Caribbean Cruise Trends for 2026: A First-Timer's Guide

What's actually changing this year — capacity, ports, ships, shorter trips — and how to pick a sailing that fits.

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Answer first: 2026 Caribbean cruise capacity is up about 10% year-over-year. Port Canaveral is now the world's busiest cruise homeport at 8.6 million passengers. Nassau and Cozumel lead the ports of call. Three- to five-night sailings are the fastest-growing itinerary length. Short version: more ships, fuller decks, busier shore days, more options for first-time cruisers willing to plan ahead.

Who This Article Is For

This piece is written for ordinary travelers — people considering a first or second Caribbean cruise who want the data without the marketing voice. If you fit one of these, this article is for you:

  • You're researching your first cruise and want to know what's actually changed in the last twelve months.
  • You've cruised before and want a current read on capacity, prices, and ports.
  • You're comparing 2026 itineraries and want to know which numbers are real and which are marketing copy.

In the Wake also serves grieving widows and widowers, disabled adventurers, healing families, and exhausted caregivers. If you came here looking for that kind of help, the Solo travel hub, the Accessibility page, and the In the Wake of Grief article are better starting points than this one.

If you're planning your first cruise, the Caribbean is probably where you'll start. About 72% of American cruisers do, and there's a reason: short flights from Florida, predictable weather, and a wide range of ship sizes and itineraries. Whether that fits depends on what you're after.

2026 is changing the math. Caribbean capacity is up roughly 10% year-over-year. Three new ports are running over a million passengers each. Short 3- to 5-night sailings are growing fast, which lowers the barrier for a first try. The orderbook is shifting toward LNG-capable and multi-fuel ships. None of that means cruising is suddenly different from what it was — but it does mean the practical decisions are different.

Caribbean Cruise Regions

Caribbean itineraries divide into Western, Eastern, or Southern routes. The region drew about 16.27 million cruise passengers in 2025 and accounts for roughly 43% of global cruise deployments. Most sailings depart from Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral), with voyages of 4 to 8 nights. Year-round warm weather is real; December–April brings the calmest water and lowest rainfall. Capacity is rising more than 10% year-over-year for 2026, with new ships adding berths and ports investing in infrastructure to spread the load.

Quick orientation by region: calmer waters for nervous first-timers in the Western Caribbean; familiar U.S. territory in St. Thomas for someone testing solo travel; quieter Southern itineraries for a widow who doesn't want crowds. The right region depends less on the brochure photos and more on what kind of trip you're trying to take.

Western Caribbean

Shorter trips, often 4 to 7 nights from Florida, focused on Mexico, Jamaica, and nearby stops. Cozumel sees over 4.73 million cruise passengers a year, known for Palancar Reef snorkeling and Tulum ruins reachable by tender or pier. In Jamaica, Ocho Rios and Falmouth offer Dunn's River Falls climbs and rainforest ziplines. Grand Cayman and Roatán round out common calls — barrier-reef snorkeling, rum distilleries, beach clubs. A typical 7-night loop from Tampa or Miami pulls in Nassau, Falmouth, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. These routes are the gentlest entry for first-time cruisers: short hops, calm water, well-developed ports.

Eastern Caribbean

Seven- to eight-night sailings emphasizing beaches and island culture. St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the headline port — Magens Bay is on most "world's best beach" lists, and the duty-free shopping at Havensight is legitimately useful. San Juan offers Old San Juan's cobblestone streets, El Yunque rainforest hikes, and food worth crossing the city for. St. Maarten and St. Kitts add plane-spotting at Maho Beach and volcano trails. Sailings depart from Florida or San Juan. Peak in winter, quieter in shoulder season.

Southern Caribbean

Longer 7- to 12-night trips, usually departing from Fort Lauderdale or San Juan. Aruba's Eagle Beach and desert 4×4 tours sit alongside Curaçao's UNESCO-listed Willemstad with its colorful Dutch architecture and cave snorkeling. Stops in Bonaire, Barbados, and St. Lucia add marine parks and plantation history. These itineraries draw repeat cruisers who want depth over volume — fewer crowded mega-port days, more time at less-saturated ports. Year-round sun, but the longer sailings tend to be a second or third cruise rather than a first.

