A new law in California is going to make Cruise Lines adjust their pricing policies. This could help travelers to have a clearer picture of just how much they’re actually going to pay for the voyage. Hotels, airlines, and pretty much anything that you “buy” while you’re on a trip have traditionally looked for ways to hide some of the add-on fees that you’ll ultimately have to pay. The concept that they use is very simple. They’ll advertise a low price to get people to buy-in. Once they’re “hooked,” they’ll usually have little to no choice but to pay the extra fees to ensure they can go on the trip that they have already booked.
The state’s honest pricing law, which will go into effect July 1st, will require cruise lines that sell voyages from the California coast to include almost all the fees that they could charge as extras. That way, travelers will be able to get a better sense of the actual cost of the trip before they book. California Attorney General Rob Bonta had this to say about the new law,
“Our price transparency law is about clear and honest communication with consumers, so consumers can make the financial choices that are best for them and their families,” he would go on to add, “The law is simple: the price you see is the price you pay.”
According to an investigation by the Washington Post, the issue of hidden fees on certain cruise lines is getting out of hand. They estimated that some people ended up paying around 100 dollars above the listed price per person on certain cruises. The cruise lines that were found to engage in this practice more often included Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Princess Cruises. These companies will likely continue to operate in the same manner for the voyages that their ships make outside the state of California. Ironically, one of the biggest extra costs that people end up having to cover are state and dock fees. Most of this money is actually going to the government and not the cruise line. This was one of the ways that some of these companies have justified their sketchy pricing policies. They blame the government for the added fees.
There are also a few cruise lines that are already compliant with the law for the most part. Therefore, passengers will likely not see a major shift in the prices of voyages, particularly around the port of Los Angeles, which is the busiest one for cruises in California. The Disney Cruise line is the most relevant company on the nice list. They’ve been offering transparent pricing for years. They’ll, of course, continue to do so under the new legislation. Knowing this, don’t be alarmed if the price of a cruise goes up after July 1st. It’s not that you missed out on a sale. The issue is likely that the prices you’re still seeing are not in compliance with the new law!
