Cruise Fuel Surchages in Perspective

There has been a lot of discussion in the marketplace about cruise lines adding fuel surcharges to their rates. While no one likes surprises, it is important to note that most lines have absorbed staggering fuel cost increases for the last 18 months and are now in effect "correcting" for the future prices. In actuality most surcharges are in the range of $6 per day. One could say that this equates to one fancy drink with umbrella per day.

In perspective, I just opened my electric bill. My actual electric was $88.30 but the surcharges added another $20 plus to the bill. That sounds like almost a 25% surcharge. And hotels and rental cars - forget about it! So a $42 surcharge on a $1200 one week cruise is not so bad after all.

Save Money on Cruise Ship Parking

If you are driving to a port to embark on your cruise there is not much you can do to save on the cost of fuel. But there are some things that you can do to save on the cost of parking. There are three options that you have when arriving in your port city – A. Park at the pier B. Park off site at a nearby lot or C. Stay in a hotel before or after your cruise that offers a "parking package". The cost for parking at the pier can run as high as $20 per day but often local lots charge less than half of this and will shuttle you to the terminal. If you are considering taking advantage of the local attractions before or after your cruise, then a hotel cruise and parking package is a good option. The cost of the room might be slightly more than a week's worth of parking at the pier but spending your "parking money" on a pre-cruise hotel is a good idea. There is a good resource for offsite parking at http://www.GreatPorts.com