CARNIVAL

Carnival Challenges Fuel Surcharge Investigation

Carnival Corp. & plc is challenging Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's investigation into a fuel surcharge the company imposed last November by claiming the extra passenger fee already was approved when Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was attorney general, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The newspaper reviewed records showing that Carnival representatives approached then-Attorney General Crist's office in October 2006 seeking approval to charge a new fee to help absorb soaring fuel costs. At least one internal meeting on the issue was scheduled by lawyers in the Attorney General's Office on Oct. 5 that year, according to the records.

Crist's office "expressly approved" the fee nearly 18 months ago, Carnival lawyer Curtis J. Mase wrote in a letter to investigators leading the current probe by McCollum's office.

Mase also wrote that Carnival was told "that the approval came from the highest level" of Crist's office, according to the Sentinel.

Five days after that meeting, the Republican Party of Florida reported it received checks totaling $250,000 from two Carnival subsidiaries: Holland America Line and Princess Tours.

Carnival told the newspaper this week that donations were unrelated to the conversations with Crist's office about the fuel surcharge.

A spokeswoman for McCollum told the Sentinel that Carnival's fuel surcharge went beyond the agreement reached with Crist's office in 2006 because even customers who had already booked their cruises were required to pay the new charge. They were allowed, however, to cancel their reservation without penalty.

Carnival's lawyers, saying the company has met all the criteria outlined under Crist's administration, pointed out in correspondence with the state that its brochures warned customers of the possibility of fuel surcharges. It has also told the Attorney General's Office that it intends to eliminate the surcharge once the price of crude oil drops below $70 a barrel, the Sentinel reported.

Carnival has already suggested to McCollum's office that it could send refunds to passengers who had already paid in full when the surcharge was announced, according to the state. But McCollum's office reportedly has insisted that any refunds must also apply to customers who had paid deposits only.

Carnival says it would forfeit $40 million if it has to refund the surcharge to all previously booked passengers, the Sentinel reported.

 

 

Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest will offer a new seven-day itinerary from Galveston, TX, that will include port calls to Key West and Freeport and Nassau.

The new weeklong cruise option will be offered approximately once a month from February 2009 through April 2010 and will complement the ship's existing Western Caribbean cruise schedule featuring stops at Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico.

 

 

 

All 2009 – 2010 itineraries for the Caribbean New York, Caribbean Miami, and Caribbean Gulf sailings are opening for sale to the general public on Thursday, April 3

 

 

 

Princess has announced that its new Ruby Princess will now debut on Nov. 8, one week earlier than previously scheduled. The inaugural voyage will be a seven-day Western Caribbean sailing to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Princess Cays.

Passengers booked on the ship's previously scheduled inaugural sailing on Nov. 15 can change their booking to the Nov. 8 sailing. Duplicate bookings have already been made for all passengers booked on the original cruise, guaranteeing the same cabin on the new voyage. Those who wish to change sailings can do so before March 31. Passengers who want to remain on the Nov. 15 voyage do not need to take any action, as their duplicate reservation expires at the end of March.

 

Princess 2009 Alaska cruise and cruise-tour program is now available.

Between May 9 and Sept. 14, 2009, Princess will offer a total of 130 Alaska sailings on the Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess sailing the line's signature Gulf of Alaska sailings.

The Golden Princess, Star Princess and Sea Princess will sail the Inside Passage routes from Seattle and San Francisco, while the 670-passenger Pacific Princess takes over the line's small ship experience on 14-day Connoisseur voyages to less-visited ports.

Cruise-tour packages will feature a Voyage of the Glaciers cruise and a selection of three- to nine-night land tour options, which include Denali Park; overnights in Anchorage and Fairbanks; Princess' rail service; and Explorer tours to Denali and other areas with stays at Princess' Copper River or Kenai wilderness lodges, or adventures in the north.

Alaska Escorted tours offer three itineraries featuring the services of a professional guide and include most meals.

The 2009 Alaska cruises and cruisetours will be available for booking on April 9.