Puerto Vallarta Opens Tender for Cruise Homeport Terminal
Lemus named Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean among the operators the terminal is intended to accommodate, though no itineraries or agreements were announced.
Puerto Vallarta has moved toward becoming a cruise homeport after its federal port authority issued an international tender for a terminal where passengers could begin or end voyages. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027.
The project would expand Puerto Vallarta beyond its current role as a port of call, adding passenger embarkation, disembarkation and ship-provisioning operations. Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus said cruise guests could add an average of two hotel nights before or after their sailings, increasing business for accommodations, restaurants, transportation providers and tour operators.
“Imagine a cruise ship that starts in Puerto Vallarta, then continues to Los Cabos and ends in Los Angeles,” Lemus said in a video announcing the project.
International tender seeks terminal operator
ASIPONA Puerto Vallarta, the federal authority responsible for the port, opened the tender after Puerto Vallarta was selected through a competitive process that also considered proposals from Mazatlán, Los Cabos and Nayarit.
The competition is open to Mexican and overseas companies with experience operating cruise or nautical-tourism terminals. Bidders must show at least 200 million pesos, or approximately US$11.65 million, in net worth or subscribed capital on their year-end 2025 accounts.
Lemus named Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean among the international operators the terminal is intended to accommodate. No cruise itineraries or operator agreements were announced.
Homeport plans build on existing cruise traffic
Puerto Vallarta handled more than 500,000 cruise passengers in 2024. Ship calls increased from 167 that year to 171 in 2025.
In addition to pre- and post-cruise visitor spending, Lemus said vessels using the terminal would source supplies locally.
Lemus told El Informador that the project is also intended to support Puerto Vallarta’s recovery from a decline in visitor numbers. He attributed that downturn mainly to the weaker U.S. dollar against the peso and events surrounding the Feb. 22 capture and death of drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Rubén Oseguera Cervantes.
The terminal is scheduled to begin homeport operations in 2029.
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