SANTO DOMINGO. Port Cabo Rojo, located in the province of Pedernales, was among the three finalists for the "Port of the Year" awardatthe 2026 Seatrade Cruise Awards, a recognition that highlighted the Dominican port infrastructure within the international cruise industry, according to the Dominican Port Authority (APORDOM).
The Dominican terminal had been previously selected from more than 20 countries that submitted applications for this category and subsequently advanced to the decisive phase of the competition, in which the Port of Portsmouth International, in the United Kingdom, and the Port of Skjolden, in Norway, also participated.
The selection was made by an independent jury of 15 professionals from the global cruise industry, who analyzed the applications to determine which facilities would advance to the final stage.
Cabo Rojo advanced in an international competition
The nomination of Port Cabo Rojo represented one of the main international recognitions obtained by a Dominican port terminal since the beginning of its operations.
The enclave reached the decisive stage of the awards, which in 2026 celebrated their twentieth anniversary and brought together proposals from different markets linked to maritime tourism.
The results were announced on September 16, 2026, during the Seatrade Cruise Awards ceremony, held as part of Seatrade Cruise Med, in the Port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
The "Port of the Year" award was finally given to the port of Skjolden, in Norway, while Cabo Rojo remained among the three finalists in the category.
The terminal boosted the tourism development of Pedernales
APORDOM highlighted that the nomination constituted international recognition of the advancement of the Dominican Republic's port and tourism infrastructure and the growth of its presence in the global cruise market.
The Cabo Rojo terminal was part of the Pedernales tourism transformation project, an initiative that included the development of hotel infrastructure, services and new investments to boost the economy of the province and the Southern region.
The distinction also added to other events that strengthened the international projection of the Dominican port sector, including the Dominican Republic's assumption of the Principal Vice Presidency of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP/OAS) and the designation of Santo Domingo as the venue for the 27th Ordinary Meeting of the CIP, scheduled for 2027.
The Dominican Port Authority reiterated its commitment to strengthening the national maritime infrastructure and developing a competitive tourism-port ecosystem, with the aim of expanding the country's participation in the international cruise industry.
Cabo Rojo went from more than 20 nominations to three finalists
Port Cabo Rojo had previously reached the final stage after being included among the selected proposals from an international list of more than 20 countries.
The process was handled by an independent jury composed of 15 professionals from the global cruise industry, who evaluated the applications before defining the three ports that would compete for the recognition.
The Seatrade Cruise Awards celebrated their twentieth anniversary in 2026, establishing themselves as one of the leading awards in the international cruise industry.
The port became a key element in the tourism development of Pedernales
The arrival of cruise ships was linked to the tourism transformation process in Pedernales, where new hotel projects, infrastructure and services were developed to increase tourism activity in the area.
The international application came amid this expansion process, which sought to transform Pedernales and the Southern region into new centers of attraction for international visitors.
APORDOM had indicated that the port's ranking among the three finalists constituted recognition of the development of Dominican port and tourism infrastructure and the increased presence of the country in the global cruise market.
The result added to other events of international significance for the Dominican port system, including the designation of the Dominican Republic to occupy the Principal Vice Presidency of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP/OAS) and the selection of Santo Domingo as the venue for the 27th Ordinary Meeting of the CIP in 2027.
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