Dominican Republic Partners with Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association to Boost Cruise Growth

The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism has signed an agreement with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) to grow its cruise growth.

The agreement was signed in early August by the D.R.’s Minister of Tourism David Collado and FCCA president Adam Ceserano, with Dominican President Luis Abinader serving as witness, making it one of only five destinations to hold a presidential-level relationship with the FCCA. It is also the first new country to join the FCCA in several years.

Currently, the Dominical Republic has operational ports in Santo Domingo, La Romana, Samana, Puerto Plata, Pedernales, and Barahona. To meet the rising demand, larger terminals are under construction in Barahona and Samaná. 

“This agreement marks a pivotal moment in the history of Dominican tourism and our cruise sector,” said Collado. “Last year, we welcomed more than 2.6 million maritime passengers, and this alliance ensures that growth will accelerate in the years to come. We look forward to working alongside our commercial partners to capitalize on the immense opportunities this partnership creates for our people and our economy.”

Key pieces of the alliance will include:

• Direct engagement with senior cruise line executives to develop new itineraries, local sourcing opportunities, and tourism products.

• Technical evaluation visits by cruise line executives to help enhance the passenger experience at Dominican ports.

• Implementation of a national strategy to integrate Dominican talent into the cruise industry and provide access to training through the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence.

• The D.R. will host the FCCA Platinum Member Conference in 2026, bringing key industry decision-makers to the country. It will also be featured in international promotional campaigns and have a strong presence at Seatrade Cruise Global 2026.

Cruise arrivals to the Dominican Republic have seen a significant increase over the past few years. Comparing the first seven months of 2025, arrivals have grown 177% vs 2019, 29% vs 2023 and 7.6% vs 2024.

For the 2025/26 winter season, operational agreements have been formalized with major cruise lines including, Norwegian Cruise Line visiting La Romana and Costa Cruises stopping at Sansouci Port in Santo Domingo. MSC Cruises is scheduled to launch year round homeport service from La Romana beginning in November 2026.

A national training program is underway to prepare 1,250 cruise industry workers at ports in Santo Domingo, Pedernales, Samana, La Romana, and Puerto Plata to improve service quality, visitor care, and operational efficiency.