It's been months since Royal Caribbean ships have visited Falmouth, Jamaica. However, the port reopened and is welcoming cruise passengers once again.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, as the strongest landfall the country had ever recorded, causing catastrophic damage across the Caribbean nation.
Not only that, but Melissa is one of the most intense landfalling Atlantic hurricanes on record (in terms of lowest barometric pressure), tied with the "Labor Day" storm of 1935.
The Category 5 storm was responsible for 32 deaths and up to $4 billion in insured losses in Jamaica alone, NBC News reported.
(Credit: Port Authority of Jamaica/Facebook)
As such, Royal Caribbean and other major cruise lines had been diverting ships away from the country while it focused on critical relief efforts.
However, according to the Port Authority of Jamaica, Falmouth is officially open to cruise traffic. Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess was the first vessel to call at Falmouth on Dec. 2, 2025. The 3,140-passenger ship is currently on a 12-night Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"This restart supports renewed activity across the Falmouth community, stimulating business opportunities for local merchants, transport operators, and service providers," Jamaica's Port Authority shared on Facebook.
(Credit: Port Authority of Jamaica/Facebook)
"The Port Authority of Jamaica remains committed to strengthening the communities in which we operate and contributing meaningfully to local livelihoods as we return to normalcy and advance ongoing rebuilding efforts."
Multiple Royal Caribbean ships, including Adventure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas, are set to call at Falmouth in the coming weeks.
Other cruise lines, such as Disney, Norwegian, MSC, and Holland America Line, are also scheduled to visit Falmouth during the busy holiday season.
Jamaica aims to resume full tourism operations by Dec. 15
Falmouth was the last cruise port in Jamaica to reopen to cruise passengers.
Ocho Rios welcomed ships in mid-November, with guests aboard Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam visiting the island on Nov. 11. The following day, thousands of passengers on the Carnival Sunrise also got to call at Ocho Rios.
Likewise, Montego Bay welcomed nearly 2,900 passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship on Nov. 24.
However, Falmouth's infrastructure repairs took longer to complete. As such, the port remained closed into December.
After Melissa's landfall, Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism. said the country was aiming to resume full tourism operations by Dec. 15.
"Tourism’s strength lies not just in its product offerings, but in its people and partnerships. The speed and synergy of our response show the industry’s resilience and our unwavering commitment to recovery with empathy, compassion, and innovation," Bartlett explained.
While tourism operations were halted, many cruise lines pledged millions to aid the ongoing relief efforts. Cruise ships also delivered essential supplies, such as water, bedding, clothing, mattresses, and more.
