Updated weekly
Travel Fee Index
The fees that never appear in a brochure — daily gratuities, port taxes, government passenger fees, terminal parking, insurance rates — compiled in one place with the source for each and the date we last checked it. We re-verify these every Monday.
88
Figures tracked
across suppliers, governments and ports
62
Published on a primary source
the rest are labeled below
2026-10-05
Last verified
9 readings since 2026-08-28
Already scheduled to rise
These aren't forecasts. Each has already been decreed or published by the party that collects it, and none of them appear in a 2026 brochure.
Mexico's cruise passenger fee triples inside 24 months
Doubled to $10 per passenger on 1 August 2026, and set by presidential decree to step to $15 from 1 July 2027 and $21 from 1 August 2028. It is charged once per voyage, not once per Mexican port — a Cozumel and Costa Maya itinerary pays it once. On the most-sailed region out of Florida, that is a $44 swing for a family of four between a 2026 sailing and a 2028 one.
Juneau roughly doubled what it charges ships to dock, from 2026
That is a charge on the vessel rather than on you, but it reaches the fare eventually. What you pay directly is a $5 marine passenger fee and a $3 port development fee — and Alaska charges a $34.50 state excise per passenger on voyages over 72 hours in state waters, before any of that.
AmaWaterways has published 2027 port charges of $280 against $250 this year
Exactly 12% higher, with $290 published for 2028. River lines are among the few that state port charges as a hard number — and unusually, AmaWaterways includes them in the cruise price rather than adding them at checkout, so the increase is visible before you book rather than after.
Carnival raised crew appreciation on 2 April 2026
To $17 per guest per day, $19 in suites. For a family of four on a 7-night sailing that is $476 that is not in the advertised fare.
The index
Every row is labeled. Published figure means it comes from the supplier's or the government's own site on the date shown. Estimated means we could not find a published figure and built one from components. Unverified means credible sources disagree or the only source we found is undated — we leave those in and flag them rather than quietly dropping them.
A verification pass on 29 August 2026 changed several rows and removed others. Jamaica's Tourism Enhancement Fee is US$20 for air arrivals but US$2 for cruise passengers, and we had only the air figure. Quintana Roo's VISITAX does not apply to cruise passengers at all. Port Canaveral's parking had risen to $20 in October 2025. Port Tampa Bay came out entirely, because the port publishes no daily rate on its own site. If a figure here is wrong, that is how it gets fixed — and the fix is visible rather than silent.
Government taxes & passenger fees
| Who charges it | What it is | Current | Change | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | State excise per passengerApplies only to voyages exceeding 72 hours in Alaska state marine waters on vessels with overnight accommodation, and is reduced by municipal taxes in effect before 17 Dec 2007 — so the state nets less than $34.50 on a typical Southeast itinerary. | $34.50 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Cancun | Lodging tax per room nightMXN 76/room/night, collected at the hotel | $4 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Costa Rica | Departure tax airUS$29 air departure tax = US$27 (Ley 8316) + US$2 MAG inspection. Included in the fare only where the airline has an agreement with Costa Rica — airport kiosks exist for tickets that do not include it. No Costa Rican government source supports the widely-cited US$15 ARRIVAL tax; that figure has been dropped. | $29 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Dominican Republic | Unbundled arrival fee$10 tourist card and $20 departure tax both inside the airline ticket | $0 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Greece Peak | Per call santorini mykonos offpeak1 Nov – 31 Mar. Other Greek ports EUR 1. | 4 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Greece Peak | Per call santorini mykonos peakLaw 5162/2024 art. 27. EUR 20 applies 1 Jun – 30 Sep only, at Mykonos and Thira (Santorini). Charged per DISEMBARKING passenger. All other Greek ports are EUR 5 in the same window. | 20 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Greece Peak | Per call santorini mykonos shoulderApril, May and October. Other Greek ports EUR 3. | 12 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Jamaica | Departure taxAIR departure tax only — does not apply to cruise passengers. No current (2025-26) Jamaican government source publishes the rate; best source is KPMG's 2016 budget commentary. Jamaica Customs still posts an obsolete J$1,000 figure. | $35 | — | Unverified | 2026-08-28 |
