Cruiseline Fuel Surcharges-The End?

With the cost of oil now down to little more than sixty dollars a barrel – that’s half the price it was in July – cruise lines have taken their first steps to get rid of fuel surcharges.

US giant Carnival is being credited with having started the ball rolling, but it appears that the plaudits should actually go to Voyages of Discovery.
Vilified for having the highest fuel surcharge in the industry at a whopping £19 a day, we discovered this week that it quietly dropped them in the summer with immediate effect. Bookings now and for 2009 are guaranteed to be surcharge-free.

Sister company Swan Hellenic removed its surcharges last month, with a no-supplement guarantee in force until March 31, 2009.

MSC Cruises also has an early xmas present for cruisers – as of November, the fuel surcharge has been dropped on all future bookings.

US cruising giant Carnival, which owns Cunard, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises and Ocean Village, among other brands, is axing fuel surcharges on bookings made after October 31 2008 – but only for cruises in 2010.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is also dropping fuel surcharges, this time on bookings made after November 10 this year, but likewise only for cruises taken on or after January 2010. The change affects Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, which are all owned by RCCL.

There is also a ray of hope to those who have booked a 2009 cruise on either a Carnival or RCCL ship, or who plan to book one for next year.

Fred Olsen a big favourite with older British cruisers, is still collecting £6 per person per night, or £84 over a two-week cruise. NCL continues to levy US$11 (£7.28) per person per night, and there are levies of US$8 (£5.30) on Disney Cruise Line and £3.50 on Star Clippers.

Any cause for celebration has to be taken in context with news that this Friday, at the same time as dropping fuel surcharges across its brands, Carnival is increasing cruise prices for, yes, you’ve guessed it, its two thousand and ten sailings – the ones that should have benefited from an end to the fuel surcharge.

The cruise line has not said what those increases will be – and of course there is the bigger question of whether they will actually stick in the present economic climate – but I suspect what they are really doing is building the surcharge into the cost of the cruise, so it is presented as one price.

by About2Cruise
Danny Smith is the owner of UK cruise specialist About2Cruise

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Cruiseline-Fuel-Surcharges-The-End?/584671