With all-inclusive river cruise fares, it’s fairly standard practice to include port charges in the package. Some companies bundles these fees in the fare even when it’s not an all-inclusive river cruise. One thing to note about port charges, however, is that they are not set by the river cruise companies. Each port establishes its own fees, and these charges are then passed on to the travelers who purchase the cruise. That said, companies may inflate their port charges to include expenses other than fees levied by the ports.
River cruise ships docked at the port @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle
Companies – Port Charges Included
The following river cruise companies include port charges in the fare:
All of the suppliers listed above feature all-inclusive river cruise packages, with the exception of Riviera River Cruises and Viking River Cruises.
Companies – Port Charges Not Included
Most of the river cruise lines that do not have all-inclusive packages do not include port charges in the fare. These companies are listed below:
With each of these companies, you can expect to see port charges as an additional fee added to the base cruise price.
Port Charges Average Savings
For most river cruises, port charges average between $150 and $165 per person but can also vary above or below these rates. Whether or not they’re included in the fare, port charges are paid prior to the cruise departure date. You can expect to see these fees added to the base price for most river cruise companies if it’s not an all-inclusive package.
See other all-inclusive river cruise articles in this series:
booked cruise on American Queen Steamboat company twice, both cancelled beacuse of covid. Dont remember any mention of port fees. Ready to try again but would like some info on port fees. What little info I can find suggests $180 – $450 per person per excursion. On a 9 day cruise that can add up fast. Is this info at all accurate? AQSC doesnt appear to be all inclusive. Thanks
Uniworld included port charges in 2017. Wonder why they are charging them again?
Do you include Vantage in any of your articles? I’m interested in your opinion of them, they seem to be adding more boats.
They do not include port charges.
Port charges were not included on our Uniworld Christmas markets cruise, Dec 2014. In fact, it was the only charge that was not included.
Thank you Elsa. We we will seek clarification and correct if necessary. We appreciate your comment. —
Best regards, Ralph
Ralph Grizzle
The Avid Cruiser
If Viking “owns” “leases” each of its Rhine docks and then double-parks at them when necessary, what is a “port fee”? I can assure you, that if Viking could pass on another expense and thus underpay more of their employees, it certainly would! Just love those commercials!
DJ