MIAMI — Florida's attorney general is reviewing whether cruise lines such as Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. adequately disclosed surcharges they started billing passengers this month to offset rising fuel prices.

Attorney General Bill McCollum has received 150 complaints from customers regarding the fuel surcharge, spokeswoman Sandi Copes said last week. The charge was announced in November by both cruise lines and it began to be applied on voyages beginning Feb. 1.

The attorney general's office was reviewing whether the charges were applied to passengers who had already booked a cruise when the announcement was made. Both cruise lines have said that they provided customers with enough time to cancel their sailings with no penalties.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean, the world's top two cruise operators, both began a $5 per person, per day fuel "supplement." Both Miami-based cruise lines said the charge applies only to the first and second guests in each stateroom and does not exceed $70 per person, per voyage. Other cruise operators also have added fuel surcharges.

In announcing the charge in November, Carnival Chairman and Chief Executive Micky Arison said the price the company had paid for fuel rose 140 percent over the past three years. The surcharge applies to Carnival brands Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn.

Royal Caribbean, which also announced its fuel surcharge in November, said it applies to its Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises brands.