Cruise ship activity in Puerto Vallarta

Vallarta has positioned itself as a must stop location amongst cruise ships traveling along the Pacific Ocean. Its port is vast enough to house five cruises simultaneously: three docked and two at open sea.

The first large cruise line to dock in Puerto Vallarta was Disney Magic, who made it into the sunny port May 31st 2005. This marked the beginning of many more to follow. The impact was such that Disney Cruise Line's activity in the city was highlighted during Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary.

The highly visited destination has been a part of the National Cruise Ship Program that encompasses trips from Los Cabos down to Acapulco. Ships’ routes entail Acapulco, Ixtapa, Manzanillo, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.

By 2010, API (Interior Port Administration) registered 234 international cruise ships, carrying over 575 thousand passengers docking in Vallarta’s port. Cruise line traveling to Puerto Vallarta include: Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, Holland, America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Wind Star Cruises, to name a few.

As of April of 2011, the Mexican enterprise, Ocean Star Cruises began including Puerto Vallarta in their routes; and the city is recognizing the results. The economic upturn conveys that each tourist spends an average of $80 to $90 dollars at each destination.

Similarly, API offers tourists with several complementing services: exchange housing, chauffeur guides, taxis, crafts markets, restaurants, cybercafés and the sale of tickets for sailboats and catamarans that travel along the Bay of Banderas.