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Best Cruise Lines - Comprehensive Fuel Surcharge Update
On November 7, the Carnival Corporation & PLC announced a $5 per person per day fuel surcharge on all its cruise lines for all sailings after February 1, 2008.
The Carnival Corporation & PLC includes in its roster of best cruise lines Cunard, Holland America, Princess Cruises, the Yachts of Seabourn and of course, Carnival Cruises. Shortly after Jack Anderson, executive director of the “World’s Leading Cruise Lines” took the lead to pass on their rising costs, the other major cruise lines followed.
Following are the fuel surcharge policies the cruise lines adopted when the rush began in Winter 2008. The surcharges have increased since then.
| Azamara Cruises |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Carnival Cruise Lines |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Celebrity Cruises |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Costa Cruise Lines |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Cruise West |
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$12.00 per guest per day for any reservation not paid in full by December 7. |
| Crystal Cruises |
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$7.00 per guest per day for all 2008 reservations that are not paid in full by January 1, 2008. The surcharge for 2007 sailings is $5.00 per guest per day. |
| Cunard |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Fred Olsen Cruise Lines |
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£2.50 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed £50.00 per person for long cruise itineraries, on all sailings booked on or after December 21, 2007. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Holland America Line |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Hurtigruten |
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$6.00 per person per day on every passenger on all reservations booked after December 31, 2007, with a total maximum of $140 per cabin. The surcharge is not retroactive to bookings under deposit by December 31. |
| Imperial Majesty |
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$15.00 per person per night applicable for each passenger; a total of $30.00 per person for each cruise. |
| Majestic America Line |
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$8.50 per person per day on all reservations made on or after December 15 and those existing reservations not paid in full by that date. |
| MSC Cruises |
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$6.00 per person per day for the first and second passengers, to be assessed on all reservations made on or after December 1st for all sailings departing after February 1, 2008. |
| Norwegian Cruise Lines |
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$7.00 per person per day for the first and second passengers, $3.00 per person per day for each additional passenger in a cabin to be assessed on all reservations made on or after December 1st. |
| Oceania |
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$7.00 per person per day on new and existing reservations not paid in full by December 1, 2007. |
| Orient Lines |
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$7.00 per person per day for the first and second passengers, $3.00 per person per day for each additional passenger in a cabin to be assessed on all reservations made on or after December 1st. |
| Princess |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Regent Seven Seas |
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$7.50 per person per day for all 2008 bookings that are not paid in full by December 1, 2007. |
| Royal Caribbean International |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two passengers in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. The surcharge is not assessed on 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin. |
| Silversea |
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$10.00 per person per day on every passenger on all reservations booked after November 14, 2007. |
| Star Clippers |
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$8.00 per person per day to a maximum of $100 per person on all bookings made after December 17, 2007. |
| Uniworld Grand River Cruises |
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$7.00 per person per cruise night on 2008 Europe cruise programs and $10 per person per cruise night on Russia and Ukraine programs on all bookings not paid in full by December 31, 2007. |
| Windstar Cruises |
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$8.50 per person per day on all reservations made on or after December 15 and those existing reservations not paid in full by that date. |
| Yachts of Seabourn |
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$5.00 per person per day for the first two guests in a cabin, not to exceed $70.00 per person per voyage total, on all sailings after February 1, 2008. |
You may have not read the fine print in your cruise contract documents, but in many of the contracts, there is a clause that allows the cruise lines to add whatever increased costs they can quasi-justify to existing agreements.
On March 10, 2008, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd reached an agreement with the Florida Attorney Generals office to voluntarily remove the fuel surcharge assessed on passengers who booked their cruise trips prior to November 16, the date the fuel surcharge was implemented.
On March 31, 2008, Carnival Corporation & plc announced a similar agreement with the Florida Attorney Generals office, effective for all passengers who booked a cruise vacation prior to November 7.
Royal Caribbean Cruises's fleet of best cruise lines includes Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
Carnival Corporation's fleet includes Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Costa, the Yachts of Seaborne and Carnival.
If you booked your cruise on one of these best cruise lines before the fuel surcharge was implemented, paid the increased cost and have already cruised, you will receive a refund for the additional charge.
If you have paid in full and will be cruising in the future, you will receive an onboard credit for the amount of the fuel surcharge.
Passengers, who booked before the surcharge was implemented and were charged the additional amount but have not paid in full, will have the surcharge removed from their invoice.
On April 7, 2008, Carnival Corporation & plc increased its fuel surcharge on all bookings made on or after April 21st: the first 2 passengers in a cabin will be charged $7 per day, to a maximum of $98 each; remaining passengers in a cabin will be charged $2 per day, to a maximum of $28 each.
Buyer beware: If you are surfing the net to find the lowest pricing for your cruise trips, be sure the quoted price includes all the mandatory extras – port fees, taxes, and the fuel surcharge. Many web sites advertise only the base cruise fare and show the fuel surcharge and additional fees at the end of the booking process.
These additional charges can make a significant different in the cost of your cruise trips.
As of April 5, 2008, Disney Cruise Lines had not adopted a “fuel” surcharge, but did on April 28, as follows: $8 per person, per day for the first two passengers in a stateroom and $3 per day for all others. This surcharge is effective for new bookings made on or after May 28, 2008 and will not exceed $112 each for the first and second passengers and $42 each for all other passengers in one stateroom.
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