PUERTO VALLARTA, Jalisco — April 25, 2025 — Puerto Vallarta’s cruise season roared to life this week with the year’s first two triple cruise-ship arrivals, delivering a combined 17,500 international passengers and an immediate economic boost of more than US $2.1 million.
On Tuesday, April 22, Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Panorama and Holland America Line’s Zaandam berthed simultaneously, off-loading about 9,800 passengers and 3,100 crew. The very next morning, Wednesday, April 23, Princess Cruises doubled up with the Discovery Princess and Coral Princess, while Holland America returned with the Eurodam, adding 7,700 passengers and 3,000 crew to the city’s cobblestone streets and sunny beaches.
The National Port System Administration (ASIPONA) estimates that each visitor — passengers and crew alike — spends roughly US $120 on excursions, dining, shopping and local transport during a port call. Using that benchmark, this week’s six-ship surge translates into at least US $2.1 million in direct spending, a welcome windfall for restaurants, tour operators and artisans across the bay.
“These triple arrivals highlight both the port’s capacity and cruise lines’ confidence in Puerto Vallarta as a marquee Mexican Riviera destination,” ASIPONA said in a statement, noting that staggered gangway schedules kept traffic flowing smoothly on the malecón.
A Busy April — and a Brisk Start to 2025
- 23 cruise ships are slated to dock in Puerto Vallarta before the month ends, matching last year’s April total.
- By April 30, the port will have welcomed 77 vessels since January, underscoring the city’s rapid rebound in sea-borne tourism.
Local merchants wasted no time capitalizing on the influx: hand-blown-glass vendors reported record mid-week sales, tequila tours sold out hours after the ships tied up, and several downtown hotels saw last-minute overnight bookings from passengers choosing to extend their stay.
Port manifests confirm the first triple arrival occurred on Tuesday, April 22; earlier notices listing April 21 were traced to itinerary tweaks issued by cruise lines after a minor weather delay farther up the coast.
ASIPONA says berth-expansion and shore-power projects now under way will let Puerto Vallarta accommodate next-generation mega-liners while reducing emissions at dockside — critical moves as cruise executives forecast a 50 percent rise in total arrivals by 2026.
For now, the sight of three towering ships framed by the Sierra Madre remains both a spectacle for visitors and a shot in the arm for the local economy — proof that Puerto Vallarta’s appeal shows no sign of ebbing anytime soon.
