Cruise friends touring to St. Thomas could must pay not one, not two, however three larger charges in 2025 with a purpose to fund essential infrastructure initiatives requested by cruise traces. The brand new charges will start on two separate dates, and which charges friends pay will rely upon precisely the place their ships dock.
The brand new charges had been mentioned at a public listening to hosted by the Virgin Islands Port Authority on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, following their approval in September.
In line with the St. Thomas Supply, cruise ship charges to go to the islands are set by tariff contracts with cruise traces. The brand new charges are earmarked to fund initiatives important to cruise journey to the islands.
The most important price enhance is the port dues, which can enhance from $6.84 per visitor to $9.84 per visitor. This $3 per particular person price enhance will assist fund the Charlotte Amalie Harbor Dredging Venture, which was particularly requested by Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line.
Dredging the harbor to a deeper depth will assist accommodate bigger cruise ships and enhance navigability.
“[Virgin Islands Port Authority] is chargeable for dredging the USVI’s harbors, however doesn’t have the monetary sources to take action,” mentioned Carlton Dowe, the port authority director. “The federal government of the V.I. is helping with funding the Charlotte Amalie Harbor Dredging, however it is not going to cowl all prices.”
Learn Additionally: When Is the Finest Time to Go to the US Virgin Islands?
The dredging mission is slated to start within the second quarter of 2025 and can take roughly two years to finish. The price enhance will start from April 1, 2025.
It must be famous that the central authorities of the USVI has already earmarked $17 million in funding for the mission, and subsequently, cruise friends usually are not paying your complete price straight.
The opposite two charges are each wharfage charges collected on the totally different docks, relying on the place particular person cruise ships berth. The charges are the identical at each docks – presently $7.80 per cruise passenger, however set to extend by simply $.44 per particular person, to $8.24 per passenger.
This price enhance will fund “marine operations and bills” and helps preserve the services that cruise ships use as they dock. The upper price will take impact from January 1, 2025 on the West Indian Firm Dock in Havensight and from April 1, 2025 on the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay and on St. John.
Doubtlessly, if a cruise visitor had been touring on an itinerary that included a go to to each St. Thomas and St. John, they may very well be hit with all three price will increase – the general port dues, in addition to wharfage charges at each locations.
No charges are presently being elevated for visits to St. Croix.
It must be famous that these newest will increase comply with a related enhance imposed on Royal Caribbean ships that started on January 1, 2024. That $5 per visitor Capital Price Restoration Cost has additionally helped with dredging prices.
Will Elevated Charges Change Cruise Itineraries?
Dialogue on the latest public listening to introduced up considerations from native enterprise homeowners, together with fears that cruise traces is perhaps contemplating altering itineraries for locations with out larger charges. Dowe famous that no cruise line has expressed such considerations at the moment.
This comes as Mexico is working to impose a big $42 per passenger price on cruise friends to Costa Maya and Cozumel, a transfer that does have cruise traces reacting.
Following pushback from cruise traces, Mexico’s authorities has already delayed the proposed price enhance no less than six months, till July 1, 2025.
St. Thomas is a wildly well-liked vacation spot for Japanese Caribbean cruise itineraries. Along with Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival, different cruise traces that usually go to St. Thomas embody Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Superstar Cruises, MSC Cruises, and extra.
