Mexican money grab!

[SL6827]

With a cabin of four people, the new Mexico money grab could cost that family close to $400 extra if they have two Mexican ports of call on thier cruise. Which will be the next location in the Carribean that will follow suit?

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

Actually, your math is off, at $42 per person per port, a cruise with two port stops in Mexico will now have a fee of $336 for a family of 4, with each port stop now costing an extra $168 for the 4 passengers.

My feeling is that if the fee sticks, you will start to see fewer stops at Mexican ports then in the past, since it will make cruises with stops in Mexico more expensive than those that make stops in the Carribean. So, while this will raise income for Mexico, it will also not raise as much as they are hoping as the cruise industry makes fewer visits to ports in Mexico due to the fee making those cruises more expensive.

Psy

 

[SL6827]

Actually, your math is off, at $42 per person per port, a cruise with two port stops in Mexico will now have a fee of $336 for a family of 4, with each port stop now costing an extra $168 for the 4 passengers.

My feeling is that if the fee sticks, you will start to see fewer stops at Mexican ports then in the past, since it will make cruises with stops in Mexico more expensive than those that make stops in the Carribean. So, while this will raise income for Mexico, it will also not raise as much as they are hoping as the cruise industry makes fewer visits to ports in Mexico due to the fee making those cruises more expensive.

Psy

There is an extra $5 fee that is being added too. So it's $47 all together. Still a lot of $$$.

 

[OKW Lover]

If people decide to avoid cruises that stop in Mexico that will send a message.

 

[happycamper47]

If people decide to avoid cruises that stop in Mexico that will send a message.

The last article I just read said the cruise lines will start avoiding MX. Fine with us.

 

[yowcruiser]

If people decide to avoid cruises that stop in Mexico that will send a message.

Actually, it may not... Currently, the Mexican government earns $0 from cruise passengers as they are "in transit"... So even if cruise calls were to be cut in half, financially, Mexico is better off. Now, there is the counterargument to this that less cruise ships means less spending in port, which would have a noted impact on the more local economy, which itself, could then see calls for change... Also, at least on DCL, the Western itineraries appear to be priced slightly lower than Eastern... so it becomes more or less a case of the pricing difference going away.

 

[happycamper47]

Actually, it may not... Currently, the Mexican government earns $0 from cruise passengers as they are "in transit"...

But I bet they get taxes off the money spent in port. Fewer passengers, lower taxes collected. Also there is already a $5 per person that each MX state charges so those states lose out as well.

 

[yowcruiser]

But I bet they get taxes off the money spent in port. Fewer passengers, lower taxes collected. Also there is already a $5 per person that each MX state charges so those states lose out as well.

Absolutely, so there comes a point where there is more lost revenue in sales or income taxes than the new levy... but what that point is? I bet they did the calculation that they can afford to loose a few cruises...

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

There is an extra $5 fee that is being added too. So it's $47 all together. Still a lot of $$$.

All the articles that I saw just talked about the $42, so I didn't know about the extra $5 fee, but I do agree that the extra fee's start to add up. We will end up paying and $252 for our b2b cruises in 2026, due to the added fee.

Psy

 

[tvguy]

I don't have a break down, but remember, almost every port charges a tax per passenger that you end up paying on top of your cruise fare.
I'm sure my mom would be upset, as she took multiple cruises that stopped in Mexico and never ever got off the ship in Mexico. She took those cruises for the other ports, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island, and San Diego, on the itinerary.

 

[dreamer17555]

I have two Disney cruises that are going to stop in Mexico happening in the next three months.

Depending on how fast this rolls out, it might impact our family and we will pay it begrudgingly.

I think the most fuss is going to be for cruisers who have already paid in full and now have to pay an additional amount, but let’s be honest once it’s rolled into normal cruise port fees and taxes no one will bat an eye at it anymore.

The cruise lines are not going to stop going to Mexico. Perfect day Mexico is already going to be a thing and isn’t carnival building a beach club in Cozumel?

Let’s not forget the cruises that sail out of Galveston or San Diego.

And while we’re at it, this is probably going to become more widespread. I know Greece is looking at doing this as well. Bermuda already has this. I anticipate port fees going up across the board.

To me, this is really no different than Disney raising their prices, both on cruises and park tickets- people will kick up a big fuss and then turn around and still pay it. If you vote with your wallet, things might change, but I highly doubt most people who love cruising are going to stop cruising and I highly doubt the cruise lines are going to be able to skip Mexico completely.

 

[holula]

I think the most fuss is going to be for cruisers who have already paid in full and now have to pay an additional amount, but let’s be honest once it’s rolled into normal cruise port fees and taxes no one will bat an eye at it anymore.

Absolutely this. It’s going to be accepted that the price is the price.

I couldn’t even tell you how much port fees are now, it’s such a tiny part of the full cruise cost.

 

[DCLMP]

Cruise lines could just eat the cost.

 

[happycamper47]

Cruise lines could just eat the cost.

 

[DCLMP]

I said they could not would. These things have a way of working themselves out. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Well I have never considered itinerary when we cruise. All about amount of sea days and schedule for low season prices. Especially since during our 12 stops in Mexico ports since 2011, I have only gotten off 4x.

Seems like I should not be charged if I don’t get off. Otherwise it’s a tax for parking the ship not my personal visit to Mexico.

 

[Lesverts]

The Dominican Republic has extremely high tourist fees compared to their neighbors and they do fine. The Bahamas is almost entirely funded by tourism related fees and taxes. Lots of countries charge some kind of entry levy either through a direct fee collected upon arrival, a fee for an arrival visa, a fee for a pre-arrival electronic visa, a fee for a regular visa etc. New Zealand charges an environmental and tourism fee. Some countries make you pay an entry levy equivalent to the cost of a visa for their nationals to visit your country.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Seems like I should not be charged if I don’t get off. Otherwise it’s a tax for parking the ship not my personal visit to Mexico.

I think that's the way of tourism tax, either you're not contributing at all to their economy if you don't get off the ship but still impact their area by means of it being a cruise ship (so ecological factors, port upkeeps, etc) or you're not necessarily contributing enough to the economy because you're only there for a short time vast majority of the in only less than 24 hours. Some places are enacting taxes to try and discourage visitors, Mexico in this case is not necessarily doing it for that.

I do think the main criticism of this tax for Mexico is the money is not being trickled down enough to the local level and being kept at the top in a greater amount.

 

[Intr3pid]

Cruise lines can't really avoid Mexico if cruising out of Florida, Texas, or California. That's geography. Plus, none of the islands have the port infrastructure or land-based operators to take on that sort of passenger volume all year round.

Mexicans know it. And I have no issues with paying them a fair fee.

 

[DCLMP]

Alaska and Northern Europe have port fees. Port fees in the Med are minimal. It doesn't make med cruises less expensive. Port fees are a non-factory in the cost of the overall cruise.