The Port of Cartagena, in Colombia, has declared the start of the extended season that Royal Caribbean has deployed in the southern Caribbean with departures from this Colombian terminal and the one in Colón, Panama. This is a prolonged cycle, as the Serenade of the Seas will operate in the area until April 2026 and will then be replaced by the Grandeur of the Seas, which will continue from May of next year and will conclude its itineraries in April 2027.
María Emilia Bonillas, coordinator of the Cartagena Cruise Terminal, stated that “with the return of embarkations, Cartagena reaffirms its leadership in the Caribbean. Starting a cruise from our city generates new opportunities for everyone; this step strengthens our connectivity with the Caribbean and brings cruises closer to Latin Americans, who will be able to begin their journey from their own region.”
The impact, according to the Grupo Puerto Cartagena, will be significant for the local economy: transportation, commerce, gastronomy, and tourist services will benefit from the arrival of passengers who will stay overnight and spend money in the city before and after each departure.
“The regular embarkation operations of Royal Caribbean in Cartagena reaffirm the confidence of international cruise lines in Colombia. From ProColombia, we have worked on promoting the country as a strategic cruise destination in the Caribbean, boosting not only tourism but also the economic impact these operations generate in local communities. This season demonstrates that the management and coordination efforts with national and international actors are consolidating Cartagena as a key port in the region,” explained Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia.
“The start of Royal Caribbean’s operations with Cartagena as a homeport from October and for 18 uninterrupted months positions us as the cruise hub of the Southern Caribbean, strengthening our maritime connectivity and opening new opportunities for the city. From the Secretariat of Tourism, we celebrate this great achievement that projects Cartagena’s image to the world and has a direct impact on the local economy,” said Teremar Londoño, Secretary of Tourism of Cartagena.
For her part, Liliana Rodríguez Hurtado, executive president of Corpoturismo, highlighted that “for Cartagena de Indias, as a leading cruise destination in Colombia, resuming its role as an embarkation port to the Caribbean represents a strategic advance. This achievement is the result of coordinated international promotion work together with ProColombia and the Port of Cartagena, backed by institutional confidence in our destination. This reactivation not only boosts the chain of tourist services but also opens new growth opportunities for other segments of the sector, strengthening Cartagena’s positioning in the global sphere, both as a vacation destination and for event and meeting tourism.”
Cartagena, it is worth mentioning, is the leading cruise port in Colombia and receives more than 95% of these types of ships that arrive in the country. In the 2025-2026 season, which began on September 29, 2025, and extends until June 28, 2026, 180 port calls, 442,740 visitors are expected, and an economic impact of USD 52,992,678 is estimated.
Additionally, a particular feature of this season is 22 overnight stays, 2 quadruple port calls (4 cruise ships on the same day), 9 dates with triple port calls, and 51 with double port calls. A total of 36 cruise lines will visit the city, and there will be 9 inaugural port calls.
