Key Aspects:
- Early statistics for 2026 show cruise tourism is once again on the rise in Mexico.
- An estimated 4.8 cruise guests across 1,425 ship calls have visited the country during the first four months of the year.
- This marks a 14.8% increase in the number of passengers and a 10% increase in ship calls compared to 2025.
Mid-year statistics suggest another record-breaking year for cruising in Mexico, speaking to the strength of Mexico’s cruise ports as international tourist destinations and heralding an era of great economic prosperity.
4.8 million cruise guests have visited the country during just January to April of 2026, marking a 14.8% increase over the same time period in 2025.
During the first four months of the year, the passengers came from 1,425 cruise ship calls, which marks a 10% increase over the previous year.
Mexican authorities are celebrating the continued growth of cruise tourism as the local economies at its major ports thrive.
“The arrival of cruise ships generates direct benefits for the receiving communities, by boosting consumption in restaurants, shops, tourist services, transport and recreational activities, in addition to contributing to the generation of employment in the ports and tourist destinations,” The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, stated in a translated press release.
For context, Cruise Hive reported that 5.6 million guests visited Mexico between January and June of 2025, which 2026 is very much on track to beat. The four-month stats are only around 800,000 behind what 2025 did in six months.
Mexico’s Pacific Region Drives the Growth
These impressive numbers aren’t just coming from one specific port, but rather several key destinations within Mexico.
The Pacific region, which includes Baja and the Mexican Riviera, showed especially high increases in cruise tourism year-over-year.
Read Also: One of These Mexico Cruise Ports Could Be on Your Itinerary
Based on tourism data and information from the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR), Mexico’s Pacific region welcomed 1,708,341 passengers from January to April, which is a 39.9% increase compared to 2025.
The guests came on 540 ship calls, which is another impressive increase of 22.4% compared to the same time period in the previous year.
Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas, stood out as one of the fastest-growing ports within the Pacific region. The destination, which is in the southernmost part of Mexico, experienced an 83.3% uptick in ship arrivals and an 80.5% increase in passengers.
Mexico’s Gulf-Caribbean Region Also Flourishes
In addition to the Pacific region, Mexico’s Gulf-Caribbean region showed an impressive turnout, with 3.1 million passengers and 885 ship calls reported for the first four months of 2026.
This marks an increase of 4.6% for the total number of passengers year-over-year, as well as a 3.5% rise in cruise ship arrivals for this specific portion of the country.
For context, this region is home to major ports like Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Progreso. Located primarily on the Yucatán Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, they are well positioned for Western Caribbean itineraries.
Speaking of Cozumel, this port alone welcomed a whopping 1,987,695 passengers during the beginning of the year, which is an increase of 7.1% compared to 2025. They came from 571 ship calls, which is another increase of 5.2%.
Cozumel was also largely responsible for Quintana Roo’s record-breaking year in 2025. Last year, the region as a whole welcomed 7.4 million cruisers, 4.62 million of whom were received by Cozumel.
More growth is surely on the horizon for the remainder of 2026 and years to come. Major cruise lines, such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line, sail to Mexico year round from Southern California, Texas, and Florida.
