Dominican Republic Expects 174,000 Cruisers in October
TOURISM · DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Key Facts
- —The country The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and has about 11 million people. It is one of the Caribbean’s busiest tourism destinations.
- —Why it matters Cruise ships are its fastest-growing arrivals channel. The Tourism Ministry counted 1,946,151 cruise passengers from January to August 2026, and August cruise arrivals rose 31.9% year on year.
- —Why now Disney Cruise Line makes its first call in the country on Tuesday 6 October, when Disney Dream berths at Taíno Bay in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Port Authority says.
- —What happened The Port Authority projects 2,778 passengers on Disney Dream on 6 October and 5,565 for two Disney calls. Disney’s own schedule puts the second ship, Disney Destiny, in Puerto Plata on 22 October.
- —The numbers October’s calendar holds 43 cruise calls and 173,983 projected passengers, 88.5% of them through Puerto Plata. The authority expects about 2.9 million cruise passengers in 2026.
- —What it means for you Eight of October’s nine cruise brands are US-based or owned by US-listed groups. Expect busy port days: on 30 September three ships berthed at Puerto Plata at once, the authority reported.
- —Still open How many passengers go ashore and spend, and whether the new Arroyo Barril terminal in Samaná opens on 24 November as planned.
Dominican Republic cruise arrivals gain a new American brand on Tuesday, when Disney Cruise Line makes its first call in the country. The Dominican Port Authority says Disney Dream berths at Taíno Bay in Puerto Plata on 6 October, as Disney’s itinerary confirms.
It is one of 43 cruise calls planned for October, most by US-based or US-listed lines, with a projected 173,983 passengers. The authority expects a second Disney ship, Disney Destiny, to bring the two Disney calls to 5,565 passengers.
Disney’s First Dominican Calls
Disney Cruise Line belongs to the Walt Disney Company and sails mostly family itineraries in the Caribbean. Until this week it had never included a Dominican port in its schedules, according to the Port Authority.
The authority projects 2,778 passengers aboard Disney Dream on Tuesday and 2,787 aboard Disney Destiny, which it lists for Thursday 8 October. Disney Cruise Line’s published itinerary instead shows Disney Destiny in the Bahamas that day.
Disney’s schedule puts Disney Destiny, one of its newest ships, in Puerto Plata on Thursday 22 October instead. Disney Dream’s call on 6 October matches the line’s itinerary.
Alejandro Campos, the Port Authority’s executive director, called the debut “a new milestone for cruise tourism” in the country. He said it widens the range of international brands that put the Dominican Republic on their Caribbean routes.
The arrival comes slightly earlier than first signalled. In February the authority said Disney calls at Puerto Plata were confirmed for November and December.
October in Numbers
The Port Authority’s October calendar lists 43 calls at Taíno Bay, Amber Cove and Cabo Rojo. Taíno Bay has 20 calls and 77,171 projected passengers, and Amber Cove 18 calls and 76,834.
Cabo Rojo, near the Haitian border in the far southwest, expects five ships and 19,978 passengers. Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas is due there on 8 October and Norwegian Viva on 27 October.
That leaves Puerto Plata’s two terminals with 88.5% of the month’s passengers, nearly nine in every ten. The lines in the calendar include Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC, Celebrity, Disney, Virgin Voyages and Holland America.
Busy days are already common. On Wednesday 30 September, 16,287 passengers arrived on four ships, three at Puerto Plata and one at Cabo Rojo, the authority reported.
For the full year, the Port Authority expects close to 2.9 million cruise passengers if the pace holds. The Tourism Ministry had already counted 1,946,151 by the end of August.
What the Visitors Spend
Cruise passengers spend far less than hotel guests, which tempers the headline numbers. The Central Bank found that cruise visitors spent an average of US$101.8 during their stay in 2024.
Applied to October’s projected passengers, that average would come to about US$17.7 million, the Port Authority said. It stressed the figure is illustrative and not an official revenue forecast.
