Two Cruise Lines Introduce Fuel Surcharges, Could More Follow?
Key Aspects:
The war on Iran has caused fuel prices to skyrocket, which is impacting the cruise industry.
One Asian cruise brand has already introduced fuel surcharges of up to $25 USD per guest, per day.
It would not be surprising if the mainstream cruise lines followed suit with their own surcharges or by increasing cruise fares.
The worsening conflict in the Middle East may have just made your future cruise more expensive.
Since the war with Iran began on February 28, 2026, oil prices have risen by over 35%. As an example, Global Brent crude oil prices have soared by nearly 40% to over $100 per barrel, driven by the ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz (which borders Iran).
While cruise lines have made great efforts to create and integrate greener fuel alternatives, the industry still relies on heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil to power its ships.
The extra costs that cruise lines have to shell out for fuel aren’t just impacting the brands, but their guests as well.
Asian Cruise Lines Implement Fuel Surcharges
StarCruises and Dream Cruises, which are both owned by Resorts World Cruises, notified booked passengers on March 17, 2026, about new fuel surcharges.
The fees went into effect on March 20, 2026, for new bookings. All guests over the age of two will be required to pay surcharges, which will automatically be added to guests’ onboard accounts during their sailings.
“Due to recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East, oil prices have increased significantly, leading to higher fuel and related costs,” Dream Cruises and StarCruises announced in letters, which were obtained by Cruise Hive.
“As a result, a fuel surcharge will be introduced for new bookings made on or after 20 March 2026,” the letter continued.
Dream Cruises has implemented a change of SGD15 (or about $11.70 USD) per person, per day for all of Genting Dream’s departures. The 3,352-guest ship currently operates out of Singapore and Malaysia (Port Klang or Malacca).
Read Also: Cruise Ship Fuel Consumption – All the Details
StarCruises is imposing even heftier fees. Guests of the 1,944-passenger Star Voyager will have to shell out HKD 200 (about $25 USD) per guest, per night. The 77,441-gross ton ship is currently homeporting in Hong Kong.
Finally, sailing on the 1,854-guest Star Navigator, which currently operates out of Keelung (Taiwan), will come with a fee of NTD 600 (about $19 USD), per guest, per night.
The cruise brand will continue to review the surcharges as oil prices adjust and modify the cost to guests accordingly.
Are More Surcharges Coming?
When guests book their sailings and sign their cruise contract, the fine print almost always states that the cruise lines are allowed to implement fuel charges if necessary.
Although the cruise lines have rarely added surcharges historically, it does means that guests could end up being responsible for potentially hundreds of dollars in extra surcharges even after paying their balance in full.
For instance, Carnival reserves the right to charge up to $9.00 USD per person, per day, when the New York Mercantile Exchange Index (NYMEX) is greater than $70.00 USD per barrel of oil (and it’s currently at around $91.25 per barrel).
If the cruise line decided to implement these surcharges, a family of four could be looking at an added $252 for a week-long vacation.
As another example, Norwegian Cruise Line allows for a maximum daily surcharge of $10 per passenger, per day when fuel increases above $65 per barrel on the NYMEX. To put things in perspective, that’s an additional $280 for a family of four embarking on a week-long cruise.
MSC Cruises has one of the highest daily caps in the industry, with the ability to enact fees of up to $12 per person, per day when the NYMEX is above $65 per barrel. Again, looking at our hypothetical family of four, that is a whopping $336 for a week at sea.
As a final example, Royal Caribbean arguably has the least specific policy in the industry when it comes to fuel surcharges, with no published trigger charge or daily maximum.
Moving forward, it’s always a good idea for guests to review their specific cruise line’s policies so that they have an idea of what to expect and can be prepared in the event that surcharges are indeed levied.
Alternatively, the major brands may also opt to recoup costs by increasing the fares for new bookings rather than upsetting existing guests with unexpected fees. Cruise Hive will update on which way the industry trends.
Two Cruise Lines Introduce Fuel Surcharges, Could More Follow?