SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The Port of San Diego says its cruise business is bouncing back after years of dwindling services.
The first of two European cruise lines made a stop in San Diego Tuesday. The second ship is expected Friday.
The MSC Magnifica holds approximately 3,000 passengers and 1,000 crew on the 964-foot long vessel.
“We are happy to see the cruise back here in San Diego,”said Port of San Diego Maritime Director Joel Valenzuela, “not just in terms of numbers but also in sort of the diversity of cruise lines.”
Valenzuela says the Mexican Riviera had been a tough sell to cruise lines because of safety concerns, and their numbers had dropped noticeably in previous years.
'“Understandably, there are some concerns regarding security in that area,” said Valenzuela, ”but thankfully the last several years has been pretty stable in
terms of economic and social conditions down there so we’re seeing a lot of cruise lines coming back.”
92 cruises are expected to make stops in San Diego in 2019.
The port estimates cruise passengers make a $2 million economic impact each time they stop in San Diego.
