Abstract
Passengers disembarking from cruise ships at ports of call have significant economic effects on the host destination. This paper studies the determinants of cruise passengers' spending while visiting two ports in Uruguay. Data from an official survey are used to investigate the likely determinants of expenditure in the 2011–2012 cruise season. The Heckit model suggests the presence of a decision process of purchasing that might be more ‘instinctive’ than is suggested by the findings of other papers for general tourism expenditure. The improvement of the economic effects of a cruise requires the formulation of appropriate marketing strategies according to the nationality of passengers. In addition, several findings indicate that such enhancement is more required in the port of Punta del Este, whose logistics do not facilitate the direct disembarkation of tourists to the port.