St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is scheduled to receive350+ cruise ship calls across its island chain for the 2026/2027 season.
Previous figures that were given to the media for 2025-2026 stated that 376 calls were expected, however information from MPOC states that several ships cancelled and the actual port calls were 231.
Speaking on Hot 97.1 SVG, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Dr. Kishore Shallow emphasized long-term growth, noting that SVG has expanded from a historical baseline of approximately 250 cruise vessels to over 350 to 362+ calls.
Minister Shallow cited 8 inaugural visits from brand-new cruise ships coming to SVG. Schedule details specify that 7 of these inaugural calls will dock at Port Kingstown, starting with the M.V. Renaissance in December.
Minister Shallow detailed ongoing initiatives under the Kingstown Enhancement Project (KEP)—a multi-agency task force working to improve infrastructure, cleanliness, and vendor experiences in the capital.
Year-over-year, overall economic projections for the destination remain positive, Shallow stated.
Passenger Projections: Tourism authorities aim to double annual cruise passenger arrivals from the current average of 250,000 to 500,000 passengers within three to five years.
Port Management: The entry of Global Ports Holding to manage the cruise ship port is expected to further boost arrival numbers in coming years.
Local Benefit: Officials anticipate that the volume of calls will continue to create direct financial opportunities for taxi drivers, tour operators, vendors, restaurants, and craftspeople across SVG.
