Disney Cruise Line to Expand St. Maarten Calls After Destiny Debut
Port St. Maarten handled 1,597,940 cruise visitors across 592 calls in 2025, its strongest cruise year since 2019 and 16.3 percent above 2024.
Disney Cruise Line is set to sharply increase its St. Maarten calls after Disney Destiny made its inaugural visit to the island on July 1. The call was the first of three Disney stops scheduled for 2026, with approximately 14 expected in 2027 and further growth anticipated in 2028, Tourism Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten said.
Port St. Maarten is coming off its strongest cruise year since 2019. The port handled 1,597,940 cruise visitors across 592 cruise calls in 2025, up 16.3% from 2024.
Disney's fleet grows to 13 ships by 2031
“With Disney Cruise Line currently developing five additional ships, we see tremendous opportunities for continued growth,” said Heyliger-Marten, St. Maarten’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, speaking onboard Disney Destiny during the visit.
Disney Cruise Line currently operates eight ships, including Disney Destiny, which entered service in November 2025, and Disney Adventure, which is deployed from Singapore. The line’s orderbook would take the fleet to 13 ships by 2031.
The St. Maarten government said each Disney call brings thousands of visitors into the local economy, with taxi operators, tour companies, restaurants, retailers, attractions and other tourism businesses among the expected beneficiaries. Officials also framed Disney’s family and repeat-cruise passenger base as a way to broaden the island’s visibility among cruise travelers.
Keeping pace ashore
Port St. Maarten already operates at high cruise volumes. The port recorded 635,968 cruise visitors in the first quarter of 2026 and operates two cruise piers capable of handling large vessels, including Oasis-class ships; Pier 1 can berth four ships simultaneously.
Heyliger-Marten credited Port St. Maarten with helping build the Disney relationship through route development and cruise line engagement. She said the island must prepare as ship calls increase.
“That means working together to improve traffic flow, strengthen transportation and visitor services, and ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with growth,” Heyliger-Marten said.
The government did not release a call-by-call Disney schedule for 2027 or name the ships assigned to the future visits. Disney’s next named fleet addition is Disney Believe, scheduled for late 2027, while names, designs and itineraries for several later deliveries remain under development.
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