NCL Jade to depart from San Diego in late 2025 and early 2026

[MONYMONY68]

I just noticed on the NCL website that the Jade will departing from San Diego in October, 2025 from San Diego to Miami (via the Panama Canal) for a 14 night cruise.  I booked this cruise.

Also, the Jade will be sailing twice to the Mexican Riviera from San Diego in March/April, 2026 for 7 night cruises.  I also booked one of these cruises.

So happy to see NCL schedule a few cruises from my hometown of San Diego.

I hope they add more and other cruise lines join the party.

San Diego is a much better cruise port to depart from than Los Angeles.

Much more convenient; airport is a stone's throw away and less congestion getting to the cruise port.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, MONYMONY68 said:

So happy to see NCL schedule a few cruises from my hometown of San Diego.

I hope they add more and other cruise lines join the party.

 

The City of San Diego needs to fix the customer experience out of San Diego if they want/expect more cruise lines to originate cruises from there.

[riffatsea]

I wish I liked NCL

It would be convenient but not for me!

[Boatdrill]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:51 PM, scottca075 said:

 

The City of San Diego needs to fix the customer experience out of San Diego if they want/expect more cruise lines to originate cruises from there.

The City of San Diego has nothing to do with customer experience.

It's up to the Port of San Diego and the cruise lines. The cruise lines hire the companies that handle 

passengers. If you have an issue with the porters or security, talk to the Port. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

7 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

The City of San Diego has nothing to do with customer experience.

 

The City of San Diego, as well as Coronado, IB, CV and NC run the port through its commissioners.

[Boatdrill]

That's true. However the city has nothing to do with cruise passengers' experience. 

Call them and ask.   

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, Boatdrill said:

That's true. However the city has nothing to do with cruise passengers' experience. 

Call them and ask.   

 

I don't need to call the city. I spoke to Mayor Gloria about it at a business function about a month ago and expressed my concerns. I've known him a long and we had a good conversation. He had no idea of the issues and was distressed to hear of them. I doubt much will change, but we'll see.

[MONYMONY68]

I called the mayor’s office 3 months ago and shared my thoughts about the lack of cruise ships here. She promised to get back to me, but I never heard back. 

[DAllenTCY]

When the NCL Jewel last sailed from San Diego, they primarily used staff that were bussed down from Los Angeles for the day.  I even spoke to a representative who had been flown in from New York City to work.  She was not alone making that trip.

 

NCL shoreside workers are employed by a different company (SMS) than those who reside in San Diego County and work Disney, Holland America, and Crystal at the port (Intercruises) on a regular basis.  A few are able to work for both companies simultaneously, but it is very rare.

 

"Customer experience" can be affected by:

 

         How many passenger are boarding....Volendam 1,350 vs Koningsdam 2,550

        

         One ship or two in port on the same day NCL/Disney....NCL/Holland America  4,500+

 

         Weather...hot....cold....rain

 

         Familiarity with the port as noted above

 

         Etc....etc.

 

The city of San Diego attempted years ago to build a modern cruise terminal at the foot of Broadway.  The design was challenged in court for 7 years and ultimately reduced in size to appease what local residents downtown.... and the US Customs service....would accept.

 

San Diego has more urgent problems....the homeless....migrant issues....ongoing law suits regarding 101 Ash Street...De Anza Cove expenses...high crime rate.

 

There is not any support from either the county or city politicians to address poor cruise line "customer experiences"

 

The escalator at the B Street Pier has been out of service since October.  Who seems to care?

 

David

 

 

 

 

[Eric from San Diego]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:51 PM, KeepCalmBearOn said:

 

The City of San Diego needs to fix the customer experience out of San Diego if they want/expect more cruise lines to originate cruises from there.

I can't see that it matters very much.   San Pedro only has two berths 92 and 93 which is used by NCL, RCCL, Princess and sometimes Viking, Seabourn, Oceania.   Long Beach as only one berth owned and operated by Carnival.  

 

With three in San Diego, that's only six berths for Southern California,  population 22 million.  Port Everglades alone has eight berths.  

 

The cruise lines will have to take what they can get and like it if they want to leave from SoCal.

 

Oh, and the Port Of SD announced last year that they are spending $5 million to improve the facilities at B Street Pier. 

Edited April 1 by Eric from San Diego

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 minute ago, Eric from San Diego said:

I can't see that it matters very much.   San Pedro only has two berths 92 and 93 which is used by NCL, RCCL, Princess and sometimes Viking, Seabourn, Oceania.   Long Beach as only one berth owned and operated by Carnival.  

 

San Pedro has four berths, 92, 93, 46 and 50. We are on the Majestic in October out of Berth 50.

 

The point wasn't that San Diego needs more terminals, but better management and a better customer experience to keep the companies wanting to come. It is great when Disney shows up and I'd like to see MSC come in.

[pc_load_letter]

San Diego native and still living here. I cannot fathom why SD is not a "home" port to more cruise ships or why a cruise line would rather go to Catalina (ugh) vs San Diego. But I get it, the Port could not manage a hot dog stand. I interviewed once for a position there and said thanks but no thanks. What a mess of an agency.

 

Never the less, as far as Jade is concerned, I think (sadly) I'd rather go to San Pedro to take Bliss for five nights. I love that ship.

[Eric from San Diego]

On 3/31/2024 at 7:51 PM, KeepCalmBearOn said:

 

San Pedro has four berths, 92, 93, 46 and 50. We are on the Majestic in October out of Berth 50.

 

The point wasn't that San Diego needs more terminals, but better management and a better customer experience to keep the companies wanting to come. It is great when Disney shows up and I'd like to see MSC come in.

You kind of miss my point.  If cruise lines don't wish to use San Diego's terminal, the only alternative in So Cal is Los Angeles.  Berth 92 and 93 are already booked solid with existing tenants.  Berth 46 and 50 are just that - berths.  The only facility there is an asphalt parking lot.  No buildings, boarding bridges, nothing.  Sometimes there are tents.   Otherwise the cruise lines process passengers at the World Cruise Terminal Berths 92 and 93 and run shuttle buses to piers 46 and 50.  Port of LA put out a request for proposal for an operator to build and operate a cruise terminal at Berth 46/50 in 2019, but so far nothing has come of it.   

 

If the Port of LA did build a new cruise terminal at Berth 46/50, it would no doubt draw cruises away from San Diego.  But the POLA is not a field of dreams outfit.  The RFP was for a private company to build and operate a cruise terminal Berth 46/50 and assume all the risk.  POLA was also interested in having this same operator take over and operate Berth 92/93.  I am not surprised that there are no takers. Cruise ship terminals don't generate the same kind of concession income from restaurants and stores that you see at airports because people just want to get on the ship as quickly as possible.  

 

Port of San Diego's only revenues come from rent they charge their tenants and parking meters.  If cruise passengers pay hotel room taxes or sales taxes, that money goes to the City of SD, not the Port.   POSD would be very happy to build a state of the art cruise terminal at B Street Pier if the cruise companies agree to fund it, but they don't seem interested.   The small but nice cruise terminal on the Broadway pier was paid for by Carnival, but after it was built, Carnival decided to home port the intended ship in Australia instead.   

 

POSD also is not a field of dreams operator.  They are not going to spend 10s of millions of dollars building cruise terminals unless they know in advance with signed long-term contracts that the berthing fees cruise lines pay will completely cover the construction costs of the terminal.   POSD did announce last year that they will be spending $5 million to upgrade the facilities at the B Street Pier.   I hope that will make boarding a ship in San Diego a little more tolerable.