Port Tax Reduction

[sharonabe]

I said I wasn't going to do this, but I feel like I need more info, so I'll try to be somewhat circumspect.

Several people on our cruise have seen a reduction in their cost due to lowered port tax. We have not. My TA says it has to do with when you booked. We booked almost a year out.

Can anyone tell me if there is a port tax reduction, should everyone who is already booked and paying on the cruise see some kind of reduction in price?

Thanks.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I said I wasn't going to do this, but I feel like I need more info, so I'll try to be somewhat circumspect.

Several people on our cruise have seen a reduction in their cost due to lowered port tax. We have not. My TA says it has to do with when you booked. We booked almost a year out.

Can anyone tell me if there is a port tax reduction, should everyone who is already booked and paying on the cruise see some kind of reduction in price?

Thanks.

When you make a reservation the cruise line makes it's "best guess" as to what the port fees & taxes are going to be. If they rise, you will not be charged extra, but if they go down, you will get a refund. It's possible that, since you booked so far ahead, that the port fees went up (and cruisers who booked then paid the higher fee) but now have gone back down, and they are getting a refund, but you are not since you didn't pay the higher price.

You'd have to do some research and see what you paid for port fees & taxes at the time you made your reservation, and compare it to what they are now to see if you are due any refunds.

 

[sharonabe]

It's possible that, since you booked so far ahead, that the port fees went up (and cruisers who booked then paid the higher fee) but now have gone back down, and they are getting a refund, but you are not since you didn't pay the higher price.

That makes sense. Thank you.

 

[Abatts]

My curiousity is peeked - how do you find the current port taxes?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My curiousity is peeked - how do you find the current port taxes?

I can't recall right off hand, but those numbers may be visible when you make a reservation, on the confirmation page. Unless you know someone who's booked the same cruise recently, I don't know how to find out the information.

 

[wombat_5606]

If your cruise is still selling, pick your cruise on the DCL website. As soon as you do that, you are taken to the page with the different cabin choices. Choose any one and when pricing is shown, there is a line that says "rate details". Click on that to see the per person rate and the port fees.

 

[Bear3412]

..... - how do you find the current port taxes?

You don't, .... , Find the local, or federal port taxes. IMO.

You suck it up and take it like man.
No one knows the port tax break down., nor the IRS break down. Even the main man.
Port taxes are a mysterious secret. We will never know the true allocation of port taxes.
Taxes are a pain, but we all pay them. Unfortunately.
0
Port taxes are like a bad dream, yet we all have to deal with it.
For the government's sake. eek.

Of course that is JMO.

 

[Jillywilly143]

My FIL booked his cruise way after we did. As a result of this he paid $143.90 in taxes and fees pp (which is where I assume port taxes come from) and we paid $77.16 pp. He recently got a refund of $43 pp. So, even though he got a refund, we still paid less than him.