6 Cruise Lines Settle Suit on Port Fees

Six major U.S. cruise lines agreed last week to make changes in their advertising and billing policies after a lawsuit by Florida state authorities accused them of misleading passengers about fares.

At issue are “port charges” or “port fees,” which most companies have assessed on top of a cruise’s advertised price--raising it as much as 30%. The fees, generally $80 to $200, have been climbing in recent years.

Though many travelers have assumed those charges are government taxes, Florida Assistant Atty. Gen. Jack Norris said, some lines were including such items as shipboard telephone calls, water usage and even portions of crew payroll in the fees.

The companies that settled are Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Norwegian Cruise Lines Ltd., Celebrity Cruises Inc., Dolphin Cruise Line and Majesty Cruise Line.

Under the agreements, the lines will pay a combined $295,500--including $100,000 each from industry leaders Carnival and Royal Caribbean--and cannot add any fees to their advertised initial ticket prices except specific charges from governmental and quasi-governmental agencies.

Seattle-based Holland America Line, with eight ships, was not among the cruise lines initially named, but spokesman Larry Dessler said the firm, beginning this spring, will eliminate port fees and charge a single “inclusive price.”

Florida officials say they are still negotiating with other cruise lines named in its suit, including Los Angeles-based Princess, which has nine ships.