Carnival brands eliminate fuel surcharge for all upcoming cruises

[mercedes]

Industry giant Carnival Corporation finally is getting rid of the last of its fuel surcharges.

The parent company of Carnival, Princess, Holland America and Cunard says that, effective Dec. 17, passengers booking voyages on any of those lines no longer will have to pay a fuel surcharge, and anyone who already has paid a surcharge will get a refund.

The change also affects Carnival-owned Costa Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn.

"A refund of the fuel supplement will be made in the form of a shipboard credit for all bookings within the final payment period for departures on or after Dec. 17, 2008," the lines says in a statement. "All bookings outside of the final payment period for departures on or after Dec. 17, 2008 will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount."

The company cites the rapid fall of oil prices over the past three months from $147 to $46 a barrel.

Carnival partially eliminated its fuel surcharges in October when oil slumped to nearly $70 a barrel. At the time the company said it would stop collecting the fees for 2010 voyages but continue to collect them for 2008 and 2009 voyages with the caveat that it would refund the money if oil stayed down.

Cruise lines began adding fuel surcharges last November as oil prices first approached $100 a barrel.

In its statement announcing the change, Carnival says it reserves the right to re-instate its fuel surcharge -- currently $9 per person per day on all of its brands except Seabourn, where it is $15 per person per day -- if oil pops back up above $70 a barrel.