2018 port charges,fees went up as well

[delo4]

We just took a 7 day cruise on the Fantasy in May of this year. I booked today for the same number of people on the same itinerary for 2018 and the port charges went up by $135.00. Maybe its just me, but I think that's quite a price hike.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We just took a 7 day cruise on the Fantasy in May of this year. I booked today for the same number of people on the same itinerary for 2018 and the port charges went up by $135.00. Maybe its just me, but I think that's quite a price hike.

Well, port fees are set by the different ports. They can vary. Even between the time you book a cruise and when you actually take that cruise.

Cruise lines tend to overestimate how much the port fees are on a cruise (since they don't have the actual cost until closer to the cruise). If the port fees actually wind up lower, you'll get a credit back on your reservation. If the port fees wind up higher, the cruise line eats the increase.

 

[delo4]

Well, port fees are set by the different ports. They can vary. Even between the time you book a cruise and when you actually take that cruise.

Cruise lines tend to overestimate how much the port fees are on a cruise (since they don't have the actual cost until closer to the cruise). If the port fees actually wind up lower, you'll get a credit back on your reservation. If the port fees wind up higher, the cruise line eats the increase.

I understand that they are estimating at this point, but we always book on opening day and only once have we received a refund back to our card and it was minimal. I was just surprised that the cost jumped that much.

Our cruise price went up by about 3% and our port charges by about 20%.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I understand that they are estimating at this point, but we always book on opening day and only once have we received a refund back to our card and it was minimal. I was just surprised that the cost jumped that much.

Our cruise price went up by about 3% and our port charges by about 20%.

Well, there are a lot of cruise ships plowing the waters now. It's a pretty big business.

 

[Dug720]

Cruise lines tend to overestimate how much the port fees are on a cruise (since they don't have the actual cost until closer to the cruise). If the port fees actually wind up lower, you'll get a credit back on your reservation. If the port fees wind up higher, the cruise line eats the increase.

Disney does seem to be leaving the amount back on the reservations as a credit on the account - both on the cruise line and at the resorts as opposed to automatically refunding it to the last method of payment.

When I called to pre-pay gratuities on my and my parents' Feb cruise, the super nice agent I spoke with said "Oh! The port fees and taxes went down a little so you have a credit on the account!" And so I paid slightly less for the gratuities as the credit off-set the difference.

And I have changed my resort reservation night in August a few times and it is lower than the highest I had paid (room only, paid up front), and it clearly states that there is a credit of the price difference on my account.

In the past, both of those situations would have been refunded back.