Royal Caribbean International Announces New Cruises Leaving From the Port of San Diego

Friday, 11 September 2009
Contact: Contacts: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6281

San Diego has a new seasonal homeport ship that will be offering Mexican Riviera cruises and West Coast cruises from the Port of San Diego.  Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas will begin the new itineraries on September 25, 2009.  The new cruises will run until May 2010.

The 2,500-passenger vessel will have 29 round trip cruises to Mexico, ranging from four- to 12-night itineraries.  Depending on the length of the cruise, ports of call on the Mexican Riviera cruises may include Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, Huatulco, Ixtapa (Zihuatanejo), Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

In addition, a 13-night cruise that calls on West Coast and Alaskan ports, and ends in Vancouver, British Columbia, will depart from San Diego on May 8, 2010.

"The Port of San Diego is thrilled to add the Radiance of the Seas to its fall/winter lineup," said Stephen P. Cushman, Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners. "Cruise travelers will enjoy the variety of the cruises and the region will benefit from the extra business."

To celebrate the new cruise business and to welcome the Radiance of the Seas to San Diego, the Port and Royal Caribbean International will be hosting a ship tour and luncheon on Friday, September 25, 2009.   The media is invited to attend.  To reserve a spot, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by September 18, 2009.  Advanced arrangements must be made to board the ship.

Each homeport cruise ship at the Port of San Diego has an economic impact of about $2 million.  This figure is derived from the average amount that a cruise ship passenger spends while in the San Diego region, along with the employment associated with serving the cruise ship and the many businesses and services that support it.  They include food companies, linen services, trucking companies, fuel companies, landside tour companies and florists.

In fiscal year 2008, the Port of San Diego had 297 cruise calls with almost one million passengers.  There are currently six cruise lines making calls at the Port.

To accommodate the growing cruise business, the Port of San Diego is building a new, 52,000-square foot terminal on Broadway Pier.  Construction is anticipated to be completed in December 2010.

Royal Caribbean is a global cruise brand with 21 ships currently in service and two under construction.  The line also offers unique cruise tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and New Zealand.  For additional information, visit Royal Caribbean's Web site.

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