St. Thomas, USVI’s WICO Is Projecting 1.25 Million Cruise Passengers Next Season — and 359 Ship Calls

The cruise ships just keep getting bigger in St. Thomas. The West Indian Company Limited has unveiled its fiscal year 2027 cruise schedule, projecting 359 cruise calls and approximately 1.25 million passengers between October 2026 and September 2027, another strong year for one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise destinations.

The schedule includes vessels from nearly every major cruise brand operating in the region, from Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line to Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Viking Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

The headline number is impressive on its own. So is the lineup.

Five ships will make their first-ever calls to the WICO dock during the fiscal year: Carnival Festivale, Carnival Firenze, Explora III, Norwegian Aura and Seven Seas Prestige.

“The continued growth of our cruise industry represents more than passenger arrivals,” WICO President and CEO Joseph Boschulte said. “It supports the Virgin Islands economy and the many small businesses that help make our destination unique, from taxi operators and tour providers to restaurants, retailers and other local entrepreneurs.”

A Port That Keeps Attracting New Ships

The arrival of five first-time vessels says as much about St. Thomas’ standing in the Caribbean cruise market as the passenger projections.

Carnival’s newest Excel-class vessel, Carnival Festivale, is scheduled to begin St. Thomas visits in June 2027, with additional calls throughout the summer. Sister ships in Carnival’s fleet already have a strong presence in the destination, but the addition of Festivale gives the line another major new ship on Virgin Islands itineraries.

Another first-time caller is Carnival Firenze, which is scheduled for visits beginning in March 2027. The ship joins a Carnival deployment that already includes Carnival Celebration, Carnival Vista, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Magic, Carnival Pride, Carnival Dream, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Conquest and Carnival Freedom.

Luxury cruising is also getting a boost.

Explora III, the newest vessel from Explora Journeys, is expected to make multiple visits beginning in October 2026. The ship joins Explora I and Explora II, both of which are already scheduled to visit the territory during the fiscal year.

The new Seven Seas Prestige is also scheduled for several calls beginning in January 2027, bringing another ultra-luxury option to St. Thomas.

Then there is Norwegian Aura, which enters the schedule in June 2027 and quickly becomes a regular summer visitor.

The Biggest Names in Cruising Are Coming

Beyond the first-time arrivals, the schedule reads like a who’s who of the modern cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas returns throughout the season, joined by Star of the Seas, another member of the line’s next-generation fleet. The schedule also includes calls from Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and the future Hero of the Seas.

Norwegian Cruise Line has one of the strongest presences on the calendar, with scheduled visits by Norwegian Aqua, Norwegian Luna, Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jewel.

Disney Cruise Line continues expanding its Caribbean footprint with recurring calls from Disney Treasure, while Disney Destiny also appears later in the schedule.

MSC Cruises is represented by MSC Meraviglia and MSC Poesia, while Virgin Voyages has visits planned from both Valiant Lady and Brilliant Lady.

Luxury Cruising Remains a Growing Segment

Some of the most interesting names on the schedule come from the luxury sector.

Ships scheduled to call include Crystal Symphony, Silver Nova, Silver Ray, Silver Shadow, Silver Spirit, Azamara Journey, Oceania Vista, Oceania Allura, Oceania Marina, Oceania Insignia, Viking Sea, SeaDream I, SeaDream II, Emerald Sakara and multiple vessels from the Explora fleet.

These ships bring a different type of visitor to the destination. While passenger counts are smaller than those on the industry’s mega-ships, guests on luxury voyages often spend heavily on private tours, charter excursions, shopping and dining experiences while ashore.

A Strong Winter Season Ahead

The busiest stretch of the schedule falls during the traditional Caribbean cruise season.

December and January include frequent visits from Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Disney Treasure, Norwegian Aqua, Carnival Celebration, MSC Meraviglia and a wide range of premium and luxury vessels.

Holiday-season visitors will also see ships such as Queen Mary 2, Silver Nova, Silver Shadow, Seven Seas Grandeur and Crystal Symphony on the schedule.

The winter months remain the backbone of Caribbean cruising, and St. Thomas continues to secure calls from both high-capacity ships and premium brands.

What It Means for St. Thomas

Cruise tourism remains one of the most important drivers of economic activity in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Passengers arriving at the WICO dock flow into Charlotte Amalie’s shops, restaurants, attractions and excursion businesses. Taxi operators, catamaran companies, fishing charters, beach vendors, watersports operators and tour guides all benefit from cruise traffic.

Many visitors spend their day at attractions such as Magens Bay, Coral World Ocean Park, Paradise Point or on ferries heading to St. John.

That economic activity extends well beyond the waterfront. Every ship call generates spending across multiple sectors of the local economy.

The projected 1.25 million passengers expected during fiscal year 2027 underline just how important the cruise sector remains to the territory.

Looking Ahead

The fiscal year 2027 schedule covers arrivals from October 2026 through September 2027 and reflects continued confidence from cruise lines in the St. Thomas market.

The combination of 359 projected calls, five inaugural ship visits, expanding luxury cruise traffic and regular appearances from many of the world’s largest cruise ships positions St. Thomas for another banner year in Caribbean cruising.

For a destination that has long been one of the region’s most important ports of call, the latest schedule shows no signs of slowing down.