New sydney cruise passenger charges

[Icerecon]

I heard this information late on the radio the other night and think it needs to be shared. It has been sourced from the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia and was released on the 12 June 2012

 

NEW SYDNEY CRUISE PASSENGER CHARGES EXCESSIVE

 

The NSW government’s new cruise ship head tax for passengers visiting Sydney Harbour is excessive,

says peak industry body, the Tourism and Transport Forum.

 

The cruise industry estimates that this could be up to a 14-fold increase on ship turnaround costs in

Sydney, from an average of $5,000 today to around $70,000 by 2015.

 

TTF Chief Executive, John Lee, said: “The cruise industry recognises that it should pay its fair share but

this new charge goes beyond cost recovery and is designed to give Sydney Ports a new profit stream.

 

“It is regrettable that one of the bright spots for the Australian tourism industry is being hit this way –

it’s a tax on success. It comes at a time when the cruise ship industry faces a 17% increase in the federal

government’s passenger movement charge, so in the space of a month it has been wacked twice by

governments.

 

“The industry recognises that the current fee structure needs reform. It had proposed a passenger

charge of around $5 per head, which better reflects the actual cost of cruise ships staying at Sydney

Harbour.

 

“The Minister for Ports has said that the success of the industry justifies imposing the charge.

 

“What the minister is forgetting is that none of this success is guaranteed, and the industry is operating

in a highly competitive environment particularly with Asian ports.

 

“Overnight Sydney Harbour will become one of the world’s most expensive for cruise ships.

 

“TTF is particularly concerned that other States may consider following NSW’s lead and a $30 head tax in

Sydney will rapidly escalate into one costing hundreds for passengers on ships visiting multiple ports.

 

“TTF urges the NSW government to undertake genuine consultations with the industry before the tax

commences in 2013 to devise a system that more fairly recovers costs. Importantly, the government

should also review the efficiency of Sydney’s ports, which cost more to operate than many overseas, so

that they meet world’s best practice.

 

So now that the Tourist Industry have a good and obviously thriving industry they (the Government) are really going to make us pay for it.:mad:

[erewhon]

Thank you for sharing this information.

[thied]

The $30 per head is that for cruise ship that are based over sea's? eg a cruise ship on a world cruise, or is it for all cruise ships that dock in Australia?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The $30 per head is that for cruise ship that are based over sea's? eg a cruise ship on a world cruise, or is it for all cruise ships that dock in Australia?

 

Interesting point....On a World Cruise visit , the passengers are really just in transit, but the ship needs all the port facilities.

If a WC ship called at say , Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns ,Darwin....as some do , that could be $180 each , extra to pay.

You could say in the overall cost of a world cruise thats nothing and they can easily afford that much , but for many of those passengers , that will be a once in a lifetime dream trip, for which they have been saving all their working life, and fees like that could make them reconsider a cruise that included Australia.

 

 

 

[thied]

Interesting point....On a World Cruise visit , the passengers are really just in transit, but the ship needs all the port facilities.

If a WC ship called at say , Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns ,Darwin....as some do , that could be $180 each , extra to pay.

You could say in the overall cost of a world cruise thats nothing and they can easily afford that much , but for many of those passengers , that will be a once in a lifetime dream trip, for which they have been saving all their working life, and fees like that could make them reconsider a cruise that included Australia.

in oz

 

 

 

not bad money for the goverment $360000.00 about per world cruise ship

[The_Big_M]

The $30 per head is that for cruise ship that are based over sea's? eg a cruise ship on a world cruise, or is it for all cruise ships that dock in Australia?

 

I posted this earlier: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1651852

 

It's all ships, but NSW only, not Australia.

[thied]

I posted this earlier: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1651852

 

It's all ships, but NSW only, not Australia.

wont be long the rest of the states will do the same

[cjm66]

I posted this earlier: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1651852

 

It's all ships, but NSW only, not Australia.

 

Various lobby goups have been talking up the probability of the tax becoming Australa Wide. The cruise industry take the position that this (if it happens) will damage a valuable and important industry and the Australian Ports Authority laud the NSW "initiative" as a positive indicator of increased revenue for port operators - instead of the current position ( as they see it) of being required to subsidise the profitable cruising industry. So far no real information on how it will work or be collected, on arrival, on departure or on passing through or all three.

