Effort to Increase Cruise Business Seen as a Boon to City’s Visitor Industry
Published: March, 2005
With the City’s cruise business at record levels, the Port of San Francisco co-hosted a symposium aimed at building relationships between the City’s visitor industry and the cruise lines calling San Francisco. Over two hundred people, representing more than a hundred Bay Area businesses, attended the event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on January 26. Along with the Port, other sponsors included WHERE San Francisco Magazine, the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, Boudin at the Wharf, Cline Cellars, Artesa Vineyards, and Cable Car Charters.
Representatives from the mayor’s office, the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Port Commission made opening remarks, and each commented on the significant impact of the cruise lines on the local economy. “There is no doubt that the growth in San Francisco’s passenger cruise market has significantly benefited the City’s travel trade industries,” stated John Marks, president of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. “And that directly translates into more jobs, more enrichment, and more opportunities for all Bay Area residents. The average cruise ship spends $650,000 on wages and benefits, as well as on goods and services every time they are in port.”
“The Port’s cruise business is important not only to our maritime industries, but also to the City’s overall economy,” remarked Michael Hardeman, vice president of the Port Commission. “It’s important that the Port continue to aggressively attract cruise ships to San Francisco and construct our new cruise terminal at Piers 30-32, which we expect to open in 2009.”
Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises each participated in the symposium panel discussions and product presentations. Each line featured a trade show exhibit where the attendees could network and meet cruise line contacts in order to develop future business. Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises provided free cruises for two as grand prizes in a drawing that was held for those in attendance.
This year, San Francisco will host twenty-three different cruise ships representing twelve different cruise companies. More than 200,000 passengers will come to San Francisco by cruise ship in 2005, making it the biggest year for cruising in Port history. Five different ships will homeport at San Francisco, making regular round-trip sailings throughout the year. They include:
> Celebrity Infinity, offering 12-day round- trips to Alaska
> Celebrity Mercury, offering 7-, 8-, 10-, and 12-day round-trips to Mexico
> Crystal Harmony, offering 12-day round- trips to Alaska
> Dawn Princess, offering 10-day round- trips to Mexico
> Regal Princess, offering 10-day round- trips to Alaska
The Port of San Francisco, an enterprise agency of the City and County of San Francisco, oversees a broad range of maritime, commercial, and public-access facilities along the City’s waterfront that are held in public trust for the people of California.