| Jamaica | Tourism enhancement fee airUS$20 applies to INCOMING AIRLINE passengers, collected inside the ticket. Cruise passengers pay US$2 — see tourism_enhancement_fee_cruise. | $20 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Jamaica | Tourism enhancement fee cruiseUS$2 per cruise passenger under the Tourism Enhancement Act 2004 as amended 2017. Not the US$20 air rate. | $2 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Juneau | Marine passenger feeCBJ Marine Passenger Fee, $5 per cruise ship passenger, established by Proposition 1 in 1999. Page confirms the $5 figure but does not restate a current-year rate. Separate from the port development fee and from Alaska state fees. Fetched 2026-09-22. | $5 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-22 |
| Juneau | Port development feeDowngraded from sourced 2026-09-22: no source_url was ever recorded and the CBJ Marine Passenger Fee page does not mention a port development fee. $3 is carried as an unverified figure pending a primary source. | $3 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Mexico | Cruise passenger feeSet by presidential decree (DOF 30 Jun 2025), not by statute. Charged ONCE per voyage — a second Mexican port on the same sailing is credited at 100%. Underlying charge is the derecho de no residente; passengers are billed in pesos, so the USD figure is approximate. In force 1 Aug 2026 – 30 Jun 2027. | $10 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Mexico | Cruise passenger fee 2027 decreedDecreed step, in force 1 Jul 2027 – 31 Jul 2028. Note it begins in JULY 2027, not January. | $15 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Mexico | Cruise passenger fee 2028 decreedDecreed step, in force 1 Aug 2028 – 30 Sep 2030. | $21 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Quintana roo | Visitax per person (high end)Upper end: the statutory 2.5 UMA calculation at the UMA in force from 1 Feb 2026 (MXN 117.31). | 293 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Quintana roo | Visitax per person (low end)Per person, per stay, in PESOS. Statutory rate is 2.5 UMA (~MXN 293 at the 2026 UMA); the Quintana Roo government stated a held rate of MXN 285 for 2026. MXN 283 was the 2025 figure. Applies to air arrivals — CRUISE passengers are exempt, covered instead by a separate US$5 duty under art. 51-Nonies. | 285 | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
Travel insurance
| Who charges it | What it is | Current | Change | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 60 | Pct of trip costDERIVED, not published. Squaremouth publishes average premium and average trip cost by generation; these percentages are the ratio of those two averages, which is not the average traveller's ratio. Squaremouth also rates per traveller, not by the oldest in the party. The overall published range is 4-10%. | 4.9% | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| 60 79 | Pct of trip costDERIVED, not published. Squaremouth publishes average premium and average trip cost by generation; these percentages are the ratio of those two averages, which is not the average traveller's ratio. Squaremouth also rates per traveller, not by the oldest in the party. The overall published range is 4-10%. | 7.8% | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| 80 Plus | Pct of trip costDERIVED, not published. Squaremouth publishes average premium and average trip cost by generation; these percentages are the ratio of those two averages, which is not the average traveller's ratio. Squaremouth also rates per traveller, not by the oldest in the party. The overall published range is 4-10%. | 11.5% | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| all | Avg per day usdVerified 2026-09-03. "travelers spend an average of $20 per day", up from $19 per day the previous year. | $20 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| all | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. "the average cost of travel insurance in 2026 is $307 per policy". Methodology stated as quotes and exclusive sales data from the last 12 months. | $307 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| all | Avg trip cost q1 usdVerified 2026-09-03. Q1 2026 average insured trip cost $7,257 vs $7,002 in Q1 2025, +3.6% YoY. No sample size disclosed. | $7,257 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| all | Pct of trip cost averageVerified 2026-09-03. "The average comprehensive plan in 2026 costs roughly 6% of a traveler's insured travel expenses." Typical stated band 4%-10% of prepaid non-refundable trip cost. | 6% | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Baby Boomer | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964) average premium. | $438 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Cfar | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. "the average CFAR policy sold through Squaremouth cost travelers $672". | $672 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Cfar | Uplift (percent)Verified 2026-09-03. "CFAR typically increases your policy cost by around 40%". SINGLE figure, not a range - the previously stored 60% high end is NOT supported by this page and carried no URL of its own. | 40% | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Cfar | Uplift pct (high end)Downgraded from sourced 2026-09-22: no source_url recorded, and the note already documented two Squaremouth pages disagreeing (40-60% on the CFAR page vs 40-50% on the cost page). Two sources in conflict is weak by definition. | 60% | — | Unverified | 2026-08-28 |
