Genting Dream, Star Voyager passengers to pay fuel surcharges from March 20 amid Iran war
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The cruise operators said the surcharge will be reviewed in line with fuel price movements and may be adjusted.
PHOTO: DREAM CRUISES/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – Those going on a cruise on the Genting Dream or the Star Voyager will have to pay a surcharge of $15 a person for each night as a result of rising fuel costs amid the Middle East conflict.
The surcharge will apply to new bookings made on or after March 20, said cruise operators StarCruises and Dream Cruises in separate statements on March 17. It is applicable to guests aged two and above.
The operators, which are under the StarDream Cruises brand, said: “Due to recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East, oil prices have increased significantly, leading to higher fuel and related costs.”
They added that the surcharge is determined by the operating requirements of each ship and itinerary, and may therefore vary across their fleets.
The surcharge applies to Genting Dream sailings from Singapore and neighbouring home ports and to Star Voyager sailings from Singapore and Port Klang, Malaysia.
Meanwhile, a HK$200 (S$33) surcharge will be applied to Star Voyager sailings from Hong Kong, and passengers of the Star Navigator leaving from Keelung in Taiwan will pay a surcharge of NT600 (S$24).
The total fuel surcharge will be added automatically to the guest’s on-board account, said the operators.
They added that the surcharge will be reviewed in line with fuel price movements and may be adjusted.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, World Cruises said it has no plans to add a fuel surcharge.
“While we continue to monitor global market conditions closely, any future adjustments would be carefully considered with the guest experience at the forefront of our decision-making,” said World Cruises, which operates the World Legacy cruise from HarbourFront in Singapore and Puteri Harbour in Johor several times a day.
Earlier in March, several ferry operators announced that they would impose a fuel surcharge of $6 for one-way trips departing from Singapore from March 12.
The surcharge is about $11 for a two-way trip between Singapore and Batam, Indonesia, and $12 for a return trip between Singapore and Bintan, Indonesia.
Those taking land transport are also paying more, as taxi operator ComfortDelGro said it will temporarily raise its metered fares and introduce a fee for app bookings to help drivers manage higher operating costs amid the war in the Middle East.
