Acapulco just logged a comeback worth watching. The Holland America ship Eurodam sailed into the storied Mexican Pacific port with 2,039 passengers and 874 crew aboard, marking the line's first call there in 17 years. For a city that once defined glamour cruising on Mexico's west coast, the visit reads as a genuine vote of confidence — and it's part of a wider pattern.
The port authority, ASIPONA Acapulco, treated the occasion properly: a welcome ceremony on board with a plaque exchange, attended by officials including operations and engineering manager Briseida Rodríguez Bustamante and ports administration general manager Raymundo Sánchez López. Captain Jeroen van Donselaar welcomed the delegation on the bridge of the 86,273-ton ship, and Acapulco Cruise Port (GPH) handled the logistics behind the scenes. The port authority framed the call as a reaffirmation of Acapulco's historical place on Pacific navigation routes — a nod to its heyday as the destination for Hollywood stars and sun-seekers mid-century.
The Eurodam itself was in transit. After a summer season running Alaska and British Columbia itineraries, the ship is on a 16-night repositioning cruise from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale, taking in ports in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Aruba along the way. Repositioning sailings like this are a well-kept trick for travellers who want longer, less crowded itineraries at lower per-day prices than typical short cruises.
Holland America is not the only line giving Acapulco another chance. Carnival Cruise Line ended its own 15-year absence in late 2025, when the Carnival Legend made an unplanned stop after a weather-related itinerary change — and apparently liked what it saw. The Carnival Firenze is scheduled to call in October and November this year. Norwegian Cruise Line is in on the action too, with two ships, the Norwegian Star and Norwegian Bliss, visiting the destination in 2026.
For holiday planners, this means Acapulco is becoming a realistic port of call again rather than a memory. The city offers the iconic cliff-diving show at La Quebrada, a sweeping horseshoe bay, and a long-standing beach resort culture that has been working to rebuild its reputation in recent years. If you're eyeing a Mexican Riviera cruise or a Panama-bound repositioning sailing from San Diego or Los Angeles, keep an eye out for itineraries that now include Acapulco alongside classic stops like Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco and Cabo San Lucas.
Three major cruise lines returning within roughly a year also signals that safety and infrastructure concerns — which kept lines away for years — are being addressed at the port level. Whether Acapulco can reclaim its former stature remains to be seen, but for travellers who remember it fondly or are curious about Mexico's original resort city, the options just multiplied.
Story via Cruise Industry News.
