Cruise “port fees” used to be mostly invisible—bundled into the fare under “Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses.” In 2026, more destinations are layering on day taxes, access fees, entry levies, and per-port passenger charges that can show up after booking, onboard, or locally.
This page is built to solve one problem: what will I actually pay—and when? It’s a living index that consolidates the best-known cruise-relevant passenger levies into one dataset with the essentials: fee amount, seasonality, effective dates, exemptions, how it’s collected, and what happens if the port is skipped.
It also helps you avoid the most common budgeting mistake: assuming “port fees” are always included in the fare. Sometimes they are. Sometimes the cruise line adds them later. And sometimes you must pay them directly to the destination (often via an online portal).
Q: Are cruise port fees included in the fare?
A: Sometimes. Many port charges are bundled into your cruise fare under “Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses.” But some destinations add separate passenger levies (often seasonal) that the cruise line collects later (sometimes onboard), or that you pay to the destination (online or on arrival). Always check whether a fee is bundled, added after booking, or paid locally.
How to use this index (the 60-second method)
- List every port on your itinerary (including repeats). Fees can be per port call, per day, or one-time per destination.
- Check the trigger. Some fees apply only if you go ashore, while others apply when you enter a city zone (even if you’re only there for a few hours).
- Look at “How collected.” That tells you whether to expect:
- already bundled into fare, or
- added to your invoice later, or
- charged onboard to your account, or
- paid by you online/in person.
- Use the “Refund/skip rule” column. This matters when weather or itinerary changes happen.
Currency note: Amounts are shown in the official/local currency used by the destination. FX rates move; your card statement will vary.
Port Fees & Passenger Levies Index 2026 (One Table to Rule Them All)
Fields: Fee name • Port/country • Amount • Seasonality • Effective date/status • Who pays + trigger • Exemptions • How collected • Refund/skip rule • Official link
| Fee / Levy | Where | Amount (official) | Seasonality / When it applies | Effective / Status | Who pays + Trigger | Exemptions (headline) | How collected | Refund / Port skipped? | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Access Fee (“Contributo di Accesso”) | Venice historic city (Italy) | €5 if paid early; €10 if paid late | Selected high-traffic days in 2026, typically 08:30–16:00; 2026 dates begin April 3, 2026 | Active for scheduled 2026 days | Visitor pays; trigger: entering the historic city on a fee day/time | Residents (incl. Veneto), children under 14, disability categories, others | Online voucher/QR code via official portal; exemptions may require registration | If you don’t enter during fee window, you generally don’t owe it; voucher terms control refunds | Venezia Unica Access Fee portal |
| Greece Cruise Passenger Fee (Sustainable Tourism Programme) | All Greek ports | Seasonal per person per port: Mykonos/Santorini €20 (Jun–Sep), €12 (Apr–May & Oct), €4 (Nov–Mar). Other ports €5 (Jun–Sep), €3 (Apr–May & Oct), €1 (Nov–Mar) | Seasonal; charged per port visit | Effective July 21, 2025 (continues in 2026) | Passenger pays; trigger: typically disembarking (going ashore) | Applies broadly; major-line guidance says it applies regardless of age; implementation follows line policies | Usually added to onboard account after each Greek port call; line remits | Common rule: if port is skipped or you don’t go ashore, you’re not charged (line handling varies) | MSC fee page (schedule + FAQs) |
| Amsterdam day tourist tax (cruise passengers) | Amsterdam (Netherlands) | €15 per passenger | Day visits in the municipality | Active | Operator responsible; passenger may see it embedded or passed through | Depends on municipal/operator rules | Operator registers/pays tourist tax; passengers may not see a separate line | Depends on operator/line billing; port skip usually removes the underlying obligation | City of Amsterdam tourist tax page |
| Hawaii TAT on cruise fares (prorated by days in HI) | Hawaii (USA) | 11% TAT framework (as legislated) | Would apply starting Jan 1, 2026 under guidance—see status | Paused / Enjoined (state notice says it will refrain from enforcing cruise portions pending appeal) | Operator/line compliance; passenger impact would be in higher “taxes/fees” if passed through | Litigation status makes budgeting uncertain | Would be handled by operator/line; passenger display varies | During pause: no enforcement/collection; if reinstated, line billing varies | Hawaii DOTAX Announcement 2026-01 |
| Mexico DNR (Non-Resident Duty) | Mexico (federal; cruise calls) | Staged: $5 (Jul 1, 2025–Jul 31, 2026), $10 (Aug 1, 2026–Jun 30, 2027), $15 (Jul 1, 2027–Jul 31, 2028), $21 (Aug 1, 2028–Sep 30, 2030) | Applies during stated periods | Active schedule; key 2026 change: $10 begins Aug 1, 2026 | Foreign passenger duty; typically processed/collected through line/agent | Targets foreign passengers; crew handling differs | Commonly embedded into taxes/fees or processed by cruise line/agent | If Mexico call removed, it should not apply for that call; how refunds appear depends on line | Official decree |
| Bali International Tourist Levy | Bali Province (Indonesia) | Rp 150,000 | One-time levy for international tourists; guidance includes cruise arrivals | Active | Tourist pays; trigger: international travel to Bali for tourism, including cruise passengers | Exemptions for certain visas/permits (diplomatic/official, KITAS/KITAP, students, etc.) | Cashless via LoveBali; can pay online; agents can pay groups; voucher/QR issued | Refund rules depend on platform terms; not a classic “port skip” cruise levy | LoveBali FAQ |
