Hawaii Passes First-Ever Tax on Cruise Ships

Cruising to the Aloha State will quickly grow to be dearer for vacationers, whether or not they’re simply visiting the islands for a single evening or could also be island hopping on an extended crusing.

On Friday, Could 2, 2025, lawmakers within the Hawaii State Legislature increased the transient accommodations tax (TAT), and for the primary time, included cruise ship visitors with new charges.

In accordance with khon2, the brand new legislation will take impact starting January 1, 2026 and consists of an 11% tax on cruise fares, prorated for the times ships are docked within the state.

Because of this for cruisers on a ship merely visiting the islands, say for 3 nights out of a 14-night crusing, the tax could be 11% of the fare only for these three nights, not on your entire two-week cruise.

Beforehand, there was no such tax on any cruise guests to Hawaii. In 2024, the state welcomed almost a million cruise visitors, lots of whom would have loved the state’s pure magnificence and beautiful landmarks.

The impetus behind taxing cruise visitors is to make sure all guests assist with the state’s hefty conservation prices to guard that pure magnificence. From the distinctive wildlife and the exceptional coastal views to the tropical landscapes and the beautiful seashores, Hawaii is an incredible cruise vacation spot.

Having loved the native banyan timber, climbed Diamond Head to admire the vistas round Honolulu, and noticed my first ever albatross at Kilauea Level Nationwide Wildlife Refuge after we visited Hawaii aboard Carnival Miracle, I’d fortunately pay the tax for all the sweetness Hawaii provides.

Many different cruise locations are passing taxes on cruise guests. These charges are sometimes earmarked for infrastructure, similar to port enhancements, dredging work, and emergency providers.

The brand new tax in Hawaii, nevertheless, is tied on to conservation of the native ecosystems and native Hawaiian tradition – precisely why guests wish to go to the fiftieth state.

“The extra you domesticate good environmental coverage … the extra probably it’s we’re going to have truly lifelong, dedicated vacationers to Hawaii,” commented Josh Inexperienced, Governor of Hawaii.

In reality, many cruise shore excursions concentrate on nature, similar to visiting the Kilauea Lava Fields or Volcanoes Nationwide Park in Hilo, the well-known Fern Grotto on Kauai, or sea turtle snorkeling in Maui. Waterfall hikes, botanical gardens, whale watching, and extra are additionally well-liked tour choices.

Cruise visitors can even simply discover Hawaiian tradition with luaus, the Polynesian Cultural Heart, or visiting Iolani Palace.

It’s estimated that the brand new tax will generate almost $100 yearly, which can be used for such tasks as seashore replenishment, hurricane preparation, and eradicating invasive grasses, like those who contributed to the 2023 wildfires that destroyed Lahaina.

Whereas the brand new tax has handed each homes of the Hawaiian legislature, it should nonetheless be signed into legislation by the governor.

Cruising to Hawaii

Right now, no cruise traces have confirmed any plans to regulate Hawaiian itineraries or ports of name.

Hawaii is tough for cruises to succeed in – the islands are 2,600 miles from the closest US homeports in California. Much more distant are Australian homeports, roughly 4,800 miles away.

However, the tropical vacation spot is a spotlight of some closed-loop cruises that depart both from California, Seattle, or Vancouver, relying on the cruise line.

Hawaii can be a frequent a part of world cruises or transpacific sailings, similar to ships repositioning from Australia or Asia to Alaska or the Caribbean.

Many cruise traces, together with Movie star Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Holland America Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, AIDA Cruises, Seabourn, and extra supply Hawaiian itineraries.

Solely Norwegian Cruise Line’s Delight of America sails the Aloha State solely, providing 7-night roundtrip inter-island cruises from Honolulu year-round. This generally is a very talked-about technique to get pleasure from and immersive Hawaiian cruise, however these are additionally the cruises most certainly to be impacted by the brand new tax.

Norwegian Cruise Line has already expressed disagreement with the new tax and threatened to both sue the state or pull Delight of America from the area.

It is perhaps extra budget-friendly to book a Hawaiian cruise quickly!