Cruise passengers in Mexico are facing significant increases in docking charges, with the levy having gone up 100% from $5 per person (around €4.33) to $10 (€8.66) on 1 August 2026 and further yearly hikes planned in 2027 and 2028.
By the time the so-called “Non-Resident Duty” or “Tax Incentive” has risen to $15 in 2027, and to $21 in 2028, the cost to passengers will have more than quadrupled in the space of just two years.
The move comes as Mexico seeks to boost government tax revenues by tapping into the growing popularity of cruises. Earlier this year, Secretary of Tourism, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, revealed cruise passenger arrivals at the country’s ports increased by 12% year-on-year in 2025, with the sector welcoming 11.2 million cruise passengers.
“Cruise tourism is a powerful tool for bringing development to regions, diversifying tourism activity, and ensuring that economic growth reaches those who depend on tourism,” she said at the time. “When tourism thrives, communities thrive.”
There is some good news for passengers. Docking multiple times in different ports will not entail paying the fee on every occasion, as long as the port calls are all part of the same itinerary. However, if a holidaymaker books more than one cruise during the same vacation, the charge will be applicable to each one.
Proposed docking fee increases have been subject to past criticism from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), comprising big name members such as Carnival, P&O, and Royal Caribbean. The FCCA complained to the Mexican government as early as 2024 that the price rises in the pipeline (at that time $42 was on the cards) would make Mexican destinations uncompetitive to visit compared to other Caribbean ports.
The FCCA has since worked with Mexican officials to reach a compromise. The association has now welcomed the new proposals, saying: “On behalf of the FCCA and our member cruise lines — representing over 95 per cent of cruise capacity in the Caribbean and Latin America — we thank the Federal Government of Mexico for working with us to reach an ‘in transit fee’ agreement.”
Travel industry commentators such as Clint Henderson, of The Points Guy site, speaking to Fox News Digital, said the increased cost was unlikely to be a “deal-breaker” but was “another example of prices going up for travel across the board.” He also noted that the new docking fee regime comes on top of changes to the way immigration fees will apply to visitors to Mexico, as well as regional environmental taxes.
