quote:

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Originally posted by wile1170:
I mean, why should they cut into their 40% profit margins when they can pass on the extra expense to passengers.

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Those already booked and paid, would have no choice but to pay any surcharge in line with the T&Cs, but it may well put a block on any new & future bookings. Cruislines may have to be careful and cover a proportion of any additional cost themselves.

I guess that there will be now, with this devastation and surely by those rising oil prices (what is it, 80USD /barrel ?)the overall climate will be bad for selling pure luxury items like cruises. There is an uneasiness in the air, which is not good for cruise vacations.

As already car use is 10% down here because of rising oil prices, i guess people will still go on holiday, but will downsize also on this, but may think twice for an expensive cruise,and go for a more affordable holiday. (after all, how go through a winter with such high prices - this uncomfortably all reminds me of the '70s)

If the trend goes on, there will be lot of empty cruise ships, which could be used for shelter in New Orleans....

J

[ 09-01-2005: Message edited by: Johan ]

here in Germany, fuel prices have risen an average 12 (euro) cents since yesterday morning (!!!). The average price for a litre (not gallon!) of premium fuel now is EUR 1.40 (approx. US$ 1.72 at today's exchange rate). During the last twelve months, fuel prices have risen approx. 20%.

Edit: Less than 24 hours later a litre of premium fuel now is EUR 1.46 (US$ 1.80).

Best,

Raoul

[ 09-02-2005: Message edited by: r.fiebig ]

quote:

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
California and Hawaii have the highest fuel prices in the USA in general. San Diego and San Fran get the worst of it. IMO it is because we are a captive audience-people the World over choose to live in California and we get stuck w/a nice fat charge because of that. That nonsense that our fuel is a 'special blend' just does not fly w/me anymore.

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I think a lot of it has to due to with CA state taxes added to each gallon sold ... and not the fact that the fuel itself is more expensive in CA.

Currently, my guess is that fuel is more expensive here in Atlanta than anywhere in CA. Yesterday some stations were charging $5.99 a gallon ... and thankfully that has subsided to more like $3.75 a gallon today. Yesterday in Atlanta was reminiscent of the 70's ... lines of cars waiting to fuel up and many stations out of gas with pumps closed off.

Ernie

[ 09-01-2005: Message edited by: eroller ]

EXCISE (per litre)

Petrol (regular unleaded and premium unleaded)......38.143
Diesel......38.143
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)......0
Ethanol (even if blended with petrol or diesel)......38.143
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)......0
Biodiesel (100% i.e.: unblended)......0
Biodiesel (if blended with conventional diesel)......38.143

note: lead replacement petrol is being discontinued......38.143

GST (Goods Services Tax)

Add 10% to the price of all of the above fuels.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
The big worry is for heating gas and oil which could increase in price by 70%.
Get out the sweaters and ear muffs!
F4

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quote:

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Originally posted by PamM:

Those already booked and paid, would have no choice but to pay any surcharge...
Pam

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I remember having to call and tell those passengers booked and paid and even with tickets in hand that they now had to pay even more for the increase in port taxes and fees had gone up. Sometimes we would try and absorb the cost, but not always.

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Oil, Gasoline Rise as Hurricane Rita Threatens Texas Refineries
Mark Shenk
September 22, 2005

New York - Gasoline and crude oil rose for a second day as Hurricane Rita approached the Texas coast, threatening the nation's largest concentration of refineries.

"One of the biggest hurricanes ever is headed for the heart of America's refining capacity," said Jason Schenker, an economist at Wachovia Corp. in Charlotte. "Prices will hit new records if we get reports of flooding and other destruction once the storm passes."

Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Valero Energy Corp. and ConocoPhillips shut facilities as Rita neared. Texas is home to 25 of the nation's 144 operating refineries, the most of any state. All but seven of the plants are in coastal cities, including Houston, Port Arthur and Corpus Christi. Four plants in Louisiana and Mississippi, representing 5 percent of U.S. capacity, remain shut because of Hurricane Katrina last month.

Gasoline for October delivery surged 9.89 cents, or 4.8 percent, to $2.152 a gallon at 10:14 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gasoline futures reached $2.1795, the highest since Sept. 6. Prices touched $2.92 a gallon on Aug. 31, the highest since trading began in 1984. Futures are 60 percent higher than a year ago.

Crude oil for November delivery rose 70 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $67.50 a barrel in New York. Futures have declined 4.7 percent since touching a record $70.85 a barrel on Aug. 30, the day after Katrina made landfall. Prices are 40 percent higher than a year ago.

'Potentially Catastrophic'

Rita, with maximum sustained winds of 170 mph (274 kph), is "potentially catastrophic," the National Hurricane Center said today in an advisory at 7 a.m. Houston time. The storm is forecast to hit land near Galveston, Texas, late tomorrow or early Sept. 24. Rita's center was 490 miles southeast of Galveston, and moving west-northwest at close to 9 mph.

"There are no adjectives that properly describe the threat Rita poses," said Michael Fitzpatrick, vice president of energy risk management with Fimat USA in New York. "This could be much worse than Katrina."

Exxon Mobil is shutting its Baytown refinery in Texas, the company said. The Baytown refinery is the biggest in the U.S., processing 557,000 barrels of oil a day. The company said it was also closing its Beaumont refinery, which can process 348,500 barrels a day.

'Shuttered Refineries'

"Shuttered refineries will take at least two weeks to resume operations," Fitzpatrick said.

BP Plc said it shut its crude-oil refinery in Texas City, Texas, the nation's fourth-largest, to prepare for Rita. The facility can process 460,000 barrels a day.

Heating oil for October delivery rose 4.03 cents, or 2 percent, to $2.079 a gallon. Futures touched $2.21 on Sept. 1, the highest in 27 years of trading on the exchange. Heating oil is 55 percent higher than a year ago.

Regular-grade gasoline, averaged nationwide, fell 0.9 cent to $2.755 a gallon yesterday, according to data released today by the AAA, the nation's largest motoring organization. Prices have declined 9.9 percent since touching a record $3.057 on Sept. 2. Pump prices are 48 percent higher than a year ago.

In London, the November Brent crude-oil futures contract rose 64 cents, or 1 percent, to $65.37 a barrel on the International Petroleum Exchange. Prices touched $68.89 on Aug. 30, the highest since trading began in 1988.

Bloomberg

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[ 09-27-2005: Message edited by: vaguyy ]