The Port of San Diego welcomes the return of cruise lines and cruise passengers Friday, as ships from Disney and Princess Cruises set sail.
The Disney Wonder and Grand Princess will be the first departures out of San Diego in more than 18 months due to the pandemic.
The Disney Wonder sets sail for a four-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas. The Grand Princess began its journey in Los Angeles on Thursday and will stop in San Diego on its way to Ensenada.
The Port currently anticipates more than 100 cruise calls through May 2022. Those calls will primarily be from Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line.
San Diego, a gateway to the Mexican Riviera, is California’s third busiest cruise port behind Long Beach and Los Angeles. Other major destinations include Hawaii, the Panama Canal and the Pacific Coast.
The Port’s cruise sector has a tremendous economic impact. A homeported cruise – those that begin and end in San Diego, generates $2 million for the region.
When San Diego is one stop on the cruise itinerary, the port call brings in nearly $600,000.
Health and safety remains a focus for the Port as the pandemic continues. The Port is working with the cruise lines, along with various other local, state, and federal agencies on precautions, including:
- Crew members and eligible guests must be fully vaccinated (ages 12 and up). In special and rare cases, medical exemptions may be allowed.
- Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess must maintain that at least 95% of all guests are vaccinated. Disney Cruise Line will test guests on departure days.
- Unvaccinated guests must provide negative PCR test results between three days and 24 hours before departures.
- People must complete a health screening form to declare that they have been vaccinated, are not experiencing any symptoms, and had a recent negative COVID-19 test (if pre-testing was required by the cruise line).