| Cfar | Uplift pct (low end)CFAR demand up 29% in Q1 2026 | 40% | — | Published figure | 2026-08-28 |
| Comprehensive | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. "$426 on comprehensive travel insurance, or roughly $30 per day". | $426 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| gen x | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. Gen X (born 1965-1980) average premium. | $249 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| gen z | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. Gen Z (born 1997-2012) average premium. CAUTION: average dollar premium, NOT a percentage of trip cost and NOT age-adjusted - premium tracks trip cost too, so this confounds age with what each cohort buys. | $209 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Medical Only | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. "$86 on medical travel insurance plans, or roughly $5 for each day". | $86 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Millennial | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. Millennial (born 1981-1996) average premium. Note this is LOWER than Gen Z despite being older - proof the series is not a clean age curve. | $173 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Silent | Avg policy usdVerified 2026-09-03. Silent generation (born 1945 or before) average premium. Highest cohort. | $681 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Under 40 | Pct of trip costDERIVED, not published. Squaremouth publishes average premium and average trip cost by generation; these percentages are the ratio of those two averages, which is not the average traveller's ratio. Squaremouth also rates per traveller, not by the oldest in the party. The overall published range is 4-10%. | 4.3% | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
Port parking & access
| Who charges it | What it is | Current | Change | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxport | Terminal parking per night (high end)NEW 2026-09-03. $34/day oversized (any vehicle taking more than one standard space); $136 for a 4-day cruise, $170 for a 5-day. Florida sales tax included. | $34 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Jaxport | Terminal parking per night (low end)NEW 2026-09-03. $17/day standard vehicle, Florida sales tax INCLUDED. Bundles: $68 for a 4-day cruise, $85 for a 5-day cruise (both exactly days x $17). Cheapest published Florida cruise-port rate found. | $17 | — | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Port Canaveral | Drive minutes from browardEstimate from central Broward via the Florida Turnpike, typical conditions. | 200 min | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Port Canaveral | Terminal parking per night (high end)Verified 2026-09-03. Flat $20 plus tax; no oversized-vehicle premium published (RVs same rate). | $20 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Port Canaveral | Terminal parking per night (low end)Verified 2026-09-03. $20.00/day PLUS tax, same rate vehicles and RVs. Page states the rate covers "the day of arrival and the day of departure" - confirms n+1 day billing. Pay on arrival. "Rates subject to change without notice." | $20 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Port Everglades | Drive minutes from browardEstimate from central Broward, typical conditions. Not published by the port; Parkland adds roughly 3-5 minutes. | 42 min | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Port Everglades | Terminal parking per night (high end)Verified 2026-09-03. $25 daily maximum applies ONLY to oversized vehicles. A standard car pays $20 - the earlier 20-25 range wrongly implied a spread for the same vehicle. | $25 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Port Everglades | Terminal parking per night (low end)Verified 2026-09-03. $20 daily maximum, STANDARD vehicle - applies to Heron Garage, Palm Garage and Lots A/B/C alike. Daily rate starts when the ticket is pulled. | $20 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Port Tampa bay | Drive minutes from browardEstimate from central Broward via I-75, typical conditions. | 252 min | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Portmiami | Drive minutes from browardEstimate from central Broward, typical conditions. Not published by the port. | 55 min | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Portmiami | Terminal parking per night (high end)Verified 2026-09-03. $35/day long-term in Garage AA; Garage B (Norwegian) $35/vehicle/space/day effective 2025-01-01. Garage A (Royal Caribbean) and Garage J publish no rate here - the rate depends on which garage your cruise line uses. | $35 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
