Cruise tourism is up in Yucatán and Baja California

Cruise tourism to Mexico has experienced large maturation this twelvemonth astatine some ends of the country. 

From January done April 2025, Progreso’s Puerto de Altura successful the Caribbean authorities of Yucatán received 74 cruise ships with 200,383 passengers — a 131% summation successful vessel arrivals and a 110.6% summation successful cruise vessel passengers compared to the aforesaid play successful 2024. 

Ensenada successful Baja California has seen 38% much cruise vessel passengers this twelvemonth and precocious welcomed, for the archetypal clip successful its port’s history, Royal Caribbean’s gargantuan Ovation of the Seas. (@PortofLA/on X)

In April alone, the larboard of Progreso received 26,135 passengers, up 27.2% compared to the aforesaid period the erstwhile year.

The authorities Ministry of Tourism Development (Sefotur) estimates that 158 cruise ships carrying 400,000 passengers volition dock successful Progreso by year’s end. That would mean an summation of 35% implicit past year.

To header with expanding numbers of cruise vessel arrivals, the Puerto de Altura successful Progreso, a fashionable formation destination located little than 1 hr from Mérida, is undergoing an expansion. With an concern of 12 cardinal pesos (US $634 million), the infrastructure task seeks to renovate the larboard and summation its capableness from 80 hectares to 116.

Ensenada welcomes 20% much cruise ships

According to the National Ports System, Ensenada successful Baja California received 112 cruise vessel arrivals — up 20% implicit 2024 — and 387,846 cruise vessel passengers betwixt January and April, an summation of 38%.

In a presumption connected June 11, authorities Tourism Minister Miguel Aguiñiga Rodrígez said the cruise manufacture generates an estimated US $74.86 cardinal successful Baja California. Official figures estimation that Ensenada volition registry astir 351 arrivals and much than 1.1 cardinal cruise passengers this year. 

Ensenada precocious celebrated the accomplishment of the Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, the largest cruise vessel successful the port’s history. Measuring 348 meters successful length, it accommodates astir 4,800 passengers and 1,300 unit members.

“The accomplishment of the Ovation of the Seas represents a boost to Baja California’s connectivity, portion besides contributing to the maturation of rider postulation by sea,” the Tourism Ministry said. “This benignant of cruise reflects the shipping companies’ assurance successful the region’s larboard infrastructure and tourism potential.”

With reports from Yucatán a la Mano and Reporte Índigo