Port of San Diego prepares for biggest cruise season since 2010

The Port of San Diego is set to begin its busiest cruise season since 2010, with all sailing at or near full capacity and a 45% increase over last year expected to see a total of around 460,000 passengers, officials said Tuesday.

“The Port of San Diego’s cruise business is definitely experiencing a rebound and we expect continued growth,” Port of San Diego Chairman Dan Malcolm said. “We’re pleased to be welcoming our cruise customers back to San Diego and to share how wonderful our port is to our cruise passengers. This season’s business will be a great boost to our regional economy.”

The season begins Monday with the arrival of Silversea Cruises’ Star Breeze. Star Breeze will be cruising to Papeete, Tahiti on a 13-day voyage.

That sailing will be followed by the Disney Wonder arriving Sept. 23. Disney Cruise Line is more than doubling its sailings from San Diego this season, moving from 16-24 per season to 51. Princess Cruises is also adding new business to San Diego with 13 sailings and will be home-porting here for the first time.

The full schedule features long-term Port of San Diego partners Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line, as well as Princess Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line. Voyages from MSC Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Scenic Luxury Cruises, Oceania Cruises and American Queen Voyages are also on the port calendar.

The port’s two cruise ship terminals on B Street and Broadway piers are located on the North Embarcadero in downtown. Repairs and improvements are underway at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. A project to install a new curtain wall to extend the life and long-term stability of the pier structure as well as shore power capacity is being doubled. The port will begin connecting two cruise ships simultaneously this fall.

In 2024, the port will begin construction on a $5 million project to make interior improvements to the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal.

The Port of San Diego is California’s third busiest cruise port after Long Beach and Los Angeles.