 

Colleen

[thied]

Various lobby goups have been talking up the probability of the tax becoming Australa Wide. The cruise industry take the position that this (if it happens) will damage a valuable and important industry and the Australian Ports Authority laud the NSW "initiative" as a positive indicator of increased revenue for port operators - instead of the current position ( as they see it) of being required to subsidise the profitable cruising industry. So far no real information on how it will work or be collected, on arrival, on departure or on passing through or all three.

 

Colleen

all the states are in so much debt they are tring to tax and grab any money they from any where they feel is doing well lets tax them. plus solor power rebiats gone Australia wide from july 1 , water, rego, rates. cut backs on workers Australia wide in state goverments.

[diy dave]

Being the devils advocate, on all cruise ship tickets you pay a figure for port taxes, all over the world. So its nothing new.. I bet australian charges are only about the same as most other western country taxes.

[thied]

Being the devils advocate, on all cruise ship tickets you pay a figure for port taxes, all over the world. So its nothing new.. I bet australian charges are only about the same as most other western country taxes.

you may some there so port chargers are going up:D

[Debsta]

$30 per head??? (I might be missing something as I haven't had time to read the entire thread) but I got this email for a booking (or two or three LOL) that I have...

 

Passenger Movement Charge Increase

 

As you may be aware, the Australian Government has announced an increase to the Passenger Movement Charge as of 1 July 2012 from AU$47 to AU$55 per person.

 

The PMC (Passenger Movement Charge) is charged to all passengers aged 12 years and over departing Australia. PMC is not charged on domestic cruises or International cruises that do not depart Australia.

 

The additional AU$8 per passenger will be added to any existing cruise bookings, or new bookings made before 1 July 2012. Please ensure you review the balance due prior to making final payment, as the additional amount must be paid.

 

The increase will not apply to bookings that are paid in full as of 5.30pm AEST 29th June 2012.

 

On the 1st July 2012 the additional charge will be automatically added to your booking and must be paid when final payment is made.

[Debsta]

I posted this earlier: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1651852

 

It's all ships, but NSW only, not Australia.

 

Ahhh I see this "fee" applied to Barry the Badboy and his current cost cutting regime across the State...........dog!

[The_Big_M]

Being the devils advocate, on all cruise ship tickets you pay a figure for port taxes, all over the world. So its nothing new.. I bet australian charges are only about the same as most other western country taxes.

 

Ah, but they're not. We always had port charges as well... but now those in NSW are going up dramatically, and are more wide-ranging. Alaska is the only real stand-out with higher charges - but they even reduced their fees when they had a big hike and the cruise lines complained a few years back.

[thied]

$30 per head??? (I might be missing something as I haven't had time to read the entire thread) but I got this email for a booking (or two or three LOL) that I have...

 

Passenger Movement Charge Increase

 

As you may be aware, the Australian Government has announced an increase to the Passenger Movement Charge as of 1 July 2012 from AU$47 to AU$55 per person.

 

The PMC (Passenger Movement Charge) is charged to all passengers aged 12 years and over departing Australia. PMC is not charged on domestic cruises or International cruises that do not depart Australia.

 

The additional AU$8 per passenger will be added to any existing cruise bookings, or new bookings made before 1 July 2012. Please ensure you review the balance due prior to making final payment, as the additional amount must be paid.

 

The increase will not apply to bookings that are paid in full as of 5.30pm AEST 29th June 2012.

 

On the 1st July 2012 the additional charge will be automatically added to your booking and must be paid when final payment is made.

could you please post a copy of that email minis the names?

[CroNich]

Wow with Garden Island and now this, do they realise they are slowly killing a once booming industry?

[The_Big_M]

There wasn't any loss with Garden Island. They can still berth ships there as capacity is available, as happened in the past.

 

The cruise lines wanted increased access and that was rebuffed, but I wouldn't call that killing an industry. You can't lose what you didn't have.

[Debsta]

could you please post a copy of that email minis the names?

 

Sure.....I minused the names LOL :D

 

Dear xxxxxx,

 

As you may be aware, the Australian Government has announced an increase to the Passenger Movement Charge as of 1 July 2012 from AU$47 to AU$55 per person.

