Italian Ports Set for Record 15.1 Million Cruise Passengers in 2026
Growth across Italy’s cruise ports points to a Mediterranean market stretching beyond peak summer travel, as newer ships and luxury brands bring higher-spending guests.
Italian ports are forecast to handle 15.1 million cruise passengers in 2026, setting a new national record and rising 2% from 2025. Genoa-based Cemar Agency Network, a cruise and maritime services company working across more than 75 Italian ports, presented the projection at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami.
The outlook pairs passenger growth with a larger increase in ship activity: Cemar expects 5,913 cruise calls in 2026, up 7.86%, with 185 ships from 58 cruise lines operating in Italian waters. Initial projections for 2027 put Italy’s cruise traffic above 15.2 million passengers.
Civitavecchia remains the leading Italian cruise port
Civitavecchia is forecast to lead Italy’s port ranking with 3.78 million cruise passengers in 2026, followed by Naples with 1.78 million and Genoa with 1.57 million. Palermo, Livorno, Savona, Messina, La Spezia, Cagliari and Venice complete Cemar’s top 10.
The 2026 forecast would put Civitavecchia about 223,000 passengers above its 2025 record of 3,556,559 cruise passengers. The Rome gateway handled 862 cruise calls in 2025, with traffic almost evenly split between 1,829,701 transit passengers and 1,726,858 turnaround passengers.
“We clearly see a further expansion of the sector,” Sergio Senesi, president of Cemar Agency Network, said during the Miami presentation. Senesi linked part of that expansion to luxury hospitality brands entering cruising, adding: “A new type of clientele is therefore growing, with high spending capacity.”
Corporate groups account for most forecast volume
By corporate group, Cemar forecasts MSC Group will lead Italian cruise passenger volume in 2026 with approximately 5.08 million passengers. Carnival Corporation & plc follows with 4.94 million, ahead of Royal Caribbean Group at 2.03 million and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings at 1.18 million.
Those four groups together account for about 13.2 million of the forecast passengers. Cemar also expects 935 calls by small vessels carrying no more than 200 passengers, as part of a schedule spread across 77 Italian ports.
October is forecast as the busiest month
October is projected to lead monthly port-call volume, with 795 calls, ahead of May at 789 and July at 785. Senesi said “deseasonalisation of passenger flows,” also supported by the current geopolitical environment, is contributing to the growth.
Senesi also cited fleet renewal, saying the “introduction of next-generation ships into fleets” has been strategic in reducing emissions and reinforcing protection of the Mediterranean Sea.
The heaviest single day is forecast for May 23. Cemar expects 35 cruise ships to be in Italian ports that day, with more than 88,000 passengers handled nationwide.