| Portmiami | Terminal parking per night (low end)Verified 2026-09-03. $25/day long-term (overnight) in Garages C, D, F, G and Surface Lot E. Short-term same garages $10/day. Oversized in Lot E $25/space/day, $50 if two spaces used. | $25 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-09-03 |
Supplier fees & gratuities
| Who charges it | What it is | Current | Change | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska 7night | Port tax (high end)Downgraded from sourced 2026-09-22: derived from observed 7-night Seattle/Vancouver roundtrip quotes, not a published rate. No port authority publishes this as a per-guest figure, so there is no source_url to record. | $320 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Alaska 7night | Port tax (low end)Downgraded from sourced 2026-09-22: derived from observed 7-night Seattle/Vancouver roundtrip quotes, not a published rate. No port authority publishes this as a per-guest figure, so there is no source_url to record. | $200 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Amawaterways | Gratuity total 7night (high end)High end = AmaMagna: crew "145 Euros per 7-night cruise, per guest" + 30 EUR Cruise Manager. USD is the fixed baseline conversion. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $185 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Amawaterways | Gratuity total 7night (low end)Primary figures are EUR and unchanged: crew "125 Euros per 7-night cruise, per guest" + Cruise Manager "30 Euros per 7-night cruise, per guest"; +5 EUR per additional day per guest on pre/post land packages. USD is the fixed baseline conversion held since 2026-08-28, not a re-converted figure, so FX movement is not read as a fee increase. Read 2026-10-05. | $165 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Amawaterways | Port charge 2027 per person"$280 per person in 2027" — INCLUDED in cruise price, not added at checkout. 12% above the 2026 figure of $250. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $280 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Amawaterways | Port charge 2028 per person"$290 per person in 2028" — INCLUDED in cruise price, not added at checkout. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $290 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Caribbean 7night | Port tax (high end)Downgraded from sourced 2026-09-22: derived from observed Florida-departure 7-night quotes, not a published rate. NOTE the recorded high of $200 exceeds the observed range its own note cited (RCI quotes ran $175-195) - treat $200 as a rounded-up band edge, not an observation. | $200 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Caribbean 7night | Port tax (low end)Downgraded from sourced 2026-09-22: derived from observed Florida-departure 7-night quotes, not a published rate. NOTE the recorded high of $200 exceeds the observed range its own note cited (RCI quotes ran $175-195) - treat $200 as a rounded-up band edge, not an observation. | $140 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| Carnival | Beverage service charge (percent)"a 20% service charge will be added to the bill" on beverage purchases. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | 20% | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Carnival | Gratuity per day (high end)Point value; standard stateroom rate. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $17 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Carnival | Gratuity per day (low end)"$17.00 USD per person, per day" standard staterooms. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $17 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Carnival | Gratuity suite per day"$19.00 USD per person, per day" suites. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $19 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Disney | Gratuity per day (high end)Point value; standard stateroom, per night. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $16 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Disney | Gratuity per day (low end)"$16.00 USD per night, per stateroom Guest, including infants and children" — per NIGHT, and charged for children unlike NCL. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $16 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Disney | Gratuity suite per day"$27.25 USD per night, per stateroom Guest" concierge staterooms and suites — highest suite rate in the set. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $27.25 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Mediterranean 10day | Port tax (high end) | $300 | — | Unverified | 2026-08-28 |
| Mediterranean 10day | Port tax (low end)No published sailing-level example found; built from component fees | $150 | — | Unverified | 2026-08-28 |
