Caribbean cruise tourism growth 2026

In late July 2026, Princess Cruises announced a major expansion of its Caribbean offerings, promoting over 90 itineraries that range from short Bahamas trips to 20‑day voyages covering ports such as Aruba, the ABC islands, Mexico, Honduras and Belize. The announcement was backed by data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization showing a sharp rise in cruise passenger arrivals in the first quarter of 2024, with the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas all posting double‑digit growth.

A week later, both Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises issued operational updates for the 2026‑27 season. Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas will skip its scheduled stop at Bonaire, Colombia, in favor of a brief call at Santa Marta, reflecting a shift in its Southern Caribbean routing. Princess Cruises introduced stricter booking policies for voyages departing from January 2027, raising deposit amounts, moving final payment deadlines earlier and tightening cancellation fees. These changes illustrate how cruise operators are responding to the heightened demand by adjusting itineraries and tightening reservation terms to manage capacity and revenue in the expanding Caribbean market.