If you are booking an AIDA cruise that calls in Greece in 2027, budget for a government tourist tax that the line will now post straight to your onboard account.
Cruise Industry News reports that AIDA will collect the Greek tourist tax for 2027 sailings automatically, with the change applying to new reservations made from August 1, 2026. Guests who stay onboard during a Greek call are exempt, according to the same report of the line's FAQ language.
AIDA's guest FAQ pages on the tax are the intended official surface, including the published Tourismusabgabe Griechenland page and the alternate head-tax page. Those pages were not loadable from this desk session because of a site edge block, so every euro figure below is attributed to Cruise Industry News's August 4, 2026 read of AIDA's published terms. Recheck the AIDA FAQ before you pay a deposit if you need the live German source text.
- Who pays: New AIDA bookings from August 1, 2026 for 2027 Greece-call cruises.
- How charged: Automatic post to the shipboard account for adult and child guests who go ashore.
- Exemption: Guests who remain onboard during the Greek port call are not charged the tax.
- Peak cost: Up to 20 euros per person per call in Santorini or Mykonos in summer months.
- Older bookings: Reservations made before August 1, 2026 are treated as exempt under prior terms, per the report.
What changed in AIDA's process
Greece introduced cruise guest tourist taxes in mid-2025. The new AIDA step is not inventing the tax. It is changing collection from a guest side process into an automatic onboard charge that AIDA then remits to Greek authorities.
That is a booking math change. Families who price AIDA Greek itineraries need the tax inside the cash plan before final payment, especially on multi call loops that touch Santorini and Mykonos more than once. The tax is per person per port visit in the published schedule of rates, not a single voyage flat fee.
Cruise Industry News says the fee applies to adults and children, and that stay-onboard guests are exempt. If your party mixes shore days and ship days, expect the account to charge only for guests who disembark on a taxed call. Keep a simple log of who goes ashore if you plan to dispute a line item later.
Published euro ranges by season
According to Cruise Industry News's summary of AIDA's terms, winter and early shoulder rates are the lowest. From November 1 through March 31, Mykonos and Santorini are 4 euros per person per port, while other Greek destinations are 1 euro per person per port.
Shoulder months are higher. From April 1 through May 31, and again in October, Mykonos and Santorini are 12 euros per person per visit, and other Greek ports are 3 euros per person per visit.
Summer is the expensive band. From June 1 through September 30, Santorini and Mykonos can reach 20 euros per person per visit, while other Greek ports are 5 euros per person per visit. A couple on a week with two high season Cyclades calls can add 80 euros of tax before any child rates stack.
These figures are planning inputs, not a live fare quote. Port lists, season definitions, and exemptions can change in the official FAQ. Treat the euro table as directionally correct for budgeting, then reconfirm on AIDA's page before you pay.
How to plan Greek island days under the tax
First, decide whether every guest needs every shore day. On a short Santorini tender day, some travelers already stay onboard for pools and spa. The reported exemption makes that choice a cash decision as well as a crowd decision.
Second, price multi call itineraries carefully. Deep Arrival's 4-Day Greek Island Cruise from Athens guide is the right evergreen frame for short Aegean loops, while a longer AIDA voyage with more Greek stops multiplies the tax.
Third, plan the expensive ports with a day guide already in hand. Deep Arrival's Things to Do in Santorini on a Cruise and Things to Do in Mykonos pages help you decide whether a high season 20 euro tax is worth the shore day for each person in the cabin.
Fourth, do not confuse this with gratuities, drink packages, or AIDA prepaid extras. The tourist tax is a government charge collected through the ship. It should not be mixed into a drink package negotiation or a shore excursion tip budget.
Fifth, if you booked before August 1, 2026, keep the confirmation date. Cruise Industry News says earlier bookings are exempt under the terms agreed at booking. Screenshot the booking timestamp and any AIDA email that states tax treatment, because later terms pages may emphasize the new process.
Also separate this tax from any private island or paid beach club fee that is not a Greek government charge. Those commercial fees remain optional products, while the tourist tax is a public levy collected through the ship when you go ashore.
Use a simple spreadsheet row for each Greek call on your itinerary. Columns should include port name, season band, euro rate per person, guest count going ashore, and a running tax total. That one page becomes the discussion document with travel agents who still quote cruise fare only. Keep that sheet on your phone at the final payment desk.
If your sailing also visits non Greek ports in the same week, keep those days out of the tax sheet. The reported AIDA process is Greece specific. Mixing in Turkey or Italy stop costs will only confuse the final payment review.
When two cabin mates disagree about a high season Mykonos call, the tax can settle the argument. A family of four at 20 euros each is 80 euros for one afternoon ashore, before tenders, taxis, or paid beaches. That is real money on top of prepaid gratuities and drinks.
Finally, watch for mid voyage itinerary swaps. If AIDA replaces a Santorini call with another Greek port, the tax band may change with the port list. Recheck the shipboard account after any official itinerary message so you are not surprised on the last sea day bill.
| If you | What to do |
|---|---|
| Book a 2027 AIDA Greece cruise now | Add seasonal per-port euro tax for every guest who plans to go ashore. |
| Hold a pre August 1 2026 booking | Keep written proof of booking date and reconfirm exemption language with AIDA. |
| Visit Santorini or Mykonos in summer | Budget up to 20 euros per person per call, or stay onboard to avoid the charge. |
| Travel with children | Count kids in the tax math; the report says adults and children both pay when ashore. |
- Cash plan: Build the tax into final payment worksheets before you buy excursions.
- Shore strategy: Decide stay-onboard days early when Cyclades calls stack in peak summer.
- Source check: Reopen AIDA's German FAQ before deposit if you need the live official wording.
- Itinerary choice: Prefer fewer high season Cyclades calls if the tax erodes the trip budget.
Is the tax optional?
No for guests who go ashore on a taxed Greek call under the reported AIDA process. Staying onboard is the documented exemption path.
When does the new collection rule start?
Cruise Industry News says new reservations from August 1, 2026 for 2027 cruises use automatic shipboard collection.
Do children pay?
Yes, according to the same report of AIDA's terms. Budget the tax for every guest who disembarks, not only adults.
Where can I verify the euro amounts?
Start with AIDA's Tourismusabgabe FAQ pages, then compare the live text with the Cruise Industry News summary before you finalize cabin counts and shore plans.
