The Port of San Diego, gateway to the Mexican Riviera, has officially kicked off its 2024-25 winter cruise season, with major cruise lines poised to homeport ships or visit on port calls.
Holland America Line, which typically homeports ships for winter season cruises to Mexico, will again deploy two ships from November 2024 to late April 2025. Other cruise brands sailing from San Diego or calling at the port include Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Viking Cruises.
Holland America, with two ships based at the facility, will offer the lion’s share of voyages to several popular destinations in Baja California and the Mexican Riviera. Kicking off the San Diego season on October 4, 2024, the line’s Nieuw Amsterdam will depart the port on a 16-day Panama Canal cruise that ends in Fort Lauderdale.
The voyage calls at Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Santa Cruz Huatulco, and Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; and Puntarenas, Costa Rico before transiting the Panama Canal. The ship will visit Aruba before ending at the Florida port.
“We love sailing from San Diego and are thrilled to kick off the 2024/2025 cruise season. Our guests will be able to explore the Pacific Coast, Mexico, the Panama Canal, Hawaii and even traverse the gems of the South Pacific,” said Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer for Holland America Line.
Bodensteiner noted that cruise guests bring substantial revenue to embarkation destinations. Holland America Line guests and crew will spend an estimated $378,000 each time one of its ships calls this season, adding some $11.3 million into the local economy.
In all, 75 voyages will be offered this season, bringing 265,000 cruise guests to the region through spring 2025.
“We are thrilled to kick off our cruise season here in San Diego with our long-time homeport partner, Holland America,” said Sid Voorakkara, commissioner of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners.
“Together, we will create unforgettable experiences for travelers while showcasing the beauty of San Diego Bay and its waterfront,” added Voorakkara.
Starting in November 2024 and continuing through April 2025, Holland America Line will base the 2,650-guest Koningsdam and 1,432-guest Zaandam in San Diego, with both ships sailing 7- to 11-day voyages.
A 10-day “Mexican Riviera & Sea of Cortez” cruise, with several departure dates, calls at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, La Paz, and Loreto, on both ships, for example, while a 7-day “Baja Peninsula” cruise onboard Koningsdam visits Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and Loreto.
In March 2025, a longer, 14-day “Mexican Riviera, Wine Country & Pacific Northwest” voyage is offered on Koningsdam. The March 22, 2025 departure calls at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, San Diego, San Francisco, Astoria, Victoria, and Vancouver.
Holland America’s Koningsdam
In April 2025, Koningsdam deploys to Vancouver to operate a 21-day “Circle Hawaii Pacific Northwest” cruise just before launching her Alaska Inside Passage cruise series from that port for summer 2025.
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Cruises from San Diego continue through late April on Zaandam, which picks up the “Mexican Riviera & Sea of Cortez” itinerary that Koningsdam offered. On April 26, 2025, Zaandam also shifts to Vancouver, sailing an 11-day cruise to that destination from San Diego. Like Koningsdam, Zaandam will sail 7-day Inside Passage cruises in the Great Land starting in early May 2025.
Disney Wonder to Sail From San Diego in Early 2025
Disney Cruise Line will base one ship, the 4,000-guest Disney Wonder, at San Diego in early 2025. The ship in March, April, and May will operate 3-, 4-, and 7-night voyages to the Mexican Riviera.
Port calls include Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Ensenada on the longer sailings. Shorter cruises visit Ensenada, and Catalina Island.
Viking Cruises will not homeport a ship in San Diego this season, however, two of its vessels will make inaugural calls to the port this season, Viking Neptune and Viking Sea.
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Publish date : 2024-10-03 07:30:00
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