Above: Curacao

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Curacao posted the largest year-over-year increase in cruise passenger visits of any country in the Caribbean last year, according to data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

The Dutch Caribbean island welcomed 610,186 cruise passengers in 2013, a 41.4 percent increase over the previous year.

That was significantly higher than the next-fastest-growing destination, Aruba, which posted a 25.4 percent increase compared to 2012.

Not all Caribbean destinations had complete data for 2013, although it’s likely that none of the countries without complete 2013 reporting would have come close to Curacao.

The island’s growth came in a mixed year for cruise tourism in the region, one which saw 10 destinations report negative growth in cruise arrivals.

Overall, the Caribbean saw a 2.7 percent increase in cruise arrivals last year, with around 21.9 million in total, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

The region remained the world’s leading cruise destination, however, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).