Against a backdrop of booming regional growth in the global cruise industry, Antigua and Barbuda has emerged from the 32nd Annual Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference held in San Juan, Puerto Rico between October 12 and 16 with a slate of new commitments from leading cruise lines that signal unprecedented growth for the nation’s core cruise tourism sector. Led by Minister of Tourism Charles “Max” Fernandez, a high-level Antigua and Barbuda delegation held productive discussions with executives from 12 major cruise lines and FCCA leadership to strengthen the country’s position as a top Caribbean cruise destination.
Minister Fernandez emphasized that as the sector expands, the government is moving forward with a comprehensive cruise tourism capacity study to map the destination’s carrying capacity, guide responsible future development, protect visitor experience quality, and ensure long-term sustainable economic benefits that reach local communities.
During the conference, the delegation outlined a series of infrastructure and service upgrades rolling out for cruise passengers in coming seasons. A key highlight is the imminent introduction of liquified natural gas (LNG) refueling for newer, more eco-friendly cruise vessels, a development expected to make Antigua and Barbuda a preferred port of call for U.S.-based cruise ships. Other upgrades include newly built upscale retail outlets and accessible mobile visitor information kiosks at the Port of St. John’s, designed to serve all passengers including travelers with disabilities. These enhancements for the 2026/27 winter season were widely praised by participating cruise line partners.
The conference yielded concrete commitments from multiple major brands for expanded service in coming years. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) plans approximately 16 port calls for the 2027–2028 season, with a total of at least 28 calls across NCL, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — a dramatic jump from just two NCL calls during the current winter season. MSC Cruises announced that its MSC World Europa, one of the largest vessel classes in the global cruise industry, will make its inaugural call at Antigua on December 7, 2026, becoming the first ship over 200,000 tons to berth at St. John’s, carrying more than 6,700 passengers. Additionally, the MSC Opera will make regular alternating Saturday calls through 2029.
Carnival Cruise Line, citing strong positive feedback from passengers who have visited Antigua, confirmed 14 port calls for the 2026–2027 winter season, up from just four calls in the previous winter season. P&O Cruises, which already homeports vessels in Antigua, plans its first-ever one-off turnaround operation for the ship Britannia in Antigua, and will double homeporting calls to a weekly schedule starting in November 2027, with the vessels Arvia and Iona alternating calls each week throughout the season. The Royal Caribbean Group confirmed 110 planned calls across its Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises brands for the 2027–2028 season, a significant increase over current volumes.
Colin C. James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA), struck an optimistic tone about projected passenger growth through 2027. He noted that global cruise passenger numbers are forecast to rise from 37 million in 2025 to 46 million by 2031, and Antigua and Barbuda is well-positioned to capture a share of this growth. This year alone, the destination is on track to welcome a record 483 cruise ship calls, up from 436 in 2025, bringing an estimated 894,469 cruise passengers to the country’s shores. James projects that Antigua and Barbuda will hit the milestone of 1 million annual cruise passenger arrivals by 2027.
James concluded that the significant investment Antigua and Barbuda has made in its cruise tourism product has driven this widespread growth in port calls across leading global brands, reflecting the industry’s overwhelming confidence in the destination’s future as a premier cruise stopover.