Cruise lines add fuel surcharge

If you cringe at the cost every time you fill up your car’s gas tank, imagine how much more expensive it is to fuel up a cruise ship. Several major cruise lines are finding that their original pricing isn’t covering their increasingly expensive fuel. To make up the difference, several lines have recently implemented fuel surcharges.

[% 9668 | | Regent Seven Seas %] will charge an additional $7.50 per person per day on all new 2008 bookings made after December 1, 2007. Guests with prior bookings who do not pay in full by December 1 will also need to pay the extra amount.

The Carnival Corporation’s North American brands ([% 11986 | | Carnival %], [% 10816 | | Costa %], [% 9732 | | Cunard %], [% 9823 | | Holland America %], [% 14460 | | Princess %], and [% 11070 | | Seabourn %]) will levy a surcharge of $5 per person per day on the first and second passenger in a cabin. The surcharge, which will not exceed $70 per person per cruise, will be assessed on both new and existing bookings for sailings departing on or after February 1, 2008.

If you booked on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, or another line not mentioned here, don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. We may well hear news of fuel surcharges from the remaining cruise lines in the coming months—especially if the cost of oil continues to rise.