Cruisers to Bahamas Hit with Higher Taxes in 2024

Starting January 1, 2024, cruisers on sailings that visit the Bahamas can expect to pay more in port taxes – even if they’ve already paid their cruise in full with some cruise lines. 

The tax increase, which was originally scheduled to go into effect this summer, will raise port taxes from $18 to $23 per person for stops at Freeport, Nassau, and Bimini.

For cruise ships that stop at a private island, without also stopping at another Bahamian port, the taxes have gone up to $25 per person.

Additionally, the government said it will also levy a $5 per person environmental tax and $2 per person tourism enhancement tax on cruise passengers.

As a result of the tax increase, cruise lines are reaching out to booked guests to let them know they may need to pay more for their cruise.

On some cruise lines, even those who have already paid in full will need to pay the difference.

“This will be for all guests,” a spokesman for Royal Caribbean Cruises, parent company of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, told Travel Market Report. “If a guest paid in full, they will be charged the difference once onboard.”

More than half of Royal Caribbean’s Caribbean-area sailings stop in the Bahamas, with many sailings (both three- and four-day cruises) stopping only at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Attractive to many cruisers for their less expensive fares, these shorter cruises will be subject to the higher $25 per person tax.

Not all cruise lines are retroactively applying the tax hike however.

“We are aware of the recent changes to departure tax amounts implemented by The Bahamas that will impact our cruise guests visiting The Bahamas on or after January 1, 2024,” a spokesperson for Carnival Corporation & plc said. “Our brands have implemented these revised amounts for all new bookings. While we are aware of other cruise companies having made this retroactive to prior bookings as well, at this time no decision has been made by us to do so.”  

According to RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, the Bahamian government has been putting a lot of investment into the Nassau cruise port in particular. A currently in progress renovation includes a new terminal building, museum, amphitheater, and more. When it’s completed, the port will be capable of hosting 33,000 passengers per day, up from around 20,000.