TORONTO — Reports suggest Mexico’s new cruise tax will be much lower than the original US$42 per passenger fee.

The latest update pegs the initial fee at $5 per passenger, starting July 1, 2025.

Just over a year later, the fee will increase to $10, from August 2026 through July 2027. The rate will then rise again, to $15, through August 2028, and then one more time to $21.

The original $42 fee – and the January 2025 start date – was announced in December 2024. The plan was heavily criticized by cruise industry organizations including the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCAA) and its member cruise lines.