This is the Caribbean’s Only Cruise Conference — And It’s Coming to Puerto Rico in October

The Caribbean cruise industry’s biggest annual gathering is officially open for business.

Registration has opened for the 2026 FCCA Cruise Conference and Trade Show, the region’s largest cruise-focused event and the only major cruise conference held in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The event returns to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Oct. 12-16, bringing together roughly 100 cruise executives and hundreds of tourism stakeholders, destinations, tour operators, port officials and private-sector companies from across the region.

Organized by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, the conference has become one of the most important business development events for Caribbean tourism, offering direct access to the cruise industry executives who influence itinerary planning, onboard programming, destination investments and shore excursion development.

“This is the only event in the region that puts any attendee in direct contact with cruise executives that can drive business,” said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc and FCCA.

The centerpiece of the conference remains its one-on-one meeting program, which pairs delegates with senior cruise executives for 15-minute sessions focused on pitching products, discussing destination opportunities and exploring new partnerships.

According to FCCA, delegates who register by Aug. 31 will be eligible to participate in the meeting scheduling process. The organization is expecting another strong year after last year’s event generated a record 1,030 meeting slots, continuing a trend that has seen participation grow since the format was revamped to place greater emphasis on direct business meetings.

The conference agenda also includes workshops, networking functions, executive panels and discussions focused on the future of Caribbean cruising.

“We are proud of this event’s continued success for attendees and so many throughout the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Michele Paige, CEO of FCCA. “It has been the birthplace of everything from new tours to entire destination developments, so we are excited about what this year can bring for all.”

Beyond the meetings themselves, the event has traditionally served as a platform for destinations to showcase new infrastructure projects, tourism developments and cruise-related initiatives directly to decision-makers from the industry’s major cruise lines.

FCCA officials are also encouraging early registration through an early-bird discount program that runs through Aug. 31. Pre-registration will remain available through Oct. 11.

While onsite registration will be offered in San Juan, FCCA said rates will be higher because of additional event logistics and operational costs.

The conference comes as Caribbean cruise tourism continues to post strong demand, with destinations across the region investing heavily in port improvements, expanded shore excursion offerings and visitor experiences designed to capture growing passenger traffic.

This year’s gathering in Puerto Rico is expected to once again bring together many of the executives responsible for deployment decisions, destination development strategies and onboard revenue programs across the cruise sector, making it one of the most closely watched tourism industry events in the Caribbean calendar.