Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – The Puerto Vallarta port authority (ASIPONA) recently met with local tourism officials to discuss the performance of cruise tourism in 2023. While the number of cruise ship arrivals dipped slightly compared to 2022 (174 vs. 184), passenger numbers grew significantly, reaching 543,609, nearly 60,000 more than the previous year. This increase is attributed to the deployment of larger ships by major cruise lines.
Carnival Leads the Pack, Followed by Princess and Norwegian
Carnival Cruises remained Puerto Vallarta’s primary partner, accounting for 25% of arrivals and bringing in 199,321 passengers. Princess Cruises (19% of arrivals, 98,016 passengers) and Norwegian Cruise Line (16% of arrivals, 98,548 passengers) followed closely behind. Royal Caribbean (77,444 passengers) and Holland America (34,303 passengers) also held sizable shares with 13% and 11% of arrivals, respectively.
Beyond the Big Players
Several other cruise lines made appearances in Puerto Vallarta, including Celebrity, Disney, Oceania, MSC, and Silversea, along with Greenpeace International and National Geographic ships. The local tourist boat segment also showed improvement, welcoming almost 54,000 passengers in January 2024 alone.
Looking Ahead: Collaboration for Continued Growth
Rear Admiral Audberto López Rosas, general director of ASIPONA Puerto Vallarta, and the director of Tourism and Economic Development of the municipality, Christian Preciado Cázares, are collaborating to ensure continued growth in cruise tourism. This includes infrastructure improvements like road maintenance and enhanced security measures at the port to facilitate a seamless and safe experience for visitors.
