Oil price are dropping!

[Sonny V]

Royal Caribbean said the fuel surcharge was only temporary; I wonder how temporary. It will be interesting to see how much further price have to drop before the surcharge is dropped. Also, which cruise line will be first to announce they're removing the surcharge.


Sonny

[Sonny V]

Royal Caribbean said the fuel surcharge was only temporary; I wonder how temporary. It will be interesting to see how much further price have to drop before the surcharge is dropped. Also, which cruise line will be first to announce they're removing the surcharge.


Sonny

[berwyn]

Very good question Sonny.

[LHP]

The cruise lines took the financial hit for quite awhile. I don't expect them to stop the fuel surcharges at the first dip.

I am sure they have an amount they need to recapture before considering discontinuing it.

[TrvlPro]

I think it will depend on when they had/have to put ink to a fuel contract for 2008 and beyond. A drop won't help if they've signed long term contracts when the pricing was at its peek. As the price soared it wouldn't surprise me if they contracted to prevent it from climbing higher still as was predicted just weeks ago. It may climb yet again with winter heating demand coming up. I wouldn't expect to see the sur-charge go away anytime soon.

Cheers, Neil

[Dave]

My bet is that when and if they do remove the surcharge, Carnival will be the first to do so since they are the most likely to be in the financial condition to do it. This would also be a tactical move on their part to hurt the competition since the others would have to follow suit.

[SanDee]

I remember a few years back when UPS imposed a fuel charge. I don't believe they have ever dropped it. I do not look for the Cruiselines to do it anytime soon if ever. I would just rather have seen them up the cruises by $50.00pp or so. Now we will be looking for them to drop the charge as fuel drops. If they do drop the charge what will happen to the people who have already paid? I doubt they are going to be giving refunds. At $5.00 per day per person times 2000 people is $10,000. Does a ship use that much fuel a day? Are we helping to cover the costs or outright paying for the fuel. I thought that was what we are doing when we pay for a cruise. They sure are not paying it out of their pockets!