🇮🇹 Italiano 🇬🇧 English Practical cruise guide · Worldwide · 2026–2027
Cruise port taxes worldwide: where, how much and who pays
Europe, the Americas, Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Oceania: cruise passenger levies, local charges and fees collected by operators. Learn when they apply and whether they may be included in your fare.
Please note: these fees are not necessarily collected at a payment desk ashore. Some are paid through your cruise company or included in the booking, while others apply only when you disembark or enter a particular area. Always check your ticket conditions and cruise line notifications.
When planning a cruise, it is tempting to assume that the «port taxes» included in the advertised price cover every local charge. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Municipalities and national governments around the world impose special fees on cruise calls or cruise passengers . The amount may depend on the duration of a call, the season, an overnight stay or whether the passenger actually steps ashore.
Just as importantly, cruise port taxes may be collected by an operator while ultimately being paid by a passenger. The cruise operator might have the legal obligation to remit a levy to the authorities while reflecting that cost in the cruise fare or onboard account. This LiberePassioni guide focuses on confirmed 2026 rules and published 2027 changes, while explaining why a private excursion and an organised tour may have the same local tax liability.
When estimating your travel budget, add cruise port taxes to the fare and onboard expenses. Read our cruise cost guide , and use our cruise excursion guide when planning your days ashore. Shore excursions are a separate expense.
Rates may change when laws and regulations change. Charges, exemptions, effective dates and collection methods can be amended by national, regional, local or port authorities. This guide is informational, last reviewed 12 October 2026. Always check official rules and cruise line notices before travelling. A charge paid by the operator is not necessarily billed separately to the passenger.
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🌍 Europe 🧭 North America 🏝️ Central America & Caribbean 🌎 South America 🌏 Asia 🌍 Africa 🌊 Oceania 🌍 EuropeDocumented rules and fees for selected European cruise ports. This is not an exhaustive list.
European cruise port taxes at a glance
Amounts are per person unless stated otherwise. An operator-collected tax need not appear as a separate charge on your onboard account; in some cases it is already part of the booking price. Conversely, the fact that the cruise line transfers the tax to the authorities does not mean that it absorbs the expense.
Barcelona and Catalonia: port call duration matters
Barcelona applies a levy to passengers in transit. From 1 April 2026 , the combined tourist levy in the city of Barcelona is €11 for calls lasting no more than 12 hours , or €9 for longer calls . The fee combines Catalonia's regional charge and the city's surcharge. The taxable event is the ship's call with transit passengers, rather than their choice of a privately arranged excursion or an organised tour.
Staying onboard is therefore not a reliable way to avoid this levy. By contrast, people who begin or end their cruise in the port are not treated as transit passengers for this purpose. Elsewhere in Catalonia, the base regional rates through March 2027 are €4.50 for shorter stays and €3 for longer ones, with municipal supplements possible.
Published change from 1 April 2027: Barcelona's municipal surcharge increases from €5 to €6. Based on currently published regional rates, the combined charges become €12 for calls of 12 hours or less and €10 for longer calls. Regional base rates outside Barcelona also change to €6 and €4 respectively.
Greece: Santorini, Mykonos and other ports
Santorini's highest rate applies in summer. Greece's cruise passenger fee, introduced in 2025, uses a different test: it generally applies to passengers who go ashore . At Santorini and Mykonos, the rate is €20 from June through September, €12 in April, May and October, and €4 from November through March. Other Greek ports, including Piraeus, Corfu, Katakolon and Rhodes, charge €5, €3 or €1 over those same periods.
On a multi-port Greek itinerary, the levy can be due at each stop where you disembark . Booking the ship's own tour does not automatically exempt you, and visiting independently does not increase the statutory rate. MSC explains that it remits the fee to the authorities and charges the passenger's onboard account after the visit. Passengers who remain onboard at a Greek port are not charged that stop's fee by MSC, and the general levy applies to all ages.
Mykonos: calculate the total, not just one stop
Mykonos and Santorini share the same seasonal rate. Consider a summer cruise calling at Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu , with a passenger going ashore at all three destinations. The passenger fees can add up to €45 (€20 + €20 + €5), or €90 for two adults. Transport, attraction admissions and shore excursions are separate expenses. This simple example explains why a seemingly small fee may make a noticeable difference across an itinerary.
In Santorini, remember that the Greek cruise levy is not the cable-car ticket , nor is it the cost of a tender service or local transport. Those are different items. It is worth reviewing official pre-departure information instead of relying on an isolated social media comment about what somebody paid on another sailing.
Amsterdam and Rotterdam: different tax rules
Amsterdam's 2026 day tourist tax is €15. Amsterdam has a €15 day tourist tax per cruise passenger in 2026, paid by cruise operators offering day visits within the municipality. This does not mean that travellers must stop at a ticket booth to hand over cash. Whether or how the fee is reflected in the passenger fare should be checked with the cruise line.
Rotterdam instead levies €6.10 per passenger per overnight stay in 2026. An overnight stay is defined as the ship remaining moored for at least four consecutive hours between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Crew members and children aged three or under are exempt. It would therefore be misleading to apply Rotterdam's nightly rate to every daytime port call or to treat it as interchangeable with Amsterdam's day tax.
Lisbon, Funchal and Iceland: three more systems
Lisbon charges a €2 maritime arrival tourist tax to transit cruise passengers over the age of 13 who go ashore. This should not be confused with the city's separate overnight accommodation levy. Funchal , on Madeira, has also introduced a €2 maritime arrival fee for passengers who disembark during a cruise call. Collection arrangements involve the relevant port authorities and operators.
