Civitavecchia port authority wins final ruling on cruise fees

Italy’s Court of Cassation has issued a final ruling rejecting a challenge by Roma Cruise Terminal regarding passenger usage fees at the port of Civitavecchia. The court upheld the charges, classifying them as payments for general-interest port services rather than taxes. Consequently, the charges remain in effect for cruise passengers, and the terminal operator is liable for court costs.

Roma Cruise Terminal, which is jointly owned by Costa Crociere and MSC Cruises, had argued that the charging system lacked a statutory basis required by Article 23 of the Italian Constitution. However, the court determined that the administrative court had correctly addressed the legal nature of these fees. The charges, originally introduced in 2017, apply to passengers disembarking in concession areas and are linked to services associated with cruise traffic at Italy’s busiest cruise port.