The Bahamas is raising port taxes for cruisers visiting the island archipelago beginning January 1, 2024. With some cruise lines, guests will be charged the new fees even if they have already paid for their cruise in full.
Port taxes will increase from US$18 to US$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, taxes will rise to US$25 per person.
The government of the Bahamas also says it will levy a US$5 per person environmental tax and US$2 per person tourism enhancement tax on cruise passengers.
Some cruise lines are now reaching out to booked guests to let them know they may need to pay more for their cruise. Royal Caribbean says that if guests have paid in full, the increased and new fees will be charged to their shipboard accounts
Carnival has indicated that the revised taxes have been implemented for all new bookings, but it has not at this point made the fees retroactive to prior bookings.
The Bahamas has invested significantly in its port infrastructure of late, particularly in Nassau. The port that can currently accommodate up to 20,000 passengers per day will soon be able to host well over 30,000 per day.
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