Could cruise passengers soon be hit with a fuel surcharge?

By Charles Passy

At least one Asian cruise line is already tacking on the fee for future bookings

Norwegian Cruise Line - whose ship the Norwegian Breakaway is shown here departing from New York on Jan. 23 - says it has no immediate plans to impose a fuel surcharge.

You've already spent thousands of dollars for an upcoming cruise vacation. Now could you be asked to shell out even more to compensate for rising fuel costs?

Some travelers are asking that question, given the concerns about how the ongoing conflict in Iran is affecting the oil market and in turn, fuel prices -think $4-a-gallon gas.

It "would not surprise me at all," one commenter on a Reddit forum said about a potential fuel surcharge.

Industry experts say it's a possibility, noting that passenger contracts can allow for this very kind of post-booking add-on. For example, Norwegian Cruise Line specifies on its website that it reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $10 per passenger per day "without prior notice" if the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil increases above $65 per barrel. Recently, the price has topped $100 a barrel.

At the same time, experts say a cruise line might be hard-pressed to tack on the fuel fee, even for future bookings, since such a move risks angering passengers and making them less likely to book future sailings with that line.

"Adding a fuel surcharge feels like a bridge too far," said Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of the Cruise Critic website.

All this comes at a time when more people are sailing the high seas than ever before, according to Cruise Lines International Association, the industry trade group. The association projected that 37.7 million passengers would travel on cruise ships in 2025, a nearly 9% increase over the 2024 figure.

One Asian-based cruise operator, StarCruises, has started imposing fuel surcharges, at least for future bookings. The additional cost is 200 Hong Kong dollars - or about $25 - per guest per night.

This "measure allows us to continue operating our sailings while maintaining the quality of service and experience our guests expect," the company said.

Of the major cruise companies, at least two have indicated to MarketWatch that surcharges are not in the works. A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) said: "We do not expect any immediate impact on ticket prices or the guest experience due to current oil market disruptions."

And a spokesperson for Carnival (CCL) had a similar response: "We have no plans to change our current pricing model."

Royal Caribbean (RCL) didn't respond to requests for comment.

Still, some experts say you can never say never when it comes to a fuel surcharge should oil costs remain high. And if a hike doesn't come in the form of a surcharge, cruise lines could simply end up raising the base price for future bookings, although that obviously wouldn't affect people who have already paid for their trips.

Either way, "I don't see how the cruise lines could stay in business without passing [the cost] on to consumers," said Michael Winkleman, a personal injury and maritime attorney at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, a Florida-based law firm.

Winkleman added that cruise lines typically have a long list of clauses in their passenger contracts that address any number of scenarios, from changing itineraries with little notice to, yes, imposing a fuel surcharge. This is why travelers should pay heed to the fine print, he said.

"The cruise contract is a powerful document entirely in favor of the cruise lines," Winkleman said.

Experts say it's worth noting that cruise lines are often protected from short-term shifts in oil costs due to the fact that they've locked in pricing in advance, a process known as hedging. That may explain why surcharges aren't necessarily imminent.

But if surcharges are levied at some point, cruise travelers won't be happy, McDaniel said. While it's true passengers typically pony up for all sorts of extras on a sailing, from drink packages to specialty dining, they see a true benefit to those things, she noted.

But a fuel surcharge is a different story, she added: "They don't get anything tangible for it."

-Charles Passy

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04-04-26 1023ET

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