PORT CHARGES AND TAXES

With every cruise I take I ask my TA how much the port charges and
taxes are and always get a ( I'm not sure) reply. I have an inside
room booked feb. 08/09 on the Voyager and my TA says the room is
907.00 which includes port charges and taxes and ins. That coupled
with fuel charges, gratuities, etc., plus transportation to Galveston
from Dallas will come to around 1200.00 PP. RCL website shows an
inside room for 499.00 for that date. Cruising has gotten to expensive
for me at these prices. Can some TA tell me if these prices are in
line and WHY CAN'T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PORT CHARGES AND TAXES ARE?
I am always told that since I am a platinum member that I got an
upgrade. From where? I always get a room on the bottom of the ship. I
guess an upgrade means they move me a little closer to the middle.
Thanks for letting me blow off some steam
R.

rdkng97 wrote in news:6f55fe43-af6c-454a-83a9-
:

With every cruise I take I ask my TA how much the port charges and
taxes are and always get a ( I'm not sure) reply. I have an inside
room booked feb. 08/09 on the Voyager and my TA says the room is
907.00 which includes port charges and taxes and ins. That coupled
with fuel charges, gratuities, etc., plus transportation to Galveston
from Dallas will come to around 1200.00 PP. RCL website shows an
inside room for 499.00 for that date. Cruising has gotten to expensive
for me at these prices. Can some TA tell me if these prices are in
line and WHY CAN'T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PORT CHARGES AND TAXES ARE?
I am always told that since I am a platinum member that I got an
upgrade. From where? I always get a room on the bottom of the ship. I
guess an upgrade means they move me a little closer to the middle.
Thanks for letting me blow off some steam
R.


here is a breakdown from the availability screen at cruisingpower.com
the RCI booking engine ( note NCFs and taxes are the same for all

Cruise 540.00 540.00 1080.00
Fuel Suppl 70.00 70.00 140.00
Cruise Care 59.00 59.00 118.00
NCCF 159.00 159.00 318.00
Vacation Subtotal 828.00 828.00 1656.00
Taxes & Fees Subtotal
Departure Tax 75.13 75.13 150.26
Taxes and Fees Total 75.13 75.13 150.26
VACATION TOTAL 903.13 903.13 1806.26
Amount Paid 0.00
Balance Due 1806.26

View Agency Details

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

rdkng97 wrote in news:6f55fe43-af6c-454a-83a9-
:

With every cruise I take I ask my TA how much the port charges and
taxes are and always get a ( I'm not sure) reply. I have an inside
room booked feb. 08/09 on the Voyager and my TA says the room is
907.00 which includes port charges and taxes and ins. That coupled
with fuel charges, gratuities, etc., plus transportation to Galveston
from Dallas will come to around 1200.00 PP. RCL website shows an
inside room for 499.00 for that date. Cruising has gotten to expensive
for me at these prices. Can some TA tell me if these prices are in
line and WHY CAN'T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PORT CHARGES AND TAXES ARE?
I am always told that since I am a platinum member that I got an
upgrade. From where? I always get a room on the bottom of the ship. I
guess an upgrade means they move me a little closer to the middle.
Thanks for letting me blow off some steam
R.


The only part that is troubleing to me from your story is that the agent
can't tell you what the NCFs are it is easy from what I showed. Note
that my fake booking didn't include past passenger information so your
booking with insurance is a different rate. Never the less, the add ons
are going to be the same.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

Joseph-Please clarify-what is CRUISE CARE and what is NCCF???? Thanks.

wrote in news:18065-4904D679-897@storefull-
3112.bay.webtv.net:

Joseph-Please clarify-what is CRUISE CARE and what is NCCF???? Thanks.



NCFs are the noncommissionable charges, part of the traditional port
charges. Cruise care is insurance.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

[Default] Thus spake Joseph Coulter :

rdkng97 wrote in news:6f55fe43-af6c-454a-83a9-
:

With every cruise I take I ask my TA how much the port charges and
taxes are and always get a ( I'm not sure) reply. I have an inside
room booked feb. 08/09 on the Voyager and my TA says the room is
907.00 which includes port charges and taxes and ins. That coupled
with fuel charges, gratuities, etc., plus transportation to Galveston
from Dallas will come to around 1200.00 PP. RCL website shows an
inside room for 499.00 for that date. Cruising has gotten to expensive
for me at these prices. Can some TA tell me if these prices are in
line and WHY CAN'T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PORT CHARGES AND TAXES ARE?
I am always told that since I am a platinum member that I got an
upgrade. From where? I always get a room on the bottom of the ship. I
guess an upgrade means they move me a little closer to the middle.
Thanks for letting me blow off some steam
R.


