Martinique’s 2026-27 cruise season brings luxury and ultra-luxury lines to ports in the island’s north and south, five homeported ships and new visitor reception efforts at several stops. The island forecasts 275 cruise calls by 65 ships from 30 cruise lines.
That total is 12.7 percent higher than in 2025-26, a season of 244 calls that delivered 330,322 transit cruise passengers. The mix of ships now arriving, from larger vessels such as MSC World Europa to new luxury and ultra-luxury products from Four Seasons Yachts and Orient Express Sailing Yachts, raises new considerations for port infrastructure, visitor services and experiences ashore.
“Martinique’s gastronomy, art, culture and natural beauty offer opportunities to showcase the island’s distinctive identity this season while reinforcing the importance of preserving our rich heritage, protecting unique landscapes and maintaining the authentic character of our communities,” said Herve Bullot, director of development for the Martinique Tourism Authority (MTA), in a press statement.
Martinique: Luxury Port
In the north, Saint-Pierre has become a key port for luxury and ultra-luxury lines and has 33 calls scheduled, including inaugurals by Four Seasons I on Nov. 26 and Explora III on Jan. 26, 2027. Guests now arrive at the Place Bertin Premium Cruise Welcome Hub, co-funded by the MTA and the city, with a welcome kiosk, pier signage and Cap Nord Tourist Office cultural programming at every call through late December. Participating merchants have also begun English-language and service quality training funded by the MTA.
Calls also reach southern coastal communities. Les Anses-d’Arlet expects 24 and Trois-Ilets 13, with plans in Trois-Ilets for a reception desk at Pointe-du-Bout Marina and a Cruise Village of local vendors. Le Marin, where the waterfront is under development, gets three calls from Four Seasons I.
Fort-de-France remains the center of activity. Its homeporting hub, Les Tourelles, has 105 calls scheduled, while the Pointe Simon transit terminal expects 97. Five ships will homeport this season: Costa Favolosa, Le Bougainville, MSC Opera, MSC World Europa and CFC Croisieres‘ Renaissance. MSC Opera starts homeport operations Nov. 20 and continues through Sept. 24, 2027, while MSC World Europa, which carries about 6,700 passengers, arrives Dec. 5.
Cruise operations in the capital will be coordinated with major events, including the Fort-de-France Half-Marathon on Nov. 29, the Boucans de la Baie celebration on Dec. 30 and Carnival in February 2027.
Why It Matters
The Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda drew 16.27 million cruise passengers in 2025, up 8.4 percent from 2024, according to CLIA’s 2026 State of the Cruise Industry report, which also found that six in 10 cruisers return to destinations they first visited by cruise. Martinique’s new luxury calls give advisors a way to act on both findings. Clients sailing on Four Seasons I or Explora III this season will see Martinique through Saint-Pierre or Le Marin, and advisors who follow up after the voyage can pitch a return land stay that covers more of the island. For clients still deciding on a winter luxury sailing, those calls give advisors a specific Caribbean stop to point to.
For more information, visit us.martinique.org.
