Seven Cruise Lines Announce Fare Increases To Cover Increased Fuel Costs - MSN

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Going on a cruise just got more expensive as seven cruise lines announced new fees to be imposed upon passengers to cover rising fuel costs.

Last week, Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator, announced a fuel surcharge of $5 per person, per day, for the following Carnival brands: Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line. Earlier this year, Carnival added a fuel charge on its European brands, Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises. Before Carnival announced its surcharges, luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced that it will implement a fuel surcharge of $7.50 per person, per day, for its 2008 sailings.

Regent's charges apply to new bookings made after December 1, 2007, and to existing bookings that are not paid in full by that same date. Carnival's surcharges will be imposed on bookings for cruises departing on or after February 1, 2008, and will apply only to the first and second passenger in a stateroom; the charges will be capped at $70 per person, per voyage.

Carnival Corporation and Regent Seven Seas now join Crystal Cruises, which has been charging a fuel fee of $5 per person, per day, and Hurtigruten, a Norwegian cruise line, which currently charges $6 per person, per day. The world's second-largest cruise company, Royal Caribbean International, which operates Royal Caribbean Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, has yet to announce a fuel surcharge. When asked if the company would do so, its spokesman Michael Sheehan said, "It is one of many issues we discuss and consider on a regular basis."

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