Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin BYE-BYE, HIDDEN FEES: Thanks to a new California law banning junk fees, the cruise price you see will be the price you pay. T his Monday, California’s new “ Honest Pricing Law ” goes into effect, requiring businesses to disclose all costs up front so that the price a consumer sees is the one they pay. It’s a ban on so-called “junk fees,” hidden charges added to the advertised or listed price for everything from hotel rooms and airline tickets to concert tickets and restaurant food.
For cruise fans, the impact of the law is reaching far beyond the Golden State. Starting July 1, the world’s largest cruise operators—Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean—will begin disclosing up front all taxes, port fees and other mandatory charges on all cruises, no matter where they originate. This is a sea change in the way the cruise industry has been displaying prices for as long as anyone can remember.
Currently, only Viking Cruises and Explora advertise fares inclusive of added fees, and they will continue to do so, according to Cruise Critic , a popular review site owned by Tripadvisor. But now transparent pricing will become the norm across the entire industry, at Carnival (and its sister brands, Holland America and Princess); Royal Caribbean (and its sister Celebrity); Norwegian Cruise Line; and MSC. The industry-wide shift is a big win for consumers, says Aaron Saunders, senior editor at Cruise Critic.
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