If Ensenada feels a little busier this October, it’s not your imagination, it’s 36 cruise ship calls on the calendar. According to the Hutchison Ports ECV arrivals list, the month is stacked with repeat visits from Carnival Radiance, Carnival Firenze, and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, plus calls by Nieuw Amsterdam, Island Princess, Ruby Princess, Royal Princess, Koningsdam, Norwegian Bliss, Navigator of the Seas, Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Legend.
How many visitors are we talking about?
To get a reasonable estimate of how many people will step ashore, we used each ship’s double-occupancy (the industry’s standard planning number) and multiplied by the number of Ensenada calls listed for October.
Here are the headline capacities used:
- Carnival Radiance: 2,984 guests (6 calls).
- Carnival Firenze: 4,126 guests (7 calls).
- Quantum of the Seas: 4,180 guests (7 calls).
- Navigator of the Seas: ~3,388 guests (4 calls).
- Carnival Panorama: 4,008 guests (3 calls).
- Nieuw Amsterdam: 2,106 guests (2 calls).
- Island Princess: ~2,200 guests (1 call).
- Ruby Princess: 3,080 guests (1 call).
- Royal Princess: 3,560 guests (2 calls).
- Koningsdam: 2,650 guests (1 call).
- Norwegian Bliss: ~4,010 guests (1 call).
- Carnival Legend: 2,124 guests (1 call).
Crunching those ship-by-ship counts against the October schedule yields an estimated 127,000 cruise passengers arriving in Ensenada this month (127,018 using the exact tallies). That’s double-occupancy only; on peak sailings with families in third and fourth berths, loads can run higher.
What that means in pesos and dollars
How much do visitors actually spend in town? Recent reporting on Ensenada’s cruise economy pegs average passenger spending at US$63.68 per person, with crew spending averaging US$47.84 when they go ashore.
Apply that passenger average to October’s expected arrivals and you’re looking at ~US$8.1 million in direct on-shore passenger spending in a single month—money that filters into taquerías and tasting rooms, tour operators, drivers, pharmacies, souvenir stalls, and yes, the place that sells the “I heart Ensenada” hoodies.
For context, wider cruise research for the Caribbean and Latin America found that a single 4,000-passenger call typically generates about US$369,100 in on-shore spending by passengers and crew, useful to remember when two large ships overlap on a weekend.
Why it matters locally
- Jobs & small business: Shore tours, wine-valley excursions, fishing charters, guides, mariachis on the malecón, and micro-entrepreneurs all benefit from predictable ship traffic.
- Tax base & services: Visitor spending supports municipal revenues that help keep the waterfront, roads, and public spaces functioning for residents and guests alike.
- Season smoothing: October sits between high summer and holiday travel; a packed cruise calendar helps smooth out the shoulder season for hospitality workers and vendors.
Ship “regulars” this month
- Frequent callers: Quantum of the Seas (7), Carnival Firenze (7), Carnival Radiance (6).
- Busy weekends: Watch the mid-month and Oct. 24–25 stretch, when Koningsdam, Carnival Panorama, and Norwegian Bliss cluster around the same weekend.
One policy note to watch
Mexico approved a new immigration levy on cruise passengers for 2025; after industry pushback, reports indicate it’s starting at US$5 per guest from July 1, 2025, with the possibility of gradual increases. Any changes to fees can influence itineraries, pricing, and ultimately local spending, so we’ll keep an eye on how this develops.
With 36 ship calls and roughly 127,000 passengers expected, October is set to be a strong month for Ensenada’s waterfront economy, good news for everyone from ceviche stands to the Valle’s tasting rooms. If you’re heading downtown on a ship day, expect lively sidewalks and longer lines at the churro cart.
