Balearic cruise traffic declines despite July increase

Balearic ports recorded 1.2 million cruise passengers between January and July, a 12 percent decrease from the comparable period. The decline came despite stronger traffic in July, when cruise passenger numbers increased 6.7 percent to 378,573, according to figures from the Ministry of Transport.

Earlier figures showed that the Balearic Islands received 547,318 cruise passengers from January through May, down 26.2 percent from 741,372 in the same period a year earlier. Those passengers arrived aboard 207 ships, an 18.2 percent reduction from the 253 ships recorded during the prior-year period.

In May alone, the region handled 313,119 cruise passengers aboard 107 ships. The monthly passenger total was 5.85 percent below the 332,575 passengers recorded in May 2025.

Palma is also due to lower its daily average number of berths during the summer. From 2027 through 2029, the average will decline from 8,500 to 7,500 between June and September, while remaining at 8,500 during the rest of each year. The summer limits expire after 2029, although the broader agreement will remain in effect until 2031.