It’s one of the top cruise destinations in the region: St Maarten, which has been steadily seeing its numbers return to pre-pandemic levels buoyed by a stream of major cruise lines.

Now, the island’s port has even bigger goals for next year: 1.5 million cruise passengers. 

That’s the forecast from the Port St Maarten Group, which says the growth is part of a broader growth push for the industry. 

“We are on a track of growth as international cruise industry figures show that cruise tourism is resilient and rebounding faster than other forms of travel and tourism,” said Alexander Gumbs, CEO of Port St Maarten Group. 

Since Covid, St Maarten’s numbers have been growing “annually,” Gumbs said. 

“This is a great rebound,” he said. “It shows confidence that the cruise industry has in us as a destination.”

The island is hosting the upcoming annual conference of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, which is set for late October . 

More than 800 stakeholders will be on hand.