With around 19 million Americans expected to embark on a cruise in 2025, the cruise industry is booming, and so are the global ports that make it all possible. These bustling getaways are the beating heart of a growing travel trend, from which millions of cruise passengers set sail on unforgettable adventures. Check out 10 of the busiest ports around the world by passenger volume in 2024.
10. Port de Marseille – Marseille, France
Total passenger numbers in 2024: 2.43 million
Port de Marseille is France’s busiest port and one of the most popular ports in the Mediterranean. It was the first in the region to introduce shore power facilities, allowing vessels of all types to plug into a local electric grid in order to reduce emissions. The port is split between the Marseille Provence Cruise Terminal, on the western side of the bay, and the Port de la Joliette (also known as the J4 terminal), close to the city’s historic Vieux-Port district. Both cruise lines and passenger ferries set sail regularly from Marseille, with Corsica, Sardinia, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco among the most popular destinations.
9. Ports de Balears – Balearic Islands, Spain
Total passengers in 2024: 2.5 million
Ports de Balears is the collective name for five ports situated around Spain’s Balearic Islands. It includes Port d’Alcudia (Mallorca), Port d’Eivissa (Ibiza), Port de Maó (Menorca), Port de Palma (Mallorca), and Port de la Savina (Formentera). These ports welcomed 774 cruise ship arrivals in 2024, which was around 16% of Spain’s total cruise calls. Port de Palma is the biggest and busiest of the five, welcoming around 1.8 million passenger arrivals in 2024.
8. Southampton Port – Southampton, England
Total passengers in 2024: 3 million
Located on the southern coast of England, Southampton Port is the U.K.’s busiest hub for passenger cruises. Operations span five modern terminals — City, Mayflower, Ocean, Queen Elizabeth II, and Horizon — which together handle approximately 85% of the U.K.’s cruise traffic. Southampton Port receives an estimated 500 port calls annually, and is also the departure point for regular high-speed catamaran ferry services to the Isle of Wight.
7. Port of Civitavecchia – Rome, Italy
Total passengers in 2024: 3.46 million
Designed by Roman architect and engineer Apollodorus of Damascus and built under Emperor Trajan, Port of Civitavecchia has been a key seaport since the second century CE. As Italy’s busiest port today, it still plays a vital role in transporting passengers and cargo around the Mediterranean.
The cruise terminal has six docks and a separate ferry terminal welcoming ships from Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, and North Africa. Several monuments and architectural landmarks surround the Porto Storico (Historic Port), including the 16th-century Fort Michelangelo, built to protect the coastline from pirate attacks, and Civitavecchia Market, which buzzes with the activity of local fresh produce vendors.
6. Port de Barcelona – Barcelona, Spain
Total passengers in 2024: 3.66 million
Port de Barcelona has seven passenger terminals. In 2024, 83% of cruise passengers passing through the port either started or finished their voyage in Barcelona, one of the most popular cities for tourists in Europe. From the quays, passengers are just steps from emblematic city sights such as La Rambla, L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, and the Port Cable Car. The port authority is committed to becoming a fully carbon-neutral port by 2050, with plans to electrify docks and supply docked ships with renewable electrical energy.
5. Port Everglades – Fort, Lauderdale, Florida
Total passengers in 2024: 4 million
Port Everglades is one of three Florida cruise ports to make the list of the world’s busiest cruise ports. In 2024, Port Everglades notched a new record with 4 million annual passengers. This mixed cruise and cargo port has eight passenger terminals, each adorned with public art installations as part of the Broward County Public Art and Design Program. A standout installation is Jonathan Russell and Saori Ide’s Songs of the Everglades — a collection of eight kinetic wind sculptures depicting the birdlife of Everglades National Park.
4. Port of Cozumel – San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico
Total passengers in 2024: 4.6 million
Situated along Cozumel’s sun-soaked western coast, the Port of Cozumel consists of three terminals: International Cruise Terminal Cozumel, Puerta Maya, and Punta Langosta. While each works independently, they contribute collectively to the port’s status as Mexico’s busiest embarkation point; over 1,200 ships docked on the island in 2024. The port stands out for its commitment to protecting Cozumel’s marine ecosystem — all visitors are given an educational leaflet about marine conversation upon arrival, and there’s an exhibit showcasing the history and importance of the island as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
3. Nassau Cruise Port – Nassau, Bahamas
Total passengers in 2024: 5.6 million
Located a little over a quarter of a mile from downtown Nassau, Nassau Cruise Port is the biggest tourist gateway to the Bahamas. Of the 9.1 million visitors who came to this Caribbean archipelago in 2024, 61% of them arrived at the port. A recent multimillion-dollar renovation program increased the terminal’s capacity to six daily ships and saw the opening of 60 retail, food, and drink outlets; a 3,000-seat amphitheatre; and a 700-foot megayacht dock. Before heading to Nassau, visitors can explore the Bahamas Museum of Junkanoo adjacent to the port.
2. Port Canaveral – Cape Canaveral, Florida
Total passengers in 2024: 7.6 million
Port Canaveral is the closest cruise port to the theme parks of Orlando (roughly an hour’s drive away). It was established in 1953 as a modest fishing harbor, with oil and newsprint cargo ships arriving a few years later. Today, the port’s millions of annual cruise passengers travel on ships operated by Disney Cruise Line, Carnival, and Celebrity Cruises, among others. The seven terminals are designed to host some of the world’s largest ships, including the 1,188-foot-long Wonder of the Seas.
1. PortMiami – Miami, Florida
Total passengers in 2024: 8.23 million
Nicknamed the “Cruise Capital of the World,” PortMiami reigns as the busiest cruise port on the planet. It features 10 passenger terminals; Cruise Terminal AA is the world’s largest, occupying 450,000 square feet and capable of processing 36,000 daily passengers. Ships depart daily to destinations in the eastern and western Caribbean, Key West, Mexico, and South America. PortMiami is also the base for the Icon of the Seas, currently the world’s biggest cruise ship. Linked to downtown Miami via the PortMiami Tunnel, the port offers easy access to attractions such as the Wynwood Walls.
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