A new agreement between the Balearic Government, Palma Town Hall and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) will limit the number of cruise ships calling at Palma de Mallorca during the peak summer season, according to multiple reports.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), no more than three cruise ships will be permitted in Palma each day, while daily cruise passenger capacity will drop from 8,500 to 7,500. That equates to a reduction of up to 30,000 cruise passengers per month during the busiest period.
The agreement comes as Mallorca and the wider Balearic Islands continue to grapple with concerns over overtourism. But Alfredo Serrano, CLIA’s Director in Spain, said it is too early to determine the agreement’s full impact on cruise operators and emphasized that the limits represent “voluntary self-regulation” by the cruise industry, according to AOL News.
Serrano also noted that cruise traffic in Palma is already 15 percent to 16 percent below pre-pandemic levels, while other segments of the tourism industry have continued to grow.
Palma, the capital of Mallorca, is one of the Balearic Islands’ major tourism centers. The island welcomed nearly 2 million visitors in July 2026, while the Balearic Islands as a whole recorded 3.06 million arrivals during the month. UK visitor numbers increased 0.6 percent during the same period.
For cruise travelers and travel advisors, the agreement does not eliminate Palma from Mediterranean itineraries. Instead, it is designed to limit the number of cruise passengers arriving simultaneously during the destination’s busiest summer months.
