The Los Angeles harbor commission OK’d increasing passenger tariffs for cruise liners on Thursday, Aug. 24, as port officials anticipate a growing boom in the cruise industry.
The tariffs are reviewed routinely, officials said, adding that the port’s cruise business is flourishing and is anticipated to grow further.
The cruise industry is looking to expand at the Port of Los Angeles, officials said, with a request for proposals going out from the port some time by the end of this year for an additional cruise terminal to be developed at San Pedro’s Outer Harbor.
The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on Thursday approved tariffs that would rise annually from the current $16.12 per passenger to $19.25 by July 1, 2028.
The tariffs are levied on the cruise carriers but also can be passed on to passengers.
With three major cruise lines now based at the Port of L.A. — Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line — the port is looking to increase its pleasure cruise business with a recent announcement that Princess Cruises will add some Alaska cruises in the summer of 2025.
Plans for the upgraded and new cruise terminal spaces at the port also focus on accommodating the larger cruise ships coming on line, said Chris Chase, assistant director of marketing at the port who gave a briefing for commissioners.
Among the most-recent behemoth cruise ships, he said, is one that can carry more than 7,000 passengers and will be based in Miami for Caribbean Island sails. That one will come online in January 2024.
Cruise facilities, he said, are being eyed with the need for that kind of space in mind.
Income from the cruise industry has been on the rise in the port as the post-pandemic relaunch of the industry continues.
About 1 million passengers took Port of LA cruises during the 2022-23 fiscal year, providing additional revenues from parking and bringing in additional money via related spending in the local community. Port officials said…
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