| Norwegian | Beverage service charge (percent)"20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases"; same 20% on specialty dining. This is the only per-day-free NCL beverage figure NCL publishes. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | 20% | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Norwegian | Gratuity per day (high end)Point value; Club Balcony Suite and below. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $20 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Norwegian | Gratuity per day (low end)"$20.00 USD per person per day" Club Balcony Suite and below, bookings on/after 2023-01-01, guests 3 years or older. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $20 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Norwegian | Gratuity suite per day"$25.00 USD per person per day" Haven and Suites. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $25 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Princess | Beverage service charge (percent)nonrefundable "Service Charge of 20% of purchase" on optional beverages, specialty dining and other elected amenities. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | 20% | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Princess | Gratuity minisuite per day"$19.00 USD per person per day" Mini Suites, Cabanas and Reserve Collection. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $19 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Princess | Gratuity per day (high end)Point value; standard stateroom tier. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $18 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Princess | Gratuity per day (low end)"$18.00 USD per person per day" all other stateroom types (interior/oceanview/balcony). Page states last published 2024-10-21. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $18 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Princess | Gratuity suite per day"$20.00 USD per person per day" suites. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $20 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| River Europe 7night | Port tax (high end)Point value; 2026 published per-person port charge, INCLUDED in cruise price. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $250 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| River Europe 7night | Port tax (low end)Published wording: "Port Charges (included in cruise price): $250 per person in 2026." INCLUDED in the cruise price, not added at checkout. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $250 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Royal Caribbean | Beverage service charge (percent)"an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to all pre-cruise and onboard purchases of beverages and beverage packages". Read 2026-10-05, unchanged — still the only major line below 20%. | 18% | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Royal Caribbean | Gratuity per day (high end)Point value; standard stateroom rate. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $18.50 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Royal Caribbean | Gratuity per day (low end)"$18.50 USD per guest, per day" standard staterooms. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $18.50 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
| Royal Caribbean | Gratuity suite per day"$21.00 USD per guest, per day" suites. Read 2026-10-05, unchanged. | $21 | 0.0%since 2026-08-28 | Published figure | 2026-10-05 |
Ground transfers
| Who charges it | What it is | Current | Change | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUN Riviera Maya | Private rt group (high end) | $190 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| CUN Riviera Maya | Private rt group (low end)Private van, up to 8 pax | $150 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| MBJ Resorts | Private rt group (high end)Widest range in the catalog — resort location is unknown | $200 | — | Unverified | 2026-08-28 |
| MBJ Resorts | Private rt group (low end)Rose Hall ~$40 RT; Negril or Ocho Rios closer to $200 | $40 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| PUJ Bavaro | Private rt group (high end) | $110 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| PUJ Bavaro | Private rt group (low end)1-6 pax; Uvero Alto runs $110-150 | $70 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| us Homeport | Cruise line per person each way (high end) | $45 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
| us Homeport | Cruise line per person each way (low end)Carnival publishes $37.99; RCI, Princess and NCL publish nothing | $28 | — | Estimated | 2026-08-28 |
How to use this
On its own the index is a reference. Applied to a specific trip it's a budget — the trip cost calculator runs these figures against your party, your nights and your travel month, and will also check whether a quote you already have is complete. Current offers are on the deals page.
Why we keep this
Because nobody else does, and because assembling it is boring and continuous, which is the kind of work a small agency can do better than a large one. Suppliers publish these figures on their own sites and then change them quietly; the change is real money on a booking that was quoted months earlier. Keeping a dated record is the least glamorous and most useful thing we can offer someone deciding whether a trip fits. Ask us to price a real trip and these are the numbers we'll be using.