Iceland provides an important contrast. MSC's published 2026 information sets an infrastructure levy of ISK 1,600 per person per 24-hour period in Icelandic ports. It applies whether or not you go ashore. Some MSC regional information pages differ on whether the charge appears as included in the fare or as a later onboard debit. For the exact treatment, check the conditions for your own booking and market.
Venice: an access fee, not a cruise port tax
Venice's historic-centre access contribution is separate from any cruise port levy. On the specified dates in 2026 the amount was €5 if paid sufficiently in advance or €10 for later payment. However, the 2026 programme ended on 26 July : it is not an active entry charge in October 2026. New municipal decisions would be required for future application in 2027. Do not automatically add it to every Venice or Marghera port call.
🧭 North America
North American ports: passenger and port charges. Juneau (Alaska, United States)
The City and Borough of Juneau reports a combined US$13 per cruise passenger per visit in 2026 marine passenger fees supporting local visitor infrastructure and services. These charges are associated with the cruise operation: they do not imply that every passenger hands US$13 to someone at the gangway.
Bermuda (British Atlantic territory)
Shipowners, operators or agents are liable for seasonal cruise passenger departure taxes between 1 April and 31 October : US$20 per 24 hours at Hamilton or St George's (maximum US$60), or US$25 per 24 hours at Dockyard (maximum US$75). Dockyard is also subject to a US$25-per-passenger Transport Infrastructure Tax for visits within the stated season. Exemptions include children under two. These statutory charges should not automatically be treated as extra items on an individual's onboard bill.
🏝️ Central America and the Caribbean
Caribbean charges vary between islands and countries. Bahamas: Nassau, Freeport and private destinations
Bahamian passenger tax rules set a US$23 sea departure tax on cruise passengers leaving The Bahamas. A US$25 category applies where a passenger departs from a private destination without calling at another Bahamian port. Other tourism and sustainability levies may apply; these figures are not necessarily the total of all charges . Operators typically handle remittance: check whether these amounts are included in your fare.
Further Caribbean ports will be added when their official rules have been verified.
🌎 South America
South America: cruise passenger levy information under review. Under review. For ports such as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Ushuaia, passenger levies must be distinguished from ship port dues and fees for local attractions. We will not publish figures without current official confirmation. No figure here does not mean the port is free of charges.
🌏 Asia
Asia: departure taxes and local rules. Japan: international departure tax
From 1 July 2026 , Japan's International Tourist Tax is JPY 3,000 per person departing Japan , including by ship. Eligible contracts made by 30 June 2026 may retain the previous JPY 1,000 rate. Exemptions include certain transit passengers departing within 24 hours and children under two. Transport operators generally collect this tax through tickets or other arrangements. It is not a fee automatically charged at every Japanese port call ; it relates to leaving Japan.
🌍 Africa
Africa: charges must be checked by destination. Under review. Ports such as Cape Town, Durban, Casablanca and Walvis Bay require separate checks for ship port dues, visitor levies and entrance fees for attractions. We do not label estimates or general port operating costs as compulsory per-passenger taxes without verified sources.
🌊 Oceania
Oceania: passenger levies and border charges. New Zealand: border processing levies and IVL
For cruise travellers arriving from 1 February 2026 to 30 June 2027 , published border-processing charges include NZ$27.14 for Customs and NZ$10.58 for biosecurity on arrival, plus NZ$0.68 for Customs on departure. These rates exclude any applicable GST and, according to New Zealand Customs, are included in the cruise ticket .
Separately, many international visitors need to pay the NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) when applying for an applicable visa or NZeTA. This is not a charge collected at the pier at each disembarkation, and eligibility and exemptions depend on travel documentation and nationality.
Cruise port taxes: four checks before going ashore
Check whether the fee depends on a port call or disembarkation. Staying onboard can avoid MSC's Greek landing fee, but not the Barcelona or Icelandic transit charge.Read the booking confirmation carefully. A bundled line headed "taxes and port charges" may not cover every locally introduced passenger levy.Review official pre-cruise messages and your onboard account. Fees paid through the cruise operator do not necessarily involve a collection desk ashore.Factor in seasons, ages and repeated stops. On a Greek island itinerary, the same passenger may be charged at several different ports.Frequently asked questions
Do I pay more when exploring independently? Generally, no. A statutory landing fee normally applies whether you take an organised tour or explore independently. What may differ is how the cruise line displays or includes the amount.
Who actually collects these tourist levies? Frequently the cruise operator acts as the collection or payment intermediary. Amsterdam and Rotterdam place obligations on operators, while MSC says that the Greek levy appears on the passenger's onboard account after each relevant port call.
Must I pay when I remain onboard? It depends on the destination. Under MSC's Greek policy the landing fee is not charged if you stay onboard; in Catalonia the liability is tied to the ship's port call, and Iceland's levy applies even if you do not disembark.
Are all these fees included in Costa or MSC cruise fares? Not necessarily. Inclusion varies by cruise line, market, fare and sailing. Check your booking documents and the specific cruise line's notices before departure.
Will Barcelona still charge €11 from April 2027? Published Catalan rates show a higher municipal surcharge from 1 April 2027, producing a total of €12 for calls of 12 hours or less and €10 for longer calls, unless the rules are subsequently changed.
Are children exempt? There is no Europe-wide rule: MSC's Greek levy applies to all ages; Lisbon applies its fee to passengers older than 13; and Rotterdam exempts children up to and including age three.
Can these charges change shortly before departure? Yes. National, local and port authorities can change rates, exemptions and payment methods. The figures reflect the information checked on the date shown, not a guaranteed price. Verify official notices and your cruise line's conditions before sailing.
