WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao received a total of 474,572 cruise passengers in the first six months of 2025, arriving aboard 185 cruise ships, according to figures released yesterday by the Curaçao Ports Authority (CPA). 

The number is expected to rise significantly in the second half of the year, with August, September, and October projected to see one or more cruise ships dock in Willemstad almost daily. 

In 2024, the island welcomed nearly 835,000 cruise visitors. This year, CPA is aiming for at least one million cruise passengers, a milestone that could generate an estimated 135 million Netherlands Antillean guilders for the local economy. 

CPA attributes the growth in cruise tourism to targeted collaboration with industry partners and improved services for visitors—from the moment they arrive until their departure. 

Efforts include expanding the range of excursions to showcase Curaçao’s culture, cuisine, and hospitality, as well as actively positioning the island as an alternative homeport or turnaround destination in the Caribbean, alongside major cruise hubs like Florida.