Cruise passengers heading to Mexico are now paying a higher fee to visit some of the country's most popular destinations as the latest increase in a phased tax plan takes effect.As of Aug.1, the fee for foreign cruise passengers visiting Mexican ports increased from $5 to $10 per person, with additional increases scheduled over the next two years, according to Mexico's phased plan.The charge applies to foreign cruise passengers visiting popular cruise destinations, including Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel and Costa Maya.
It can be collected by cruise lines or their shipping agents.BELOVED CRUISE SPOT WILL BE OFF LIMITS THROUGH 2027 AS SAFETY CONCERNS LINGERClint Henderson, a managing editor of the travel site The Points Guy and based in New York, told Fox News Digital the increase likely won't be enough to deter most travelers, but said it adds to the growing expenses consumers face when traveling."While it's not horrible and likely won't be a deal-breaker for most tourists, it's another example of prices going up for travel across the board, and it's frustrating as a consumer rights advocate," Henderson said.Foreign cruise travelers visiting Mexican ports now face a $10 per-person fee, up from $5 as of Aug.1, with further increases planned over the next two years.
(Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)"Consumers keep getting hit with more and more taxes and fees for everything related to travel," he added.The $10 charge is only one step in Mexico's plan, with the fee scheduled to increase again over the next two years.CRUISE LINE'S TOUGHER BOOKING RULES IGNITE BACKLASH OVER HIGHER DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS"The messed-up thing about this new fee is [that it's] just one of several increases to come over the next few years," Henderson said."It will eventually go up to $21 over the next few years.""Consumers keep getting hit with more and more taxes and fees.""We'll have to see if this ends up denting cruise demand for Mexico," he added.Hende...