ATTENTION: Panama Canal Cruisers

[Mrs. Nesbitt]

This is just an announcement to any of you doing either of the Panama Canal Cruises next year. The company that runs the Panama Canal has increased their fees and Disney is passing this increase on to all passengers. There will be an additional $100.00 per person fee for these sailings. It will be collected with final payment. If you have made final payment, you will need to stilll pay this fee. This is not a charge from Disney, but the the operators of the Panama Canal. Anyone who has arranged their trip through my agency will be receiving an updated invoice.

[Morrigoon]

Ouch, that's a hell of a fee increase! (Maybe this means more reservations will drop off and we'll be able to get more friends on this cruise!)

[€uroMeinke]

Yeah, I think If you've already committed to this another hundred bucks isn't going to be much of a deal breaker

[Disneyphile]

It's totally not Disney's fault either - it seriously is the canal management.

I say we overthrow them and run the canal ourselves. That would be a fun swanking! ;)

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Hopefuly it comes with a complementary jar of lube.

Ouch!

[RStar]

I say we overthrow them and run the canal ourselves.What a great idea! I bet we could run it even better! How'd you ever come up with that?? ;)

Somehow, spending hours in the scenic locks has never appealed to me.....

[Mrs. Nesbitt]

I say we overthrow them and run the canal ourselves. That would be a fun swanking

Training will commence at Small World on Saturday, 8:00am sharp.

[Disneyphile]

Small World is not a good training area - we'd have to PAY people $100 to ride. ;)

[Alex]

While $100 isn't exactly a big deal in the overall cost of a long cruise, neither is it that big of a deal to Disney. They should have just eaten it rather than bump up the price to people who have already agreed on one (even if the fact that this could happen is disclosed).

How much does it cost to go through the Panama Canal? Assuming a full ship, at $100 per person that is $175,000 in new fee. That got me to wondering and while I am not finding a solid source of information the numbers I am finding is that as of a few years ago it cost a cruise ship around $130,000 to cross the canal. Did they really just double their fee unexpectedly (assuming that number is right)?

[RStar]

Did they really just double their fee unexpectedly (assuming that number is right)?
I wouldn't be surprised. I have heard that the amount of work and maintenance needed there was costing quite a bit. Besides, what's the alternative?

Cruise ship captain on the PA: "Folks, we are going to be a little delayed getting home, we need to sail around Cape Horn."

I'm sure most people will gladly pay $500 a peice after hearing that! :eek:

[Morrigoon]

Well, seeing as the early-reservers paid $1500 for the 15-day trip... I think Disney would be eating it at that point. I'm frankly not surprised that they passed it on. I only hope that that's the actual increase in the fee and that Disney hasn't tacked on a profit or anything.

And if the INCREASE is $100, what did it cost before?

[Disneyphile]

Cruise ship captain on the PA: "Folks, we are going to be a little delayed getting home, we need to sail around Cape Horn." I'd pay an extra $500 to DO that! :snap: I'd love to be on that ship for a month. :cool:

[Mrs. Nesbitt]

The fee is strictly from the company that runs the Panama Canal, Disney did not mark this up. I received the same notice from every cruise line along with information from our industry news sources.

The cost increase is to help fund the expansion of the canal that is going on now, so they will be able to handle those large new cruise ships Disney is building. Completion is not scheduled until 2015 on the canal, but they are hoping by 2010 or 2011 to have it at least operational for the larger ships.

The cost was approx $79 per passenger before.

[figment1986]

hmm, its reasonable seeing how when we built the canal it wasn't cheap in the first place...

but why didn't they give notice to cruise liners like last year rather than this year... 2 year notices are better.

[Morrigoon]

Well, it's still quite a long way away, when you think about it.

[cirquelover]

I'm not real happy about the increase and Gary won't be either when he finds out it's $300 more. You would think Disney would eat it considering we're paying $8,000+ to go!

Of course this doesn't mean I'm dropping off because of a $300 difference either though!

[Alex]

The cost was approx $79 per passenger before.

Wow, $79 to $179 is quite a one step cost increase. The last increase was apparently 8%.

[Kevy Baby]

It's only a 127% increase

[Mrs. Nesbitt]

Update- Aug 9 -Ther was a report in the Orlando Sentinel about Disney now paying this fee. Article link here.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-disney0807aug08,0,7629711.story

I have received fax confirmation on this and they will not be collecting the $100 per person, they are going to pay it themselves. Yahoo for all cruising.

[Alex]

I wish it mentioned what the price difference to Disney was between the previous tonnage fee compared to the new berth fee.

So Disney is eating the $500,000 that they announced a couple weeks ago but some (large?) portion of that was already built into the costs of the cruises.

[Kevy Baby]

I heard they gave 10,000 Dream Fastpasses in trade for additional fees.

[Morrigoon]

Cool!

[cirquelover]

I actually heard they raised all alcoholic drinks by $1, that should make them some good $$$,

[Morrigoon]

I won't be drinking 100 alcoholic drinks on the trip, so it's all good.