If you travel with Carnival, Princess or Holland America, your ship will probably dock at Carnival’s own port in Roatan. For years it was known as Mahogany Bay; in 2026, after a big renovation, it took the new name of Isla Tropicale. This is the second port article we promised in our story of Roatan and the cruise ships; the first one is about the Port of Roatan in Coxen Hole.
If your cruise ship is a Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian or MSC, there is a good chance that you will arrive in Roatan at the Port of Roatan, also known as Town Center, in Coxen Hole. As we promised in our article about Roatan and the cruise ships, here is a closer look at this port and at how to enjoy your day on the island.
Today it is normal to see one, two or even three giant ships in front of Roatan, and the island has become one of the most visited cruise destinations of the Western Caribbean. But it was not always like this: the story of Roatan and the cruise ships is quite recent, and it started small.
If there is one picture that everybody brings home from Roatan, it is this one: a long line of white sand, palm trees leaning over the water and a sea that goes from crystal clear to every shade of turquoise. Welcome to West Bay Beach, at the far west end of the island, the beach that has become the postcard of Roatan.
The sweet island of Roatan is long and narrow, so, more than almost any other place, it has a well defined east end and west end. Please don’t ask us which one is more beautiful, because we could not answer… both have their own beauty and attractions. Since it is easier to reach, more developed and known for many years, we will start with West End, an old fishing village that has become the tourist heart of Roatan.
