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Disney Cruise Line: Expect a New Hawaii Tax
Disney Cruise Line is notifying guests booked on the February 2026 Disney Wonder sailings about new taxes imposed by the State of Hawaii. These fees, which include the newly applied Transient Accommodations Tax, are increasing the total cost of the cruise for affected passengers.
Related – Disney Aulani Guests: Prepare for Hawaii’s New Transient Tax
The affected trip is the Disney Wonder’s 10-night, one-way sailing on February 16, 2026, which travels from Honolulu to Vancouver after the ship completes its Australia season. Disney Cruise Line contacted booked guests just three weeks before their final payment deadline to notify them of the unexpected price increase.
“We are writing to you with important information related to your upcoming cruise, which includes a visit to Hawai’i. The State of Hawai’i will be implementing an 11% Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT), as well as a 3% Local County TAT, on a portion of your cruise fare based on the time spent docked in Hawai’i,” the email explained.
Effective January 1, 2026, the new tax—approved last May—will be applied to cruise ships for the first time. All guests booked on voyages visiting Hawai’i will have their total taxes, fees, and port expenses updated to reflect this change. Specifically for the Disney Wonder itinerary, the new tax will cover the ship’s calls to Nawiliwili, Maui, and Hilo.
The final cost of the tax is tied to each guest’s individual fare rate, with some families already seeing increases of $400–450 or more. With the final payment due on October 19, 2025, guests must pay the higher total, which now includes the new taxes. For those unable to pay the unexpected “chunk” of extra money, the risk is severe: reservation cancellation and forfeiture of a highly anticipated vacation.
While the February 16 sailing is heavily impacted, the Disney Wonder’s earlier cruise—the February 2, 2026, departure from Sydney to Honolulu—will also see a fee increase, though a smaller one, covering its single port call at Nawiliwili. Starting in January 2026, this new tax will affect numerous ships across the industry, including the Ruby Princess, Carnival Radiance, and multiple vessels from Holland America Line (Zaandam and Nieuw Amsterdam) and Princess Cruises (Emerald Princess and Coral Princess).
The biggest financial burden falls on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America, which sails weekly Hawaiian itineraries year-round. This has prompted the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to file a federal lawsuit in August 2025 challenging the tax, but a resolution to the dispute may be months away.
Will you be sailing on any Hawaiian cruises next year?
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