Private Islands

Many itineraries dedicate a full day to a cruise line's private destination. Perfect Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean's private Bahamian island) features a 135-foot waterslide, adults-only lagoons, and is included on more than 180 sailings from Florida. Half Moon Cay (Holland America/Carnival) and Carnival's new Celebration Key offer similar setups: free beach access, included dining, controlled crowds. As repeat-cruise intent runs near 90%, lines are investing heavily in these destinations both as differentiators and as a way to spread visitor pressure away from busier public ports.

Key Departure Ports

Most Caribbean cruises leave from one of five major US homeports. Florida ports dominate because of their short routes to the Bahamas and Cozumel. In fiscal 2025, Port Canaveral and PortMiami were the two busiest cruise homeports in the world, with Port Everglades third. The port you choose shapes pre-cruise logistics more than anything else — flight cost, drive time, parking — so it's usually the first decision worth making.

Port Canaveral, Florida

Port Canaveral became the world's busiest cruise homeport in fiscal 2025, with 8,602,047 revenue passengers — up 13% from 7,592,535 the year before. It edged past PortMiami for the top spot, the second time it has done so (the first was 2022). Royal Caribbean bases Icon of the Seas here, alongside Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, and MSC ships running 3- to 8-night itineraries to the Bahamas, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Orlando International Airport is about 45 miles away, roughly an hour by car. Shuttles and rentals are straightforward; peak Friday/Saturday traffic adds time.

Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale

Port Everglades welcomed 4.77 million revenue passengers in fiscal 2025, well above the 4.4 million forecast. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, and Disney sail year-round. Itineraries run 4 to 8 nights to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Aruba. The port's strongest practical feature is its proximity to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International — 3 to 5 miles, a 10- to 15-minute trip. That's one of the tightest airport-to-pier pairings in cruising, which matters a lot on arrival day with luggage.

PortMiami

PortMiami posted 8,564,225 cruise passengers in fiscal 2025, a 4% increase. Royal Caribbean, MSC, Carnival, Norwegian, and Virgin Voyages all home-base ships here. Itineraries run 3 to 10 nights to the Bahamas, Mexico, and beyond — earning PortMiami its long-running "Cruise Capital of the World" branding even after the Canaveral handoff. Miami International is 7 miles from the port, 15 to 20 minutes by direct shuttle.

Galveston, Texas

Galveston projects 3.9 million passenger movements in 2026 across 445 sailings — about a 300,000-passenger jump over 2025. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian dominate, with Western Caribbean stops at Roatán, Costa Maya, and Belize. The port's new Cruise Terminal 16 came online in late 2025. Houston airports (IAH or HOU) are 50–70 miles away, an hour's drive that's still appealing to regional drivers who'd rather not fly.

Port NOLA, New Orleans

New Orleans handled 1,067,407 cruise passenger movements in 2025 — its ninth consecutive year above one million (excluding the COVID-shuttered 2020 and 2021). Carnival dominates with 4- to 7-night Western routes to Mexico and Honduras. About 90% of Port NOLA passengers drive in, so airport reliance is lower than at Florida ports. Louis Armstrong International is 15 miles away, roughly 20 minutes.

Pick the port nearest your home airport unless there's a strong itinerary reason not to. That single decision saves more on flight cost and arrival-day stress than any onboard upgrade. Factor in parking ($20–$30 a day at most homeports) and a pre-cruise hotel night if your flight lands the same day as embarkation. Roughly 64% of cruisers now book pre- or post-cruise hotel stays.

Most Popular Ports of Call

Four ports handle most of the Caribbean's cruise traffic: Nassau, Cozumel, St. Thomas, and Ocho Rios. They lead the volumes because they sit at the ends of the cheapest itineraries. That also means they get the most arrivals in a single day — the implication for you is that early excursion bookings and off-peak shore time matter more here than at quieter ports.

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau Cruise Port handled a record 6.1 million passengers in 2025 across nearly 1,600 ship calls — up 9.5% from 5.6 million in 2024. That's the third consecutive yearly record. Daily peaks are real: Nassau saw 31,011 passengers in a single day on April 8, 2025. Most ships dock at Prince George Wharf, expanded to handle up to seven vessels at once during the December–April peak. Atlantis Paradise Island, Cable Beach, the Straw Market, and Fort Fincastle are the standard draws. Atlantis foot traffic peaks around 10 a.m.; an early excursion or a deliberately late one usually beats the worst of it. The port supports more than $1 billion in local economic activity annually.

Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel received 4.73 million cruise passengers in 2025 across about 1,300 ship calls — up 2.3% from 4.62 million in 2024. Three piers (Punta Langosta, Puerta Maya, International) handle simultaneous arrivals. The port's draw is Palancar Reef snorkeling along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the world's second largest), the San Gervasio Mayan ruins, and Chankanaab Beach Park for first-time snorkelers. Cozumel handles roughly 42% of Mexico's cruise traffic. Multi-ship days bring up to 10,000 passengers ashore, which means pier congestion and slow taxis. Book water-based activities first; reef tours fill quickly.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

St. Thomas and St. John together saw approximately 1.49 million cruise passengers in 2025 across 414 ship calls. The U.S. Virgin Islands as a whole (including St. Croix) totaled about 1.83 million. Crown Bay and Havensight are the main docks. Magens Bay is the marquee beach; ferries to St. John open up Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay hiking. Duty-free pricing on jewelry and liquor is a real reason shoppers prefer this port. Taxi queues stack up between roughly 10 and 11 a.m.; passengers spend an average of $166 per visit.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Ocho Rios sees roughly 1.2 million cruise passengers a year (industry estimate; verified port-authority data is patchy). Dunn's River Falls is the headline draw, alongside dolphin encounters at Dolphin Cove, bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae River, and Blue Mountains views. Jamaica's cruise total exceeds 2 million annually. Ship traffic varies more than at Nassau or Cozumel, and tendering is rarely required. Falls tours cluster mid-morning; off-peak visits beat the lines.

At all four ports, the practical advice is the same: pick one priority activity per stop, book it early, and accept that the rest of the day is loose. For deeper port-by-port detail, the Port Day Planner and the full port guides work better than a generic article like this one.

Major Cruise Lines and Big Four Math

A small group of corporate parents controls most of Caribbean cruising. As of 2026, the Big Four parent groups — Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and MSC — together own 228 ships representing about 78.9% of global deployed cruise capacity. Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Group alone account for roughly 62% of the market. Disney holds about 2.9%; Virgin Voyages about 1.4%. The rest is split across Princess (under Carnival), Holland America (under Carnival), Celebrity (under RCL), Costa, Cunard, and a long tail of smaller lines.

That concentration shapes practical decisions: itinerary patterns, port crowd levels, the rhythm of new ship deliveries. The cruise lines hub covers each line in detail; what follows is a short orientation for first-timers.

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean is the largest single brand and runs the largest ships afloat — Icon of the Seas carries roughly 7,600 passengers from Miami on Western Caribbean rotations to Cozumel and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Utopia of the Seas runs 3- and 4-night Bahamas sailings out of Port Canaveral. Legend of the Seas joins the Icon class in 2026. The line's Q1 2026 load factor was 109% — meaning ships are sailing above standard double-occupancy in real terms. Expect crowds, expect well-run logistics, expect a lot of family entertainment.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival emphasizes value and casual fun on 3- to 7-day trips. Carnival Jubilee runs Eastern routes from Galveston. The line is rolling out Celebration Key, a new private destination in Grand Bahama, beginning in 2025/2026. Carnival Corporation's 2026 fuel-efficiency program is saving roughly $650 million versus 2019 baselines through itinerary optimization, HVAC tuning, and the company's Service Power Package program. Carnival now operates 11 LNG-capable cruise ships and expects 18 by the end of 2033.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian's "Freestyle" approach removes fixed dining times — useful if your group includes both early-bird and late-night eaters. NCL leans Eastern Caribbean, with frequent stops at St. Thomas. Norwegian's Prima class continues to expand the line's mid-size mega-ship fleet.

MSC Cruises

MSC adds European flavor and family zones on LNG-powered ships like MSC World America, sailing from Miami. MSC has been the most aggressive of the Big Four on LNG and on its private destination, Ocean Cay.

2026 by the Numbers

The headline figures shape what 2026 will actually feel like onboard.

