Just a little tidbit before the "official announcement by Carnival":

"Carnival Corporation has announced that effective October 31, 2008  the existing  fuel supplement will be eliminated for all new bookings on 2010 departures.  At that same time, a price increase on 2010 sailings will become effective. Additionally, the company has established specific guidelines under which the current fuel supplement may be reimbursed to consumers for 2008 and 2009 voyages."

Darrin -

Thanks for keeping us up to date on important info (like refund stuff!!!)  Anyway...do you know what the guidelines are for the reimbursments?  Thanks!

Now the information has been posted to the Carnival.com website:

October 10, 2008

Carnival has announced that effective October 31, 2008, the existing fuel supplement will be eliminated for all new bookings on 2010 departures. At that same time, a price increase on 2010 sailings will become effective. Additionally, we have established specific guidelines under which the current fuel supplement may be reimbursed to our guests for 2008 and 2009 voyages.

For 2008 and 2009 departures, if the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) is $70 per barrel or less at the 2:30 p.m. close of business as reported by Reuters on each of the 25 consecutive trading days ending five trading days prior to the guest's cruise departure date, the fuel supplement will be refunded in the form of a shipboard credit. Guests who book a 2010 cruise prior to October 31, 2008, will be charged the current fuel supplement but will also be eligible for a refund of the fuel supplement in accordance with the same fuel price conditions that are being implemented for the 2008 and 2009 departures. Within the next few weeks, we will provide the daily NYMEX fuel price information at Carnival.com.

Carnival is implementing these initiatives due to the recent trends in declining fuel prices in an effort to migrate away from charging a separate fuel supplement. If fuel prices stabilize below $70 per barrel, we will be able to effectively eliminate the fuel supplement. However, there is still a risk that fuel prices could move higher which would require us to maintain or reinstate a fuel supplement but we are hopeful that the goal of eliminating the fuel supplement can be achieved. These industry-leading initiatives demonstrate our commitment to our guests and travel agents to make Carnival the most attractive cruise vacation available.

The fuel supplement is currently $9 per person per day for the first and second guest (not to exceed $126 per person per voyage) and $4 per person per day for third, fourth and fifth guests (not to exceed $56 per person per voyage).

Darrin -

HUH?????????  Ok now, somebody wanna tell me what that said in english?  (and I thought I had a college education and studied legal-eze, and insurance-eze)...apparently I need a sub course in cruise-legal-eze!!!!

Guess we will just have to wait and see if we get any monies back.  Sure would be nice if we did.

Sioux

Will you be eligible for the credit if you booked with a travel agent?

Guess I need to bookmark Reuters.com to track any reimubursements for my Dec 29, 08 cruise!!

And then try to understand the formula they're using...and then grab a calendar and mark the trading days but only up until 5 days prior to my cruise! 

Lextown:

Will you be eligible for the credit if you booked with a travel agent?

Absolutely, it doesn't matter how you book, if you fall into the situation to get a credit, then you still get it.

Darrin -

Deb,

I'll keep an eye on it for ya! I track cetain costs on my IPod Touch that sits next to my computer during the day. I keep it on the screen to watch my CCL and Priceline stocks and other things I watch from time to time - just need to figure out how to monitor OIL prices.

Ha - figured it out - it's USO on the AMEX exchange!

Darrin -

Darrin you're the best!

I'd have an OBC of $88 bucks for NYE if all goes well.....

Thats a few Monkeyheads right?

this is how i took it.. tell me if im wrong!! if not hope it helps 

30 days before your cruise is scheduled to leave if the price of oil is 70 dollars a barrell or less for the next 25 days, every day, you are eligible for a refund.

 Example: your cruise leaves sept 30 2009. If oil is $70 a barell or less from sept 1 to sept 25 then your fuel charge is refunded

KeriLeigh86:

this is how i took it.. tell me if im wrong!! if not hope it helps 

 

30 days before your cruise is scheduled to leave if the price of oil is 70 dollars a barrell or less for the next 25 days, every day, you are eligible for a refund.

 Example: your cruise leaves sept 30 2009. If oil is $70 a barell or less from sept 1 to sept 25 then your fuel charge is refunded

Sounds right to me!...Just note that its 25 "trading days" which is just Monday-Friday so with your example, just have to start counting 25 business days is all.

DScheidle:

a price increase on 2010 sailings will become effective

I think the price still has about $7 to go before the $70 mark. 

 Ok everybody, lets all stop driving our cars to lower demand in order to drive down the oil price <g>.  And start thinking about all of those free monkeyhead drinks that our surcharge refunds will provide.  Woohoo!

 Jim

AS I see it, they are going to take the fuel supplement away and just add to the price increase for 2010, but I don't think that is going to be a smart move, because they are going to raise the prices of the cruises and the economy may still not be back to where people will be able to afford higher prices.  I know I won't, if the prices go much higher, the cruise that I am going on in two weeks may just be my first and last because it took me almost 2 1/2 years just to save up to do this one.