A new study released by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) found that cruise tourism contributed more than $258 million to the Virgin Islands economy during the 2023/2024 season, or $73 million. dollars more than in 2017/2018.

The increased economic contribution of cruises was true for all Caribbean destinations, with the US Virgin Islands recording the third largest economic benefit from cruise tourism, behind Cozumel and the Bahamas.

The number of Virgin Islanders directly employed in the cruise tourism sector has also increased, to just over 5,000 in 2024, up from fewer than 3,450 in 2018.

Despite these encouraging figures, the study conducted by Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) notes a worrying trend. Shore visits by passengers and crew have declined, the latter significantly – from 39% in 2018 to 30% in this year’s study. Passenger disembarkation rates fell to 83% this year, compared to 85% in 2018.

Despite the reduction in ridership rates, total direct spending per passenger increased, aggregated for all destinations. Average spending per passenger (both for transit and homeport passengers) also increased slightly. The USVI had the second highest average spending – $166.22, behind Panama ($190.61). In the 2018 study, the territory came in first, with an average passenger spend of $165.42.

Regardless of the destinations, passengers spent the majority of their money (around $2.4 billion) in four main categories: ; shore excursions, watches and jewelry, food and drinks and clothing. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, total passenger spending across all categories was just over $221 million, compared to $156 million in 2018. Visits and crew spending, however, decreased slightly between 2018 and 2024. Shore excursions were the most popular purchase, with 56% of all cruise passengers in the territory purchasing a tour – 10 percentage points higher than in 2018. Of these passengers, 76% purchased directly from from the cruise line, while only 5% of those who took excursions booked with a local provider. In 2018, land-based companies received 16% of shore excursion bookings.

Cruise lines themselves are also spending more domestically, on port taxes and local supplies. In the 2024 study, that amounted to $26.55 million for the USVI, up from $18.04 million in 2018.

The data paints a complex picture of cruise travel in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Even as visitor numbers have increased, the territory has been largely unable to convince cruise passengers to spend more during their stay. With recently passed legislation allowing St. Croix visitors to stay on their ships to patronize onboard casinos, local cruise-focused businesses will need to fine-tune their strategies to attract high-spending customers.