Quintana Roo’s Cruise Boom Breaks Records — But What’s Fueling It?
Key Aspects:
Quintana Roo recorded its strongest cruise tourism year in 2025, with more than 7.4 million cruise passengers.
The Mexican state saw 1,874 ship calls across its ports, with Cozumel receiving 4.62 million passengers and Costa Maya adding 2.8 million guests.
Officials are hoping new developments will help it set a new record in 2026.
Cruise ship horns may have been the soundtrack of Quintana Roo in 2025, and now the Mexican state’s governor has put numbers to the noise.
Governor Mara Lezama announced that the past year officially set a cruise tourism record, calling 2025 the strongest year the state has ever seen for passenger arrivals.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering mid-year data released in June showed Mexico as a whole welcoming approximately 5.6 million cruise visitors, up 8.4 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
That data showed Cozumel alone receiving about 2.4 million passengers during that span, signaling early that 2025 was on track for a strong close.
According to Lezama, and shared on her social media accounts, more than 7.4 million cruise passengers arrived across Quintana Roo in 2025, an increase she says puts the state at the top of the national rankings.
She also reported 1,874 cruise ship calls statewide, a figure that grew nearly 4 percent compared to the previous year.
“In 2025, we experienced the best year in the history of cruise tourism in Quintana Roo,” said Lezama. “More than 7.4 million cruise passengers and 1,874 vessels arrived at our ports, consolidating Cozumel and Costa Maya as leading destinations nationally and internationally.”
The numbers break down clearly across the state’s two main ports. Cozumel ended the year with 4.62 million visitors and 1,300 ship calls, which is actually on par with 2024’s tallies at 4.623 million. However, Costa Maya brought in 2.8 million passengers and 574 cruise ship calls, illustrating a continued rise for the newer port and elevating the state’s numbers.
Read Also: Cozumel Cruise Port – Terminals, Piers and Getting Around
Lezama tied the year’s results to collective effort, saying “This achievement is the result of coordinated work between the government, the private sector, and international agencies, under a vision of orderly and sustainable development.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
As Quintana Roo celebrates its record year, Lezama is already turning her attention to 2026 and beyond. Officials in Cozumel are actively pursuing a record-breaking 5 million passengers to the island.
Cruise lines seem ready to support that goal and have already locked in itineraries that include regular visits to the state’s ports through the 2026-27 season.
Royal Caribbean’s lineup for 2026, for example, features a mix of vessels sailing from Florida and Gulf Coast homeports that include both Mexican ports on their Western Caribbean routes.
One of the most highly anticipated attractions in 2026 will be the opening of the Royal Beach Club Cozumel, a new beach club operated by the cruise line that is slated to debut in late 2026. This destination will offer passengers dedicated beach space, pools, food and beverage options, and all-inclusive perks.
The cruise company is also building Perfect Day Mexico, which will transform part of Costa Maya into a sprawling private resort destination in 2027.
With these destinations in the works, Quintana Roo just may reach its goals.
Quintana Roo’s Cruise Boom Breaks Records — But What’s Fueling It?