Carnival: New Fuel Supplement

[lashl]

Every cruise I've been on they seem to make a profit. I have the "Sale & Sign" statements to proof it!

[cruiser66]

I guess at least they are filling the tank, Rumor has it that airlines are not filling the tanks and are landing on fumes, they too can afford fuel with what they charge. These gas prices are out of control

[rogue]

I can understand the TA's being upset at this and I can't blame you, but as far as the rest of us, we've been paying a surcharge for years. It's been built into the cost of a cruise from the beginning. By making it a surcharge and not part of the price of the cruise, Carnival doesn't have to pay the TA's commission. I think that within the next couple of weeks almost all of the cruise companies will follow suit.

As a stockholder of the company, I like to see Carnival making money. That's actually what they're in business to do.

[cruiser66]

Thats true. You spend more than that on 2 cars for gas for the week and in the big picture is 30-50 really going to be noticed? I could see if it was like 50 per day, but 5 per day for me would go unoticed.

[cruisethewaves]

I just received a notice from my travel agent regarding the fuel increase. What other cruise lines are adding a fuel surcharge? I'm frosted over this, Airlines don't add a fuel surcharge once your confirmed.

[rogue]

Now it appears that all of the big cruise lines have all started to add on a fuel surcharge. It will be a while till they go away, if they ever do. Most markets tend to regulate themselves. When the price of fuel does drop, one of the companies will drop the surcharge to get more customers, and the others will have to all fall in line. Hopefully, that will be soon.

[JohnG]

So far I am aware of fuel surcharges by all Carnival Corp lines (Carnival, HAL, Princess, Seabourn, Cunard), NCL, RCCL (including Celebrity and Azamara), Regent, Crystal, and Oceania. Carnival had done it quite a few months ago on their European lines.

[mitchinam]

Damn, just made the cut for my Group Cruise that departs on January 25th. I'd have had 69 people all over my back.

I remember when Hotels tried this.

This is a major bummer

[mitchinam]

I am a big Carnival fan; but from a perception basis, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. JUST RAISE THE PRICES OF THE BASIC FARE immediately on all new bookings.

Penalizing previously paid in full clients is pretty bad public relations. I lucked out this time...sail in january.

Mitch

[rogue]

I agree that the perception doesn't make it look good, but the reality is much more fair. The cruise companies don't pay for their fuel at the pump like we do. They contract for fuel for a period of time and the costs become fixed for the period of the contract. They are now contracting for future fuel at a much higher rate than before. they're not contracting for a year from now, but for only months from now. Shouldn't the people who are using the expensive pay for it? Why should people a year or more from now pay for the fuel increase if the price actually comes down? That would be the result of raising prices for future cruises. If you owned a business, and your prices go up, you raise your prices now, not a year from now. The fuel surcharge is nothing more than the companies raising their prices now.