises:confused:

You are good to go. They will not add the fuel supplement to your cruise.

They will decide based on the closing fuel price today if they will be adding the surcharge for cruises beginning after June 30.

[hels]

:D pleased to hear that thanks

[runningtide]

Called my TA this morning and asked her if she heard anything from RCCL yesterday about the fuel surcharge. So far.., nothing. She indicated that usually the cruise line will fax the TA if charges will be implemented.

 

She will check this morning and get back to me.

 

Fingers crossed :D

[Tucker in Texas]

My TA said he was told yesterday that they "had no plans to implement it at this time." Now that sounds a lot to me like "We have every confidence in our coach and there are no plans to replace him and rumors that we are looking are not true." Next week they name a new coach (lol).

 

He, also, told me that even if paid in full, we would have to pay it.

 

Tucker in Texas (who has mentally added in an additional $240 in fuel surcharges for the November trans-Atlantic)

[pcur]

That is good news! My TA was told twice by RCCL that paid in full cruises would not be charged the fuel surcharge. Another poster's TA was also told the same thing. Depends on who you talk to at RCCL, huh?

[04cruises]

That is good news! My TA was told twice by RCCL that paid in full cruises would not be charged the fuel surcharge. Another poster's TA was also told the same thing. Depends on who you talk to at RCCL, huh?

 

That is why I always look for something in print and the June09 release on their web page says all passengers.Can you imagine the outcry if some were charged and others not?I just hope we don't have to find out who's right.