| Alaska CPV Excise Tax (Commercial Passenger Vessel) | Alaska (USA – state) | $34.50 per passenger (commonly cited CPV rate) | Applies to qualifying large cruise vessels in Alaska waters | Active | Passenger liability in principle; line usually pays and embeds in taxes/fees | Depends on statutory definitions/vessel qualification | Usually bundled into fare “Taxes/Fees,” not paid directly by passenger | If Alaska removed entirely, it should drop; partial changes depend on line recalculation | Alaska reference |
| Juneau Marine Passenger Fee (MPF) | Juneau, Alaska (USA – municipal) | $5 per cruise ship passenger | Ongoing local fee | Active | Typically passed through via cruise pricing/fees | Not commonly presented as age-based in public summaries | Usually embedded into port fees | Port skip generally removes it; depends on line’s tax/fee reconciliation | Juneau MPF program |
| Bermuda Passenger Departure Tax (cruise ships) | Bermuda | Seasonal per-24h: $20 per 24h (Hamilton/St. George) or $25 per 24h (Dockyard) from Apr 1–Oct 31, with caps (e.g., max $60/$75 depending dock) | Only charged Apr 1–Oct 31 | Active (seasonal) | Levied on owner/operator/agent; passengers may see pass-through or embedding | Caps limit multi-day burden | Operator/agent pays; passenger display varies | If Bermuda call removed, underlying obligation should not apply; line billing varies | Government of Bermuda page |
| New Zealand IVL (International Visitor Conservation & Tourism Levy) | New Zealand | NZD $100 | Applies to many international visitors; cruise passengers may encounter it depending on entry/visa status | Active | Visitor pays; trigger: immigration/entry process (often tied to visa/eTA) | Exemptions depend on citizenship/visa categories | Collected through immigration/visa process (not a “port fee” line item) | If you never enter NZ, you shouldn’t pay; otherwise depends on visa/eTA | NZ IVL pages |
What’s changing most in 2026 (what to watch)
1) More “pay it later” fees (post-booking adds)
Even when a fee is a government levy, cruise lines implement collection differently. A common pattern is:
- the destination creates/updates a levy,
- cruise line announces how it will be collected (onboard, pre-cruise invoice, bundled),
- passengers notice it only when the onboard folio updates or an updated invoice is issued.
Budget tip: If your booking confirmation says “taxes/fees are subject to change,” assume your final number can move.
2) City/zone access fees are not the same as port fees
Venice is the clearest example: the fee is about entering the historic city zone during certain hours on certain days, not about the ship docking itself. That means:
- you might dock in the region but not owe the fee if you never enter the zone at the charged time, and
- you might owe it even if you’re not “overnighting,” because it’s a timed access rule.
3) Litigation and enforcement changes can flip a fee on/off
Hawaii’s cruise-related TAT expansion is a classic “watch this space” item: the Department of Taxation itself published a notice indicating it would refrain from enforcing the cruise portions during the injunction/appeal posture.
For travelers, this is crucial: don’t budget a fee as guaranteed until the enforcement posture is settled (and the cruise line communicates how they’ll pass it through).
4) Staged increases matter for summer vs winter sailings
Mexico’s DNR is explicitly staged with a key step-up beginning August 1, 2026.
If you’re sailing Mexico in spring 2026, you may see one amount; late summer/fall 2026, another—depending on how the line timestamps the duty assessment.
The practical “what will I pay?” math (without overthinking it)
Use this quick method:
- For each port, check whether the fee is per person per port (Greece), per person per itinerary/arrival (Bali), or embedded tax (Alaska CPV).
- Multiply:
- Per person * per port calls * number of guests
- Add any zone/city access fees you will actually trigger (Venice: only if you go into the zone during fee window).
- Add uncertainty buffer if the fee is “status: paused/pending litigation” (Hawaii) or known to change regularly.
Budgeter’s rule of thumb: If your itinerary includes Greece + Venice + Amsterdam, you should assume at least one of those will be an extra line item somewhere (onboard, pre-cruise invoice, or local payment) rather than perfectly bundled.
FAQs
Are kids exempt from port fees?
Sometimes, but not always. Many city access fees explicitly exempt young children (Venice exempts children under 14).
Other levies can apply broadly regardless of age depending on the destination and the cruise line’s policy. For Greece’s cruise passenger fee, major-line guidance indicates it applies widely and is charged per person when disembarking.
Is it refundable if the port is skipped?
Often yes, if the fee is tied to the port call or going ashore. If the ship doesn’t dock, there’s usually no trigger. But how you see the refund depends on the cruise line:
- Some adjust your onboard account automatically.
- Some reissue invoices after the cruise.
- Some keep it in “Taxes/Fees” and net it out later.
For zone/city access fees that you prepay (like Venice), refunds depend on the voucher terms and whether you actually used/triggered the entry during the fee window.
Can the cruise line change it after booking?
Yes. Many passenger levies are government-set and can change. Most cruise contracts allow the line to pass through tax/fee increases. That’s why you may see:
- updated “Taxes/Fees” on your invoice,
- new onboard charges for specific ports,
- or revised pre-cruise payment amounts.
Will I pay it onboard or locally?
Look at the “How collected” column:
- Onboard: common for per-port passenger fees (e.g., Greece, per line implementation).
- Locally/online: common for access levies or tourist levies with official portals (Venice, Bali).
- Bundled: common for broad passenger vessel taxes (Alaska CPV) or municipal pass-throughs where you never see a separate charge.
How do I avoid overpaying?
You usually can’t “avoid” a legitimate levy if you trigger it, but you can avoid surprises:
- Track which fees you must pay separately (Venice/Bali are common examples).
- Confirm whether “going ashore” triggers a per-port fee (Greece).
- Watch for staged effective dates (Mexico DNR step-up on Aug 1, 2026).
