The 10 Fastest-Growing Cruise Destinations in the Caribbean, According to New CTO Data

Caribbean cruise tourism continued its rapid expansion in the first quarter, with several destinations reporting double-digit growth and the region’s busiest ports welcoming hundreds of thousands of additional passengers.

The latest data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization show particularly strong gains in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands, each of which significantly outpaced the wider regional cruise sector.

The figures compare cruise passenger arrivals with the same reporting period last year. Most destinations supplied data for January through March, although Antigua and Barbuda’s latest cruise total covers January only.

Here are the 10 fastest-growing Caribbean cruise destinations in the latest CTO report.

1. US Virgin Islands: 68 Percent Growth

The US Virgin Islands recorded the region’s largest increase, with 831,690 cruise passengers arriving between January and March.

Cruise traffic was up 68 percent compared with the first quarter of last year, when the territory welcomed just under 495,000 passengers.

The total includes activity across the territory’s cruise ports, led by St. Thomas, one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise destinations. The increase represents more than 336,000 additional passenger arrivals in three months.

2. Puerto Rico: 51.6 Percent Growth

Puerto Rico welcomed 740,471 cruise passengers during the first quarter, an increase of 51.6 percent over the same period last year.

The growth added more than 250,000 passenger arrivals to the island’s first-quarter total. San Juan remains one of the Caribbean’s most important cruise hubs, operating as both a port of call and a homeport for regional itineraries.

Puerto Rico also received 608,674 stayover visitors during the quarter, up 6.3 percent, according to the CTO data.

3. British Virgin Islands: 29.3 Percent Growth

The British Virgin Islands reported 493,397 cruise passenger arrivals from January through March, representing growth of 29.3 percent.

The territory received approximately 112,000 more cruise passengers than during the same quarter last year.

Much of the activity centers on Tortola, where Road Town serves as the territory’s primary cruise gateway. The British Virgin Islands also reported 113,318 stayover arrivals, an increase of 6.2 percent.

4. The Bahamas: 20.1 Percent Growth

The Bahamas remained the largest cruise destination in the CTO report by total passenger volume, welcoming 3,314,627 cruise passengers during the first quarter.

The figure represented an increase of 20.1 percent, equal to more than 550,000 additional arrivals compared with the same three-month period last year.

The Bahamas’ total includes cruise traffic through Nassau, Freeport and the expanding collection of private island destinations operated by major cruise companies.

The country also received 535,076 stayover visitors, up 3.2 percent.

5. Curaçao: 15.2 Percent Growth

Curaçao welcomed 355,151 cruise passengers between January and March, an increase of 15.2 percent.

The Dutch Caribbean island added nearly 47,000 cruise arrivals compared with the first quarter of last year.

The cruise increase accompanied continued growth in Curaçao’s stayover sector. The island recorded 233,741 stayover arrivals, up 8.5 percent, giving Curaçao one of the Caribbean’s strongest overall tourism performances during the period.

6. Antigua and Barbuda: 13.8 Percent Growth

Antigua and Barbuda recorded 197,206 cruise passenger arrivals in January, representing an increase of 13.8 percentover January of last year.

The reporting period is shorter than those available for most of the other destinations in the CTO report, meaning the total should not be directly compared with three-month passenger figures.

Still, the January performance indicates a strong start to the year for Antigua’s cruise sector, centered on St. John’s and its growing cruise port district.

Stayover data were available for January and February, when Antigua and Barbuda received 72,185 visitors, up 5.5 percent.

7. Aruba: 12.1 Percent Growth

Aruba welcomed 376,442 cruise passengers during the first quarter, an increase of 12.1 percent.

The island also posted one of the region’s highest stayover totals, receiving 427,343 stayover visitors between January and March. Stayover tourism increased by 8.9 percent.

Aruba’s cruise activity is concentrated in Oranjestad, within walking distance of the capital’s shopping, restaurants and downtown attractions.

8. Dominica: 12 Percent Growth

Dominica recorded 209,745 cruise passenger arrivals in the first quarter, up 12 percent from the same period last year.

Cruise tourism remains a major component of Dominica’s visitor economy, bringing passengers to Roseau and nearby natural attractions including waterfalls, rainforest trails and geothermal sites.

The Nature Island also welcomed 28,278 stayover visitors, an increase of 7.2 percent.

9. Dominican Republic: 9.1 Percent Growth

The Dominican Republic received 1,095,625 cruise passengers from January through March, an increase of 9.1 percent.

The country had the third-largest cruise passenger total in the report, behind the Bahamas and Cozumel. Its cruise sector includes several major ports, including Amber Cove, Taino Bay, La Romana and Cabo Rojo.

The Dominican Republic also led the Caribbean in stayover arrivals, welcoming 2,603,647 visitors during the first quarter. Stayover traffic rose 12.2 percent.

10. Saint Lucia: 6.6 Percent Growth

Saint Lucia rounded out the top 10 with 364,713 cruise passenger arrivals, an increase of 6.6 percent.

Cruise ships primarily call at Castries, with passengers traveling across the island for attractions including the Pitons, Soufrière, Marigot Bay and the island’s beaches.

Saint Lucia also welcomed 118,332 stayover visitors during the quarter, up 2.1 percent.

Cruise Growth Is Outpacing Stayover Tourism

The CTO figures show how cruise tourism is driving much of the Caribbean’s current visitor growth.

The two fastest-growing cruise destinations, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, each reported increases of more than 50 percent. The British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas also posted gains above 20 percent.

Several destinations recorded strong growth in both cruise and stayover arrivals, particularly Curaçao, Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Dominica.

Other destinations had more uneven results. The Cayman Islands welcomed 463,142 cruise passengers, up 3.3 percent, while stayover arrivals climbed 11 percent. Cozumel received more than 1.53 million cruise passengers, although its growth rate was a more modest 2.4 percent.

Some destinations reported declines. Cruise arrivals fell 15.7 percent in the Turks and Caicos Islands, 9.1 percent in Grenada, 2.7 percent in Belize and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and 1.1 percent in Jamaica.

Even with those declines, the strongest-performing ports indicate continued demand for Caribbean cruises, particularly in destinations benefiting from expanded port capacity, larger ships and additional regional itineraries.