Antarctica - Fuel surcharges

Just posting an FYI: Back in November 2007 or so, we reserved our room on Quark's "Crossing the Circle" cruise for Feb. 2009 and paid a deposit and signed an agreement with them to pay the required funds. I had assumed this locked in the relevant price.

Turns out, not so much. We've just received a letter imposing a fuel surcharge for roughly $60/pppn, which means we'll be paying close to $2,000 more than originally agreed. Apparently this is permitted under the terms and conditions to which I had agreed, although I'm sure I could cancel now if I really wanted to. Since I don't want to cancel, I guess I'm just going to suck it up. Anyway, be warned.

Excellent heads-up. I'm paying a surcharge of $110.00pp.

I think all the cruise companies are doing this, pretty much worldwide.

Agreed. The cruise companies are all doing this - adding fuel surcharges, - in spite of their agreements with various attorneys general to not add fees to the fares. It's sleazy and sneaky, but they are all getting away with it so far.

OTOH, you will probably treasure this trip - Quark is top drawer and you will go further south and see more. Enjoy!

Oh, and don't fail to report here, or we will put some penguin guano under your pillow. Since you haven't been yet, you probably have no idea how serious this can actually be... but you will know exactly what I mean when you hit your first colony. I mean, J, they eat fish and krill... :D

Quark/Peregrine has been routinely adding fuel surcharges since at least 2005. I'm surprised you were not advised to expect a surcharge when you booked. That said, $60 per night per person is crazy! I just checked and I was charged $22pppn for my trip in last month with Quark in the Arctic (total $220). I paid $20pppn in March 2006 in Antarctica.

$60 is insane, and I am sorry. I hope you can set it aside and enjoy your trip - I know you will have an amazing time.

Yowza. When I said that Lindblad was charging $110pp that was for the entire 15 day trip, not per day. And they only started adding the surcharge this year.

On a 20 day cruise (Jan/Feb 09) SA that includes AA, the fuel surcharge is $9pdpp with a cap of $126 each. This is the same as our Med cruise earlier this year. Not the same type ship, and is with Holland American