Royal Caribbean cruise passengers warned over extra cost to visit European country

Royal Caribbean passengers have been warned they could face extra charges after the introduction of a new tourist tax in parts of a popular destination.

Cruise passengers visiting the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini will now have to pay a €20 (£17.40) disembarkation fee, while those travelling to the remaining islands, including Corfu and Crete, will pay €5 (£4.30) per island they visit.

The fees, which came into effect on 1 August, will apply until 30 September, and will then drop down to €12 (£10.40) for Mykonos and Santorini and €3 (£2.60) for the other islands, the Greek government has confirmed.

While the disembarkation fees apply to all cruise passengers sailing to the islands, a number of Royal Caribbean passengers have been left disgruntled after discovering they will have to pay the charges, despite having already paid their holiday off.

Mykonos is currently experiencing 'overtourism', the gov has said (David C Tomlinson / Getty Stock Images)

The cruise line recently sent out an email to affected passengers, explaining that guests who booked before September last year, when the tourist tax was announced, will have the fees added to their onboard SeaPass account, unless they decide to stay onboard.

"Guests who booked before September 20, 2024 will see this new tax reflected on their SeaPass account onboard. It will be collected per guest, per port, at the beginning of the sailing," the company's website states.

"If a guest decides to stay onboard, we will automatically credit their SeaPass account towards the end of their cruise."

However, anyone who booked their Royal Caribbean cruise after September will not have to pay any additional fees as these taxes have already been included in the price of their holiday.

Guests who booked before September last year will need to pay the fees (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The website explains: "Guests who booked on or after September 20, 2024 will have this new tax already included within the guest's taxes and fees on their booking invoice. It will be charged per guest, per each applicable port, per sailing.

"If a guest decides to stay onboard, we will automatically credit their SeaPass account towards the end of their cruise."

The new cruise fees are expected to bring in around €50 to €100 million each year, which will be used to reinvest in port maintenance, as well as waste and water systems.

It's hoped the added cost will help manage tourism flow by making the more popular destinations like Mykonos and Santorini more expensive, therefore encouraging tourists to visit the lesser-visited islands, while also encouraging people to visit in the shoulder seasons, outside of the main summer peak.