Port of Lisbon Sets New June Cruise Passenger Record

The Port of Lisbon achieved its busiest June ever for cruise operations in 2026, welcoming 81,735 passengers across 37 cruise ship calls. Passenger numbers increased by 53 percent compared to June 2025, while ship visits rose 32 percent year over year, setting new records for the month.

June also saw significant growth in Lisbon’s homeport business, with turnaround passenger traffic increasing at a faster rate than transit traffic. According to the Port of Lisbon, results from the first half of the year suggest cruise activity is becoming less seasonal, with ship calls more evenly spread throughout the calendar.

Transit passengers reached 54,885 during June, representing a 32 percent increase from the same month last year. The port handled 21 transit calls, surpassing the previous June record of 19 set in 2023.

Turnaround operations experienced even stronger growth, with 26,850 passenger movements recorded, a 125 percent increase year over year. That total also exceeded the previous June record of 23,090 set in 2024. Both embarkations and disembarkations climbed to 13,425 passengers, compared to 6,166 embarkations and 5,747 disembarkations in June 2025.

The overall June passenger total also broke the previous monthly record of 60,922 passengers, established in 2024. The port credited the strong performance primarily to the expansion of homeport operations.

During the first six months of 2026, the Port of Lisbon handled 165 cruise calls and 302,496 passengers, with both figures up 5 percent compared to the same period in 2025. Transit passenger numbers reached 217,047, marking a 4 percent increase, while turnaround passengers totaled 85,449, up 7 percent year over year.

The latest figures build on Lisbon’s record-breaking performance in 2024, when the port welcomed 763,752 cruise passengers across 369 vessel calls. That year included 206,226 turnaround passengers from 110 turnaround calls. Visitors from the United Kingdom accounted for the largest share of passengers at 41 percent, followed by the United States with 20 percent and Germany with 14 percent.

Lisbon also continued attracting new cruise ships in 2026, with eight vessels making their maiden calls during the first half of the year.