The only part that is troubleing to me from your story is that the agent
can't tell you what the NCFs are it is easy from what I showed. Note
that my fake booking didn't include past passenger information so your
booking with insurance is a different rate. Never the less, the add ons
are going to be the same.

Here's a live booking departing Jan 11, 2009, VotS out of Galveston.
Category N

Cruise fare $400.00
Noncommissionable cruise fare $159.00
Taxes & fees $75.13
Fuel supplement $70.00
Total $704.13

This is from the agent fax I received from RCI. The client fax rolls
cruise fare and NCF into one item, which turns out to be the
advertised "from $559" price.

"rdkng97" wrote in message
...
With every cruise I take I ask my TA how much the port charges and
taxes are and always get a ( I'm not sure) reply. I have an inside
room booked feb. 08/09 on the Voyager and my TA says the room is
907.00 which includes port charges and taxes and ins. That coupled
with fuel charges, gratuities, etc., plus transportation to Galveston
from Dallas will come to around 1200.00 PP. RCL website shows an
inside room for 499.00 for that date. Cruising has gotten to expensive
for me at these prices. Can some TA tell me if these prices are in
line and WHY CAN'T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PORT CHARGES AND TAXES ARE?
I am always told that since I am a platinum member that I got an
upgrade. From where? I always get a room on the bottom of the ship. I
guess an upgrade means they move me a little closer to the middle.
Thanks for letting me blow off some steam
R.


While my automated software will give the bottom line price, including all
discounts, it is an easy matter for any agent to be able to break-down any
price, through the cruise line itself, as to the actually cruise cost, port
taxes and other governmental fees, non-commissionable fees, optional trip
insurance, air supplemental changes, any transfer costs, fuel supplemental
changes, etc. In addition, I always break it down for my clients anyway. I
never give anyone just a bottom line price without detailing just what they
are actually paying for, and why.

Happy sailing...
John Sisker - SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY (sm)
(714) 536-3850 or toll-free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency ID: 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com

"Joseph Coulter" wrote in message
...
rdkng97 wrote in news:6f55fe43-af6c-454a-83a9-
:

With every cruise I take I ask my TA how much the port charges and
taxes are and always get a ( I'm not sure) reply. I have an inside
room booked feb. 08/09 on the Voyager and my TA says the room is
907.00 which includes port charges and taxes and ins. That coupled
with fuel charges, gratuities, etc., plus transportation to Galveston
from Dallas will come to around 1200.00 PP. RCL website shows an
inside room for 499.00 for that date. Cruising has gotten to expensive
for me at these prices. Can some TA tell me if these prices are in
line and WHY CAN'T ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE PORT CHARGES AND TAXES ARE?
I am always told that since I am a platinum member that I got an
upgrade. From where? I always get a room on the bottom of the ship. I
guess an upgrade means they move me a little closer to the middle.
Thanks for letting me blow off some steam
R.


The only part that is troubleing to me from your story is that the agent
can't tell you what the NCFs are it is easy from what I showed. Note
that my fake booking didn't include past passenger information so your
booking with insurance is a different rate. Never the less, the add ons
are going to be the same.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

Aren't port charges what the cruise lines charge you to help pay for THEIR
port charges? In other words, they have to pay to dock their ship at a port
and they pass it on to you.
We had a weather issue one year and did not dock in Barbados. I went to the
pursars office and told them since the cruise line did not see fit to refund
anything as a courtesy for losing the day in Barbados that I wanted my port
charges refunded. After about 3 hours I received a call that we would get a
cabin credit of $33 pp port fees for Barbados.

When we book a 10 day cruise, we always figure a budget of around $3,000.
We figure about $1,000pp for the cruise and about a $1,000 ship board bill
when we get off (depending on which excursions we book).

Cruising is not cheap but try to go to Disney World for 10 days for around
$3,000. Unless you spend like a pauper you can't do it. (and we would much
rather cruise than mouse).

"Jr." wrote in
:



Aren't port charges what the cruise lines charge you to help pay for
THEIR port charges?

Basically, yes, although there have been quibbles about it for years so
now the lines call the charges Non Commissionable Fees and do not try to
distinguish any other way. In the example I gave the term NCF was from
the Royal Caribbean site not my editing.



--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

We recently recieved a $40 per person credit when we skipped Grand
Cayman on a Carnival Legend cruise during hurricane Ike. Perhaps it is
the discretion of the cruise line whether or not to reimburse port fees.