NASSAU, BAHAMAS- As the government seeks to increase its tax intake from cruise passengers, cruise lines are said to be pursuing further discussions regarding those plans.
Michele Paige, Chief Executive Officer of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, in a recent email response to Eyewitness News on the matter stated, “We have been advised of the fees being considered and are in active discussions with country officials to better understand the changes and determine a mutually beneficial path forward.”
Carnival Cruise Line President, Christine Duffy, expressed her preference for a delay in the implementation of the tax in a recent article in Travel Weekly. She stated , “There’s a lot of development happening in the Bahamas, and we’re working with the officials in the Bahamas to see if, at least, it can get pushed out.”
According to the 2023/2024 budget, the government intends to raise the tax on Freeport, Nassau and Bimini cruise passengers from $18 to $23. Passengers who depart from a cruise line’s private island without visiting another port in the Bahamas will face a slightly higher tax of $25.
Furthermore, the government plans to impose a $5 tourism environmental tax and a $2 tourism enhancement tax on each cruise passenger. The tourism enhancement tax is slated to take effect on January 1, 2024, while all other taxes are scheduled to be implemented on July 1, 2023.
The tax increases come on the heels of the opening of the the Nassau Cruise Port’s $300 million passenger terminal. The state-of-the-art facility boasts a sixth berth and has the capacity to accommodate three Icon-class ships simultaneously, which are the largest class of cruise ships in the world.
