How Much Does It Cost a Cruise Ship to Go Through the Suez Canal?

By Anna Duncan

Cruising is an immensely popular activity, with many people electing to explore the world via a cruise ship. One of the most popular routes is through the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The cruise experience can be an expensive one, but just how much does it cost a cruise ship to traverse through the Suez Canal?

The cost of traversing through the Suez Canal depends on several factors including size, speed, and cargo load. Generally speaking, larger vessels cost more to pass through than smaller vessels.

The speed at which a vessel passes through also affects its price; faster speeds require more fuel and thus higher fees. Cargo load is another factor as ships with heavier loads pay more in fees due to additional weight that must be accounted for.

For example, a 590-foot-long vessel with a cargo weight of 6,400 tons travelling at a speed of 12 knots would pay around $175,000 USD in transit fees for passage through the canal. An increase in speed and/or size would result in an increase in fee costs; for instance a 690-foot-long vessel travelling at 14 knots with an 8,200 ton cargo load would pay around $200,000 USD for passage.

Despite these costs being quite high for some vessels, they are still relatively low when compared to other routes that would need to be taken without access to a canal system like the Suez Canal; if such were the case, then ships could expect to add thousands of extra miles and days onto their journeys which carry high fuel costs as well as other associated expenses such as wages for crew members.

Conclusion

It is clear that traversing through the Suez Canal can be quite costly depending on several factors including size, speed and cargo load of a vessel. However it is much cheaper than having to take alternative routes that are longer and come with their own set of associated expenses.