Cruise fee doubles at vacation hot spot as passengers brace for even steeper hikes
If you're sailing to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel or Costa Maya, expect the per-person port fee to be $10 as of Aug. 1, up from $5. Check your cruise line's fee disclosures now, since this charge can be billed by the line or its shipping agent. Budget for further increases: $15 starting July 1, 2027, and $21 beginning Aug. 1, 2028.
This is a straightforward case of a government phasing in a tax the cruise industry once fought hard to shrink — remember, Mexico's Congress originally wanted roughly $42 per passenger before the FCCA negotiated it down to $5 starting last July. Now it's $10, headed to $15 in 2027 and $21 by 2028. My read is this is a slow-motion squeeze rather than a shock: no single jump is a deal-breaker, but stack it with rising staffing, fuel and food costs across the industry and Mexico itineraries get quietly pricier every year. The end of the immigration-fee exemption for cruise passengers is the sleeper detail here — it's a second charge layered on top. If I were booking a family trip to these ports, I'd lock in pricing early and watch for further "phased" increases before assuming today's fee is the last one.