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Cruises to and from San Francisco are expected to return on Monday with a record number of stopovers scheduled for the coming year, London Mayor N. Breed and the Port of San Francisco said on Friday. The return comes after a 19-month cruise hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and arrives with updated health protocols.
“I am delighted to welcome cruises to our port and visitors to our city,” Breed said in a statement. “Tourism is a vital part of our city’s economy, helping pay for important services that enable us to care for our most vulnerable residents. ”
The Majestic Princess will be the first ship to call at the Port of San Francisco since the pandemic closed, and is one of 21 cruise ship calls expected at the port throughout the year, according to the announcement. And in 2022, a record 127 stopovers are expected to call at the port – which in 2019 contributed $ 27 million to San Francisco’s economy and is one of the only passenger cruise terminals in the Bay Area.
According to the announcement, cruises will resume “safely in strict compliance with all applicable US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules and regulations.”
Updated health protocols will now require passengers from port cruise terminals to Pier 27 and Pier 35 to embark and disembark in a staggered fashion to avoid congestion. Masks will also be required from passengers inside in the now “contactless” terminals, according to the announcement. Each cruise line also has agreements with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and specific health and safety guidelines.
“Our city has shown that with high levels of immunization and the right safety protocols in place, we can open businesses and bring back tourism while mitigating the spread of COVID-19,” said the director of health for San Francisco, Dr. Grant Colfax. “The return of passenger cruises to San Francisco is another step forward in this direction.”
In March 2020, California reported his first coronavirus-related death. Less than two weeks earlier, the 71-year-old had disembarked from the Grand Princess Cruise ship, which was due to dock in San Francisco. Instead, the ship was held off the coast until all other passengers were tested for COVID-19. After the death, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency.
On March 14, 2020, the CDC issued a 30-day “no navigation order” that stopped cruises from the United States amid COVID-19. The order was then extended for several months as COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to rise. In October 2020, the CDC released a framework for a gradual reopening of cruises in the country.
In June, the Celebrity edge cruise ship became the first to leave a U.S. port since the pandemic shutdown in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, said the city’s return was “another positive sign.”
“Passengers aboard the Majestic Princess will be warmly welcomed in San Francisco next Monday,” he said. “The return of cruises to and from San Francisco is an important step in our recovery.”
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