Another Cruise Line to Base Ship in San Diego

Bermuda Star Line will base one of its three cruise ships in San Diego early next year, company executives have announced.

The move represents a boost for the San Diego Cruise Industry Consortium’s goal of making the city a major cruise port, Donald Harrison, executive director of the consortium, said.

“I think we’ve made it to the major leagues, but in terms of standings, we’re only doing slightly better than the Padres,” he said Wednesday.

Bermuda Star Lines, based in Teaneck, N.J., will bring to four the number of companies that base at least one ship in San Diego for a season or more. That compares to zero lines in 1982, before the consortium was formed to attract business.

Ray Burk, vice chairman of the San Diego Unified Port District, said he is “absolutely delighted.” The ship, also called Bermuda Star, will make San Diego its home port, at least for one season.

Additional Visitors

“We think this will have a tremendous economic effect on San Diego,” he said, referring to the money brought in by the 10,000 visitors it is hoped that the Bermuda Star will attract.

The Bermuda Star, a 23,395-ton ship with a passenger capacity of about 800, will make 13 seven-day round-trip cruises from the B Street Pier to the Mexican Riviera starting Jan. 23. This fall, the ship will make Panama Canal trips from Los Angeles to New Orleans, with a stop in San Diego.

George Koch, vice president for sales at the cruise line, said he expects the New Orleans trip to be nearly full, even though the first is scheduled in about four months. “If it’s successful, and I have no doubt that it will be, we’ll be back here, and back here and back here and back here.”

The fare for the weeklong cruises to Mexico will range from $865 to $1,295 per person, based on double occupancy. The Bermuda Star will make port calls in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and, depending on the tides, Cabo San Lucas.

San Diego’s cruise industry grew rapidly from 1983 to 1985, then sank abruptly when the Viking Princess stopped using San Diego as its home port. Now, the industry is rising again, port officials say.

“I think we’re still pretty fledgling,” Burk Said. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but you only get there by persistence.”