  • Global cruise passengers, 2025: 37.2 million — a record (CLIA 2026 State of the Cruise Industry Report).
  • 2026 forecast: 38.3 million globally, up about 4%. 2027 forecast: 40.3 million, up another 5%. CLIA has revised its long-term outlook upward, projecting 42 million by 2028.
  • US cruisers, 2026: 21.7 million projected — a 4.5% rise over 2025's 20.7 million. AAA's Caribbean share among US cruisers is 72%, which works out to roughly 15.6 million Americans heading there.
  • Caribbean region passengers, 2025: approximately 16.27 million; 2026 capacity is up over 10% year-over-year.
  • Global fleet, 2026: roughly 325 ocean-going ships representing about 690,000 lower berths.
  • Big Four share: 78.9% of global deployed capacity; 228 ships.
  • Repeat-cruise intent: nearly 90% of recent cruisers say they plan to sail again — the highest rate CLIA has recorded.

Busiest Ports by Volume

  • Port Canaveral (homeport) — 8.6 million passengers, fiscal 2025
  • PortMiami (homeport) — 8.56 million, fiscal 2025
  • Nassau (port of call) — 6.1 million in 2025
  • Cozumel (port of call) — 4.73 million in 2025
  • Port Everglades (homeport) — 4.77 million in fiscal 2025

For first-timers, the practical implication is that any itinerary that touches Nassau or Cozumel will hit a busy day. Building your shore plan around early-morning or late-afternoon windows — and treating the middle of the day as low-leverage — is the single highest-return scheduling move.

Shorter Trips Are Growing Fast

Three-night cruises were up about 60% year-over-year heading into the 2026 wave season; four-night sailings up about 30%. Short itineraries now make up an estimated 18% of available options — up from a much smaller share five years ago. Royal Caribbean is using ships like Utopia of the Seas for these routes; Carnival, Norwegian, MSC, and Celebrity all run them. A 3- or 4-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral lets a first-timer test cruising over a long weekend without taking a full week off work.

Ships Are Sailing Above Standard Capacity

Royal Caribbean reported a 109% load factor in Q1 2026 — meaning some cabins were holding three or more guests beyond the standard double-occupancy baseline. The company carried 2.5 million guests in the quarter, up about 12% year-over-year. Bookings for the rest of 2026 are running ahead of prior-year pace. The practical effect: fuller pool decks, longer waits at popular dining venues, and tighter showtimes at the marquee productions. Mid-size ships and quieter days at sea become more valuable when the headline ships are this full.

Sustainability and Tech Move Faster

Overtourism pressure on ports like Nassau is pushing both sustainability and technology investments. The cruise orderbook is heavily weighted toward LNG-capable and multi-fuel ships; major lines have committed to net-zero by 2050 with interim targets along the way. Carnival's $650 million in fuel-efficiency savings (versus 2019 baselines) gives one example of how itinerary tuning, HVAC optimization, and shore-power use compound at scale. Onboard technology — app-based personalization, AI-assisted excursion booking, real-time crowd-flow displays — is starting to reduce the small frustrations that used to define peak port days. Industry surveys put repeat cruisers' overtourism awareness near 46%, which is shaping demand toward less-crowded destinations.

Younger and More Repeat

Caribbean cruise demographics have skewed younger. Industry surveys put roughly one-third of passengers under 40, with the region's average passenger age around 46.7 — the lowest among major cruising regions. Repeat-cruise intent runs near 90%. Multi-generational sailings are common (industry estimates near 75%). For first-timers, this matters because it's reshaping onboard programming — VR entertainment, adventure-themed sailings, expanded private destinations — and pushing prices up where younger demand is strongest.

Planning Considerations

Match the Itinerary to Your Experience

Western Caribbean is the gentlest first cruise. Calmer water, shorter port hops, departures from Port Canaveral or Galveston. A 7-night Western itinerary (Cozumel, Roatán, Costa Maya, sea day) is a forgiving structure: one bad sea day doesn't define the trip. Eastern routes work for first-timers too, with the bonus that St. Thomas is technically still US territory if that simplifies things for you. Southern Caribbean is usually a second or third cruise — longer flights to embarkation, more variable weather, more sea days.

