Cozumel and Falmouth Adjust Caribbean Tourism Plans as Norwegian Encore Reroutes After Pier Damage: All You Need to Know

Published on December 17, 2025

Cozumel experienced localized pier damage, forcing the cancellation of Norwegian Encore’s scheduled call and temporarily disrupting tourism activity tied to that arrival. Safety concerns around docking infrastructure meant the ship could not follow its original Western Caribbean itinerary, which included the Mexican island alongside Harvest Caye in Belize and George Town in the Cayman Islands. This kind of operational issue can affect local tourism businesses that rely on predictable cruise ship calls, from tour operators to waterfront restaurants and shops.

While the damage appears localized, even a single-day loss of calls can translate into thousands of missed tourism visits. For a port as cruise-dependent as Cozumel, maintaining pier integrity is critical to sustaining long-term tourism revenues in the region.

Falmouth, Jamaica Steps In to Support Tourism

In place of Cozumel, Norwegian rerouted Norwegian Encore to Falmouth, Jamaica, keeping guests on a Western Caribbean loop while shifting the tourism impact to another destination. Falmouth’s modern cruise pier and development as a call for large ships make it well-suited to absorb such last-minute changes. The port offers access to Jamaica tourism highlights, including beaches, historic architecture, and excursions into Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.

This substitution ensures that Caribbean tourism benefits are not lost entirely, but redistributed, shore excursion operators, guides, and vendors in Falmouth see additional traffic, while Cozumel faces a short-term reduction in visitor spend tied to this sailing.

Western Caribbean Tourism Itinerary Still Intact

The seven-night itinerary from Miami remains broadly aligned with typical Western Caribbean tourism  patterns despite the swap. Norwegian Encore departed PortMiami on Saturday, called at Harvest Caye in Belize, and still plans a stop in George Town, Grand Cayman, now arriving two hours earlier than initially scheduled. This extra time ashore enhances tourism opportunities in the Cayman Islands, allowing guests to join longer excursions, explore Seven Mile Beach, shop in George Town, or join independent snorkel trips.

By protecting key calls at Harvest Caye and George Town, Norwegian helps sustain tourism flows across multiple countries, even as one port temporarily drops from the schedule others continue to provide services.

Tourism Impact for Cozumel, Falmouth, and Grand Cayman

For Cozumel, the missed call underscores the vulnerability of cruise-driven tourism to infrastructure incidents. Local businesses lose a day of passenger traffic, while tour operators must manage cancellations and rebookings on future dates. In the medium term, prompt repair and clear communication will be essential to restoring tourism confidence among cruise lines and guests.

For Falmouth, the additional ship call means a short-notice boost in tourism revenue, as passengers purchase tours to beaches, waterfalls, rafting experiences, and cultural attractions. This can strengthen Jamaica’s tourism profile as a flexible, ready alternative when other ports face operational challenges.

Grand Cayman benefits from the schedule tweak that brings Norwegian Encore in earlier, expanding the window for tourism activities such as Stingray City, diving, and island tours. More time ashore can translate into higher per-guest spending, supporting the Cayman Islands’ upscale tourism positioning.

Guest Experience and Tourism Goodwill

Norwegian’s decision to automatically cancel and refund Cozumel shore excursions, while substituting a comparable Caribbean tourism port, helps preserve guest satisfaction. Offering a different but still beach-and-excursion–rich destination like Falmouth maintains the value of a Western Caribbean cruise, even if individual preferences for Cozumel-specific tours (such as certain reefs or cultural sites) cannot be replicated exactly.

Handled well, such adjustments can reinforce trust in cruise operations and keep travelers engaged with Caribbean tourism more broadly, rather than discouraging future bookings which will help them in maintaining the tourism flow.