With over 5,800 miles of coastline and beaches on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, Mexico competes only with The Bahamas as the country that sees the highest number of cruise ship visitors in the world.
The 11.2 million travelers who disembarked at ports like Cozumel and Costa Maya on 3,156 ships docking in 2025 is, according to the Mexican government’s statistics, a 11.2% increase from the previous years.
Whether they come by air, road or ship, any traveler who steps onto Mexican soil is subject to both its regular and customs import laws. When it comes to the latter, a new ban prohibiting the “import, sale, and marketing of vapes and e-cigarettes” put in place as part of a wider health reform by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies has come into effect in January 2026 and now affects any traveler who tries to enter the country with one of these items — according to Mexican law, having one of these items for personal use still classifies as “import” when crossing the border into the country.
Mexico to “penalize all activities related to electronic cigarettes, vaping devices and other analogous systems”
“The law will penalize all activities related to electronic cigarettes, vaping devices, and other analogous electronic systems or devices specified by law,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo wrote in a statement on the new law originally in Spanish.
Exact penalties could range from simple confiscation to a fine of up to $12,500 USD and potential jail time if these items are found in large quantities. As a result, travel agencies have been warning travelers on cruises originating in the U.S. to familiarize themselves on the changes and leave any vapes or e-cigarettes permitted by the cruise company in their cabin when disembarking at a Mexican port.
Related: Is another part of Mexico becoming the ‘next Tulum?’
The ban also applies to paraphernalia such as disposables, pods and refillable cartridges.
“If you get arrested, your cruise line will not help you,” says TravelHost’s Come Cruise With Me Editor in Chief Daniel Kline. “If you miss the ship, which will not wait for you, it is your responsibility to get to the next port or to get home.”
Shutterstock
So what happens if you accidentally get off in Mexico with a vape?
With the ban in place since January, Mexican customs officials have begun confiscating up to 50,000 vapes per day at various entry points to the country.
At at time when vape sales were still legal in Mexico, the e-cigarette market was estimated to be worth up to $1.5 billion. According to early reports, production and sales have already moved to an underground market controlled by cartels given that demand for these devices in the country remains high.
Travel news:
- Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
- United Airlines CEO gives stark warning on Olympic Games
- Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
- US government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel
On the traveler end, a mistake or not keeping up with the law can end up being costly; stories of travelers who ended up getting fined have already started to emerge on various cruise and Mexican travel forums.
“I had to sign a form releasing my electric vape to the Mexican government, they took $480 cash and let me go,” one traveler wrote on the r/MexicoTravel forum on Reddit. “Please don’t bring a vape to Mexico!”
Related: Popular tourist, cruise destination adds ban impacting Americans
