Heavy rains brought by Hurricane Melissa in late October forced multiple cruise ships to alter or abandon scheduled calls in the Dominican Republic, resulting in an estimated loss of 25,000 passengers, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The storm formed on October 21st and dissipated on October 31st after reaching Category 5 strength, and its weather systems significantly reduced cruise movements into Dominican ports.
The country recorded 98,051 cruise arrivals for the month, a figure representing a 41% decline compared with October of the previous year. Tourism Minister David Collado indicated that unsafe marine conditions prevented more than eleven vessels from docking, though he noted that several of those cruises were expected to restore their visits during November and December.
Deputy Minister Jacqueline Mora observed that, despite the setback, the nearly 100,000 passengers who did make landfall marked an increase of 11 percent over October 2023 and stood 51 percent above pre-pandemic numbers. From January through October, cruise arrivals reached 2,115,262 travelers—surpassing the previous year by 8,524 passengers and reflecting slight overall growth for the period.