WICO Reports Sharp Rise in Cruise Calls and Passengers, but Port Can't Fully Meet Demand

Cruise traffic at the West Indian Company is running well ahead of last year’s pace, with both ship calls and passenger numbers rising in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. But even as WICO benefits from that growth and positions itself to capture more business if global conditions push additional ships into the Caribbean, company CEO Joseph Boschulte told directors Friday that St. Thomas still faces a major structural limit: the port does not have enough berthing capacity to handle the level of demand cruise lines are showing. Speaking during a board meeting, Mr. Boschulte said WICO is “significantly ahead” of where it was a year ago in both passengers and ship calls. “We are significantly ahead of where we were year to year in terms of passengers and calls to WICO, and that’s not only a good sign for WICO, but that’s a good sign for the territory as a whole, and of course for St. Thomas,” he said. According to Mr. Boschulte, port calls were up by almost ...