Quintana Roo Poised to Break Cruise Record in 2026 With Double-Digit Growth

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo is on track to set an all-time record for cruise traffic in 2026 and reinforce its position as Mexico’s leading cruise destination, state Tourism Secretary Bernardo Cueto Riestra said following a follow-up meeting with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).

“Last week the governor continued a very important agenda, because this industry will surely break every record in Quintana Roo. We are going to have the year with the largest intake of cruise ships and cruise passengers, and that is what the exponential growth we have seen this year indicates,” Cueto Riestra said.

The tourism secretary said the state is working in coordination with the FCCA so the industry generates greater prosperity at its ports, through revenue that is already being invested in infrastructure.

Passenger numbers up 10 percent

According to official data from the General Directorate of Ports at the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), Quintana Roo’s two cruise ports had received 5.5 million passengers by the end of September — a 10 percent increase over 2025.

If that pace holds, the year could close above 7.5 million cruise passengers. Last year the two ports, Cozumel and Mahahual, handled 7.1 million, more than 60 percent of all maritime tourism nationwide.

The meeting with the FCCA, led by Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa alongside association executives Michele Paige and Adam Ceserano, focused on monitoring the Cruise Tourism Promotion Fund. The FCCA represents 23 cruise lines and more than 100 ships.

Five-dollar passenger fee funds port projects

The trust, created in August 2024, is funded by a $5 cruise passenger fee that the state government matches. The money goes toward infrastructure, security and emergency response in Cozumel and Mahahual.

Cueto Riestra said the volume of passengers and the spending they generate make it possible to finance joint projects with cruise companies including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC, which have expressed interest in expanding operations and investment at both ports.

The state tourism chief stressed that the goal is no longer simply to break the volume record, but to make sure double-digit growth translates into more spending onshore and better conditions for port communities, through works already under way via the trust.