St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is scheduled to receive350+ cruise ship calls across its island chain for the 2026/2027 season. This figure represents a slight dip from the 376 calls recorded during the 2025/2026 season; despite the slight dip the island maintains a broader upward trajectory as highlighted by tourism officials.
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.
Despite the minor single-call dip year-over-year, overall economic projections for the destination remain positive.
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.
