Cruise: Saint John, San Diego
Port Saint John Docks Its Largest Cruise Ship Ever
The largest cruise ship ever to visit Port Saint John arrived September 1 at approximately 12:30 pm and remained twelve hours, departing after midnight.
Liberty of the Seas, a Freedom class cruise ship in Royal Caribbean International’s fleet, was making the first of three calls to Saint John this year. Subsequent calls are scheduled for September 14 and October 13.
The 154,407-gross-ton vessel is 1,111.9 feet/338.9 meters long, 184 feet/56.1 meters wide, has a draft of 28.9 feet/8.8 meters, and can carry up to 4,375 passengers. Cunard’s 2,800-passenger Queen Mary 2 was the port’s previous record holder for cruise ship size.
Planning for the port visit by Liberty of the Seas occurred over a period of two years and included working with the harbor pilots on coordinating arrival and departure during appropriate tidal windows, installation of a new 200-metric-ton bollard (used to hold the ship’s bow lines), and other operational considerations related to safety, security and efficiency.
"Today’s visit by Liberty of the Seas shows how working together as an operational team, the Saint John Port community is able to safely handle the largest cruise ships currently afloat," said Captain Chris Hall, vice president operators and harbor master for Port Saint John.
Liberty of the Seas approaching its berth at the Port Saint John cruise terminal.
Photo/Port Saint John
San Diego Announces Start of 2015-2016 Cruise Season
The Port of San Diego’s 2015-2016 cruise season kicked off September 9 with the arrival of Celebrity Cruises’ Infinity. The 2,170-passenger vessel stopped at San Diego harbor as part of a nine-night Pacific coastal cruise that began and ended in San Francisco with intermediate stops that also included Monterey, Santa Barbara, Catalina and Ensenada.
October promises to be a busy cruise month with the Disney Wonder arriving on Thursday, October 1, for a three-night Baja California cruise. The vessel returns for three five-day Baja cruises that begin and end in San Diego.
Other highlights in October include a 15-day Mexican Riviera cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Sun, and an 18-day Inca Discovery Cruise on Holland America’s Zaandam.
Cruise ship operators lines with vessels homeported in San Diego include Disney Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line and Celebrity Cruises. According to the port, each homeported cruise generates an average regional economic impact of $2 million from passenger spending, vessel servicing, transportation services, crew spending and more.
Last year, the port completed a $31 million project that completely redesigned the North Embarcadero area from the Midway Pier to the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. Widened esplanades, public seating areas, jacaranda groves and public art now greet cruise guests as they embark or disembark.
Currently 65 vessels are tentatively scheduled to dock in San Diego this season, which runs from September through May 2016. Click here for details.
Celebrity Infinity opened the 2015-2016 cruise season at San Diego’s Cruise Ship Terminal on September 9.
Photo/Port of San Diego