Jamaica Riding High with Surging Cruise Passenger Numbers

In 2023, Jamaica’s cruise industry is experiencing an incredible resurgence, with over 300,000 cruise passengers arriving in just the first two months of the year.

These visitor numbers are a remarkable increase from the 49,870 cruise guests the island nation received during the same period in 2022.

Jamaica Shows Significant Growth in Tourism Industry

Jamaica’s tourism industry has taken flight over the first months of the year, with cruise ship arrivals significantly contributing to Jamaica’s overall tourism success. 

By May 10, 2023, Jamaica had welcomed over 1.5 million total guests, an achievement that has exceeded even the most ambitious forecasts. With the cruise sector’s continued growth, Jamaica seems well on its way to surpass the 800,000 cruise visitors it hosted in 2022.

The impressive visitor numbers of early 2023 hint that Jamaica could be on track to challenge its record-setting 2018 cruise season.

That year saw 551 cruise ship calls and 1.8 million cruise arrivals. While that record may be challenging to beat, the projected passenger numbers for 2023, 1.4 million, suggest that the island is at least on track to reach the 2019 numbers.

“Between January 1, 2023, and May 10, we received 1,586,303 total visitors, stopover and cruise, earning US$1.69 billion, putting our destination on par with 2019 record figures. We have seen steady growth in our arrivals and continued investment in the tourism sector, which is a tremendous achievement,” said Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett.

Five Ports Drive Cruise Tourism in Jamaica

Strategic partnerships with prominent cruise lines, infrastructure improvements, and innovative tourism strategies have all been instrumental in the busy start to the year. 

Jamaica is a popular destination for cruise ships such as Disney Magic, Symphony Of The Seas, Odyssey Of The Seas, Celebrity Beyond, Carnival Vista, AIDAdiva, MSC Seascape, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Prima, and Seven Seas Navigator, which are scheduled to make regular calls to Jamaica this year.

At the same time, Jamaica has multiple ports capable of accommodating cruise ships. These include Ocho Rios, the largest cruise port on the island’s north shore, and Port Royal, the entry point to Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. 

Port Antonio is also located on the northern side, a smaller port popular with Ultra-Luxury cruise ships. Between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, Falmouth is widely recognized as a popular cruise destination, and, lastly, Montego Bay ranks as the country’s second-largest cruise port.

“The growth of cruise tourism in Jamaica presents a significant opportunity to drive the resurgence of the tourism industry, create employment opportunities, and contribute to our country’s economic growth,” Bartlett continued. “We remain committed to providing world-class experiences to all our visitors and ensuring that Jamaica remains a top tourist destination.” 

Cruise Tourism and Economic Growth

Of particular importance to the growth and strong return of Jamaica are Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean has listed Jamaica as a first-call destination and has pledged to increase the number of ships visiting Jamaica in 2023, most notably several Oasis-class and Quantum Ultra-class ships.

The cruise line also has a training partnership with the Caribbean Maritime University, which has resulted in more Jamaicans finding work onboard ships.

Carnival Cruise Line has four ships that make regular calls to the island, and has pledged to continue using Jamaica as a premier destination.

At the same time, a rising interest in designating Jamaica as a homeport shows another positive trend. For instance, AIDA Cruises maintains Montego Bay as its homeport, and there’s also discussion about making Port Royal a homeport for a second ship.

Jamaica’s cruise tourism is a significant factor in the country’s economic growth. Working with major cruise lines and a rise in the number of tourists all contribute to the revival of the tourism industry, aiding Jamaica’s economic recovery.