Cruise Industry Reaches Deal with Mexico on Passenger Fee

Starting July 1, 2025, Mexico will impose a per cruise passenger fee of $5. The fee will gradually increase over three years until it reaches $21 per person.

The new fee structure is instead of the $42 it originally announced in late 2024, taking the cruise lines by surprise.

The agreement, which came after months of negotiations via the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, was first announced by trade publication Cruise Week and elaborated on by Seatrade Cruise News.

Specifically, the $5 fee will last for 13 months, then go up to $10 per person on Aug. 1, 2026. It will increase to $15 on July 1, 202, and finally to $21 per person on Aug. 1, 2028.

The fee as originally announced would have made visiting Mexican cruise ports 213% more expensive than the average Caribbean port.