Stay-over tourism remains the larger engine. The country received 8,556,415 visitors from January to August, 6,610,258 of them by air, Tourism Minister David Collado said on 14 September.
That total was up 6.9% on the same months of 2025. Punta Cana took 49% of August’s flights, so cruise growth spreads activity to other coasts.
Puerto Plata and Pedernales gain most from the cruise calendar. Collado said on 3 October that “the benefits of tourism must reach everyone”, beyond the hotels and visitor zones.
Cruise calls are one part of a much larger tourism economy. For the full picture, read Dominican Republic Tourism Economy 2026: 11.7 Million Visitors, Punta Cana and the Risks.
Samaná Is Next
A fourth cruise terminal is close. Mauricio Hamui, chief executive of port operator ITM, said the Arroyo Barril terminal in Samaná opens on 24 November.
MSC Opera will be the first ship, with about 2,000 passengers, he said. Hamui projected about 220,000 passengers in 2027 and 450,000 by 2028, Diario Libre reported on 5 October.
The Port Authority put the port investment above US$70 million in July. On 3 October the Tourism Ministry began street works in Arroyo Barril worth over RD$88 million (about US$1.5 million).
Growth on this scale brings pressure on small towns, roads and beaches. The government’s answer so far is to pair each new terminal with public works in the host community.
What It Means for You
For US travellers, Puerto Plata is now a regular stop on Eastern Caribbean sailings from Florida. Disney Dream’s 2 October sailing from Fort Lauderdale calls there on 6 October, after San Juan.
For investors, the calls feed US-listed groups. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Disney own seven of October’s nine brands, and Virgin Voyages is based in Florida.
The Port Authority says the visits create business for excursions, transport, shops and restaurants near the terminals. Travellers should expect crowded excursions on days with several ships in port.
What Is Not Known
The October figures are projections from the arrivals calendar, not counts. The number of passengers who actually go ashore, and what they spend, will only be known later.
Official September figures for Dominican Republic cruise arrivals, and for air arrivals, are not out yet. The ministry presented August data on 14 September, so the next monthly figure may follow in mid-October.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs until 30 November, and storms can force lines to swap or cancel calls. Outlets also differ on Samaná’s 2027 projection, with one report citing 230,000 passengers rather than 220,000.
The authority has not explained why its calendar lists Disney Destiny for 8 October. Disney’s published itinerary shows the ship in Puerto Plata on 22 October.
When does Disney Cruise Line first call in the Dominican Republic?
Disney Dream is due at the Taíno Bay terminal in Puerto Plata on Tuesday 6 October 2026 with about 2,778 passengers, according to the Dominican Port Authority. The authority lists Disney Destiny for 8 October, but Disney’s itinerary shows its Puerto Plata call on 22 October.
How many cruise passengers will the Dominican Republic receive in October 2026?
The Port Authority’s calendar projects 173,983 cruise passengers on 43 calls at Taíno Bay, Amber Cove and Cabo Rojo. Puerto Plata’s two terminals account for 88.5% of them.
Which new Dominican cruise port opens next?
The Arroyo Barril terminal in Samaná is due to open on 24 November 2026 with MSC Opera, according to its operator ITM. It projects about 220,000 passengers in 2027.
Sources: Disney Cruise Line, Disney Dream itinerary 2 to 9 Oct 2026; Disney Cruise Line, Disney Destiny itinerary 17 to 24 Oct 2026; Dominican Port Authority release via elDinero, 5 Oct 2026; Diario del País, 2 Oct 2026; Autoridad Portuaria Dominicana, 1 Oct 2026; Presidency of the Dominican Republic / Tourism Ministry, 14 Sep 2026; Infobae/EFE, 14 Sep 2026; Diario Libre, 5 Oct 2026; Diario Libre, 3 Oct 2026; Diario Libre, 4 Feb 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief