China’s New Port Surcharge Puts U.S.-Linked Cruises on Alert

China has imposed a special port fee in October 2025 on vessels “linked to the United States,” and at least one cruise call has already been dropped rather than pay it. According to Cruise Industry News, Oceania Cruises’ Riviera scrapped a Shanghai call to avoid the new charge.

What the new fee does—and who may pay it

Per Cruise Industry News reporting, the policy introduces a surcharge assessed per net ton and applies to a limited number of voyages. While details remain tightly worded, the trigger is a vessel’s link to the U.S.—which can mean ownership, operation, management, or other business ties rather than just flag state. That ambiguity matters in cruising, where ships are often foreign-flagged but owned by U.S.-listed companies.

Practically, the surcharge adds a variable cost to calls at Chinese ports like Shanghai. Cruise lines that plan Asia deployments for winter 2025–2026 now have to run the math: absorb the fee, pass it to guests, re-time arrivals, or skip China altogether. Early behavior suggests some lines will test alternatives before committing to the charge.

Quick facts

Effective: October 2025 (China)
Mechanism: Special per-net-ton port surcharge
Scope: Limited number of voyages, per Cruise Industry News
Target: Vessels “linked to the United States” (ownership/operation ties)
Early impact: Oceania’s Riviera canceled a Shanghai call

Early fallout: a canceled Shanghai call

Cruise Industry News reports Oceania Cruises opted to cancel Riviera’s planned Shanghai call rather than incur the new fee. That’s a signal—if a premium brand with relatively high per-diem fares balks at the surcharge, mass-market lines with tighter margins will be even more cost-sensitive.

Cancelling a single port call is the lowest-friction response. It avoids reprinting brochures or scrapping whole voyages and lets revenue teams observe guest reactions. But if the surcharge endures into 2026—and if Chinese port calls become recurring pain points—lines could start redrafting entire Asia itineraries.

For now, changes appear targeted and pragmatic: swap in alternate ports (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong) or add sea days to preserve schedule cadence. The calculus: how much onboard spend and brand goodwill does a marquee call like Shanghai generate versus the incremental port cost and policy risk?

Why this matters for 2025–2026 deployments

China is a marquee destination in Asia, and Shanghai is among the region’s best-equipped cruise hubs. Itineraries featuring China often command premium pricing thanks to headline sights and robust airlift. Removing those calls shrinks the value proposition for some guests and complicates air planning.

Pricing pressure: If China calls drop out, itineraries may lean more heavily on Japan and South Korea. That can work—but the supply shift could compress yields if many lines crowd the same ports in peak weeks.
Operational risk management: Finance and itinerary teams will look hard at the per-ton math and the “limited voyages” clause. If timing rotations can avoid or minimize exposure to the surcharge, expect creative routing and seasonality tweaks.
Guest expectations: Lines must communicate early and clearly. Loyalty guests book Asia for China specifically; substitutes help, but transparency avoids post-booking frustration.

According to Cruise Industry News, the fee is assessed on a per-net-ton basis, which scales with ship size. That’s a direct incentive for smaller vessels—or for larger ships to space out China calls—until there’s clarity on duration and scope.

The playbook: how cruise lines could respond next

Expect a mix of tactics while the industry tests the new policy’s boundaries and potential exemptions.

Pay selectively: Absorb the surcharge on a handful of high-demand sailings where Shanghai or other Chinese ports are central to the itinerary’s value.
Re-route quietly: Replace Chinese calls with nearby alternatives, shifting marketing to focus on Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, or lengthen port times elsewhere.
Contract levers: Explore port-agency negotiations and assess whether any reciprocal arrangements, waivers, or phased implementations are possible.
Price and package: Bundle the higher call costs into premium excursions or “Grand Asia” packages to protect headline fares while preserving margins.
Stagger tonnage: Assign smaller or mid-size ships to itineraries with China calls; keep the largest vessels on loops that avoid the surcharge entirely.

Pros and cons for skipping China now:

Pros: Immediate cost avoidance; simpler ops; less policy risk; avoids back-end guest refunds.
Cons: Loss of marquee ports; potential dip in demand or satisfaction; retooling air/lodging logistics; crowding in alternative ports.

The counterargument: the cost of skipping China

Dropping China isn’t free. Shanghai’s brand power, diverse shore excursions, and established infrastructure can lift onboard spend and guest satisfaction. If the surcharge is time-limited, temporary avoidance could end up costing more in lost demand than it saves in port fees.

Moreover, premium and luxury segments often sell on destination specificity. For these guests, “Asia minus China” is not a like-for-like swap. Some lines may choose to pay the fee on select sailings to maintain brand promises, especially on longer Grand Voyages and world cruise segments where China is a keystone.

Reasonable counterpoints deserve note: The policy targets U.S.-linked vessels, not cruising per se. Non-U.S.-linked operators might face different economics and could keep China prominent, potentially capturing demand displaced from U.S.-linked brands. That competitive angle will factor into how long U.S.-linked lines sit out or pivot.

What to watch in the weeks ahead

Itinerary updates: Monitor line advisories and booking portals for port swaps or revised taxes/fees on invoices.
Fleet assignments: Does any brand move smaller ships into China calls and redeploy larger ships elsewhere?
Port guidance: Clarifications from local port authorities could define “linked to the United States” more narrowly—or not—shaping compliance strategies.
Guest comms: The tone and timing of change notices will signal how broad each line expects the impact to be.

At-a-glance summary

China added a per-net-ton port surcharge in October 2025 for vessels linked to the U.S., per Cruise Industry News.
Oceania’s Riviera reportedly dropped a Shanghai call to avoid the fee.
Expect selective port swaps and ship reassignments as lines test alternatives.
Paying the fee may make sense on high-value sailings; skipping China risks losing marquee demand.

Bottom line

This surcharge won’t shut down Asia cruising, but it complicates the arithmetic for U.S.-linked brands eyeing China calls. A few targeted cancellations today could morph into wider itinerary pivots if the policy sticks and costs scale with larger tonnage. Until there’s clarity, expect a chess match of reroutes, selective payments, and marketing pivots—plus close attention to what competitors (not bound by the same ties) choose to do next.