Cruise Traffic Surges Past 2025 Levels as San Juan Homeporting Delivers New Gains for WICO

ST. THOMAS — The West Indian Company expects cruise passenger traffic to exceed 1.2 million in fiscal year 2027, up from 1.17 million in 2026, even as the number of scheduled ship calls remains roughly unchanged. The company is also reporting increased revenue, additional water sales driven by cruise homeporting in San Juan and enough cash to sustain approximately one year of operations, WICO officials told board members at a recent meeting. WICO President and CEO Joseph Boschulte said cruise traffic in 2026 has been “very good,” and projected an even stronger performance in the coming fiscal year. Through May 31, the territory recorded 302 cruise ship calls representing 950,000 passengers. Mr. Boschulte described the figures as a “significant increase over the year before,.” The fiscal year 2027 schedule anticipates approximately the same number of cruise calls as the entire 2026 season, or “maybe one call up from before,” according to Mr. Boschulte. Passenger volume, however, is...