US Virgin Islands to Levy Fee on Arriving Royal Caribbean Cruise Passengers

A new report claims that cruise passengers arriving in the United States Virgin Islands aboard a vessel owned by the Royal Caribbean Group would soon need to pay an extra fee.

According to CruiseHive.com, the new tourist tax, dubbed the Capital Cost Recovery Charge, was approved last week, with enforcement of the fee for visitors to St. Thomas and St. Croix most likely to take effect on January 1.

The $5-per-passenger fee was approved by the Virgin Islands Port Authority Board of Governors and would only apply to ships that berth at the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay, St. Thomas, and the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted, St. Croix.

The local government will use the collected funds to improve cruise port infrastructure, including dredging work in Crown Bay, developing a third cruise pier in St. Thomas and overall improvements in St. Croix.

“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Royal Caribbean Group as we move forward in the development of these exciting projects that will benefit the territory and strengthen this U.S. Virgin Islands’ position as a premier destination,” Virgin Islands Port Authority Executive Director Carlton Dowe told Cruise Hive.

The Royal Caribbean Group must now work with the Virgin Islands Port Authority on a plan to implement the fee.

While other companies serve the U.S. Virgin Islands, including Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Princess and others, “the significant majority of visiting ships are part of the Royal Caribbean Group,” per Cruise Hive.

The other cruise lines visiting the islands could also face future per-passenger fees, with local officials revealing that it would depend on “how much funding is necessary for the port improvement projects at both destinations.”

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