Fuel Supplement refund as On Board Credit - recent UK cruiser experiences

[uktog]

I wonder if any recent cruisers from UK could share their experiences re the refund of fuel supplements as on board credits.

When it was final invoice time last month, we could not get agreement to have the supplements removed despite what was posted on these boards and we did not want to risk incurring agents penalties for late payment which we were heading to do as we debated back and forward. (The issue was not Azamara by the way)

The issue was complicated by the fact we could not speak direct to Azamara as we were booked through our (now for reasons former!) travel agent so could not validate if the agent had even spoken to Azamara.

We were eventually advised by phone from the agent that we could not have the refund as it was UK policy to give it to us this as on board credit, however the agent has declined to confirm this in writing so I have no proof for on board

I am also presuming as I have shareholder credit that this is a completely separate issue and will not fall foul of combining rules - it is not an incentive payment but a refund of previously paid money

 

Have any recent cruisers had this credit added to their account without any hassle and how much was added (we paid GBP£70 in supplement for 2 persons)

 

A

[Albert Ross]

Mr A,

Ask for a new invoice - if it has the cryptic code QFUL on it, this shows that you will be getting the fuel surcharge as OBC,and that the system knows to process this. And I don't want to fan the fire but any TA can request that the fuel surcharge is knocked off the total, and it is usually done within 24 hrs. I have done it for dozens of clients.....

[malcliz]

Our travel agent advised us that we would receive our fuel rebate as on board credit and that we would find out the amount after boarding. This was credited on to our account on about the second day of our cruise and we enjoyed spending the credit! However on the last day we went to check something on our account and were told that if we hadn't spent all our credit it wouldn't have mattered as the money would have been refunded to us anyway as it was money that was due back to us. She explained that this is different to on board credit you may get as a way of discounting a cruise, which is not refundable if not all used.

[AudBee]

I wonder if any recent cruisers from UK could share their experiences re the refund of fuel supplements as on board credits.

When it was final invoice time last month, we could not get agreement to have the supplements removed despite what was posted on these boards and we did not want to risk incurring agents penalties for late payment which we were heading to do as we debated back and forward. (The issue was not Azamara by the way)

The issue was complicated by the fact we could not speak direct to Azamara as we were booked through our (now for reasons former!) travel agent so could not validate if the agent had even spoken to Azamara.

We were eventually advised by phone from the agent that we could not have the refund as it was UK policy to give it to us this as on board credit, however the agent has declined to confirm this in writing so I have no proof for on board

I am also presuming as I have shareholder credit that this is a completely separate issue and will not fall foul of combining rules - it is not an incentive payment but a refund of previously paid money

 

Have any recent cruisers had this credit added to their account without any hassle and how much was added (we paid GBP£70 in supplement for 2 persons)

 

A

 

 

Hi

 

We booked our cruise last October ( sailing in 23 days yeaaaaaaaaaaaa) and had to pay a fuel supplement 0f £63 per person. We were actually told by our TA that this charge would be refunded and they re invocied us with the new amount.

[piscean]

I wonder if any recent cruisers from UK could share their experiences re the refund of fuel supplements as on board credits.

When it was final invoice time last month, we could not get agreement to have the supplements removed despite what was posted on these boards and we did not want to risk incurring agents penalties for late payment which we were heading to do as we debated back and forward. (The issue was not Azamara by the way)

The issue was complicated by the fact we could not speak direct to Azamara as we were booked through our (now for reasons former!) travel agent so could not validate if the agent had even spoken to Azamara.

We were eventually advised by phone from the agent that we could not have the refund as it was UK policy to give it to us this as on board credit, however the agent has declined to confirm this in writing so I have no proof for on board

I am also presuming as I have shareholder credit that this is a completely separate issue and will not fall foul of combining rules - it is not an incentive payment but a refund of previously paid money

 

Have any recent cruisers had this credit added to their account without any hassle and how much was added (we paid GBP£70 in supplement for 2 persons)

 

A

Hi

 

We had a fuel supplement of £120 p.p. on our last cruise and £70 p.p. on our October cruise.

We were informed that it would go as an onboard credit. However after consideration I decided that £240 onboard credit was not what I wanted and so I contacted Royal Caribbean direct and discussed it with them. They advised I didnt have to pay it! So having already paid the £240.00 I told my TA that Royal Caribbean had advised I could have it refunded and they then arranged my refund. It took a while but I didnt see why I should be paying for my own onboard credit!! I had pre-paid the tips so couldnt put that against it.

Further the October supplement was removed from my final invoice.

So it can be done, albeit with a bit of effort.

[uktog]

Thank you Piscean

Unfortunately we were advised by the TA it could not be done and RC would not speak with us as it was a TA booking so we had to pay up to avoid the TA imposing a late payment surcharge

Malcliz - can you tell me how much you got as OBC and what your original supplement was?

I am afraid I asked the TA for a new invoice and they said that was not possible

You will understand why, after giving them £15k+ family business every year for the past 5 years we are angry and have already made our next three bookings direct with Azamara/X. Funny how a change in ownership - they are one of the big High street names has brought about such a drop in care and service

[Albert Ross]

I am afraid I asked the TA for a new invoice and they said that was not possible

 

Utter rubbish - they call and speak to RCI, RCI push a button, et voila they are sent a new invoice immediately by email.

[uktog]

I suspect that Albert but TA say cannot be done - they keep offering me another copy of their own invoice. To be honest will just see what happens and if it goes wrong I will go mad at someone when I come home. The holiday is too short for wasting time on it I have places to see and meals to eat :)

[Joecors]

We've booked with a TA in UK for an Azamara cruise for above date and have paid full invoice including Fuel Surcharge.

Would anyone know whether we should ask for a refund? Am a bit confused with references in Google to price of "barrel of West Texas intermediate fuel being 65$ or less"

Would appreciate any advice you could give!

Sam

[vival]

We have just returned from a wonderful Baltic cruise. I was determined not to have the fuel charge as OBC. Our TA also told us that in the UK we had no other option. I told him that we were not prepared to pay it as US residents didn't have to and that if it appeared on the final invoice we would deduct the fuel surcharge from our payment and he could sort it out. When the final invoice came there was no surcharge! If you push hard enough you don't have to pay.

[Albert Ross]

We've booked with a TA in UK for an Azamara cruise for above date and have paid full invoice including Fuel Surcharge.

Would anyone know whether we should ask for a refund? Am a bit confused with references in Google to price of "barrel of West Texas intermediate fuel being 65$ or less"

Would appreciate any advice you could give!

Sam

If you don't want to pay it up front, and get it back as OBC then you don't. Get your agent to call RCI and ask for it to be removed. If they say they can't then this is utter rubbish and stand your ground.

If you pay upfront ask for a new invoice that will show the code QFUL which means you will get the money back as obc on board.

 

The bit about WTI and $65 is that RCI "reserve the right to reintroduce a fuel supplement if the cost of WTI goes over $65 again"....well, WTI closed at $66.55 on Friday so RCI are within their rights to reintroduce a surcharge. If they do, based on what they have done in the past, it will be on new bookings only so any existing bookings would not be effected IMO.

[Joecors]

Have contacted Azamara and they have agreed to refund Fuel Surcharge instead of changing it to OBC.

' Grateful for all the help and advice