Port fees are a part of cruising. The fees help pay for things like docking tolls, inspection costs, local taxes, pier facility usage, and line handling. And in the last several months, a few cruise ports have announced an increase in their fee structure.St. Thomas. Photo Credit: Cupertino10 | Dreamstime.
The demand for cruising continues to rise, and along with it a few fees that travelers need to know about. While no one loves paying more for port fees, these changes sometimes lead to better docking facilities and services to support local communities.
Let’s take a look at a few ports where fees are changing and why these adjustments are being made.
Boston
For cruise travelers setting sail from Boston, there’s a new fee of $3 per person coming in 2026.
Last year, Boston’s cruise port (Flynn Cruiseport Boston) welcomed nearly half a million passengers. And MassPort.com reports that they’re expecting over 140 cruise ships from 22 different lines between March and November alone this year.
With the increasing number of passengers, the port needs additional funding to manage the traffic. The Massachusetts Port Authority is planning a $105 million project that includes a new boarding bridge, a shore power electrical grid, and other renovations.
This $3 fee, recently approved by MassPort, will help fund these improvements. However, don’t get used to this fee staying at $3. The fee is set to increase by $3 a year until 2030, when it reaches $15 per person.
On the positive side, the funds will help make the port the first in New England to offer shore-to-ship electricity. So, ships will be able to turn off their engines in port.
St. Thomas
St. Thomas is getting ready for larger ships, and so the port fees are getting larger as well. Making the announcement at the end of last year, St. Thomas is raising the port fee from $6.84 per passenger to $9.84.
The increase in funding will be used to dredge Charlotte Amalie Harbor to depths of 40 feet so some of the mega ships of today will be able to use the port.
The fee would have been even higher but the U.S. Virgin Islands government chipped in $17 million to help with the project, as tourism is a vital part of the local economy.
Wharfage fees are also increasing: by $0.44 per person at the WICO dock starting January 1, 2025 (from $7.80 to $8.24), and at Crown Bay in St. John starting April 1, 2025. The wharfage fee increases will fund marine operations and dock maintenance.
Orkney Islands
Photo credit: Cruise Fever
After having over 210,00 cruise visitors in Orkney Islands last year, the Scottish cruise port is gearing up for another busy year in 2025.
To help offset the impact of all of the extra cruise traffic, the Orkney Islands Council is backing a proposal that will pass on a £5 levy onto cruise passengers. So, this increase in cost to passengers isn’t quite official just yet.
Local leaders in Orkney are saying that local ferry users won’t be affected and that the levy aims to enhance both the visitor experience and the well-being of the island communities.
The proposal has been endorsed by the council and is waiting on further action from the Scottish government.
What About Cozumel?
In December of las year Cozumel, Mexico announced that a $42 cruise passenger tax was coming. It was supposed to go into effect in January 2025.
But that plan is now delayed until July 2025 in what is being called to be a temporary delay. Critics of the plan highlight that the funds would not even go toward port facilities but instead would go toward the Mexican Army and other projects.
There haven’t been any recent official statements from the Mexican government clarifying whether the tax will definitely be implemented in July, if it might be changed, or if it could be scrapped altogether.
The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) warned about the plan saying, “While the proposed postponement provides a temporary reprieve, FCCA stresses that more comprehensive measures are required to address broader concerns about the tax’s devastating impact on cruise tourism, Mexico’s economy, and the livelihoods of its coastal communities.”
We’ll keep our ears to the ground on this one and let readers know about any updates.
Appeared first on: Cruisefever.net
