Cruise lines, at least those operating outside the luxury space, often list prices as "starting at." That's a fairly deceptive practice because you can't actually book a cruise at the price shown in the advertisement.
In many ways, it's like the way some resort hotels don't include their daily resort fees in their advertised prices. You may not use the pool, WiFi, or park a car, but you still have to pay those fees which you often don't learn about until you actually check-in.
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It's a practice that President Joe Biden has been openly opposed to.
“We’ve written a bill to stop all that. It’s called the Junk Fee Prevention Act. We’ll ban surprise ‘resort fees’ that hotels tack on to your bill. These fees can cost you up to $90 a night at hotels that aren’t even resorts,” he said during his State of the Union address.
That bill has not been passed by Congress yet, but some hotel chains have taken steps to more directly advertise the true cost of staying there. Cruise lines have not been a Biden target, but they are guilty of a similar practice and four major cruise lines have declared that they will make a major change by July 1.
Image source: Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Here's how cruise pricing works
Cruise lines have never done anything as deceptive as not being upfront about charging fees for amenities passengers would assume would be part of their basic fare. Instead, they advertise prices that do not include taxes and port fees.
Many industries do not advertise prices with taxes included. The problem is that taxes and port fees, which are charged per person, can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of your cruise.
If you see an ad for a Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, or MSC Cruise currently, you are seeing a per-person price that does not include taxes and port fees. Many travel sites and travel agencies show customers the full price when quoting a cruise.
That can make it look like they're charging a higher price, but that's certainly not the case given that you can't opt out of paying taxes and port fees aren't optional even if you don't actually get off in port.
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Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, and Norwegian will show the true price
Royal Caribbean and Carnival both shared via emails to travel agents that they would be making this change nationwide as of July 1. The change was sparked by a new California law that would have forced the cruise lines to include taxes and port fees on its website in that state.
Having different pricing for one state was impractical, according to Royal Caribbean's email.
"Starting July 1, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises will comply with California’s new law – and will do so nationally. This means that whenever Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises advertise, display, or offer pricing to consumers on any channel, anywhere in the United States, the price shown will include the cruise fare as well as any taxes, fees, and port expenses that guests will be required to pay as part of their cruise," according to the email.
Silversea, Royal Caribbean's (RCL) luxury brand already showed the full price which is the policy at most higher-end cruise lines, including Walt Disney's.
MSC Cruises will make the change by July 1 as will Norwegian Cruise Line and all Carnival Corporation brands including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard North America.
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