Guyana aiming to become key destination for expedition cruises – Rodrigues

Guyana is positioning itself as an emerging hub for cruise tourism, particularly expedition cruises, with Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues confirming that an expedition cruise ship is scheduled to dock on local shores in March.

“That’s one of the things that I’m pushing really hard for 2026 and going forward, is to encourage more expedition cruises to come to Guyana. We don’t have the draft for the major cruise lines. That is just a natural result of our geography. But we can accommodate the small expedition cruises, like you saw recently from the Swan Hellenic,” Rodrigues said on Sunday during an episode of the Starting Point podcast.

While regular cruises are designed for leisure and entertainment, typically traveling to popular, well-developed ports and using large ships that offer resort-style amenities such as pools, theatres and casinos, expedition cruises, focus on exploration and education, visiting remote or lesser-known destinations using smaller vessels.

“We have one scheduled to arrive in March of this year. So, we want to encourage more expedition cruises to come to Guyana,” she expressed.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali recently highlighted the government’s efforts to expand cruise tourism. Speaking during a December interview with a panel of women journalists, the Head of State explained that cruise tourism is a key component of the government’s broader strategy to develop the orange economy.

“[We’re] working to expand our tourism product, importantly, trying to get major cruise lines to come to Guyana. That is why we have to continue to develop this avenue [Lamaha Avenue], we’ll be developing the entire seawall, we’ll be creating a green eco-system and walking trail across Georgetown. And of course, for those day tourists, we’ll have the Essequibo Island Tours and the tours to Kaieteur,” the President had remarked.

In October 2025, Guyana welcomed the luxury expedition cruise ship, Swan Hellenic Vega, which docked at the GNSC Wharf in Georgetown with 75 passengers.

Licensed tour operator Evergreen Adventures had guided the group through a number of experiences including a tour to the majestic Kaieteur Falls.