Use the Port Day Planner for Accessibility or Solo Logistics

The Port Day Planner builds 6- to 10-hour shore schedules around real port data — pier locations, ramp access, taxi queues, beach club shuttles. If you have mobility needs or you're traveling alone for the first time, it's the difference between an organized day and an improvised one. For Cozumel specifically, the planner factors in flat-pier access at Punta Langosta, ramp routes at Chankanaab, and wheelchair-accessible paths at the El Cedral Mayan site.

Use the Ship Size Atlas for Crowd Levels

The Ship Size Atlas compares gross tonnage, passenger capacity, and space ratios. A space ratio of 45 or higher generally means less congestion onboard. Mega-ships at 5,000–7,600 passengers spread crowds across waterslides and entertainment decks but can still feel packed at popular shows. Ships at 2,500–4,000 passengers tend to offer the best variety-to-quiet trade-off. Under 2,500, you get smaller pools but quieter sea days. Front-load activities on sea days regardless — that's when everyone's onboard.

Use the Stateroom Check Before Booking

The Stateroom Check walks through interior versus balcony, midship versus forward versus aft, decks above and below cabins, and quiet zones. Caribbean weather makes balconies pay off most of the year — but only if your route includes enough sea days to justify the upgrade. The Drink Calculator handles the harder financial question: whether the all-inclusive package math works for your actual habits. Most first-timers overpay for the package on a 3- or 4-night cruise.

Consider Voyage Packs 8–12 Weeks Out

Voyage Packs are itinerary-specific planning documents — port times, daily previews, logistics that go beyond the cruise line's app. They pull from In the Wake's coverage of 388 ports and roughly 300 ships. They're a paid product. They're worth it if you'd rather print real plans than improvise, especially for a first cruise. Cruise lines send their own e-documents 45 to 90 days before sailing; Voyage Packs add the verified independent angle.

Actionable Takeaways

Plan for Crowd Surges

2026 capacity is up over 10% year-over-year. Nassau, Cozumel, and Port Canaveral are running record volumes. Build your shore plan around early-morning and late-afternoon windows. Treat 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as low-leverage time at busy ports — that's when the buses roll in.

Pick Ports That Actually Fit You

If beaches and snorkeling drive the trip, Western itineraries fit best — Cozumel, Roatán, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman. If history and food pull you, Eastern routes with San Juan and St. Thomas. If you want depth and quieter shore days, Southern routes through Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Match the region to what you actually like; first-timers default to Western for a reason.

Use the Tools the Site Was Built For

The Caribbean is data-heavy, and a generic 3,000-word article (this one) can only get you so far. Pair it with the Ship Size Atlas for crowd levels, the Stateroom Check for cabin choice, the Drink Calculator for package math, the Budget Calculator for total cost, and the Port Day Planner for shore time. They draw on data from 300+ ships and 388 ports. Use them.

Verify the Numbers, Especially Online

Cruise content online is full of confident-sounding numbers that don't reconcile. The figures in this article are sourced and dated below. Anywhere you see a percentage or a passenger count without a source, push back. Cruise line websites publish their own deck plans and itineraries; port authority pages publish actual schedules and recent volumes; CLIA publishes the industry-wide aggregate. That's the trustworthy stack.

Build in Flexibility

Short 3- to 5-day options are now about 18% of itineraries, useful for testing cruising from Galveston or New Orleans. Private destinations book up earlier as capacity grows. Booking earlier saves money this year, but leave room to adjust as itineraries shift — overtourism mitigation is a moving target, and lines have been swapping ports and changing private-destination rotations more often than they used to.

FAQ

What are the busiest Caribbean cruise ports in 2026?

By passengers handled, Nassau (6.1 million in 2025) and Cozumel (4.73 million) lead the ports of call. Port Canaveral is now the world's busiest cruise homeport at 8.6 million passenger movements in fiscal 2025, just ahead of PortMiami at 8.56 million. Port Everglades sits third among homeports at 4.77 million.

Which Caribbean route fits a first-time cruiser?

Western Caribbean is the gentlest entry point — calmer water, shorter hops between ports, departures from Florida and Galveston, and well-set-up ports like Cozumel and Roatán. Eastern routes work too. Southern Caribbean is typically a second or third cruise. See the First Cruise guide for a fuller walkthrough.

