It is a shot in the arm the San Diego tourism industry needed.
The news this week that Royal Caribbean has decided to make San Diego a homeport for cruising for the first time ever. While their cruise ships have made occasional stops in San Diego, they will now be making nearly four dozen cruise calls during the 2026-2027 season, according to the San Diego Tribune.
And while the news is good news for tourism, there already is some concern over what the increased number of cruise ship passengers will experience when they get off the ship.
Owners of some restaurants downtown have complained more in recent times of the problems in the Gaslamp with people who are homeless sleeping on sidewalks and in parking lots and the concerns about finding needles, garbage and other disturbing things strewn around….as well as the panhandling of tourists that goes on and while few, there have been some assaults or shootings in the downtown area.
Needless to say, tourism is a vital part of San Diego’s economy, and so it is likely that with more than 200,000 additional cruise ship passengers estimated to come to our city when it becomes a homeport for Royal Caribbean, there will be more efforts to make sure that when they visit and walk through the Gaslamp, it’s smooth sailing and not rough seas.
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images