Taxes & Port Fees fluctuation

[Ravenne]

I could've sworn I read on here that once taxes and port fees drop, that they don't go back up, or DCL doesn't charge you the difference. However, a few weeks ago, I saw my taxes and port fees drop, and now it went back up to the amount it was before. I asked that if I had PIF when it dropped, would I have been charged for the increase, and was told that they would've slapped the increase onto my onboard account. Has anyone experienced a port fee increase before? I'm more curious as to what happens. Are fluctuations like that common? I've only ever seen it drop, and stay dropped, never increases. Or if it dropped, and went back up, they won't/didn't charge you the difference?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I could've sworn I read on here that once taxes and port fees drop, that they don't go back up, or DCL doesn't charge you the difference. However, a few weeks ago, I saw my taxes and port fees drop, and now it went back up to the amount it was before. I asked that if I had PIF when it dropped, would I have been charged for the increase, and was told that they would've slapped the increase onto my onboard account. Has anyone experienced a port fee increase before? I'm more curious as to what happens. Are fluctuations like that common? I've only ever seen it drop, and stay dropped, never increases. Or if it dropped, and went back up, they won't/didn't charge you the difference?

DCL tends to overestimate the port fees and taxes on a cruise when you make a reservation. In my experience, if the port fees/taxes go down (regardless if it's before or after the Paid in Full date) DCL will give you the difference back. Either in OBC or lowering the amount you still have to pay.

If the port fees/taxes go up, you don't pay extra. DCL usually just eats it.

If the port fees/taxes go down, and you get the money back (in some form), if they go back up, well, you won't be charged the difference.

 

[Ravenne]

If the port fees/taxes go down, and you get the money back (in some form), if they go back up, well, you won't be charged the difference.

That's what I thought, but I did get charged when it went back up, which is what confused me.

A few weeks ago, the taxes and fees dropped. Now I looked at my account, it went back up to the original price. I thought it was just Costco's system (I booked through them) so I went to DCL's website to check, and behold, it's the original amount, so not Costco's system. When they dropped, I'd posted about it on my cruise's FB group and people said they got an email from DCL saying they (the people that were PIF) will be refunded for the port fees. I hadn't PIF yet though. Now that I went back to make a payment, my taxes and port fees had increased back to the original amount, and my total reflects the change. I don't know if my fellow cruisers have had any difference in their account though, but I was told that if I had PIF when the fees were lower, I would've had that difference on my onboard account to pay off. The amount isn't significant, so DCL could've eaten the difference, or I can pay it, it's not a big deal, but naturally, I'll never complain about more money in my own pocket. I just wanted to understand how it works is all.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's what I thought, but I did get charged when it went back up, which is what confused me.

A few weeks ago, the taxes and fees dropped. Now I looked at my account, it went back up to the original price. I thought it was just Costco's system (I booked through them) so I went to DCL's website to check, and behold, it's the original amount, so not Costco's system. When they dropped, I'd posted about it on my cruise's FB group and people said they got an email from DCL saying they (the people that were PIF) will be refunded for the port fees. I hadn't PIF yet though. Now that I went back to make a payment, my taxes and port fees had increased back to the original amount, and my total reflects the change. I don't know if my fellow cruisers have had any difference in their account though, but I was told that if I had PIF when the fees were lower, I would've had that difference on my onboard account to pay off. The amount isn't significant, so DCL could've eaten the difference, or I can pay it, it's not a big deal, but naturally, I'll never complain about more money in my own pocket. I just wanted to understand how it works is all.

Well, I don't really know for sure how DCL handles it. I just know that the only changes I've ever seen had to do with when the port fees/taxes went down. It hasn't happened often, and I can't recall whether it was before or after PIF date, but we were refunded the money.

I can tell you, on our first Panama Canal cruise (it was with DCL), about a month or two before the trip, everyone got hit with a $100 per person increase because the canal had raised their fees. And that caused such an outcry that within a week, DCL notified everyone that there would be no increase.

 

[mareed]

The Nov. 2020 Panama Canal cruise has had port fees and taxes go up by $102 per person higher than they were opening day. I'm sure that those of us who booked opening day will not be charged the higher amount. I think I saw that the canal changed how they're calculating the fees...

 

[Ravenne]

Well, I don't really know for sure how DCL handles it. I just know that the only changes I've ever seen had to do with when the port fees/taxes went down. It hasn't happened often, and I can't recall whether it was before or after PIF date, but we were refunded the money.

I can tell you, on our first Panama Canal cruise (it was with DCL), about a month or two before the trip, everyone got hit with a $100 per person increase because the canal had raised their fees. And that caused such an outcry that within a week, DCL notified everyone that there would be no increase.

