PHOTO: Port of San Diego. (photo via Flickr/Port of San Diego/Dale Frost)
ASTA Global Convention 2017 may have recently drawn to a close after it was hosted in San Diego, but the home port is still happy about recognition it has received from Cruise Critic.
For the second consecutive year, the Port of San Diego has been listed as one of the website’s top five cruise destinations in the United States and Canada.
“We are honored to be voted one of the top five cruise destinations by Cruise Critic’s online community for the second year in a row,” said Robert “Dukie” Valderrama, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners, in a press release.
“In recent years we have installed $31 million in improvements to the North Embarcadero, providing our cruise passengers with a beautiful welcome to the Port of San Diego. That, along with all the wonderful attractions San Diego offers, will help attract new cruise business to our port.”
Cruise Critic has only been bestowing its Cruiser’s Choice Awards for two years, and San Diego has placed high both times. Here’s the ranking for 2017:
1. Quebec City, Canada
2. San Francisco, California
3. Bar Harbor, Maine
4. San Diego, California
5. Key West, Florida
The awards are based solely on consumer ratings submitted via Cruise Critic reviews of sailings taken during the last year. Itineraries remain a crucial consideration, particularly destinations with plenty of things to do.
The Port of San Diego surely qualifies with two terminals—B Street Pier and Broadway Pier—located within walking distance to the heart of the city along the Embarcadero. Points of interest include world-class museums, restaurants and breathtaking vistas of the metropolitan skyline and San Diego Bay.
Also in close proximity are local hangouts including Little Italy and the Ballpark District. As a rare native resident of San Diego, I would add Balboa Park as a historic area not to be missed. Of course, signature attractions additionally extend to the famous San Diego Zoo and companion San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Perhaps most unique about San Diego (from a travel perspective) is how the cruise port is conveniently situated under a mile away from the international airport and train depot. This makes it far easier to arrive at and leave from than the ports of Long Beach and San Pedro in Los Angeles, California farther north.
The Port of San Diego’s cruise season is set to begin on September 15, 2017, with a total of 83 scheduled cruise calls. Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and Holland America Line are among the brands that will either start and/or end sailings here.
To see a full calendar of cruise arrivals, visit portofsandiego.org/recreation.
This post first appeared on TravelPulse.