New Dominican Cruise Port Opens 24 November
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · TRAVEL
Key Facts
- The country The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean tourism economy that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
- Why it matters American cruise passengers get a new Dominican port of call on the Samaná peninsula.
- Why now The presidency published the opening date, Tuesday 24 November 2026, on 29 October.
- What happened Port Samaná projects 230,000 visitors in 2027, 540,000 in 2028 and 1 million by 2030.
- What it means for you US cruise travellers should check itineraries; the announcement names no cruise lines or ships.
In Plain English
Port Samaná is a new cruise terminal at Arroyo Barril, on the Samaná peninsula in the north east of the Dominican Republic. It is built as a public-private partnership, a contract in which the state and a private company share the building and running of a public asset.
The Dominican port authority is the state agency in charge of the country’s ports, and its executive director is Alejandro Campos. Grupo ITM is the private partner in Port Samaná and also took part in the Taíno Bay and Cabo Rojo cruise ports.
The Dominican Republic will open Port Samaná, a new cruise terminal on its north east coast, on Tuesday 24 November 2026. The port authority’s executive director, Alejandro Campos, gave the date during a tour of the works at Arroyo Barril, according to the presidency’s account published on Thursday 29 October.
American cruise passengers will find a new Dominican port of call on the map, and the government expects the terminal to grow fast. It projects about 230,000 visitors in 2027, 540,000 in 2028 and 1 million a year by 2030, while Samaná received 64,218 cruise passengers in 2025, the Ministry of Tourism counted.
What Happened
Campos toured the Arroyo Barril site with Minister of the Presidency José Ignacio Paliza and Public Works Minister Eduardo Estrella. The presidency published an account of the visit on 29 October.
Campos said the terminal is preparing to start operations on 24 November. He added that expectations for 2028 arrivals rose 35% above the first projection because cruise lines see potential in the area’s natural and cultural attractions.
The project is a public-private partnership between the Dominican state and Grupo ITM, whose president, Mauricio Hamui, thanked the public institutions that helped complete it. The group also took part in the Taíno Bay cruise port in Puerto Plata and the Cabo Rojo port in Pedernales.
Cruise Traffic in Numbers
Dominican ports received 2,815,732 cruise passengers in 2025, up 6% on 2024, the Ministry of Tourism said in January. The two Puerto Plata terminals took 78% of them, with Taíno Bay at 1,126,485 passengers and Amber Cove at 1,076,149.
Samaná received 64,218 cruise passengers in 2025, about 2% of the national total and 46% more than in 2024, in 35 port operations. Cabo Rojo in Pedernales received 176,690 passengers in 42 operations.
In the first seven months of 2026 the ministry counted 1,814,859 visitors arriving by sea out of 7,700,118 visitors in total. A projection of 230,000 visitors at Port Samaná in 2027 would be roughly 3.6 times the 64,218 passengers Samaná received in 2025.
What the Region Gains
Paliza said Port Samaná should change the province’s economy by linking cruise tourism with communities such as Arroyo Barril, Sánchez and Las Terrenas. Estrella said the government is strengthening road links and safety conditions so that visitors can reach the main attractions of Samaná.
The complementary projects include better road access, public spaces and beautification works. The mayor of Arroyo Barril, Luis Felipe Fermín, said the terminal could create openings for local trade and services.
Samaná Bay is already known to visitors for whale watching, a season covered in an earlier guide to Samaná whale watching. The Ministry of Tourism also lists Cayo Levantado, an island in the bay, as one of three Dominican cruise anchorages.
What It Means for You
Cruise passengers sailing from US ports should check each itinerary, because the announcement names neither the cruise lines nor the ships that will call. A stop at Port Samaná would add to a Dominican cruise map that already includes Taíno Bay, Amber Cove, Cabo Rojo and Santo Domingo.
The US State Department lists the Dominican Republic at Level 2, exercise increased caution, on its travel advisory page as read on 30 October 2026. The page says resort areas tend to be better policed than cities such as Santo Domingo, and entry rules for US tourists are explained in an earlier explainer on the Dominican passport rule for US tourists.
What Is Not Known
The announcement does not say which cruise lines will call, how many ships will visit in the first season or when the first ship will arrive. The 24 November date is described as the planned start, so a delay cannot be ruled out.
The figures for 2027, 2028 and 2030 are projections from the port authority, not bookings. How roads and excursion routes will cope with up to 1 million visitors a year is also not yet detailed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Port Samaná open?
Port Samaná is planned to start operations on Tuesday 24 November 2026, the Dominican port authority says. The terminal is at Arroyo Barril on the Samaná peninsula.
Which cruise lines will use Port Samaná?
The government has not named any cruise lines or ships. It says expectations from cruise lines lifted the 2028 visitor projection by 35% over the first estimate.
How many cruise passengers visit the Dominican Republic?
Dominican ports received 2,815,732 cruise passengers in 2025, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Samaná accounted for 64,218 of them, about 2% of the total.
Is the Dominican Republic safe for US cruise passengers?
The US State Department lists the Dominican Republic at Level 2, exercise increased caution, citing crime. It says resort areas tend to be better policed than cities such as Santo Domingo.
Sources: Presidency of the Dominican Republic, Port Samaná report, 29 October 2026; Ministry of Tourism, cruise passengers 2025, 9 January 2026; Ministry of Tourism, visitor figures January to July 2026, 22 October 2026; Ministry of Tourism, cruise ports and anchorages, 23 April 2025; US State Department, Dominican Republic travel advisory, read 30 October 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