Controversial $42 Mexico Port Fee Postponed

December 9, 2024 Randy Young

Last week, the Mexican Senate passed legislation that would charge every guest who visits a Mexican port via cruise ship a $42 per person “Non-Resident Fee.” This fee was supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2025, but according to the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), they’ve negotiated a 6-month delay.

$42 Non-Resident Fee for Cruise Ship Guests

For years, guests who visited Mexico via cruise ship were exempt from any immigration charges for visiting Mexico. But last week, the Mexican Senate approved a bill that would increase airport immigration charges, add entry fees for nature reserves, and remove the exemption for cruise passengers. Any guest whose ship visited a Mexican port would pay a $42 per person fee starting on January 1, 2025.

Majority of the Mexico Port Fee Is Not Going Towards Tourism

Over the years, other cruise ports have started implementing arrival fees for cruise ships. The largest of these are Santorini and Mykonos in Greece, which will charge a 20-euro fee (roughly $22) during the summer months starting in 2025. According to the Greek government, these fees will go towards improving island infrastructure, providing a better experience for the guests visiting.

In the case of the Mexican fee, this is apparently not the case. According to the AP, two-thirds of this fee would go to the Mexican Army.

Cruise Ship Passengers Would Bear the Cost

For this new fee, every guest onboard the ship would have to pay it, regardless of whether they get off the ship at a Mexican port. Unlike a visa fee, which guests apply and pay for themselves, this fee would be handled by the cruise lines, but it would still be passed onto the cruise ship passenger like other port fees usually charged for a cruise.

This new legislation would equal $168 for a family of four just to spend a few hours in port (if they even choose to leave the ship).

FCCA and Cruise Industry Pushes Back

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), a not-for-profit trade organization representing 23 cruise lines, said this new legislation would significantly impact Mexico’s tourism industry. According to them, the $42 fee is “more than a 213% increase over the average cost of a Caribbean port.”

The FCCA has been in communication with the Mexican government and announced that the start of this fee has been pushed back until July 1, 2025.

We thank the Mexican government for listening to our concerns and proposing a delay of the implementation of the tax that will fall mainly on American citizens. However, the removal of the in transit tax exemption, which was provided to our industry over a decade ago for valid reasons that’s still apply today, was done without our prior input and after the legislation was passed. It is ironic that until this law was abruptly announced the industry was looking to grow in Mexico, and now, the opposite will occur.” – FCAA CEO Michele Page

Future of Mexican Ports in Question

If the fee does actually go into effect on July 1, the future of Mexican cruise ports is in question. While ships leaving from the West Coast don’t have many options outside of Mexico, the Caribbean market is much more competitive. Cruise lines could change itineraries to avoid these ports, instead visiting ports with lower costs, like Belize or Honduras.

This news is especially troubling considering Royal Caribbean’s recent announcement of Perfect Day Mexico, which is scheduled to open in 2027 in Costa Maya, Mexico. This massive project was going to be a tentpole destination visited by every Royal Caribbean ship in the Western Caribbean. Those plans might change if these cruises will have to automatically be more expensive.