Cruise Ships Visit Port of San Diego 001 · Port of San Diego · CC BY 2.0 · edited
San Diego just became a much busier cruise port. The Port of San Diego has scheduled 183 cruise voyages for the 2026 to 2027 season, up from 109 last season, according to the Port’s own announcement on 14 September.
That is 74 more ship calls than last year by our own arithmetic, and the Port expects more than 700,000 passengers across the season. For anyone sailing from or stopping in San Diego, the practical change is congestion and terminal assignment, which is why the San Diego cruise port guide matters more this year than last.
- Season size: 183 voyages in 2026 to 2027, against 109 last season and 75 the season before.
- Passengers: more than 700,000 expected, a 68 percent increase in calls.
- Season opener: Ruby Princess sailed 14 September from the B Street Pier Cruise Terminal on a seven day Classic California Coast itinerary.
- Two terminals: the B Street Pier Cruise Terminal and Broadway Pier both handle ships.
- Local economy: the Port credits cruise with supporting more than 2,000 tourism and maritime jobs.
The Season by the Numbers
Three seasons tell the story better than one. San Diego handled 75 calls in 2024 to 2025, 109 in 2025 to 2026, and has 183 scheduled for 2026 to 2027.
Renee Rose, the Port’s maritime commercial manager, put it plainly to KPBS: “It’s our biggest cruise season in 15 years.” The 68 percent jump in a single year is the number that changes how a port day feels.
Why the Jump Is This Big
Homeports, not port calls, are doing the work. Royal Caribbean added new San Diego homeports and Disney Cruise Line expanded its presence with the Disney Magic as a second ship, while Norwegian is now in its second year homeporting there.
The distinction matters because a homeported ship generates a full turnaround, not a six hour visit. “Those home ports tend to have more of an impact,” Rose told KPBS, meaning hotel nights before and after rather than a walk to the Gaslamp and back.
Princess, Holland America, MSC, Virgin Voyages, Silversea and Viking round out the season. That is a wider mix of operators than San Diego has carried in years, and it spreads departures across more of the calendar.
Which Pier Is Yours
San Diego runs two cruise berths, and they are not interchangeable for a traveler. The B Street Pier Cruise Terminal is the main facility and is where Ruby Princess opened the season on 14 September.
Broadway Pier sits a short walk north at the foot of Broadway and also takes ships. With 183 calls compressed into one season, double berthing days become routine, so the pier printed on your boarding documents is the one to check rather than assume.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Are sailing from San Diego this season | Confirm B Street Pier versus Broadway Pier on your documents. Rideshare drop off differs between the two. |
| Want a San Diego departure instead of flying to Los Angeles | Check Royal Caribbean, Disney and Norwegian, the three lines adding or expanding homeport service this season. |
| Are visiting San Diego on a port day | Expect company. Multiple ships in port on the same day is now the normal case, not the exception. |
| Are booking hotels around a sailing | Book the pre cruise night earlier than you would have last year. More turnarounds means more competition for the same downtown rooms. |
| Are price sensitive | Look at the late fall and winter dates. The season runs counter to the traditional summer travel peak. |
The Shoulder Season Angle
San Diego’s cruise calendar deliberately runs opposite the summer peak. “One of the great things about our cruise season is that it picks up as the traditional travel season winds down,” Mayor Todd Gloria told KPBS.
For a traveler that is a pricing opportunity rather than a civic talking point. Downtown hotel rates and airfare into San Diego soften after Labor Day, which is exactly when the ship calls start stacking up.
More departures means fewer flights to Los Angeles. Travelers in Southern California who previously drove to San Pedro or Long Beach now have a real San Diego option on three more lines.
Port days get more crowded. With 183 calls, the Embarcadero, the USS Midway and the Gaslamp absorb far more same day foot traffic than they did last season.
Terminal confusion is the new failure mode. Two active berths plus a heavier schedule is how people end up at the wrong pier on embarkation morning.
Context and the Open Questions
The Port frames the season in economic terms, citing more than 2,000 jobs in tourism and maritime work. Michael Zucchet, the Board’s vice chair, said the Port “cannot wait to welcome more than 700,000 cruise passengers who will visit San Diego this year.”
What the announcement does not publish is a season end date, a per line breakdown of the 183 calls, or how the schedule distributes across the two piers. Those are the details that would let a traveler pick a quiet port day, and they are not public yet.
How many cruise ships call at San Diego this season?
183 voyages are scheduled for 2026 to 2027, up from 109 last season and 75 the season before that.
Which cruise lines sail from San Diego?
Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian, MSC, Virgin Voyages, Silversea and Viking are all in the Port’s season lineup.
Which terminal do San Diego cruises use?
Two berths are active: the B Street Pier Cruise Terminal, the main facility, and Broadway Pier just north of it. Check your documents for which one applies.
When did the 2026 to 2027 San Diego cruise season start?
14 September 2026, when Ruby Princess sailed from the B Street Pier Cruise Terminal on a seven day Classic California Coast itinerary.
Is San Diego a homeport or just a port of call?
Both. The growth this season comes mainly from added homeport service, where ships begin and end voyages in San Diego rather than stopping for a day.
