The cruise industry is filing suit against a tourist tax that Hawaii plans to charge in an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change on the string of islands.
In a lawsuit filed last week at the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, the Cruise Lines International Association says a “green fee” aimed at cruise ship operators and passengers is a “blatant violation of the highest law of the land — the Constitution of the United States.”
The lawsuit seeks to block a new state law it says would impose “massive, novel, and unconstitutional fees” on cruise ships docking in state ports as of Jan. 1, 2026. The cruise association, which represents most major cruise lines, was joined in the lawsuit by three Hawaii-based companies that provide services to cruise ships, including island tours.
The lawsuit says the new state law — a first in the country — would levy a new 11 percent surcharge on the gross fare paid by a cruise ship’s passengers, prorated by the portion of its voyage spent docked in Hawaii ports. The law also authorizes Hawaii’s counties to collect an additional 3 percent surcharge, the lawsuit states.
