Mexico to Charge Cruise Line Passengers a Tax—Here’s What Travelers Need to Know

A cruise stop in Mexico just got more expensive this summer travel season.

While a $42 cruise ship fee had been scheduled to take effect for all passengers this summer, industry leaders and the Mexican government have come to a compromise. Instead of the high tax on those cruising into the ports of Mexico, passengers will only be responsible for a $5 fee per guest. The charge will be added to each cruise fare and collected by the cruise operators. 

The fee begins on July 1, and will increase to $10 on August 1, 2026. It will subsequently increase to $15 on July 1, 2027, and then $21 on August 1, 2028. It was not revealed what will happen to the fee after the 2028 cruise season. (All of the denominations are in U.S. dollars.)

The fee and negotiations were confirmed to Travel + Leisure by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), which acts as an industry representative for 95 percent of all cruise capacity in both the Caribbean and Latin America.

“[W]e thank the Federal Government of Mexico for working with us to reach an ‘in transit fee’ agreement that safeguards cruise tourism to the country and aims to enhance the benefits for local communities whose livelihoods depend on it,” a FCCA spokesperson shared in a statement to T+L. 

Mexico is a popular cruising destination, with large operators such as Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Margaritaville at Sea, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Virgin Voyages offering sailings throughout the region. 

Cruise industry insiders say that the agreement will be helpful at a time when the region will likely experience significant growth.

“Mexico has been and will continue to be an important destination for cruises,” Josh Tolkin, a cruise expert and vice president of supplier relations for World Travel Holdings, told T+L. “With capacity growing 34 percent in 2025, another increase of 16 percent in 2026, and additional investments being made—such as new ships in the market and Royal Caribbean building another Perfect Day there, it’s important that there were agreed upon terms with minimal impact to our customers.”

Some of the top ports for cruise ships in Mexico include Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.