Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Elation will begin a new schedule offering three- and four-day cruises from San Diego to Catalina Island and Ensenada starting Feb. 12. The 2,052-passenger ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises to Mexico from San Diego and will continue that program until the new service begins. On its new route, Carnival Elation will depart on Thursdays on three-day cruises to Ensenada. Four-day cruises will depart on Sundays and visit Ensenada and Catalina Island. This marks the first time passengers can depart from San Diego and voyage to Catalina Island aboard a large cruise ship.
"We're pleased to have this new itinerary available," said Michael Bixler, chairman of the board of port commissioners. "It's a perfect fit for local residents who want a pleasant way to travel to Catalina Island as well as for visitors attending a convention here who would like to include a pre or post cruise." The three- and four-day cruises are expected to attract 226,000 passengers annually, a boost of 33 percent over the 169,000 annual passengers that have embarked on the five-day cruises. With the shorter cruises, Carnival Elation will complete 100 ship calls annually, up from 75 for the longer cruises.
Carnival will continue to offer seasonal eight-day cruises from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera aboard Carnival Spirit. Each homeport cruise ship call 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 2007, the Port of San Diego had 238 cruise calls with more than 700,000 passengers. By the end of 2008, the port anticipates that number to jump to 252 cruises and more than 800,000 passengers. The Port currently has nine cruise lines making calls here. To accommodate the growing cruise business, the port will be building a cruise ship terminal on Broadway Pier and updating the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. The design for the new terminal at the Broadway Pier features a two-story structure with a modern design. It will include areas for passenger check-in, baggage processing and Customs and Border Protection. Construction for the approximately 50,000 square foot structure is planned to begin around late spring of 2009.
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