DOCKING in Sydney Harbour is about to get a
whole lot more expensive for cruise ships in
2013 with the NSW Government planning a
fee increase of up to 4,000%.
Speaking to Cruise Weekly onboard Celebrity
Millennium last week, head of Royal
Caribbean’s Australia and NZ operations, Gavin
Smith, explained that the increase in tax was
due to the NSW Government’s plan to change
the rate from a per hour charge, to a per
passenger tax.
This would mean that the current $2,500
charge for a 10-hour stay will change to a fee
of $20 per passenger, meaning that for larger
ships (such as Voyager of the Seas with
capacity for 3,500 guests), Royal Caribbean
would be looking at a bill of $70,000.
The new fee structure will come into effect in
July 2013, and will see the $20pp fee increase
to $25 in 2014 and $30 in 2015.
“It’s a dramatic jump and its on top of
Sydney already being the most expensive port
going around,” Smith said.
In terms of dealing with the whopping
increase, Smith said the challenge facing the
industry is whether to pass the $20 tax onto
cruisers, or to simply absorb the whole lot,
which with multiple calls to Sydney during the
summer seasons would run-up a huge tab.
