Cruise passengers traveling to Mexico will have to pay a new fee this summer, but it’s much lower than it could have been, thanks to pressure from cruise industry leaders.Crown Princess in Ensenada, Mexico. ID 282925594 | Carnival © Darryl Brooks | Dreamstime.com
In 2024, over 9 million cruise passengers visited Mexico. In 2025, that number is expected to jump to more than 10 million.
But a $42 passenger fee from Mexico was threatening to lower the number of visits as the cruise industry warned of the threat to the country’s tourism sector.
This fee was intended to start early in 2025 and would be passed on to cruise passengers who had previously been exempt because they were considered “in transit”.
The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), voiced strong opposition and led the charge against the high fees. They warned that the $42 fee added to existing costs and could lead to ships bypassing Mexican ports altogether.
Fortunately, the cruise industry didn’t just accept this. Through active discussions with Mexican officials, they worked to find a better solution
And the good news for anyone planning a Mexican cruise is that these efforts paid off dramatically.
Mexico has agreed to a significantly lower starting rate for the new fee. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Non-Resident Duty for cruise passengers will be just $5 USD per person, an 88% decrease from the original $42 fee.
This fee will typically be added to your cruise fare by the cruise line, and it’s important to note it is charged just once per itinerary, regardless of how many stops you make in Mexico on that sailing.
But this fee is not going to remain at $5, at least as things are setup right now.
The $5 rate is the starting point, and the fee is scheduled to increase gradually in the coming years as part of the agreement reached.
Here is the planned schedule for the phased increases:
- $10 per passenger from August 1, 2026, to June 2027
- $15 per passenger from July 1, 2027, to July 2028
- $21 per passenger starting August 1, 2028
While the fee will rise over time, the key takeaway is that even the final scheduled rate of $21 is still half of the original $42 proposal. And perhaps during this time there will be more negotiations to keep the fees lower than the current scheduled rates.
Appeared first on: Cruisefever.net