I remember you telling that story about the PC cruise. I can imagine the outcry and the bouncing back and forth of charges on accounts. Did they add the increase before it got close to PIF? How did DCL try to charge you guys?


As for my taxes and port fees, I ended up having to call Costco back to make my payment because they had some sort of issue with their payment system that declined my payment online, and it required a supervisor to go through some back end system to get my payment to go through. Anyway, the whole fees thing is kinda strange. The fees dropped a few weeks ago, and must've went back up at some point, because I specifically checked DCL's website directly to book a dummy reservation on my cruise to check the fees, and behold, they had increased back to the original amount that I booked at. But when Costco actually went to process my payment, it went through with the lower port fee, so I ended up not having to pay the increase. But Costco's rep still told me that had the fees increased, I would've seen it in my onboard account if I was PIF, and said her supervisor had never seen it fluctuate like that before (as in down, then back up, then down again) but I'm just guessing that their systems just reflects whatever DCL currently has, and it's DCL's policy perhaps that once it drops, they don't increase it for guests who have already booked, but new bookings will have to pay the increased fee.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I remember you telling that story about the PC cruise. I can imagine the outcry and the bouncing back and forth of charges on accounts. Did they add the increase before it got close to PIF? How did DCL try to charge you guys?


As for my taxes and port fees, I ended up having to call Costco back to make my payment because they had some sort of issue with their payment system that declined my payment online, and it required a supervisor to go through some back end system to get my payment to go through. Anyway, the whole fees thing is kinda strange. The fees dropped a few weeks ago, and must've went back up at some point, because I specifically checked DCL's website directly to book a dummy reservation on my cruise to check the fees, and behold, they had increased back to the original amount that I booked at. But when Costco actually went to process my payment, it went through with the lower port fee, so I ended up not having to pay the increase. But Costco's rep still told me that had the fees increased, I would've seen it in my onboard account if I was PIF, and said her supervisor had never seen it fluctuate like that before (as in down, then back up, then down again) but I'm just guessing that their systems just reflects whatever DCL currently has, and it's DCL's policy perhaps that once it drops, they don't increase it for guests who have already booked, but new bookings will have to pay the increased fee.

I'd have to look into how it all happened. I'm not where I can look that up here. I'll get back to you on that. I can only remember they sent us a letter saying they were going to charge everyone $100 more, I think as a part of the cruise cost. I know I wrote back to them, and I think others did about it. After a few days we were all notified that they weren't going to charge us.

 

[clten]

OP, it sounds more like someone made a mistake and applied a drop in port fees to your cruise when they shouldn't have. Now they are honoring the price drop for those booked but don't have to for new bookings. This would explain why your fare is at the lower level but new bookings are still at the higher level. Typically DCL estimates these fees high and then doesn't adjust them until much closer to actual sailing (usually after PIF which is why most of them are handled as a small refund; which is why I am assuming the drop was applied prematurely). I believe the res agent that said they would charge your on-board account was your typical res agent - answering without any real first-hand knowledge or checking what would actually happen. If they are going to charge you for taxes and port fees, this is a fare issue they have to notify you about before you step onboard. They cannot just push this charge to your onboard account without your knowledge.

 

[MomOTwins]

I get why they raised OP's fare back up--they were raising it to what he originally agreed to pay, not above. They don't have an obligation to charge you less than what you agreed to pay, but they would potentially have an obligation not to charge you more than the originally advertised price as in Schmoo's case because that could be seen as false advertising. As long as they only raised it back to the original fare, you have no "damages" from a legal perspective because you are paying exactly what you agreed to pay and not more.

 

[lanejudy]

I’ve never heard of DCL hitting a passenger’s onboard account for an increase in port fees. I suspect whoever made that statement was not at all familiar with DCL. I can’t speak for why the fees would drop and then rise again, though my first thought was an error that was subsequently corrected (the increase) but DCL will “eat” their error for guests who had PIF at the lower amount. Have you tried calling DCL to ask about the fluctuation? You may or may not get an accurate answer that way.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Did they add the increase before it got close to PIF? How did DCL try to charge you guys?

I'd have to look into how it all happened. I'm not where I can look that up here. I'll get back to you on that.

OK, so it wasn't that close to the sail date. The cruise was May, 2008.

We made our reservation Feb 2007. July 2007 we got a letter telling us that the cost was going up $100 per person due to "The Panama Canal recently adjusted the Government Taxes and Fees".

Our July statement had the $200 increase on it. By the August statement the $200 increase had been removed.

 

[disneylove69]

Years ago tjeybstated that if gas prices went up their would be a potential I crease but you were told at booking. Never did happen.