Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Conference Celebrates Record Passenger Numbers
by Bruce Parkinson
A packed house at the Puerto Rico Convention Center as the FCCA Conference kicked off.
The 31st Annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Cruise Conference & Trade Show concluded with a spirit of energy and optimism in San Juan, Puerto Rico last week.
Hosted in partnership with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the event attracted senior cruise executives, government ministers and directors of tourism, and tourism stakeholders from across the Caribbean, Latin America and further afield.
At the opening, FCCA Chief Executive Officer Michele Paige reaffirmed the Association’s core mission of partnership and collaboration. Reflecting on the vision of FCCA Chairman Micky Arison, she reminded delegates that destinations can only fully benefit from the economic potential of the cruise industry when they understand it.
“That began the foundation of why we get together — to communicate, collaborate (and) be partners,” Paige said. Emphasizing unity, she added that more than 100 cruise executives had assembled for the conference to engage directly with destination stakeholders, answer questions, and help them reach their goals:
“We are your partners; we want everyone here to succeed,” Paige said.
Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Willianette Robles welcomed delegates to San Juan, “the cruise capital of the Eastern Caribbean,” highlighting a historic milestone as the island expects to receive a record 1.9 million cruise passengers this season.
Governor Jenniffer González-Colón reaffirmed Puerto Rico’s leadership in Caribbean cruising and its commitment to modernizing port infrastructure across the island.
“What this conference highlighted for us all is that the cruise industry is constantly moving forward. It grows through ongoing dialogue, shared ideas, and a deep understanding of what guests truly value. To host that conversation here in Puerto Rico — to see it unfold in our meeting halls, in the exchange of ideas that flowed all week, and even within La Fortaleza — was genuinely rewarding,” stated Governor González-Colón.
“Nowhere is the appetite for cruise travel and the outlook for growth greater than in the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Josh Weinstein, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation in the conference’s keynote address. He noted that global cruise demand is booming — with 37.7 million passengers projected this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by “a whopping” 27% — and confirmed that the Caribbean and Latin America remain the world’s leading cruise market.
“No other region offers such welcoming, diverse, close-to-home, and high value itineraries,” he said. Weinstein emphasized that together, cruise lines and destinations are driving real impact — fueling local economies, supporting communities and small businesses, and creating jobs across the region.
