San Diego Port Anticipating Its Busiest Cruise Season Since 2010

Cruise ships at the Port of San Diego’s cruise terminal. Photo courtesy of POSD.

The Port of San Diego’s new cruise season has set sail and business is bouncing back, according to the POSD.

This season is poised to be the port’s busiest since 2010 with 140 cruises scheduled, up 45% from 2021, with all sailings at or near full capacity, bringing about 460,000 passengers.

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

“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 port’s new cruise season officially began Sept. 19 with the arrival of Silversea Cruises’ Star Breeze. The Star Breeze cruised to Tahiti on a 13-day voyage. It was followed by the Disney Wonder on 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 is homeporting in San Diego for the first time ever.

The full cruise 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 calendar.

Itineraries include voyages to the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and the California Coast. There is also a 20-day Mexican Riviera and Central America cruise; a 25-day Pacific crossing to Japan; and a 35-day voyage to Hawaii, Tahiti and the Marquesas.

By Karen Robes Meeks