As fuel prices continue to decline, six brands from Carnival Corporation & plc, including Carnival Cruise Lines, have announced that they will suspend fuel supplements effective for all voyages departing on or after December 17, 2008.
In addition to Carnival, the fuel supplement suspension applies to Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn.
A refund of the fuel supplement will be made in the form of a shipboard credit for all bookings within the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008. All bookings outside of the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008 will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount.
The company cautioned that the fuel supplement could be re-instated if oil prices increase significantly.
The company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests at up to $9 per person per day should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $70 per barrel.
The fuel supplement for five of the six Carnival Corporation & plc brands is currently $9 per person per day for the first and second guest (not to exceed $126 per person per voyage) and $4 per person per day for third, fourth and fifth guests (not to exceed $56 per person per voyage). Seabourn’s fuel supplement is $15 per person per day for the first and second guest (not to exceed $210 per person per voyage) and $4 per person per day for third and fourth guests (not to exceed $56 per person per voyage).
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia operating 88 ships in service 17 new ships scheduled to debut between March 2009 and June 2012.