Carnival Cruise Lines announced that it will be pulling the rest of its California cruise ships from San Diego because of the poor economy. The economy played a part in the decision as did the fear of tourists over traveling to Mexico. The last ship of Carnival's will be the Carnival Spirit, which will begin sailing out of Australia in 2012. Carnival cites great opportunity for the withdrawal, going to a potentially booming port instead of one (San Diego) that has gone bust for the cruise line.
According to published reports, the Port of San Diego stands to lose approximately $54 million a year in tourist spending because of the withdrawal. That translates into 60,000-plus passengers visiting the Mexican Riviera from the port.
In Los Angeles, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has announced its plans to take its Mariner of the Seas out of California. Its last departure from the Port of Los Angeles will be on Sunday. The 3,100-passengers cruise ship will now call Galveston, Texas its home after a tour of South America. Norwegian Cruise Line has also said that its Norwegian Star, a 2,300-plus passenger cruise ship, will leave Los Angeles to call Tampa its home port in May.
Although the economy has been to blame for sagging revenues for the cruise lines, other factors have come into play. Drug-related violence in Mexico has been a deterrent to travelers wishing to explore the area.
Hopefully for California, these factors can be alleviated and the cruise industry can re-enter in the near future. Bon Voyage!
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