Why are 3- to 5-day cruises growing so fast?

Three-night cruises were up about 60% year-over-year heading into the 2026 wave season; four-night up about 30%. Short sailings let people test cruising without taking a full week off work, and Florida's homeports make a long weekend feasible from most US states.

Are Caribbean cruise ships actually sailing over capacity?

Yes, in the technical sense. Royal Caribbean reported a 109% load factor in Q1 2026 — that means some cabins held three or more guests beyond standard double occupancy. It does not mean the ship is past its lifeboat capacity. It does mean fuller pools, busier dining venues, and longer lines at popular shows. The Ship Size Atlas compares space ratios across ships if onboard crowding matters to you.

What does the "Big Four" control in Caribbean cruising?

In 2026, the Big Four parent groups — Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and MSC — own 228 ships representing about 78.9% of global deployed cruise capacity. Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Group together account for roughly 62% of the market by themselves. The other 21% includes Disney, Virgin Voyages, and a long tail of smaller lines. See the cruise lines hub for line-by-line detail.

Should I book through a travel agent for my first cruise?

It can help. About 63% of cruisers used a travel advisor in recent CLIA surveys. A good agent finds promotions you'd miss and handles the boring problems when something goes sideways. You can also book direct with the cruise line. Either is fine; what matters is that you understand your fare and what is and isn't included before you pay.

Where to Start

If you're a first-time cruiser working through this, the practical sequence is short. Pick a region — Western Caribbean is the gentlest entry point. Pick a homeport — whichever is closest to where you live. Pick a length — 5 or 7 nights for a first cruise so a single bad sea day doesn't define the trip. Match a ship to your tolerance for crowds — the Ship Size Atlas lays out the ratios. Run the numbers — the Drink Calculator and Budget Calculator handle the math that catches most first-timers off-guard.

The two quizzes — the Cruise Line Quiz and the Ship Quiz — are designed to narrow the field without forcing a sales conversation. The Voyage Packs are a paid product. The rest of the planning tools on this site are free.

If you'd rather have a human help you book, Tina Maulsby is a friend of this site. Full disclosure: we don't earn anything when she books a sailing — no commission, no referral fee, no kickback. She doesn't pay us to mention her either. She's just someone we trust who has been doing this a long time. If you'd rather book direct with the cruise line, that's also fine.

Sources

The data in this article was verified against primary sources between April and May 2026. Last reviewed: May 8, 2026.

  • CLIA 2026 State of the Cruise Industry Report — global passenger volumes (37.2M in 2025), 2026 forecast (38.3M), 2027 forecast (40.3M), repeat-cruise intent. cruising.org
  • AAA 2026 Cruise Forecast — 21.7M Americans projected for 2026, 72% Caribbean share, 4.5% growth from 2025. AAA Newsroom
  • Port Canaveral 2025 results — 8,602,047 passenger movements, world's busiest cruise port. Port Canaveral
  • PortMiami 2025 results — 8,564,225 passengers, +4.02%. Cruise Industry News
  • Port Everglades 2025 — 4.77M revenue passengers. Seatrade Cruise
  • Galveston 2026 forecast — 3.9M passengers, 445 sailings. The Daily News
  • Port NOLA 2025 — 1,067,407 passenger movements, 9th consecutive year above 1M. Seatrade Cruise
  • Nassau Cruise Port 2025 — 6.1M passengers, +9.5%, ~1,600 ship calls. Seatrade Cruise
  • Cozumel 2025 — 4.73M passengers, 1,300 ships. Mexico Business News
  • USVI 2025 tourism — St. Thomas/St. John 1.49M cruise passengers across 414 calls; USVI total 1.83M. Visit USVI
  • Royal Caribbean Q1 2026 results — 109% load factor, 2.5M guests. Cruise Industry News
  • Carnival Q1 2026 fuel savings — $650M vs. 2019 baseline. Cruise Industry News
  • Big Four market share 2026 — 78.9% of global deployed capacity, 228 ships. Port Economics, Management and Policy
  • Wave season 2026 short-cruise growth — 3-night up ~60%, 4-night up ~30%. Expedia

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Image Attribution

Photo: “Cruise ships Nassau 0015” by ImagePerson via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cropped to 1200×630 for social card; no other modifications.