The 2025-2026 cruise season in Martinique has come to a close on a strong note, with 568,348 passengers announced and a clear increase in patronage over the previous season. In a region where tourism relies as much on hospitality as on the quality of experiences offered ashore, these results reflect the destination’s growing presence on Caribbean itineraries. They also show that Fort-de-France, Saint-Pierre and the local players are moving in the same direction: better welcome, better orientation and better promotion of Martinique’s heritage.
Two long-awaited final stops in Fort-de-France
The 2025-2026 cruise season will close on Friday, April 24, 2026 with two calls to Fort-de-France. RCCL’s ship is expected to call at the Tourelles terminal with around 2,000 passengers, while Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess is scheduled to call at the Pointe Simon terminal with around 3,500 passengers. Most of the cruise passengers are expected to be American, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
This final day also includes a cultural component. A class from the Alexandre Stellio secondary school in Anses-d’Arlet will welcome passengers to the Grand Port des Tourelles with a traditional dance performance. Students will also have the opportunity to visit the ship with crew members. The stopover thus becomes a moment of exchange: visitors encounter a living culture, while young Martiniquans gain access to a professional world often far removed from their daily lives.
Increased visitor numbers and a stronger economic role
Figures for April 1, 2026 show 234 calls between October 2025 and March 2026, compared with 208 in the 2024-2025 season. Cumulative traffic reached 568,348 passengers, versus 469,432 the previous season. This increase establishes the 2025-2026 cruise season in a phase of consolidation, with higher volumes and a greater capacity to attract customers from several geographical areas.
Head of line business accounted for 151,615 passengers over the season. This point deserves attention, as 59.7% of the passengers concerned are Martiniquais. The 2025-2026 cruise season therefore also functions as a gateway for the local population, beyond the mere reception of foreign visitors. This reality reinforces the role of the port, agencies, transport services and hospitality professionals.
Excursions sold on board are another important indicator. Over 83,000 excursions were sold over the past season, with a ratio to ship capacity ranging from 18% to 24%, depending on the month. The 2025-2026 cruise season thus generates spin-offs for the sites visited, guides, land-based service providers, craftsmen, restaurateurs and businesses located along passenger routes.
An international clientele broadens the destination's reach
Martinique attracts cruise passengers from a wide range of countries. Europe is the main source, with over 200,000 European cruise passengers, notably from France, Germany, Italy and the UK. The United States accounts for more than 84,000 passengers, Canada for nearly 18,000, and South America, the Caribbean and other markets are also represented.
This diversity gives the 2025-2026 cruise season a strategic dimension. It forces the destination to think in terms of welcoming visitors in several languages, adapting the information available, structuring travel and proposing offers capable of speaking to visitors with different expectations. For a Caribbean territory, this plurality is an asset if it is accompanied by sincere, well-organized experiences that respect the place.
Miami Seatrade as barometer for next season
From April 13 to 16, 2026, the Comité Martiniquais du Tourisme, accompanied by the Grand Port Maritime de la Martinique, shipping agencies, incoming agencies and cargo handlers, took part in the Seatrade trade show in Miami. Exchanges with cruise lines, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, American Airlines and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association confirmed the interest of professionals in the destination.
Feedback from cruise lines ranged from 7 to 8 out of 10 on destination attractiveness before and passenger satisfaction after a stopover. For the 2025-2026 cruise season, these ratings underline the gains made, while reminding us that Caribbean competition calls for constant improvement.
Martinique’s partners also highlighted a number of developments: modernization of reception infrastructures, directional signage to merchants, maintenance of emblematic sites, ongoing training of players, professionalization of services, digitization of information and marketing of innovative products. The 2025-2026 cruise season is thus moving forward on two fronts: attracting cruise lines and enhancing the passenger experience.
2026-2027: a season heralded as exceptional
The outlook communicated for 2026-2027 gives an idea of the ambition of the local players. Nearly 300 calls are announced, with the arrival of some particularly eagerly-awaited ships. The MSC Opera is due to call at Fort-de-France from November 20, 2026 to September 24, 2027, with 32 scheduled calls. This programming opens up the possibility of a continuous year-round season, a major change for the tourism organization.
The MSC World Europa is scheduled to arrive in Fort-de-France on December 5, 2026. Saint-Pierre is also due to welcome the Orient Express Corinthian, a 54-suite luxury French yacht, scheduled for October 27, 2026, with 6 calls. The 2025-2026 cruise season thus enters a sequence in which volumes, the quality of ships and the diversification of host ports can change the perception of the territory.
A challenge of hospitality, culture and territory
The 2025-2026 cruise season emerges from this period with a clear message: the island has solid assets, but the real value of this activity will depend on its ability to transform each stopover into an organized experience that benefits the territory. The figures are favourable, the prospects are strong, and the cultural reception on April 24 reminds us of something obvious: Martinique wins when its tourism gives a visible place to its inhabitants, its young people and its places of memory.
The press release announces 568,348 passengers for the 2025-2026 season. This figure marks a significant increase on the 2024-2025 season, which recorded 469,432 passengers.
The last two calls are scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026 in Fort-de-France. RCCL’s ship is expected to dock at the Tourelles terminal with around 2,000 passengers, while Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess is scheduled to dock at the Pointe Simon terminal with around 3,500 passengers.
The next season is set to feature almost 300 calls. Highlights include the MSC Opera’s 32 scheduled calls between November 2026 and September 2027, the MSC World Europa’s arrival in Fort-de-France and the Orient Express Corinthian’s 6 calls in Saint-Pierre.
