Antigua & Barbuda Expect to Hit Record 1 Million Cruise Arrivals in 2027

As the cruise industry continues its record-breaking growth in the region, Antigua and Barbuda Minister of Tourism, The Hon. Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez, led a delegation to the recent Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)32nd Annual Conference, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Officials say a key takeaway from the destination’s attendance is that the significant investment in its cruise tourism product has resulted in significant growth in cruise calls across major brands.

The delegation included Colin James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) and other key ABTA and Tourism Ministry officials. They participated in meetings with executives representing a dozen cruise lines. 

In sharing the country’s cruise success, Minister Fernandez commented: 

“The recent investment in our country’s cruise port facilities to accommodate larger ships, the US$30 million upland investment, our award-winning and distinctive visitor experiences, along with the strong relationships we have cultivated with our cruise line partners, have been bearing fruit, generating greater economic opportunities for the thousands of Antiguans and Barbudans who depend on the cruise industry.

“It is precisely because of this continued growth that we will move forward with a comprehensive cruise tourism capacity study to better understand our destination’s carrying capacity, guide future development, safeguard the quality of our visitor experiences, and ensure that the economic benefits of this expanding industry remain sustainable and far-reaching for our people,” said the tourism minister.

The meetings incorporated a presentation outlining all the new enhancements in the cruise sector, which include the imminent availability of liquified natural gas (LNG) for the newer ship, which officials see as a key differentiator. 

The addition of new mobile visitor information kiosks will be a key feature with full access to all passengers including those differently abled passengers seeking information as they disembark into the port of St John’s. 

Notable successes from the meeting include:

• Norwegian Cruise Line, which outlined plans for approximately 16 NCL calls for next year’s 2027 – 2028 season, with at least 28 calls anticipated across NCL, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. This marks a huge increase over the current winter season, which will see only two calls from the NCL mainline.
• MSC Cruises reported that the MSC World Europa among the third-largest class of vessels in the industry, will be the largest vessel ever to dock in Antigua, with its inaugural call scheduled for December 7,2026. It will be the first vessel over 200,000 tons to berth in St. John’s, carrying a capacity of over 6,700 guests. In addition, the MSC Opera will make alternate-Saturday calls to the destination throughout the year through 2029.
• Carnival Cruise Line confirmed that the destination will receive 14 calls for the winter 2026-2027 season. This is a marked increase from the four calls of the previous winter season. P&O Cruises, which homeports in Antigua, indicated that Britannia will conduct a one-off turnaround operation in Antigua for the very first time. Additionally, Antigua’s homeporting calls will double to weekly operation as of November 2027, with two vessels: Arvia and its sister ship Iona visiting with alternating each week for the entire season.
• Royal Caribbean Group has confirmed 110 planned calls for Antigua across its Royal Caribbean and Celebritybrands for the 2027-2028 season. A significant increase over this current season.

ABTA CEO Colin C. James also spoke optimistically of the expected increase in arrivals for this year continuing into 2027.

“With global cruise passenger numbers projected to climb from about 37 million in 2025 to 46 million by 2031, Antigua and Barbuda must constantly ensure that we remain well positioned to benefit from the industry’s continued expansion. Antigua and Barbuda is expected to see a record breaking 483 cruise ship calls this year up from 436 in 2025 which will see some 894,469 cruise guests visiting our shores, with the destination well on target to achieve a 1 million cruise guest arrivals record in 2027,” James said.