 

The PMC (Passenger Movement Charge) is charged to all passengers aged 12 years and over departing Australia. PMC is not charged on domestic cruises or International cruises that do not depart Australia.

 

The additional AU$8 per passenger will be added to any existing cruise bookings, or new bookings made before 1 July 2012. Please ensure you review the balance due prior to making final payment, as the additional amount must be paid.

 

The increase will not apply to bookings that are paid in full as of 5.30pm AEST 29th June 2012.

 

On the 1st July 2012 the additional charge will be automatically added to your booking and must be paid when final payment is made.

[musicorn]

I got this email and I am leaving from Brisbane.

 

Good Morning,

 

As a result of changes to the federal budget Travel Agent advises that effective 01 Jul 2012 there will be an increase to the Australian International Passenger Movement Charge (AU).

 

The charge will increase from $47AUD to $55AUD and be effective from the 01 Jul 2012.

 

To avoid this $8AUD increase, bookings need to be paid by Wednesday 27 Jun 2012.

 

Please find attached your updated cruise confirmation including the increase in tax.

[6andy6]

Interesting point....On a World Cruise visit , the passengers are really just in transit, but the ship needs all the port facilities.

If a WC ship called at say , Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns ,Darwin....as some do , that could be $180 each , extra to pay.

You could say in the overall cost of a world cruise thats nothing and they can easily afford that much , but for many of those passengers , that will be a once in a lifetime dream trip, for which they have been saving all their working life, and fees like that could make them reconsider a cruise that included Australia.

 

 

you do realize its just NSW? So the $180 is a moot point?

[musicorn]

you do realize its just NSW? So the $180 is a moot point?

 

Not only NSW. As I said I am leaving from Brisbane and I got an email advising of the increase but here it is from the Governement site. Section J in the exempt section says that on cruises the charge is only once.

 

 

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page6068.asp

[Icerecon]

Thanks for all your comments. From them I have found out that there are to be two increases:

 

One is a Federal Government charge the "Australian International Passenger Movement Charge" which appears to be a $8 increase with effect 1 Jul 2012 that we all pay when leaving Australia either by plane or cruise ship.

 

And the increase that I originally posted is a NSW Government Port Fee, which as you guys have said know one knows how much or how it will be collected etc. It was also expressed that once NSW imposes this fee other states will follow suite, I hope not.

 

I wouldn't mind to pay extra Port fees if Australian Ports had better facilities; over the last 12 months I have been to the following ports, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Fremantle and they are well below standard and in the case of Hobart (our visit on RoS Feb 2012) they would have to pay me to go ashore, as it was down right disgusting.

 

I would point out that Hobart is my birth place and we went home to visit family and even they stated that the port facilities were laughable, dirty concrete floor, no seating, no nothing - very disappointing and I felt embarrassed in front of our overseas guests who had to endure this.

 

Lets hope that someone sees sense and this fee (NSW Port) are never raised this high..

[keagle]

Not only NSW. As I said I am leaving from Brisbane and I got an email advising of the increase but here it is from the Governement site. Section J in the exempt section says that on cruises the charge is only once.

 

 

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page6068.asp

 

These are two completely different fees that you are talking about.

 

The $8 increase is for what once was called the departure tax, which is charged on international departures from Australia, the op's post is about a n.s.w government fee for ships coming and going in Sydney.

[diy dave]

Lets get this straight. We are talking about two different tax increases. One, $8 is the commonwealth gov. Increase, the other is a nsw tax for useage of facilities in sydney harbour, ( maybe any other port where cruise ships leave fron. Eg. Newcastle.)

[cjm66]

Two different taxes and different time frames. The Departure/Passenger Movement (Australian) Tax is already in place and is being increased to take effect from July 1. It can be implemented quickly as a tax already in place. The NSW Budget has brought in a new and different arrangement for how cruise ship operators pay for berths. A flat charge of $250 per hour is being replaced by a per passenger charge of $20 from July 1 2013 rising by $5 until 2015-6. It will not affect anyone until after the White (Elephant) Bay Initiative is implemented.

 

Source :

 

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/travel-today/news/cruise-ships-must-help-foot-bill-gay