What's the highest fuel charge you'll pay to cruise?

[kelly@]

What's the highest fuel charge (per day) you'll pay to cruise? And tell us below: would the length of a line's maximum days (some lines cap the fee after 2 weeks, others go for a longer time) impact your holiday decision?

[paul929207]

We usually take longer cruises, so as a percent of our cruise cost, the fuel surcharge is lower.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Couldn't vote -- if we wish to continue to cruise we will have no choice but to pay the fuel surcharge no matter how high it gets.

[megessey]

There's a fuel surcharge?

I kinda agree with Krazy Kruisers, would probably pay if its $100 a day, and cut back on extras.

[smeyer418]

its not the fuel surcharge per se. Its the overall price including surcharges. By themselves the per day surcharge is pretty meaningless.

[caribsun]

Deals are still out there. We just booked a 7 day cruise for the lowest price we paided in the last five years.

[Janan]

I wish you had put it into terms of USD, because of the exchange rate at this time where I would pay $20.00 a day capped, I couldn't pay 20.00 Euros even if it was capped. I love to cruise and will continue to cruise as much as I can.

Weird how things just popup, we were looking at Thomson cruiseline for 2010 (depending on the exchange rate) and as you know they're a UK firm.

Andy

[RetireeWannabee]

Originally Posted by smeyer418

its not the fuel surcharge per se. Its the overall price including surcharges. By themselves the per day surcharge is pretty meaningless.

Exactly. I do not single out the fuel charge. I look at Total Cost per person when making a book/don't book decision.

[Bruin Steve]

As others have said, it doesn't matter...

I don't care HOW they break out the cost...I am only concerned with the bottom line TOTAL cost...and...whatever it is, it is...

I have to cruise...

So, I pick a cruise and call my travel agent and ask what it will cost--with ALL costs included...Then either I pay it or I don't go...

Personally, I wish the cruise lines, the airlines and everyone else wouldn't pharase these as "surcharges"--just raise the danged price--that's what they're doing anyway. We're all accustomed to prices going up...so, call it what it is--it just costs more...Does it really matter if the cruise costs you $3000 ...or... $2850 plus a $150 fuel surcharge???

[mohavemommy]

As of today's exchange rates:

£5 = $9.91
£10 = $19.81

I voted for £5 since I believe it is just about the maximum I will pay per day. If it reaches £10 then I just may quit cruising or reduce the number that I take. I may limit how much I spend on board as well.
I like my short 3/4 day cruises and when you pay $300/pp for a cabin it makes a difference when you add on another $80 in fuel surcharges. It adds another 1/3 of the cost to the cruise.

[cruiserbryce]

its hard to say this far in advance that I will or wont cruise as the surcharge reaches future levels...as long as cruising continues to be such a great value I will keep going...I really look at the overall cost more rather than how its broken down

[JayBS]

I look at these surcharges and compare it to a the price of fuel for my car. It's less than 2 gallons per person per day. Try going on a driving trip for that amount! I don't like the surcharges at all, but I can't say it is yet an amount that would turn me off - is the total price of the cruise (fees, taxes, etc. included) a good value or not?

[sail7seas]

We don't have a firm amount in mind. It would depend upon how much we wanted to take a particular cruise. If we didn't care all that much about it, we might be unwilling to agree to a high fuel charge. If we really wanted the cruise, we might be willing to pay more.

[sjcruiser]

With the U.S. and U.K. exchange rate, I would not go over 5 British Pounds. With that being said, the total price of the cruise would be the most determining factor.

[Cruise Junky]

We're always so torn between land trips and cruises anyway that if the fuel surchage went much above $10 pp pd, we'd probably switch to a land trip.

[mancunian]

I think the Discovery fuel charge is excessive and cannot understand how it can be quite so high in comparison with other peoples. I think their decision has made future bookings difficult for UK passengers and indeed UK lines.

The discovery that your cruise is costing so much more when you have booked early (as we always do) makes us feel no more early bookings for us. That is sad for us as we will not get the cabin or dinner choice but sad also for the cruiselines who depend on early bookings. However, we need to know exactly what we are paying before you pay the deposist or indeed full fare as it will be in future. Most people can accept say £5 pppd but nearly £20 on a two three week cruise would seriously compromise the finances.

[Growler]

The problem with fuel surcharges is they don't discriminate between cruisers, so those in premium (suites) cabins pay substantially less as a percentage of their total holiday budget as does someone in an inside cabin. Comparing the overall cost pppd for an example cruise on Holland America gives the following.

Inside cabin = £81.12 pppd. Tax at £5.13 pppd = 6.3%
Deluxe Verandah Suite = £332.17 pppd. Tax at £5.13 pppd = 1.5%

If we can assume that, in general, anyone with a holiday budget plans fairly carefully how much to allocate to that budget, then it's fairly obvious that for someone to have to find and extra 6% (however large or small the actual amount) its going to be a lot more difficult to find than 1.5%.

My view would be that the only people who are likely to be affected (ie won't cruise because of fuel surcharges) are those who either A) only ever book the very cheapest cabins at the very best rates, or B) simply won't, for whatever reason, lower their acceptable cabin category by a single level.

For example, on our next cruise we've moved from an SA suite to SB, which has saved us £15 pppd - which more than makes up for fuel surcharges whilst maintaining the benefits and luxury that we want to achieve from our main holiday. Ok, so I have to walk a few yards further to get to the Neptune Lounge, but hey, I could do with the exercise!

Just my 2d (or 2p or 2¢ )

Tim

[simplelife]

I agree with the earlier posts that it's the total cost of the cruise that's important. What is most distresssing is that the cruise lines are finding more and more ways to "upcharge". It's more attractive to them to advertise a low fare, though the actual final cost is much more. (Of course this is not a new tactic - it's been done in other industties for years) It would seem more honest and transparent to estimate costs and advertise a fare that accounts for them

[vowsatsea]

I think the limit for me would be $20 per day. Even if we were to switch to a land vacation, I still think it would be a lot more expensive than any cruise (even with the fuel surcharge)

[J18ktleo]

my only question is...if the fuel prices go back down will they stop charging the surcharges??? Probably not! So it would be great for the cruise lines (and airlines and everyother business) when the price goes down their profit margins will just go up. We will probably not stop cruising unless the cost becomes ridiculous but it is one more charge that may stick longer than needed.