In late 2007, Carnival Corporation, one of the largest cruise ship companies in the world, announced that all of its North America Brands, including Carnival Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises, would be imposing a $5 per person, per day surcharge for all passengers sailing on or after February 1, 2008. Company brass cited rising fuels costs as the reason for implementing the policy, one they had implemented in Europe earlier in the year. As far as the surcharge goes, Carnival proved to be a trailblazer, as many other major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Oceania Cruises and Crystal Cruises, soon announced similar surcharge policies. The $5 Carnival surcharge actually remains on the low end of the daily charges, as some companies will charge as much as $8.50 per passenger, per day.